Attack on Titan, the story of an ongoing battle between humankind and a race of ferocious, powerful giants, took not just Japan but most of the manga-loving world by storm last year, fast becoming one of the biggest sellers of 2013.
The combination of breathtaking action scenes, plot twists and genuinely fearsome adversaries has fans glued to their manga and TV screens, but there’s one female character that we could never forget about and who kept us coming back for more: Eren’s adopted sister, Mikasa.
We recently asked – nay, begged – a friend of ours, frequent variety show guest and actress Mihiro, to do us the honour of slipping into a Survey Corps uniform to show us her Mikasa cosplay skills. We knew it’d be good, but we had no idea that this 31-year-old Japanese celebrity could possibly resemble Attack on Titan‘s female hero so flawlessly. Come with us now as we stare open-mouthed and wide-eyed at the sheer cuteness that is Mihiro as Mikasa. We think you’ll be very, very impressed.
Here’s Mihiro pre-cosplay. Even when hanging around a bunch of nerds like us, she managed to light up the room with that smile of hers and make all the guys in the office flush red. But then we realised, surely someone who positively exudes cuteness like this couldn’t possibly pull off a decent Mikasa impression? With her cool, focused exterior, Attack on Titan‘s heroine is almost the exact opposite of Mihiro.
“I first started reading Attack on Titan after I heard someone recommending it on a radio show,” Mihiro told us as we brought out her outfit. “I’ve cosplayed plenty of times, but this is the first time I’ve ever tried playing a character from a Shonen manga.”
“Wow!” she laughed as a member of the team handed over Mikasa’s uniform. “How on earth do I put this thing on!?”
A few minutes later, Mihiro had slipped into her Survey Corps gear, and we took her to a quiet spot in the middle of the city to begin the shoot. We waited as she stood with her back to us, a few flakes of snow falling from the sky as if even the gods felt the moment needed to be a little more dramatic. This was it – the moment of truth…
Bam!
She’s… she’s done it!!!
How on earth could this be!? That cool, fixed gaze… That serious expression… From whichever angle we looked at her, all we could see was Mikasa in the flesh! Standing with her fist on her heart, we could swear we were looking at the live-action version of our heroine.
With those dark eyes and soul-stealing stare, we could really feel her passion and love for her fellow soldiers and her burning desire to protect Eren with everything she’s got. Yup, Mihiro’s an actress alright, and we think we’re in love.
And yet we have to remind ourselves here: Mihiro is 31 years old – roughly twice Mikasa’s age. Quite how she pulls this cosplay off we’re not sure, but we know we’re smitten with this part-time cosplay angel.
The live-action adaptation of Attack on Titan is due to arrive sometime in 2015. As we’re sure many of you also are, more than details about the plot and setting, what we’re most intrigued to hear more about is the cast and who will be taking the roles of the manga’s heroes. Call us biased after having spent a day with her and had out hearts totally melted, but we’re going to humbly recommend Mihiro for a role!
Mihiro’s Official Blog (Japanese only)
Japanese article by Mami Kuroi
Photos: RocketNews24