Heroes of Cosplay

Right now.

- What's your pain level? - Eight or nine.

Oh, my God.

- Becky just left for the hospital.

Let's just try and do damage control right now.

- There's something that has been on my mind for a while.

You have a question?

Yes, um...

Announcer: Our heroes of cosplay

are at Kansas City's Planet ComiCon,

the most popular pop culture event in the midwest,

drawing thousands of fans from all over the country.

Planet ComiCon is nearing the end of the first day.

The individual competition has just concluded.

Jesse and Chloe took home prizes,

while Becky and Victoria were left empty-handed.

I would like to win,

but one of the things I love the most about

cosplaying is just seeing people who

passionately love that fandom as much as you do.

- We did it! We frickin' did it!

- I didn't win anything for the individual competition,

but I still have the group skit with Holly and Jessica,

so I really think that this is where I could shine.

Announcer: Back at the hotel,

Yaya is waiting for Riki and Monika

to arrive so they can do a final run-through on their skit.

- I'm really excited for the last stop on my convention tour,

which is Planet ComiCon in Kansas City.

I'm competing with Monika and Riki

in the group skit competition.

It's the first time for me to compete

in four years, and I'm super excited.

We've got to get a move on.

- I thought when I arrived that I could

sneak upstairs and get a nap before

we needed to start everything,

but the evil queen had to put us to work.

Sorry!

I need to style my wig.

My crown is completely unembellished.

I need to go over it with some more paint...

- Okay. - And then weather it.

Man, I struggle with those magnets,

'cause every time I try to glue them,

they're just like "joop!" - They all stick together, yeah.

- Yeah, I was like, "damn it!"

We've decided to do Alice in Wonderland ,

but a twisted, horror version of it,

based on the video game by American McGee.

I chose the Red Queen because she has an elaborate costume.

The dress is 100% handmade,

including a custom-made crown out of worbla

that attaches to my wig via magnets, so that I can

transfer it on stage to Riki's wig.

You have to actually use one hand to hold my wig,

and the other to take it off. If you just pull it off,

you're gonna pull the wig off. - Both are gonna come off.

That is so cute!

And that bird is really gross.

Oh, God! - It looks so real,

but it's actually just a resin cast that I found.

Announcer: Now that Riki and Monika have arrived,

Team Atlanta is hard at work on their costumes.

We have so much to do still.

We still have to build our sets.

We still have to finish our costumes.

We're gonna be judged on every aspect of this skit.

I'm a little stressed out.

- Let's work on our costumes, get as much done as possible

so that we feel good about it,

and then we'll go over to the con and practice our skit.

Announcer: Meanwhile, Becky is back at the hotel,

waiting for Holly and Jessica to arrive, so that

Team Los Angeles can get to work on their props and costumes

for the group skit competition tomorrow.

- I'm here to bring you room service.

I have a giant box.

Oh, wow.

- Oh, my God! - Oh, he's bent.

Yes, so just relax again.

- Our skit is from How to Train Your Dragon ,

and the character I'm cosplaying as is Astrid.

And Holly and Jessica are doing the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

It's kind of cool because we've got this dragon

that's gonna be blowing smoke,

and the jaws are gonna be coming up and down.

New teammates, new concept. Bring it, Atlanta.

Announcer: While the teams are busy working on their costumes,

back at the convention center,

Jinyo decides to take Victoria to check out

one of their favorite Sci-Fi heroes.

- Victoria and I love nothing more than Star Wars ,

so I thought it would be great to go

to see Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca himself.

- You know, there's something that

has been on my mind for a while.

- I have an announcement to make.

- Victoria is such an important part of my life.

You know, we've been together for seven years,

and I'm really thinking this might be the time

to take it to the next level.

My galactic friends.

I feel incorrectly dressed here.

- Yeah. - Right.

- Don't get us wrong. She's a huge Star Wars fan.

- - Yeah.

I know she is, but you have a question.

- Yes, um, I was hoping you could help me out with this.

Sure.

- Uh, as Chewbacca, you know the value

of a good sidekick on any mission.

- Yes. - And for the last seven years,

um, I've been her sidekick. - Good.

Um, most recently, I have...

- Successfully captured the Death Star.

And I would like to present this to you.

- Yes. - Yes?

Go ahead.

This is absolutely

the kind of proposal I've always dreamed of.

I would not want it any other way.

Yay!

- I mean, this is definitely how geeks propose.

It's got to be at a con, and if you can,

it's got to be in costume.

Mm.

- We were surrounded by the things that we love.

I couldn't imagine a more perfect moment.

Announcer: It's night time in Kansas City,

and Team Atlanta is finally starting to rehearse their skit

for tomorrow's group competition.

- Our timing is not right! Oh!

- Our skit for Kansas City ComiCon

is from the video game American McGee's Alice .

Um, I am the Cheshire Cat,

Yaya is the Red Queen,

and Riki is Alice.

Alice. Alice.

- I really want to get that right.

I'm not feeling so hot.

I'm getting, like, a little concerned.

I don't know if it's convention plague, or what it is,

but I've just got to suck it up.

What do we have here,

a dirty little mouse?

Have you come to be my pet?

Or have you come to die?

No, I've come to kill you!

- Ha! Ha!

Damn it! It's one, two...

Both: Three.

If our skit is sloppy,

or our timing is off,

the judges will forget all about

our amazing costumes, and focus only on our mistakes.

- Pick it up at... - Or have you come to die?

No, I've come to kill you!

- Ha! Ha!

Damn it!

This is Yaya's first competition in years,

and I don't want to be the one that blows it for her.

I feel like crap. I just--

I gotta push through this.

Announcer: Meanwhile, Team Los Angeles

is coming to grips with how much work is still to be done.

- I feel like you're doing a magic trick right now.

- We still have to make quite a bit of our viking costumes.

We have to age our helmets,

we have to paint everything.

Basically, we've got everything to do except for

the dragon boat and Becky's costume.

We're on track!

Do you need help with that?

- If you've got time. - Yeah.

Oh, my God, you make a sexy outfit.

- We could turn this into a burlesque show.

- Right? - No matter what,

we're gonna make this fun.

Announcer: Despite still having a lot to do, the cosplayers

decide they want to spend some time together with their friends

before tomorrow's tough competition.

- So, tonight we're all getting together for drinks.

I still haven't talked to Monika after Anime Matsuri,

so I just hope that everything is gonna be cool,

and it won't be awkward.

- Chloe! - You're so pretty.

- I love your accessory. - Oh, hell, yeah!

Oh, why, thank you.

I had to get something

to match my shoes, so... - It's so subtle, you know?

Chloe, what did you win?

I got "Female Video Game."

"Best Female Video Game." - Yay!

- Awesome! - Oh, my God!

I was so excited. - What did you wear?

- I was Gaige, from Borderlands 2.

An awesome Gaige.

She did cell shading.

- So, everyone's talking, and I'm actually a little upset.