TeppyBaka on ''Sanctuary of Mana'', an Interview about Everything.

TeppyBaka on ''Sanctuary of Mana'', an Interview about Everything.

from admin on 08/13/2019 03:57 PM

 Hello everyone and welcome back to the Synod of Sanctuary of Mana! First of all i want to apologize for the delay of this Interview, but, life happened and we both had to catch up.

 This is Metalinangelo. Your Admin. Long time not Seen you!
 I am so happy that i managed to have some time to ''chat'' if you will, with one of the most recognisable Mana cosplayers out there, Teppy Baka. I was so curious about him and now i am here to let you know, how it went. 



 Don't forget to follow TeppyBaka on his social media and i hope, you will enjoy this read.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part one: introduction.

1) Hello and nice to meet you! Who is the man behind teppy baka? Please give us a short description about your self. 
Hellooooo~ my name is Teppong (or "Teppy" among my friends). i was born in Thailand, but have lived in Florida, USA, since i was a baby. i'm into Visual Kei (obviously), Anime, cosplay, some K-POP, cooking, a little bit of photography, and probably a few other things!

2) Have you studied something? Are you working?
I graduated from university with a Bachelor's in Communications. right now, i work full-time for a supermarket chain here in my state.

3) Where did the name Teppy Baka came from?
So i came up with the name "TeppyBAKA" sometime after high school, and it is basically a combination of the short version of my first name plus the Japanese word "baka" ("idiot", "fool", "stupid"), because i basically consider myself quite a dummy half the time 😂 plus, "TeppyBAKA" kinda just rolls off the tongue quite well i think!

M: hehe it truly does! You sound like a very interesting and fun to be with, guy!

4) How would describe your self in 4 words?
....eccentric, ambivert, sleepy, semi-adventurous!

M: I think you got me at the Eccentric already!

5) What is teppy baka doing in their free time?
In my free time, i like to sleeeeeep 😂😴😂 but lately i've been playing Fate Grand Order (Nero is best waifu BTW). I also like to watch anime, play guitar and drums, cook at home, spend time with friends, etc.

M: i Guess i need to try this game i don't even know it. x3 But Let's go Deeper.

Part two: cosplay.

1) How did everything begun?
..i started getting serious about cosplay around 2010. it was after i watched a video of the Moi dix Mois "DIXANADU ~fated "raison d'etre"~ Europe Tour 2007" live concert. there was something about the aura that Mana-sama gave off that made me go "i want to cosplay that. i want to cosplay THAT." so i bought a bunch of clothing pieces and makeup, attempted my first cosplay of Mana-sama at MegaCon 2010 in Orlando, FL, and... in retrospect, it was a mess 😅😅😅 the makeup was not good, i used my own hair and didn't style it very well, i think the only good clothing piece among the entire outfit was the platform boots, just looking at pictures of my first cosplay makes my entire soul cringe 😂😂😂 BUT, so many people liked the cosplay, some even recognized who i was trying to be! it was just such a cool feeling, i decided to stick with this cosplay thing. plus, being somewhat of a perfectionist, i wanted to keep improving and do better.




M: Oh we have seen a hell of a transformation since then, trust me. It was an honest first effort though.

2) What about your costumes? Do you sew them yourself?
A lot of my costumes are actually bought online or commissioned from other talented people. honestly, i'm not skilled enough to make such elaborate outfits (i can barely do a hand stitch... plus, i'm kinda lazy 😂). but lately i've been inspired to try my hand at making my own costumes, so maybe in the future you'll see some handmade costumes from me~?

M: Yes , i would like to see something that is totally yours for example, maybe a new Nero fantasy character?  But well my favorite question:

3) Makeup. How did you learn and do you always do it on your own? Share with us your favorite products.
I learned some of the basics of how to do makeup from watching YouTube videos from the early generation of makeup gurus such as Michelle Phan, xSparkage, and petrilude. ,...from there, it's been a LOT of trial-and-error. i have always done my own makeup, still do to this day. some of my favorite/go-to makeup products are the Revlon Colorstay Liquid foundations, Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner, Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Eyehsadow Palette, and Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray.

M: Oh thanks for these! Also:

4) What kind of cosplay do you do apart from Moi dix Mois then?
I also like to cosplays from Anime, video games, and other bands. some other notable cosplays i've done include Kyo from DIR EN GREY, RUKI and URUHA from the GazettE, Satoshi from girugamesh, Omi from exist trace, Luna from f(x), Kyoya Ootori from Ouran High School Host Club, Miles Edgeworth form Ace Attorney, Xellos from Slayers, Umetarou Nozaki from Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, etc.


M: Well, let's check them out together: 

M: Impressive Portfolio!

5) What is the reaction of the world at cons or social media?
I don't always cosplay the most popular or current things at the time, but people seem to like and appreciate what i do~ i run into a few people at cons that are surprised to see someone like me still do visual kei cosplays. i've even had a handful of people at cons almost think i was the actual Mana-sama, probably because i try to stay in character as much as i possible (i don't speak, etc.).

6) We heard Mana appreciated the costume a lot. Is there a specific incident that happened last year regarding that?
 Really?? if he said my cosplay specifically, i would be BEYOND honored, because this is news to me xD last year, i got the chance to meet Mana-sama himself at SakuraCon 2018 in Seattle, WA. i was wearing my Mana cosplay waiting in line with a bunch of other people to meet Mana-sama, some also cosplaying from MALICE MIZER and Moi dix Mois. i was REALLY nervous and screaming internally half the time 😂 when my turn came, he signed my DIXANADU poster and shook my hand (twice!). neither of us spoke a word, but i just felt like through his handshake, he was trying to convey a sense of appreciation for my cosplay and for just taking the time to come meet him (i could be TOTALLY wrong though 😅). i tried my best to convey my gratitude for coming all the way to the United States to meet us and for the impact he's had on my life and everyone else's. it was a brief but wonderful moment, and i'll hopefully get to relive it again when i go to Anime Weekend Atlanta this coming September/October to meet him again!




M: Yes for this one i was talking about and we are also looking forward to see your cosplay there too. Mana is always appreciative of everyone that spents time to come and meet! I guess!

7) How much does a full Mana Cosplay cost from new clothes to shoes etc?
It depends on which outfit. the outfit can cost between $150-$400 USD, depending on if i bought it online or had someone commission it. the platform boots i use were bought back in 2010, and i believe they were at least $100 USD, and though they are starting to reach the end of their lifespan, i've still used these same boots to this day. the wigs i use cost between $30-$60 USD. other things like rings and other accessories can cost $5-$20 USD a piece. i also wear the official Moi-meme-Moitie cross jewel pendants (around $130 USD) and official Moi dix Mois decagram pendant (i was lucky i bought one before they became out of print).

M: Hopefully these pendants will come back in stock at some point. We can only wish. 

Part three: Moi meme Moitie.

1) Do you wear M-m-M in your daily life? If so which are your favorite items?

..unfortunately, i don't own any MmM pieces. the clothes are (more than) a bit out of my price range, plus i work almost all the time, so i don't think i would have many occassions to wear them. i'm more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy 😂

M: uwuuuu...didn't see that coming!

2) How does someone incorporate the gothic style in everyday life? Whats your styling advice?
I don't really follow a "gothic" style, at least in the greater sense of the concept, so i don't think i have much say in this regard 😂

3) Please choose three items that you would wear for a spring concert in open air. (old or new)
I assume this is in reference to MmM pieces, to which i have none 😂

M: Not really!!! ahahaha, i would love to see you choosing something more, in the comments below, owning it or not! Am so curious about your aesthetics!

4) Would you like to model for MMM in the future?
For their more aristocrat-style pieces, i would probably give it a shot!

M: i d wish for that! I mean, maybe you should apply for the next CON?

5) Please share with us your favorite mmm androgyny coordinates from those existing already in Alice Holic.
I have no knowledge on this since i don't follow Alice Holic or look at/search for coords 😂

M: Cute Shocked face

6) Which are your favorite mmm accessories and which other brands do you love wearing in and out of cosplay then?
The only MmM accessories i own are their cross jewel pendants (silver, blue, and black), and i only wear those while in cosplay. a lot of other accessories i own are pretty simple, but i don't know what brand they are 😂 i don't care too much about brand names when it comes to most things.

M: Oh my Goth, you are my favorite kind of people. x3 Altough sir! i saw you owning the Alchemy Gothic grave cross ring which is also my favorite! So there it goes!

Part four: Getting social

1) Where can we follow and support teppybaka? Ever thought of opening a patreon?
Im very active on Instagram (www.instagram.com/teppybaka, @teppybaka)! i also have Facebook (www.facebook.com/teppybaka). i recently made a Twitter (www.twitter.com/teppybaka, @teppybaka). if you would like to monetarily support and help my work, you can send a donation through my Ko-fi page (www.ko-fi.com/teppybaka). i also have a print store (teppybaka.storenvy.com)! i don't think Patreon is something i would do anytime soon, as i feel like it would require a lot of time to work on and keep up with (time which i don't really have 😂).

M: Everyone! You know what to do!

2) Please leave a message for the members of SoM.
To all of you that enjoy my work, i appreciate you all so much. i'm glad to know that there are people out there that still appreciate Visual Kei cosplays, and it humbles me to know that my particular cosplays, whether they are Visual kei or Anime or other, inspire some of you or just make your day a little better when you see it. thank you for your support and i hope you continue to enjoy and share my work now and in the future, even my derpy potato photos 😂😜

M: Thank you for being in SoM and even when sharing your derpy photos. Life is supposed to be fun.

3) Before we Close please give an advice to those who just begun to cosplay.
If you want to cosplay, just go for it! once you start and jump right into it, you've already conquered the hard part. no one starts out perfectly right off the bat, and it'll be constant trial-and-error. you can research almost everything you need to know if you Google or look it up on YouTube, so keep learning and improving. you don't always have to cosplay what's current or what's popular; as long as you cosplay what you love and enjoy and have fun with it, and as long as you're not hurting or offending anyone, that's all that matters!


M: As our Lady Koiai Says, everything done with Love is Done Well! Thank you again for your time Teppy-kun! We wish you the best!


--------------------------------

TeppyBaka is one of the VIP members of Sanctuary of Mana! 
Follow him on Social Media and you can get to know him also in our Community.
~ Also you can let the conversation roll in the topics below! Ask Teppy Baka anything you might wish to know!
 Like which member he d like to cosplay in the future? or how does his family react to his cosplay? Does TeppyBaka has a lady in his Life?


Not a member? Sign up for more.

Thank you everyone and till next time, Stay Elegant.

Re: TeppyBaka on ''Sanctuary of Mana'', an Interview about Everything.

from Anima on 08/13/2019 05:11 PM

So~ great!

Re: TeppyBaka on ''Sanctuary of Mana'', an Interview about Everything.

from teppybaka on 08/13/2019 07:03 PM

this was a lot of fun to do, thank you for this! ^_^ ALSO, to properly answer Part Three Question #3, for an open air concert, or almost any concert really, i'd probably stick with jeans and sneakers or boots with a t-shirt (or a tank top if it's really hot weather, which where i live is almost all the time xD). for certain special concerts (like for the rare occassions that Japanese bands come tour North America), i might do something a little more themed or extra, such as for the recent North American tour that the GazettE did i decided to bring my rhinestone morning coat, and since it was in New York City and the weather was a lot cooler, it was rather appropriate xD