I was running out of time to create my Anime Expo cosplays (one week before con!) And I knew I wanted to do something challenging but manageable. I remembered that Monster Musume has a bunch of characters with unique features, so I latched on to Miia as my one week challenge!

Bringing it to life was comprised of running around in a panicked frenzy, hoping it would all turn out. I trekked to a faraway discount fabric outlet because I knew I would need a LOT of fabric. The tail from waist to tip is 17 feet long! Constructing it involved tediously repetitive sewing and hot glueing to make the whole tail look uniform and reptillian. I was relieved to finish it on time with a day to spare!

Wearing it to the convention was a whole new nightmare. Not only was it the busiest day Anime Expo had ever seen, but my mobility was extremely limited. Shuffling at a snail’s pace through packed hallways had me sweating and exhausted before I even made it to my destination (the most popular photo of this cosplay was taken just after bunny-hopping up a long staircase!)

When I finally arrived, I was completely overwhelmed with the response I got. I have cosplayed a lot over the last decade, but nothing I’ve done has been as popular as Miia! I’m so thankful for all the encouraging comments both in person and online that made this project worth it.