Asuka Langley Soryu (Yellow Dress) – Neon Genesis Evangelion

Kie as Asuka, Photo by Lionel Lum, 2013
Photo by Lionel Lum 2013, click image for full size

First Worn: Anime Expo 2000

When I was a teen just getting into anime, I strongly identified with Asuka.Β  These days, not so much.Β  I do still like her, just not as much as I once did.Β  The yellow dress is cute, simple, and comfortable.Β  I ended up wearing it a lot because it’s easy to throw on.

Back in 2000 when I first cosplayed Asuka, I used my own hair, even though it wasn’t the right color (this was normal at the time).Β  At Anime Expo, no one recognized my outfit, and I even had someone ask me why I wasn’t cosplaying!Β  It baffled me, because Evangelion was popular then too, but I guess I was one of the first people to cosplay the yellow dress version.Β  I thought at least the hair clips would make it immediately recognizable.Β  I later started wearing a wig with the outfit.Β  In 2013 my friend Lionel built an Evangelion cockpit, so I brought the costumeΒ  out once again to get some photos with it.

Kie as Asuka, Photo by Lionel Lum, 2013
Photo by Lionel Lum 2013
Kie as Asuka, Photo by Raidr, Anime Expo 2005
Photo by Raidr, Anime Expo 2005
Kie as Asuka, 2000
2000