Bored, So can a guy pull off the mana look?

I was not sure if this should go in the mana cosplay or not.

I was just bored, with nothing to do, so I was what the hell. It would be fun.

The result was not quite Mana, so I decided to stick with my handle...Pythos, LOL

So here are the results of boredom.

Yea, I cosplayed, but by myself:(

I was happy with this shot, I thought it would look terrible, what with the crummy makeup and all, you tell me. Plus my wig was a little worse for wear, need to replace it. But it worked pretty well, for these.

Then I decided a full shot in a manaesque (is that a word? it is now) pose. This is the most "elegant" outfit I could make, most of my old goth stuff is gone.




I'm gonna rework this one with some interesting back round.

This however is my favorite, once again a possible rework for the back round is in order, what say flames? Lol Nah, that's been done by a certain someone, How about a moonlit forest, with a dragon asleep behind me? (ponder)




and yes there is the DIX on me forehead.





A rather demure shot.

Then I decided a little twist with old Malic Mizer Mana, mixed with current. So I put on the chenongsam, but kept the Mdm head style. I would have liked some tall platforms, but my height would get ridiculous.



And a more demure, yet still sinister looking Pythos



And last but not least, a critter shot. Meh little fuzzball Marble. She had no idea what to make of this visage striking her beady little eyes;)



Ok guys (by that I mean men of the forum), I may have demonstrated a guy can kinda pulll off a Mana look. It was fun. I just would like better make up, and definitely wig. So is a guy cross playing when he dresses up as Mana? Confusing.

I wonder if I should go like this to the US concert if I get to go?


(note please tell me if this does need to be put in the mana cosplay section)

I think it suits fine where the thread is.
It is not totally a Mana cosplay as such, more a weird combo of what you came up with.

And yes, men can do the Mana look. Do like your outfits, and a cute critter you got there. ^^

True, the boots look a bit weird with the chenongsam, but whatever.

I think its really good for a trial! I love male Mana cosplayers and lolitas, because they always seem so unique to me -- you just don't see them all that often, which is a shame. ): I think guys should be encouraged into substyles such as these more often!

I've got a suggestion with the make up for you if you'd like help!(^^)v I think you should try to experiment a little with a more natural color base, rather than theatrical white. Mana actually doesn't wear completely white make up, he wears a natural porcelain base and uses a mineral powder (I think thats what its called) over it. I think at first it seems like that wouldn't really work, but I actually find it quite effective. Heres an example of how I do it with the natural base and mineral powder:



It can still look that Mana-white shade and doesn't show any splotches this way (it also takes a lot less time and effort than applying the theatrical make up).

But I think you did good! I like that second dress especially because I've seen pictures of Mana in a very similar dress! I think you can definitely pull off a perfect Mana cosplay, so keep at it!

Huh, I hadn't thought of that. But on closer look his is indeed not stark freakin white.

So Natural Porcelain base. Forgive my ignorance but by base you mean a replacement for the stage make up I used, and then apply a Powder over that. So what about the eye make up, like in the close up my eyes are surrounded by red, some is just my eyball itself, but the other is my eylid, is that just something that can't be helped?

My experience with makeup is sporadic ventures in the goth scene, and a broadway cats costume I wore for one Halloween. In these the white make up worked fine.

So the porcelain base, can I get that at a theater store, or a makeup shop.

Oh and thank for the compliments, it was fun. I personally liked it myself, but did think the white was too "the crow-ish". Want to avoid that image like the plague. Lol

That waist cincher is total ass kickery!
You can get a good porcelain base just about anywhere. L'oreal carries a few types of porcelain base foundation.

I always use some concealer to fix my uneven tone, then a layer of liquid foundation and then some fine pressed porcelain color concealer. If you want to get a bit more pale yet still not blinding white, you can use a wide dome brush to cast some white fine pressed powder on your cheekbones.

As for your "red around the eyes" problem, use a white eyeliner pencil, or a light peach one. Many Japanese do this to widen their eyes, and this helps with the placement of false eyelashes. Which is a whole different beast of its own. False eyelashes improve Mana cosplays dramatically!

I am goth like so I do this to myself just about every day XP

very good i like it

So I got some actual foundation. Two actually. One that was this very pale purple, that I was gonna use to get things right, and the porcelain base for when I get things right. I tried to use an eye liner pencil for the lines coming off the eyes, and around, well the darn thing failed...badly. It dragged along my skin causing ripples in the lines, and when I went to sharpen it, it wouldn't. It was cheap. So I resorted to the black costume stuff. The green eyeshadow is due to my blue being dead. I put some white powder over the base, and the effect is more like I would like, next week I am trying the porcelain if I get the time.

One of these times I do want to pull of the actual Mana Mdm look, but I need a wig like his hair, and the dress, corset, and other stuff. I am thinking this for a Halloween costume possibly, since it doesn't look promising for me to go to the anime convention.

First a face shot.



My right lip has more of an arch than the left causing a sneering appearance I was none to happy about, but I do like how the skin looks, if with some blotches, that should go away with more attempts.

I also made some claws, these were a right pain, but they look cool




And then some photo shop (paint) fun. Yes it's a rip off, but I like;)



Heh, this was fun, if difficult with the claws. They are aluminum trimmed and shaped, and would not attach with anything, including super glue!!!, I ended up taping the things on.

I think these ones are a bit better, but as I said, I would love to actually do a true to costume.

i like what you've done!

the first pics you posted was really mana-ish (sp?) xD specially this

the second pics you posted you kinda reminds me off Nikki Sixx! <3

I'm agree with Sarah about the non completely white makeup for a MdM Mana. I remember once in a convention i saw a guy wearing this white make up and it looks like he was wearing a mask xD was too much make up!
it was funny!

besides the make-up everythings really nice ^^ i think you have the right Mana-attitude!


ah! yeh! and the fake eyelashes Porcelain mentioned are important too to give you a more femenine-beauty appearance.

But, but, the second set was with "proper" make up. Ugh, back to the drawin...er, powder room.

*lights candle and dejectedly heads for a door labeled "black powder room"*

NOT THAT ONE!!!!!!

*BLAM*


And I look like Nikki Sixx?

LOL, the Bassist from one of 's inspiration. That's great!!!

I was looking for comments on my Paint work with the second attempt, and on the crummy claws.

I am gonna continue work on this though. What hints would you offer for the white though?

When my friends first saw the first, and then second sets, they were floored, they a)did not recognize me (guys and girls), and thought I looked hot (ladies). (I have odd friends).

I think you are looking good!
I will though post a few suggestions.

The make up, you are doing very well, but yyou still have some blochyness. If you do go for the white white, then try using Ben Nye makeup. You can put a thin layer of that on then the slight skin tone mineral power for a bit more of a natueal tone and that would look great!
The lips try using (this is what i do and you may have better just a suggestion.) clack lipstick but butting a bit of black eyeshadow ontop of that, it gives it more of a matte look instead of that rediculously shiny look. Then you put a clear coat over that and bam it is awesome!
Another thing is that i think you might be going a bit too far down on the crown base (the part right under the nostral i can't think of what it is called). Try using your part and just dipping it a bit further down not all the way to the bottom of the lip...
sorry if that is not clear i can't htink of the right works for this.

Clothing wise, I love your outfits, but try doing something with a bit more of an aritsocratic feel to it. You can wear outfits that look like ones he has worn or you can get things that work with your body AND look similar to what he wears.

Those are just suggestions like stated take them any way you will ^W^

Yea, the blotchiness I think is something that goes away with practice. This round was just a trial with the new foundation as opposed to theater makeup.

As far as the lips go, I did kinda exaggerate the "V". That is one of my favorite characteristics of Mana's make up style. It if very distinctive, but in this attempt it was a bit too low. The lipstick was also cheap goth make up. Not sure about the clear coat. I know that for painting aircraft, but one's face? Intriguing. My lips that day were very cracked, so I think what you may see as shine is just really ugly lip texture.

I do have to work on the eye makeup though. This time was worst than my first attempt really. Not too hot on the false eyelash thing too, though I may try it once the overall look gets better.

I intend to get an outfit similar if not dead on to Mana's might enlist my friend with the project, she may like to do it. If not, I'll work on something that is kinda mana like, just my own style. As I posted earlier most of my nice gothy shirts went away for some darned reason, and I haven't really replace them.

I know the platforms are a no. I'd be bonking my head into doorways every where, lol. One of my friends has already offered help to make my 10 year old wig look like Mana's hair of the early MDM (she thought it just looked wild and awesome, compared to his newer, shorter look) so we shall see what happens with that. She was suggesting adding more hair pieces to it, not sure how that works though.

This whole project is without knowledge of the parental unit (I hate hiding, but she would have a fit if she learned her boy is messing with makeup, I know lousy reason) But when it is completed, she will see it on Halloween. To her and most, it would just be a freaky looking costume, but Mdm fans should recognize the idea anyhow.

Rambling. sorry.

If you want to do a really good cosplay, you need to have:
*natural manaish hair.
*natural pale/light yellow skin
*Mana's height and body type
*good face features
*Mana's attitude
*experience in make-up doing

If you don't have all these things, you won't be able to look exactly like Mana. That is what i think. But (sadly), not so many people have all these things, right? I think even when you dont have everything Mana does, you can cosplay him.

I have found many people have problems with making Mana-Sama lips. It is because of the difference between your own natural lip shape and Mana's natural lip shape. But i think you did those lips pretty well.

Platforms is an important thing in Mana cosplay. He wears probably 17cms platforms, so yeah.. he is arround 190 then XD. I have ONLY 10 cm platform, so i am "only" 183 XD. But i wish i had 17 cm platforms, then i would also be 190 XD. You can choose platforms that wouldn't be as high as Mana's.

Well, this list knocks out nearly every Anglo saxton descended person

If you want to do a really good cosplay, you need to have:
*natural manaish hair.
*natural pale/light yellow skin
*Mana's height and body type
*good face features
*Mana's attitude
*experience in make-up doing

The hair: I have for as long as I can remember wanted long "Rocker" hair. Unfortunately having a mother that took the idea of the 50s a little too seriously, I was unable to ever have such. My hair has been made to be short (which I hate). There have been rare times where I have been able to grow it out, and during that time I get actual compliments, (it also makes listening to heavy metal so much more fun Then I get it cut and people are like "what did you do?". I think I lost a couple of girlfriends for not standing up to mother, not sure about that though. So with that I am stuck with a wig.

My skin is quite pale, though speckled with freckles (I dislike them mostly due to the derision they drew from bullies in school). I do think though one can use foundation to make ones face the correct color, though really in the pics he really does look pale to white. (the WTF is that pic in the humor section really shows his make up, and facial structure, he has a surprisingly thick neck, he also has very "manly" features as well, in this shot.

Mana's height: LOL. I'm a darned Brit, American, Irish, German, Scottish, and French mix, with a sprinkling of Portuguese. The result, a tall gangely individual with funny facial features. One of my girlfriends referred to me as a Girraffe (lovingly though). With the figures you gave he is a little over 2 inches taller ( 8cm taller if I did the conversion correctly), than me when he is on platforms. So Platforms actually do not seem out of the questing, perhaps 3 inches high or about half of Mana's. (cool now I just gotta find affordable ones)

Good Facial features: I have a longer, and more angular face than Mana, once again the Anglo in me My brows overhang just a bit more than I would like, but this is what I got, so I work with it. My chin is a little wider than Mana's...ah well.

I do ask though, and honestly is appreciated, how close am I to the facial features.

Mana's attitude: This is a hard one. Mana has had an entirely different life than most here.. Attitude is a result of that. I have gotten a comment I have the correct "manatude" which drew a chuckle. His attitude outwardly comes from his movements, his eyes, the positioning of his head, and most notably his lips. (those things stay dead still, even while the head is slamming about in wild head banging moves)

Make up doing: I actually have experience, but with the wrong sort of makeup. First off, I am a guy, and being such for the most part forbidden from "playing with makeup". I have had experience though through many times being a Broadway cat for Halloween, but also being goth, and dressing up as a "Gothic beauty", when attending Rocky Horror what seems like an eon ago. (I passed quite well, but funny enough it was very much like a Merveilles like costume. No fake breasts, or hip accentuations . I had not heard anything of Mana at this time. This new costume is the first time I have used actual foundation, so this will take some time. Also concerning the shine of the lips. I have been checking out pics and sure enough they shine all the way back to Dix Inferno days. As stated the Eye makeup is an are I am quite weak in. It didn't help that the eyeliner pencil I got was a POS.

Well, enough blabbing. Thank you all for your input. I hope it can help culminate in a decent male rendition of Mana.

I am a huge perfectionist, so i don't think every anglo saxton has features he/she needs for Mana-Sama cosplay. I meaned:

Hair-totally the same haircut and hair color as Mana's. Mana's height and body type- 173 cm/5'8 inches. Talking about Mana's body type.. it is pretty hard to guess every centimeter. But i think, a person should perfectly fit into Moi meme Moitie size men.That is a shame, but I am very sensitive to Mana-Sama cosplayer's body type. I don't like when too fat/skinny girls or girls with too wide hips cosplay him. I have exact Mana's height as well as body type, so maybe that is why i am critical to fatter/shorter cosplayers? just wondering...

In addition i am hypercritical to other cosplayers as well as to my own cosplays, so i never tell what i really think about other cosplays, because i don't want to look like a bitch and to make people sad.

I think you should figure out by yourself how good/bad your face features are. I am so hypercritical so i don't think my opinion would be right. For example, i think i don't look like Mana at all when i am without make up, but my friends and relatives think different. That is weird, ne? They say i have Mana's "aura". Haha XDD.

I find this topic quite interesting. I always like to chat about cosplay. Feel free to ask questions about cosplay. I get better at cosplay, so i think i can help a bit. Oh, i use a word "cosplay" too much XD. and my english is bad, because i am not a local speaker.

I appreciate your response.

You are lucky to have friends and family that allow you to have hair similar if not exactly like Mana's. I A) because I am male because my mother is scared of what others think, have not been able to have my hair the way I would like my entire life. It is also getting too late in my life to change that.

That being said. I would like to know why when I go to use a eyeliner pencil it drags my skin and just results in a mess? I tried the makeup again today, with an ivory base (which too me was to peach in color, ivory to me is off white), the results were not as good to me as my past attempts. I did get the lip shape a bit better, though the "v" was still not sharp enough.

I may refrain from posting this set, unless I see one that looks presentable, and not a repeat of my past shots.

I can understand the being hypercritical of people who simply are to big (fat), attempting to cosplay Mana. The only problem with that is, what cool characters are larger people left to play, or imitate? Gotta give them cudos for having the courage to try out cosplaying such characters.

There are however some that just look terrible.

I for one want to get at least a close resemblance of Mana by Halloween, this however does not look good, seeing I can't find any dress that looks anything like what he wears, nor can I find the corset like his. I can't even find a shirt, skirt combo that would work. But we shall see.

The whole deal is off if I can't get the makeup right. That is for sure.