Published in: The Village Voice Ruby Taki and Cici James both competed in the cosplay contest at the recent New York Comic Con. One is a Japanese salesperson working in Manhattan; the other owns a sci-fi and fantasy bookstore in DUMBO. Although they come from different cultural backgrounds, the two shared a somewhat unpopular goal at Comic Con -- not being the hottest chick in the Javits Center. "I wanted to compete other contestants with my skills -- not just being sexy, showing skins," says Taki, who was competing with her hand-crafted Metal Gear REX robot costume."That's why I hide myself inside of the costume, because I don't want people to judge me by my gender." "I don't want to be the hot chick at Comic Con. I'm mostly excited by how the costumes facilitate conversation with other people in costumes," says James, who dressed up in a bright yellow flight suit as Yuki Mori, a character from an anime series called Space Battleship Yamato. We followed these two cosplay enthusiasts to Comic Con and asked them what motivated them, why they chose their costumes, and what Comic Con means to them. Here are two bonus videos that go in-depth with James and Taki: Brooklyn Bookstore Owner Tries on Her Latex Flight Suit for The First Time https://vimeo.com/108426580 Watch This Woman Transform into a Giant Metal Gear Solid Robot https://vimeo.com/108185872
