Shopping Guide
The breeze in the suburbs of Tokyo was quite cold on Nov. 18, 2012. On the rooftop of an old warehouse overlooking the freeway, a goddess descended and graced us with her divine presence and beautiful form; that goddess was the well-known cosplayer, Cyborgnene.
The TOM editorial team was recently invited by Cyborgnene for a behind the scenes look at one of her cosplay photoshoots. The theme of the photoshoot was “bikes and girls”, which Cyborgnene herself picked. However, when we say bikes, we don’t mean bicycles, but rather motorcycles. The warehouse was redecorated with many top-class bikes, and Cyborgnene posed with each bike, changing outfits for each one. Having such an intimate look at Cyborgnene’s work was quite the rare opportunity. The photoshoot was held not only on the roof, but also on two floors inside the warehouse, which were transformed into a classroom setting with desks and chairs strewn about, as well as a simple factory setting. In the down time between bike swapping and costume changing, support model Mami Asai took the spotlight as the photographic subject. The behind the scenes planning was quite intricate.
The bikes used at the photoshoot included the Kawasaki D-Tracker, Yamaha YZF-R1SP, Kawasaki ZZR1400, Cagiva V-Raptor, Suzuki GSX400S Katana, and the Kawasaki W800 Special Edition, as well as the Honda CBR600RR Super Sonico Ver. that is well known even on TOM. All in all, the lineup of bikes was absolutely gorgeous. It was almost as gorgeous as Cyborgnene’s outfits for each bike, which included a hot rod racer girl outfit, a high school uniform, a sexy bunny outfit, and even more. The event was overflowing with rare moments.
Cyborgnene is adored in the Japanese cosplay world, and we talked to some of the participants at the event to find out about their fascination with this talented cosplayer. This is what they had to say:
I have had the opportunity to photograph other cosplayers, but Nene is different. In addition to the factor of how the pictures look through the camera’s viewfinder, there is also the component of communication and seeing picture opportunities outside of the viewfinder. This gives the pictures an organic feel where the world of the photo comes through. This is something that makes Nene unique. Not many people can do what she does.
Nene is someone who enthusiastically prides herself on working to the photographers. She makes the most of the props given to her and she is able to use them thoughtfully on the spot. Her personality really comes through in the photos.
Also participating in the event was a woman photographer, which is a rare sight at cosplay photoshoots. After talking with her, we learned that it was something she recently began doing: “When it comes to the subject of female cosplayers, they are mainly viewed from a male’s perspective. Even though I am female and photographing Nene, she is so pretty, sexy, and cute. It’s so much fun!”
We are beginning to get a better feeling for the warm atmosphere of Cyborgnene’s world. Join us as we delve deeper into her world next time.
