[INTERVIEW] Angie & Ying Tze as Cosplay Judges at Chara Expo 2016

Chara Expo Day 1st day, Kojacon met guest cosplayer who came to the stage as judges. Before joining our chat session, let us introduce YingTze and Angie to you all.

YingTze is popular and pretty Malaysian cosplayer. Known for always interacting and taking care of her fans, YingTze has amassed over 67,000 fans on Facebook alone. YingTze has also been guested at many cosplay events in the South East Asia region. While Angie is new rising cosplay star in SEA, Angie has cosplayed more than 100 anime characters since 2008, with each cosplay more impressive than the last through her portrayals of each character. Currently with a whooping 30,000 Facebook fans, she has attended multiple international cosplay events. Angie proves to hold strong support from cosplay fans in South East Asia with her anime like features.

Both, YingTze and Angie are coming from Malaysia. Actually there were only 2 judges on cos-stage event, but what a guess? Nakane Monya from STARMARIE also appeared as a judge guest! Of course, she just made the cosplayers and the audience feels merrier. So now let’s take a look our interview with Angie and Ying Tze!

Have you ever cosplaying as a boy/male character? If you have cosplayed as a boy/male character several times, which one do you like the most and why?

Ying Tze: One of my very first cosplay is actually a male character. I used to crossplay a lot when I first started cosplaying because I am really tall for a girl and my friends like to ask me to be their male partner in cosplay groups. My favorite is Ittoki Otoya from Uta no Prince Sama. He is an energetic and positive character, just like the sunshine. I like cosplaying such kind of male characters because I think I have a similar personality. I like to make people smile with my smile 🙂

Angie: Yes, I did. Although it is not very frequent, but I will cosplay around 1-2 male character every year. One of my favorite male cosplay that I did before is Kirito from Sword Art Online II’s Phantom Bullet arc.

What made you became a cosplayer like now? Is there any particular reason?

Ying Tze: I have been a super big fan of anime /games /manga since the age of 4. Before I started cosplaying, I enjoy drawing fan arts and original characters. When I discovered about cosplay, I got really attracted to it and now, I am able to make my own costume. I love making costumes, especially the process which leads up to completion. I guess I enjoy challenging myself because every costume is a new project which I can learn new things from.

Angie: I started cosplaying when I found out that I could become any character that I like through it. After getting into this hobby, I got to experience a lot of things that I cannot learn in school. Cosplay is a challenge to myself, a challenge that motivates me to keep my passion burning and continue exploring new things.

Tell us your first cosplay experience ever!

Ying Tze: My first cosplay was a disaster. I don’t have a wig or proper shoes for the costume but I really enjoyed cosplaying for the very first time. I was really shy back then, but cosplay made me into a much braver person. Although I am still a shy person, I will try to make myself comfortable on the stage in front of the public.

Angie: My first cosplay was Yuki from Vampire Knight. My friend tried to sign me up for a cosplay competition when I told them I was interested to try cosplaying for the first time. It was a total mess but I had a lot of fun. I can recall that I had such a bad time trying to find a suitable wig back then.

Is there any character you want to try to cosplay but not yet until now? What is the reason?

Ying Tze: Probably Sailormoon. I do not think that I have the correct body figure to do it but I started working out in the gym lately. Perhaps in the future I will be able to cosplay one of the characters from Sailormoon!

Angie: I would like to try out more cosplay that involves armor, but I still need more time to polish my props making skills.

What is your favorite cosplay? What is your favorite cosplay event outside your country? Explain shortly.

Ying Tze: I love all of the characters that I have cosplayed before, but if I have to pick one it would be Nozomi Tojo from Love Live! I love her costumes and she is the character who I made the most costumes for. As for my favorite cosplay event, there are different unforgettable moments for me at different events. There is this event where I get to meet my idol in real life for the very first time, it may be coincidence but it was such a blessing 🙂

Angie: My favorite cosplay for this year is cover character for EGOIST. I am really inspired by their new designs every time. Events in different country have different culture and are unique on their own. This is why I enjoy visiting events in different countries.

What do you think about quality of cosplayers who came today? How you decided the winner of cosplay contest?

Ying Tze: I think that the contestants today were amazing! Everyone puts a lot of effort in making their costumes and I can really feel their passion there. After all, without the passion, one would probably not be able to work so hard for their interest. I always believe that hard work will pay off, so I’m happy to see them working so hard for this competition.

Angie: I can tell that each contestant put a lot of effort into making their costume. I will always judge base on the costume and performance. For costume, it would be how much it resembles the original character and the quality of the costume. For performance, it would be how it is being executed and how creative it is. Most importantly is how well the contestant can express their ideas to the audience.

Is there any favorite cosplayer from Japan or outside Japan?

Ying Tze: My favorite cosplayer is Pinky Lu Xun from Indonesia. She is a very talented friend of mine and she inspires me to continue making my own costumes. Her cosplay and costume works are amazing. Don’t forget to check her out! I am really amazed by her craftsmanship, as well as her humbleness.

Angie: There are many cosplayers that I look up to, especially KANAME☆ and Reika. Their cosplay are very detailed and is very impressive.

Please give message or encourage to newbie cosplayer out there!

Ying Tze: Try your best in everything you do! Always think positive and have fun!!

Angie: Be passionate about your hobby and always give it your best, not for anyone else, but for yourself. Don’t forget, cosplay is a hobby, so do have fun.

Thanks a lot Ying Tze and Angie for answering our question regarding cosplay and cos-stage event. Also to Nakane Monya, our judge guest who came to the stage and make the event was happier and merrier, thanks for coming to the photo session! A lot of fun talk to you all!

Angie0_0, Monya Nakane from STARMARIE, Ying Tze

CosStage Champion!

Special thanks to CharaExpo 2016 Committee and Pinpoint PR