Written by MAI NGUYEN
Photos by JAMIE LEE
Doremi, 23, and Tasha, 28, are members of the South Korean professional cosplay team Spiral Cats, and they look like they literally stepped out of a video game—Blade & Soul, to be exact. Even if you don’t recognize who they’re dressed as, it’s easy to appreciate the incredible craftsmanship of their elaborate costumes. Dressed in a pink and white frilly, layered dress with a decorative flower piece adorning her hair, Doremi walks daintily, whereas Tasha tends to strut while donning a tight black qipao fusion body suit with a feathered collar and intricate armor.
Tasha as Jin Seo Yeon from ‘Blade & Soul’ (left) and Doremi as Nam So Yu from ‘Blade & Soul’ (right).
Creating and wearing costumes may have started out as a hobby for Doremi (whose real name is Lee Hye-min) and Tasha (Oh Go-eun), but now it’s become their full-time jobs. Officially debuting as a professional cosplay team in 2010, Spiral Cats has portrayed a range of game characters from League of Legends to World of Warcraft, garnering nationwide and even international attention for their cosplaying skills.
Cosplay comes from the words “costume play,” in which a person dresses as a certain character. As a pro team, the Spiral Cats are sponsored by various game companies and attend numerous domestic and international gaming and anime events, where they get to meet their global fan base. In an interview with Sports Seoul, the group even claimed, “To gaming fans, we’re as popular as any (idol) girl group.”
KoreAm chatted with Spiral Cats leader Tasha and newest member Doremi about their team, their work and the vibrant cosplay scene in South Korea.
For starters, how did you get into cosplaying?
Tasha: I first was introduced to Japanese culture through manga and anime. When I was young, my parents took me to a cosplay event and looking around, I felt that this was something I wanted to do. So, I tried my hand at it and started doing it as a hobby for years and eventually formed Spiral Cats. I used to major in art and worked in game development, so I like making things with my hands. All my past experience now goes into my cosplay work.
Doremi: I joined Spiral Cats later, but I also got interested in cosplay through manga.
How did you form your Spiral Cats and become a professional team?
Tasha: We started as amateurs and when we dressed as characters from League of Legends, we got an explosive response from viewers. Then, game companies wanted to sponsor us and it started from there.
How do you decide which characters to cosplay?
Tasha: We talk with our clients about which characters they would like to see us cosplay, but our team also discusses our choices and everything is ultimately decided in our meetings.
Who are your favorite characters to cosplay & what are your favorite styles of dress?
Tasha: I like Nidalee from League of Legends and Kerrigan from Starcraft. I am usually in charge of the sexy femme fatale roles. (photos from Tasha’s FB page)
Doremi: My favorite characters are Generation Ahri from League of Legends and Jaina Proudmoore from World of Warcraft. I am in charge of the pure, feminine roles and since I’m tall, I get to portray the tall characters as well.
Doremi as Generation Ahri from ‘League of Legends’ (left) and Tasha as Nidalee from ‘League of Legends’ (right)
What is your favorite part of the cosplay process?
Tasha: I enjoy the designing process. I pay a lot of attention to the details, so I think it’s important to get all the complicated patterns, piece sizes and costume colors just right. Even if people were to see me from afar, I want them to be able to get an idea of which character I am.
Doremi: For me, I like working on the hairstyles and color.
What do you think is the biggest difference between cosplaying in Korea and in other countries?
Tasha: I think it’s a part of the Korean culture to try and not bother other people. For example, when we go to work at cosplaying events, we travel to the venue and put on our costumes there and we change back to our regular clothes when we leave. However in other countries like in the US, you can see people casually wearing their cosplay outside and freely walking around. Korean people typically keep it contained and use the Internet to express their hobbies.
What are your most memorable experiences while cosplaying professionally?
Tasha: Two years ago, I was doing an autograph session for Blizzard and right after signing, a fan told me he would be my fan forever. I thought he was just exaggerating, but now he has become an admin on my fancafe. He helps me with various events, so now we have become very close. This fan has really stood out to me and I am very grateful for his support.
Doremi: After joining Spiral Cats, we went to work at a gaming event and it was great having so many people help me to achieve the best results.
Tasha: Oh, I also recently visited Blizzard Entertainment in costume as a Crusader from Diablo 3 and met Jay Wilson, the director of the game, and he actually remembered me from when we met in Korea previously. I also went to Riot Games recently, dressed as (League of Legends character) Nidalee and took photos with the people who designed Nidalee. It was like meeting the parents of my character, [Laughs]. It was such an honor.
As you both cosplay full-time, does your daily life look blend with your cosplay look?
Tasha: Actually when I was in my early 20s, I wasn’t into makeup and didn’t dress well. But after I started cosplaying, I grew more confident and I think I got prettier.
Doremi: I was the same way. I used to wear no makeup, looked like a boy and wore pants all the time. Through cosplay, I got to portray feminine roles and see new sides of me. So now I wear skirts. [Laughs].
To learn more about Spiral Cats, check out their official Facebook page.
