Disclaimer: Answers may be edited for clarity of reading and comprehension.
THE MAGIC RAIN team had the utmost pleasure of interviewing the marvel-ous Serg Loki Mirage during AniManGaki 2018. Hailing from the land of Russia, Serg Loki Mirage has been actively participating in competitions local and overseas and won first place for 12 times already!
Serg Loki Mirage is known for his amazing prop making skills and his accurate portrayal of Thranduil from Lord of the Rings and the mischievous Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was both our esteemed guest and a judge for the AniManGaki Cosplay Xth which was held on the 18th and 19th August 2018. His goal for the event? To meet new friends and experience our local ACG community for the first time!
Q: What was your first ever cosplay and how was your first cosplay experience like?
A: My first cosplay was Ichimaru Gin from the anime Bleach. My first experience cosplaying is so important to me and it is deep in my heart. It was an experience I would never forget because it was my first time and I really loved this character a lot. I didn’t encounter any problems in my first cosplay that I ordered the costume and wig. It wasn’t the best cosplay but it was okay.
I chose this character because I really loved the anime, and Gin was also a very strange character. At first, I did not know his history since I watched the ongoing episodes on Bleach. But when I knew his real story, it was very sad and he became my favourite character.
Q: What was your most memorable experience while cosplaying?
A: It was when I won my second competition around seven or eight years ago and the competition is one of the biggest cosplay competitions in Russia. I cosplayed as Genesis Rhapsodos from Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core and my partner was Minerva, Genesis’s goddess who’s a secret boss in the game.
Q: What cosplay do you plan to do next?
A: I am planning to make Nightwing from the DC fandom, Legolas from Lord of The Rings, male version of Mercy from Overwatch and also hopefully Illidan Stormrage from World of Warcraft. Illidan is a really difficult cosplay to make because we need to [make an extremely muscular upper] body.
My friends and I have already molded the sculpture, so now we just need to buy some silicon material for the cast of the silicon [upper] body. It is really a difficult costume to make with all the horns, wings and stuff. So, I hope it’ll come out good. In terms of anime cosplay, I might cosplay Uchiha Itachi from Naruto.
Q: What was your toughest cosplay project and how long did you take to complete it?
A: It was my Groot cosplay from Guardians of Galaxy. I had to make the full body, mask helmet, gloves and even the feet. It was a very difficult costume to make and it took about one month of full work which was spread out in the time period of about one year.
Q: You have won numerous cosplay competitions and I would like to know on how do you usually plan out your skits for competition? Also, what are the best or worst experiences you had while joining those competitions?
A: I usually just ask my friends for help and they help me plan it out. My inspiration for the skits comes from the anime itself.
As for my best experience, it was when I went to another country for the first time to cosplay which was in China. My worst experience however was when somebody broke my prop before a competition and it was really unbelievable as I hoped to win that competition.
Q: How does it feel to be known as a cosplayer well-known for your accurate portrayal of Loki from the Marvel universe and Thranduil from Lord of The RIngs?
A: I don’t think I’m that accurate, but maybe I do have some resemblance to the real character. But compared to my Loki cosplay, I believe that my Thranduil cosplay is more accurate.
Q: What do you think of cosplayers who buy their cosplays online instead of making their own?
A: Both ways are okay, you can buy and also make your own cosplay. I don’t think there is much difference to it.
Q: Did your family support you in starting cosplay?
A: Yeah they agreed. They helped me out a little in my first cosplay too. Although I do not need their help anymore now, they still support me.
Q: What do you think of the current issue of black-facing in the cosplay community?
A: I’m not quite sure of it because I just heard there were some problems in the US about the skin colour when it comes to cosplay. They do not like or want the white people to cosplay as a black people. But, if people really like the cosplay and the character, so why not? This is one of the new problems our cosplay community is facing.
Bucky Barnes from Marvel Cinematic Universe. Picture credit to Serg Loki Mirage CosplayQ: What have you improved the most from the start of your cosplay journey till now? And what are some of the best things you’ve learnt since you started?
A: Of course I improved in prop-making and maybe sewing. I still have some problems with makeup but I’ll try to do my best every time. I do admit that it is not my best skill. As for what I’ve learnt: patience while doing prop making which I feel is one of the most important thing when creating a cosplay.
Q: Any cosplayers do you look up to or was inspired by?
A: No one in particular actually. But I like some Japanese cosplayers and even Western. For example, I love how Germany Cosplayer Kamui makes her props and I love the looks of Reika and Stayxxxx from Japan. They are very awesome people. Ah! And also, of course, Leon from Italy. He is a very cool guy and I hope we can collaborate in the future.
Q: In what ways have you seen the cosplay scene change since you first entered the cosplay community?
A: Attention to the details because like myself when I first started to cosplay, I just wanted to make the character but now I want to make the character perfect.
Q: Is this your first time being in Malaysia? What do you think?
A: This is my first time here. It is different but of course I like it. I think Malaysia is one of the best countries I’ve travelled to before and even the convention here is the best.
I think AniManGaki is a very great convention. There are a lot of funny people and cosplayers too. I will be judging the cosplay competition tomorrow (19th August 2018) and then I’ll truly see the cosplay quality here. For now, it is really good and it is thanks to the organizers who are attentive to all of these things.
Q: From what you’ve experienced here in AniManGaki, is there any difference in the feel and culture of any ACG convention in Russia.
A: It is similar, I think. It is in a big place, there is a lot of stuff to see and do and a lot of visitor.
Q: Lastly, what advice do you have to give to young and inspiring cosplayers just entering the cosplay community?
A: I always tell those who want to enter the cosplay community to just try! Try to make your cosplay the best one out there or even for yourself.
With that, we’d like to thank Serg Loki Mirage for the splendid interview. We wish him all the best in his future plans and hope to see him bring out more interesting costumes that will wow us once more.
Find more cosplay info on Serg Loki Mirage at :-
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serglokicosplay/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sergmirage/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sergloki
