Sailor Scout Halloween: Character Selection Challenge

For me, a big challenge comes with picking a character or making one up because I have lots of fondness towards the characters. And I am not opposed to doing a bit of cross-over or reaching back into my high school art and making Sailor Virgo or some other original character design. 

For the base costume, I am keeping closer to the Manga references or the Reboot for references. Every character has multiple versions depending on the series and powerups. I'm going to try and stick with first season basics/initial costume.

First I'll go over characters I'm considering:

(Images all made with the Sailor Senshi Maker)

Canon Characters

1. Sailor Moon
2. Sailor Mercury
3. Sailor Venus
4. Sailor Mars
5. Sailor Jupiter
6. Sailor Saturn
7. Sailor Pluto

Original Characters

1. Sailor Virgo
2. Sailor X
3. Sailor Goro

Crossover Characters

1. Sailor Rarity
2. Sailor Fluttershy
3. Sailor Mitsuri
4. Sailor Tanjiro
5. Sailor Shinobu
6. Sailor Kyojuro

So 16 character ideas total. Time to evaluate and eliminate to determine which one I will actually make! (Because I'm not sure right now!)

However, There can be only ONE. I need to eliminate some based on practical purposes. Because this will be a dancing costume so that means:  

• The shoes must be easy to dance in. It needs a heel and be secured on my foot.
• No crazy, loose accessories or chunky ones in the earrings or hair. 
• I prefer not to wear a wig. Especially for long hair. So no overly complicated hair. 
• Colors that look good on me: I have some colors I think look pretty good on me. Typically dark and deep colors. I want to avoid pale colors. (I recently learned that because these colors reflect more light they can make you seem heavier!) 

I will eliminate characters that do not meet these standards.  

Canon Sailor Scouts 

Sailor Moon:

• Shoes: Danceable - just covering a dance shoe with a fabric boot cover. 
• Hair: Needs a wig, my hair is much too short to even style it mildly like her hair. 
• Accessories: Concerned about the hair gems, not sure how to secure them. 
• Colors: Dark blue, bright red: Good colors.

Overall result: Disqualified - hair issues 💔

Sailor Mercury

• Shoes: Danceable - just covering a dance shoe with a fabric boot cover. 
• Hair:  Just need to color my hair temporarily with blue. Easy enough.
• Accessories: Since the glasses are optional, no issues. 
• Colors: bright blue, light blue: decent colors.

Overall Result: Pass 💖

Sailor Jupiter

• Shoes: Ankle Boots - danceable will need to cover with boot cover.
• Hair: Long brown hair, ponytail - I have a ponytail extension already, no issues with hair.
• Accessories: Rose Stud Earrings, Beaded hair band - no issues for dancing.
• Colors: Green, Rose Pink - Good colors for me. 

Overall Result: Pass 💖

Sailor Venus

• Shoes: Orange high heels with ankle strap - technically could work, but ankle straps hurt. So no. 
• Hair: Would need a wig for length or extensions and to lighten my hair. - nope
• Accessories: Hair bow and simple earrings, optional glasses. - Works for dance.
• Colors: Orange, Navy blue - No...not for me. 

Overall Result: Disqualified - Shoes, Colors, hair 💔

Sailor Mars

• Shoes: Red high heels - No securing on the top of the foot, Can't dance in it.
• Hair: Butt length, black with bangs - I have a wig, but it's annoying to dance in. 
• Accessories: Red Stud earrings - No issues with this.
• Colors: Red, Purple/dark blue - Really like this coloration on me. 

Overall Result: Disqualified - Shoes, Hair 💔

Sailor Saturn:

• Shoes: Knee High purple boots with lace ups - Dance appropriate.
• Hair: Chin length black bob with bangs - Just need to color my hair temporarily. This works.
• Accessories: Dangling earrings, pointy star broach - No issues here.
• Colors: Violet, dark red - My favorite colors! And they look nice on me. 

Overall Result: Pass 💖

Sailor Pluto

• Shoes: Black knee high boots - it works.
• Hair: ankle length, green-black with bangs and bun - that's a lot of  hair. Doesn't work for me.
• Accessories: Red Stud earrings - No problem with that.
• Colors: Black, dark red - awesome colors for me.

Overall Result: Disqualified - Hair 💔

Original Characters

Sailor Virgo

• Shoes: Knee high platform boots black - not good for dancing. No heel.
• Hair: Blond braided pigtails - I used to have long enough hair. Now I don't. 
• Accessories: Earrings of some kind - no issues.
• Colors: Pink, Black - inner  not best for a primary color for me.

Overall result: disqualified - Hair, Shoes, Color 💔

Sailor X (Planet X)

• Shoes: Strappy black heel - Made for dancing!
• Hair: Dark hair, long bob - need to darken my hair a bit but it works. 
• Accessories: Hoop earrings - might use a smaller hoop but again, nothing wrong.
• Colors: Black and Gray - Inner goth girl wants to play. 

Overall Result: Pass 💖

Sailor Goro

• Shoes: Strappy sandals, black/gold - Designed for dance.
• Hair: Short, grey - I have a wig or could color my hair. Good.
• Accessories: Simple heart earrings: No problem there.
• Colors: Green, Purple - Nice colors for me.

Overall Result: Pass 💖

Cross Over Characters

Sailor Mitsuri

• Shoes: I designed these for dance
• Hair: Long, multi-colored, needs a wig - Not great
• Accessories: Simple heart stud earrings, no issues.
• Colors: Pink and Green - oof...makes me look big. 

Overall Result: Disqualified - Hair, Colors 💔

Sailor Shinobu

• Shoes: Designed for dance 
• Hair: I have tutorials for the style, I have just enough hair for it. Need to darken my hair/purple it - doable!
• Accessories: Butterfly hair clip secures similar to bobby pins. It's a very dancer accessory. 
• Colors: Dark purple, Pink, Light Blue - since the light colors are not primary this will do.

Overall Result: Pass 💖

Sailor Tanjiro

• Shoes: Designed for dance
• Hair: Short or long, may look more like season one training arc, red. I look good with reddish hair. Definitely in! 
• Accessories: Hanafuda earrings - not heavy, but kind of big and dangly...may need to make smaller versions so...it's workable. 
• Colors: Green-blue, Navy, Red - These colors work for me. 

Overall Result: Pass 💖

Sailor Kyojuro

• Shoes: Covered boots made for dance
• Hair: I can get the spirit of the style with my hair, need to color the tips red or temp color my hair yellow. I'm obsessed enough to know how to do this with MY hair, so it's a pass. 
• Accessories: I have the earrings and danced with them before. Pass
• Colors: Red, White, Gold/Orange - My dance comp colors...these work for me. 

Overall Result: Pass 💖

Sailor Fluttershy

• Shoes: Strappy dance shoes - yes!
• Hair: Long and pink. Would need a wig or extensions.
• Accessories: Designed to be dance friendly.
• Colors: Pale yellow, pink and blue - too pale for me.

Overall Result: Disqualified - Hair, Colors 💔

Sailor Rarity

• Shoes: Strappy heels made for dance
• Hair: I could evoke it with a purple hair color and 40's victory curls - doable
• Accessories: Designed for dancing
• Colors: Purple, Light Blue - these work for me.

Overall Result: Pass 💖

Round 1 Results

With these practicalities in mind we are left with: 

1. Sailor Mercury
2. Sailor Jupiter
3. Sailor Saturn
4. Sailor X
5. Sailor Goro
6. Sailor Shinobu
7. Sailor Tanjiro
8. Sailor Kyojuro
9. Sailor Rarity

Down from 16 to 9!  Still got a few more to whittle down so we head into Round 2. 

Evaluation Round 2

So this part is a mix of feelings and some practical things. To start off, I want to consider the Recognition factors. Basically, I don't want to spend a lot of time explaining my costume or even to have someone ask who I'm supposed to be. Another thing I'm considering is my Emotional Connection and Interest Level in making a costume of this character. 

So based on these two factors, I'm going to eliminate all original characters. They are not going to be recognizable as real characters. Maybe if this was an anime convention instead of a ballroom dancing party, I'd feel okay making an original Sailor Scout. And I'm not as invested emotionally in these designs as I am with the others. 

Of the remaining Crossover and Canon characters, I have lower interest in making Sailor Mercury and Sailor Rarity. 

1. Sailor Mercury
2. Sailor Jupiter
3. Sailor Saturn
4. Sailor X
5. Sailor Goro
6. Sailor Shinobu
7. Sailor Tanjiro
8. Sailor Kyojuro
9. Sailor Rarity

Now, if I want to rank the remaining characters based on my emotional attachment it will go: 

1. Sailor Kyojuro
2. Sailor Jupiter
3. Sailor Saturn
4. Sailor Shinobu
5. Sailor Tanjiro

Another practical thing I tried to do was determine which would be the most difficult to achieve or the most expensive. And honestly, that didn't really narrow down anything. They're all relatively similar in cost and challenge. Kyojuro may eek into being the biggest challenge only because of the two hair colors and the gradient skirt. But it's just more work not harder work if that makes sense. 

Round 2 Results

Evaluation Round 3

This round I had to do a bit of soul searching and think of why I it was so difficult to say "no" to making all these characters. I am really into Demon Slayer and have wanted to do a cosplay but haven't had the opportunity or occasion to do it. Beyond making Kimono. I was looking for an excuse and really I have so many creative projects to show my appreciation of the show, that I should really branch out. It hurts my heart to say it, so in consolation, I was planning on making 2 new swimsuits this year because 3 of my swimsuits are either moldy, coming apart, or too small. As a treat, I designed a swimsuit inspired by Kyojuro and one inspired by Mitsuri. I also plan on making a lined haori to use as character bounding to Shinobu and I'll likely make the hair clip too. So with that, I eliminate my crossover designs and I'm left with TWO: Sailor Saturn and Sailor Jupiter!

Final Round

Now we're down to 2 characters to pick from. What a wild ride! At this point I could toss a coin...but that would cheapen all the work we did. 😜 So, how do I pick between two beloved characters!? 

First, I went through my personal feelings as to why I wanted to dress up as this character. 

Sailor Saturn's colors have always been my favorite combo. Her arc was my favorite when I was reading the manga in high school. She gives such goth girl vibes which was totally what I wanted to be as a teen...and a bit as an adult but I don't fit in. She's not as well known of a character when compared to the main cast and I always like to support my favorite, lesser known characters because they're not popular. I like doing something different. 

On the flipside, I relate the most to Sailor Jupiter as a character both when I was young and now. She's a romantic, domestic, and a shy outcast due to her height. I am similar...except I was small instead of tall. My affection for her is strong and I most resemble her. (I always wear a pony tail). Her color scheme is good for me. And Sailor Jupiter would be well recognized since she's one of the main group. But that also makes her popular which is why I would shy away from her. 

Now I'm torn over which character to go with! I feel weirdly guilty picking one over the other. So I thought of ONE more test that would make the decision more practical. Looking how the ensemble would look on my current body. 😬😬

My thighs and hips are thick. My waist line is not as narrow as the characters. My boobs are the right size! But that's it. It's not going to be the most flattering costume. I would like to look long and lean. I am working out more so who knows if I'll be any smaller by October. But regardless, I did a test. I took photos of myself wearing a short skirt and wearing knee-high boots and compared it to wearing ankle boots. I drew outlines of the photo to show the comparison.

MMm...thick.

The costume has a lot of white which tends to make you look larger because it reflects so much light. (Advice I heard from a ballroom dance tailor.) Also when it comes to the vertical height, the short boots make me look a bit taller and my legs longer while the knee high boots emphasize the thickest part of my legs and make the legs look shorter. It's an illusion but I want the longer legs and it'd be easier to dance in shorter boots. So, this means that I will choose...

...Sailor Jupiter!

As consolation, I still want to show my appreciation for Sailor Saturn so I will add her to my 3D Printing Figurine project. 

After all that...my mind is finally at ease and I can let go of the stress this was causing me. I can refocus on my other projects that are already in progress and come back to this closer to summer time and work on it. I will be slowly collecting supplies until then. Now, to finish my competition dress and start shopping for swim material!