Easy Manga Halloween costumes

So this year, I wanted to do a low fuss halloween costume.  For those of you that know me…low key is not usually what I am known for during Halloween.  As a fan of cosplay, over the years, on a most costume fussy night such as Halloween, I have been such things as a zombie cheerleader, day of the dead sugar skull, Poison Ivy, Queen of Hearts, a Witch, a nurse, woodland Faerie, and “Kyo” from Blackbird just to name a few.  So ya, I like me the costumes.  But when fall hit this year, my desire to go over the top was curbed by a keen realization: being someone other than yourself can be as simple as wearing different make-up and clothes, and having a different mind set.  And I have always been a fan of the unassuming, hidden horror that came from the manga character Tomie.  On the surface she appears as a normal pretty asian girl, but her ability to haunt and entrap men into dark obsession is what makes Tomie truly fearful.

Tomie is a curious monstrosity and freak girl created by Japanese manga artist Junji Ito–one of my fave manga artists.  I give him total props for thinking up and drawing out this female horror icon.  In his series of horror stories, Tomie is an eternally youthful, pretty girl who mentally tortures and manipulates vulnerable men, until they ultimately “snap”, and in a fit of possession/obsession, murder her in often gruesome ways.  To her victims’ horror, no matter how violent her death (such as being chopped up into hundreds of pieces), she always regenerates in twisted haunted ways, always remaining tempting and attractive, until she gets killed again.  It’s hard to explain the premise, but you gotta read the mangas and see Ito’s artwork to be truly drawn in.  In Japan, Tomie is famous for having spawned many B movies and such.  Forget Freddie Kruger, and Jason Vorheses, Tomie has gotten them beat.  A monster in a youthful Asian girl.

For my costume homage to Tomie, I already have her bangs and long hair…so it is not a hard costume for me at all!  The make-up I did for Tomie was simple.  Lashes was key.  Two coats of mascara top and bottom lashes.  Liquid liner in inky black was also key in making her bold slanted eyes.  I drew the top liquid liner on a slant, making it thicker and higher in angle near the outer corners of my eyes.  The signature mole that Tomie has under her left eye was created with liner and was enough to set the look.  And I looked for any girly clothes that can be seen as something Japanese girls wear.  I really liked my results.  I felt like the evil Tomie all Halloween night!  What fun.