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Shutting One Door, Keeping others Open

UPDATED ON 8/20/21: Facebook, Patreon and Blog IG pages have been shutdown/discontinued As the COVID pandemic rages on and cons are even shutting down into 2021, it got me thinking on a drive home one night about how I'd feel with even coming back to blogging. When cons eventually do come back at some point. Truth be told, many of the posts and content I shared here could be transferred over to more discussions via my podcast CosplayBytes. I've been blogging my love for games, cons and cosplay for 7 years now and maybe it's time to say goodbye for now? My podcast has gotten me some incredible opportunities as a member of Press for conventions, and the rapid love I've had for streaming is also taking up a lot of time now. On top of multiple personal things on my end, I don't think I have the energy to keep this up even post COVID you know? The very first cosplay centered post I wrote was on Jessica Nigri's Deadpool, and since then it's spawned over 800 posts

STRUCK FIRST: Vilanarei Cosplay as Yennifer!


Struck First gives you a first look at a cosplay just as it's been debuted/had its first photoshoot. Cosplayers have been kind enough to let me have a first crack at analyzing the cosplay by providing me with brand new pictures. 

Cosplay has given me a chance to meet people from around the globe. I know that it's something I've stated multiple times in the past but it's always hammered home for me. As stated in the above description, this is something completely new that I'm willing to try out. Given it's the first of its kind, of course there's pomp and circumstance with it. STRUCK FIRST keeps with the Lightning theme of this blog's namesake and I hope it can give you all an exclusive first look type of content to look forward to. I'm incredibly lucky that several cosplayers agreed to do this with me so this post definitely won't be the last of its kind. I'm mainly using this for cosplays that instantly catch me during the conception stage of the idea being formed. Special thanks to all the cosplayers who are taking part in this with me. I'm super excited to evolve this blog with quality content that keeps you guys coming back. With that being said, let's dive into the Witcher.

My friend Sarah is quite the individual over with her photography and cosplay page Villanarei Cosplay. She's incredibly expressive and passionate when it comes to certain franchises like Mass Effect, Star Wars, and--in relation to this post--the Witcher series. Enter in her Yennifer cosplay which is by far a beautiful piece she's made. The outfit itself is a fully covered one at that with black, white and brown being the main colors. Interestingly enough, I'm immediately drawn to Sarah's wig used since it suits her so well and works with the rest of the cosplay. The main piece is a buttoned up jacket of sorts with varying lengths at the bottom. Stripes can be seen with its pattern as well as a white undershirt.

Fur also plays a huge part in the cosplay with Yennifer's collar and gloves being outlined with a jet black fur lining. The white shirt can be seen here with its large sleeves poking out along with an insane black and white cuff design. The gloves are seen here in brown leather too! Golden rope is used on the chest section in the center and a brown belt can be seen on her waist. There isn't a good shot of the pants or lower part from the photos I picked but from what I can gather, slight yellow inserts are seen in the lining. I also figure boots were used here in either black or brown. The cosplay as a whole has so many parts which open up which can make for some interesting photos if the wind isn't playing nice.



The nature background is a perfect fit for Yennifer and while I personally have not been able to play the Witcher games, I can obviously see the vast amount of influence its had on people like Sarah. For some cosplayers, having an intense connection to a franchise or character is more than enough for wanting to cosplay from it. Sarah looks stoic and determined in these pictures and I fangirl at the sight of these shots. I hope you all enjoy them! Also following the pictures are links to places where you can follow Villanarei's work!



All Photos by Lily Hunter Cosplay & Props!

https://www.facebook.com/villanarei/
https://www.instagram.com/villanarei/
https://www.patreon.com/sarahhallphotos

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