At Comic Market 106 (C106), held over two days on August 16 and 17 at Tokyo Big Sight, popular cosplayer Moe Iori (JP: 伊織もえ @iorimoe_five), who has over 1.5 million followers on X (formerly Twitter), appeared in cosplay as Ani, the anime-style mascot character of the AI chatbot Grok. In an exclusive interview, she shared her deep commitment to costume-making and how she tackled the challenge of cosplaying within the strict “Comiket rules.”

—First, can you tell us why you decided to cosplay Ani?

Iori:
I use X all the time, so when Ani-chan appeared, she was everywhere on my timeline. My first thought was simply, ‘She’s so cute!’ She really stood out to me more than any other character in recent memory, so I knew I wanted to cosplay her.

The thing is, when you raise her affinity, Ani changes into another outfit. That version was definitely too revealing to be worn in the Comiket cosplay area. Still, I wanted to bring the character that excited me the most to Comiket. I even felt like I’d stay up all night making the costume if I had to.

So in the end, I saw it as a kind of challenge: how could I cosplay Ani within the rules of Comiket? Once I thought of it that way, it actually became really fun.

—How long did it take to prepare the costume?

Iori:
I asked my friend Pirorikin-chan (JP: ぴろり菌 @yuri_pi_25), who also helps at my Comiket booth, to make it. Amazingly, about three days later she contacted me saying, ‘It’s done already!’

The base costume was finished quickly, but after that, we brainstormed together about how to adapt it to Comiket’s rules while still surprising people. We added little touches and made adjustments through trial and error.

—What about the wig? Did you have any special considerations there?

Iori:
To recreate Ani’s fluffy hair, I increased the volume and cut it myself. I actually prepared two wigs: one with a whitish blond color to reproduce her glowing appearance on screen, and another with a deeper blond shade that would look right under the summer sun at Comiket. I used the darker one this time.

Since I cut both, it would be a waste not to use the other. I plan to save the lighter wig for studio photo shoots.

—Which part of the costume is your favorite detail?

Iori:
At Comiket, before leaving the cosplay changing room, staff members check each costume. If underwear or nude bras are visible, you can’t go out. For Ani’s outfit, Pirorikin-chan worked hard to match the fabric’s skin-colored areas to my own tone, so it looks like bare skin but isn’t.

For the lower half, we layered three fabrics so that the skin isn’t visible but the shadows look natural. Underneath, I wore stockings and safety shorts. As for the back, I worried about the level of exposure, so I added a large ribbon that blends with the design and draws attention away.

We also slightly enlarged certain parts of the costume to increase fabric coverage without breaking Ani’s silhouette. With the thigh-highs, the outfit looked surprisingly modest—but still gave the illusion of exposure. That balance was my favorite part.

—You had a lot of photographers surrounding you. When being photographed, is there something you keep in mind?

Iori:
This time I managed to go out early enough to get staff approval for a ‘circle shoot,’ where photographers surround the cosplayer.

The most important thing for me is fairness. I don’t want anyone to feel left out. So I rotate my gaze quickly—left, right, and center—so people in the back also get their chance. My goal is that everyone gets one nice photo. And of course, making sure the area is safe and not blocking traffic always comes first.

—You’ve been cosplaying for years now. What first made you decide to become a cosplayer?

Iori:
My whole family are otaku. I grew up watching anime, reading manga, and listening to anisongs. The big turning point was when my parents first brought me to Comiket. That’s when I discovered this culture of cosplaying your favorite characters.

It took a while before I did it seriously, but ever since then, I always thought, ‘Someday, I want to try this.’

—Do you have any daily routines to maintain your body and style for cosplay?

Iori:
I pay attention to posture and breathing every day, and I keep up light strength training. Since I also do gravure modeling, I have a personal baseline for performance that I never want to fall below.

For Ani’s cosplay, I put extra focus on my waistline. My body type means costumes don’t always fit perfectly as-is, so I train to keep a defined waist. When I pose, I try to create a triangular line with my body, which looks beautiful in photos. I really believe the waist is crucial.”

—Do you have any pre-shoot rituals the day before an event?

Iori:
I watch my salt and water balance to prevent swelling, eat lightly, take vitamins, and follow a very moisturizing skincare routine. Then I eat easily digestible food and go to bed early.

I also pack everything the night before so I can head out right away in the morning. Since I get dark circles under my eyes easily, I try to sleep at least seven hours.

—Finally, your cosplay went viral this time. What do you think made it resonate so much?

Iori:
The fun part was building in a kind of trick: from afar, it looked like bare skin, but once photographed, people realized it was fabric.

At first, many people worried, ‘Is that really allowed under Comiket rules?’ But once they understood the illusion, they said, ‘Oh wow, that’s amazing!’ Hearing that made me so happy.

For me, Comiket is all about everyone bringing what they love. It’s a place of freedom and diversity in expression. I’ve loved that atmosphere since I was a child. Even now, I print my own works and bring them, so I never book other jobs on Comiket days.

That’s why I don’t think it’s as simple as ‘too much skin is bad’ or ‘covering up is correct.’ The important thing is respecting the rules while still finding your own way to express your passion. Everyone’s approach is valid, as long as it’s within the rules.

Of course, in today’s age of social media, criticism is inevitable. Unfortunately, sometimes it escalates into harassment or even serious incidents. But I believe Comiket should remain a safe place where people can freely share what they love.

Personally, I’ve been saved countless times by the support I’ve received there. I hope Comiket will always be a space where people can say ‘I love this!’ openly, and where everyone can recognize and enjoy each other’s passions.

Source : ORICON NEWS