Nodame Cantibile in 2011 anyone?

[Radien]

So at the top of my list of anime-series-I-have-finished-watching-but-really-should is Nodame Cantibile, which for anyone who hasn't seen it is a "josei" anime (anime targeted at women over 20) about the lives of students at a music college.  It's from the studio that made Honey and Clover, which more of you may recognize.

I have yet to see (or find?) a Nodame Cantibile cosplay.  This is largely because the characters wear different clothes everyday -- so few anime do this. It makes it difficult to recognize a character through costume.

However, a few things are recognizable: their concert outfits, their hair, and their instruments.  For instance, I've been thinking of doing something like Chiaki, on the right in this image.



Unsurprisingly, the girls have it slightly harder since women's dresses tend to look slightly different whereas men's formalwear usually contains common components like pinstrip jackets and white dress shirts.  But still, the clothes are a lot more realistic, so that means at the very least there will probably be a useful pattern somewhere.

I have a wig that might work for Chiaki. He also has a conductor's outfit that involves a white bow tie. Add a conductor's baton and he'd be at least moderately recognizable, doubly so next to a good Nodame with sheet music or a mini-piano.

This may be a pretty toned-down cosplay idea, but I think the josei/seinen anime needs some love. Is anybody else interested in Nodame?

[@random]

I'd be soooo tempted to do one of the characters if their outfits were more recognizable. I love Nodame. (^_^)

[makichan]

Holy crap! This is my favorite anime ever. I've been wanting to go as Nodame for a long time. We shall see what happens >,>

[Radien]

I know it's not immediately recognizable, but remember that you only really need to cater to actual fans of the series!  If they haven't seen or heard about the show, that's not our problem. It just means that people will ask what the costumes are from, and then they'll know about the series (and might watch it).

I don't know about you, but when I see a cool or fun costume that I don't recognize, I ask about it. Most people are more than happy to educate someone about their favorite series, even a stranger. After all, it's positive attention, and it can work both ways.

I think making a Nodame cosplay recognizable is all about the props. Props and costumes are the only two things people can recognize at a distance. Mannerisms, poses, and trademark lines usually only come into play once someone stops you.

Although, perhaps bringing along some mini-speakers to play music from the show would be fun.