Cosplay Showcase Special: Usagi Yojimbo Plush

*looks at calendar* Oh it’s Wednesday..... OH CRAP IT’S WEDNESDAY?!?!

Sorry about that. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m terribly forgetful.  But hey, as long as I’m posting once a week we’re good!

This time it’s a special cosplay showcase of my little Usagi Yojimbo plush that I entered into the Plushie Costume Contest at Fandemonium this year. I know I said this in my last post, but I actually won fan favorite with this guy and 2nd place with the judge! I’m so proud of him so I decided I’d share him with you guys! I hope you like him!

First off, if you don’t know who or what Usagi Yojimbo is, you should check it out! He’s an anthropomorphic bunny samurai and he kicks ass!! What else do you need to know? Oh, he also made an appearance in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle tv series back in the 90’s. And the Turtles appeared in his comic as well. (I haven’t seen or read any of those episodes/issues, but someday I will!!)

Cosplay Showcase: Usagi Yojimbo Plush

Master samurai Usagi!

Why did you chose this character to make? Why did you chose it for the showcase?

I super love the comic Usagi Yojimbo. And when I found out about the plushie contest I knew I had to make this bunny into Usagi! His little ears are perfect!! And his profile is even the same as Usagi’s! Even though he doesn’t have the right legs his top half was so right I just had to make it.

I wanted to share him in the showcase because I’m so proud of him! This is the first time I’ve ever made a costume for a plushie and I think he turned out really well! There isn’t anything about him that I want to change or fix up. He turned out just how I planned!

What was your construction process?

Well first I had to device a pattern for the hakama. His legs are shaped like bunny legs and they are attached to the side of his body, so pants don’t really work for him. So I made a paper mock up that looked like pants and just kept shortening the legs until they actually fit him. Then I made a mock up with scrap fabric and added the appropriate pleating and then I made the actually pants. And they turned out perfect! 

I like how his little feet poke out.

Next I made his kimono top. This plush used to be a white rabbit plush and he had a little jacket with coat tails and a little vest. I used the vest to make a pattern for the top part of his nagajuban (“Kimono-shaped robe worn by both men and women beneath the main outer garment”- Wikipidea. Used to keep the kimono cleaner). I figured I didn’t need to make a whole one since you only see the top part of it peak out under his kimono. And it’s not like he’s going to sweat on his kimono. Lol. Then I took apart the jacket so I could use it to base my kimono pattern off of. I used bias tape for the white edges. Everything went so smoothly and I only had to unpick stitches one time! That’s a first for me! I painted the little designs on the front and the sleeves.

Then I made his katana and wakizashi (that’s the shorter sword). They are made of cardboard and tin foil. I painted the cardboard and it kind of looks like lacquered wood! I was quite pleased with that. I wrapped tin foil around the blade part so they looked like metal and I wrapped the handle with green thread. I like the thread better than if I had painted it. It looks more like a katana. I also made the sheaths out of cardboard that I folded over.

Deadly weapons...

The final detail is his top knot. The tie isn’t anything special, but to be accurate to the “real” Usagi, I placed a lock of hair (that was my husband’s) wrapped in a piece of paper inside of it. Usagi keeps a lock of hair that belonged to his true love inside his knot at all times. Of course no one sees that part, but I know it’s there. 

He looks like he's going to kick some bad guy butt!

The things you love about this cosplay.

Everything. Lol. I just love him so much. He turned out so good and he’s so stinking cute I can hardly stand it. My favorite thing would have to be a toss up between his pants and his swords. They both turned out exactly how I planned them and I’m really proud of that.

The things you hate.

Nothing really. Well, I guess if I had to pick a thing I would have finished the inside seems a little better, as that docked me points on the judging. But I’m not going to fix it. I like him just how he is. I just know better for next time to finish my seems nice.

A general closing statement and where one might find more pictures of this and other cosplays you’ve done.

I fucking love this bunny!! I don’t ever want to take his costume off him! It’s so adorable and I love it. I enjoyed making plushie costumes so much I think I’ll do it more regularly. And I definitely want to enter the contest again next year! And you can find more pics on my facebook page or my deviant art.

Photo by Krystal Miller

There he was! The cutest bun-bun ever! I hope you guys enjoyed this entry and thanks for indulging this proud plushie mama. Haha.

Next week.... Well I dunno what I’m doing next week... I’ll think of something. 

~Edward