Pair of robot-loving craftsmen also create Metal Gear, Armored Core cosplay outfits.
You could make an argument either way as to whether or not the Tachikomas from anime/manga Ghost in the Shell are “characters” or not. Unlike their cyborg human operators, the ridable robots aren’t living organisms, but they do eventually evolve to have a self-aware linked A.I. with partially individualized personalities, and one of the franchise’s major themes is that a flesh-and-blood body might not be that important as long as a consciousness exists.
However, a definitive answer does exist for the question “Is Tachikoma a good cosplay costume?”, and that answer, as these images prove, is “Yes, absolutely.”
That’s not some tiny gacha capsule toy placed inside a diorama set, but a full-scale Tachikoma cosplay outfit. Yes, that’s right, cosplay outfit, not figure or statue, because you can actually get inside and move it.
This Tachikoma was built by the Kansai-based CosTeam (@CosTeam5 on Twitter), which is made up of cosplayers Heinz and Moetetsu, who specialize in robotics and armor-intensive cosplay. Obviously, this wasn’t something that was quick or easy to put together, but the pair had a special objective: they were putting together their Tachikoma cosplay outfit to show it off at Super Robocos Expo, an all-robot cosplay gathering that took place in Osaka earlier this month.
▼ CosTeam’s Tachikoma at the event. What’s really impressive is that the operator can move the machine by himself, and doesn’t require a helper on the outside to push/pull it around.
And if you’re wondering just how Heinz and Moetetsu managed to put this marvel together, you’ll be happy to know they’ve also released a making-of video that starts before the very first component is put in place.
This isn’t their only incredible robot cosplay endeavor, either. Past projects include White Glint from Armored Core: For Answer and Metal Gear Solid’s Metal Gear REX.
Between the amount of work that obviously went into them and the scarcity of cosplay venues that can accommodate such large creations, each one is a serious labor of love, and CosTeam has definitely earned a break after finishing up Super Robocos Expo 2021, but all the same, we can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
Source: Twitter/@CosTeam5
Top image: Twitter/@CosTeam5
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Follow Casey on Twitter as he waits patiently for a new Armored Core sequel.