Cosplay Koromo-chan

Cosplay Koromo-Chan
Koromo, the ultimate cosplay fan!
Genre	Comedy
Manga
Written by	Mook
Published by	MediaWorks
English publisher	DrMaster
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Dengeki Comic Gao!
Original run	2003 – 2004
Volumes	1
Anime and Manga Portal

Cosplay Koromo-chan, known in Japan as Koro Koro Koromo-chan (ころころころもちゃん^?), is a manga by Mook.

Koromo, the protagonist, wears cosplay costumes to school after the principal announces that her school has a free dress code. She strives to find better cosplay experiences.

Characters

Koromo Amanoha

A 15-year-old, Koromo loves cosplaying and wearing the clothes that Haoru makes her. However, Koromo likes to refer to her costumes as her regular clothes, and gets angry if people say that it is just a costume. She really does not have any special talents other than cosplaying, and you almost never see her doing anything resembling schoolwork. (Although you do sometimes see a school book in front of her.) Koromo gets all of her costumes through her classmate Haoru. She can get drunk off of eggnog, and got into the high school of her choice through pure luck. The bizarre bear clips on her head are very special to her. At the end of the manga, it is revealed that Koromo was an angel sent from Heaven to experience friendship, which surprises everyone since it was completely out of place. It is unknown if this is serious. She heads back only to show up a few days later as an exchange student. After college, she becomes a professional cosplayer, and films a shoot at Mikoto's shrine.

Haoru Kiji

Very skilled at handicrafts, Haoru can make any costume that you've^[who?] ever dreamed of, and then some. She's quite shy about wearing her own creations, and refuses to wear them, even though she has a shapely body. Haoru and Koromo were childhood friends and developed the costume wearer–maker bond at the age of 5 years old. At the end of the manga she has graduated college, and is pursuing a career as a fashion designer.

Mikoto Kannagi

Nicknamed Miko-Miko (most likely a pun on the Japanese word for shrine maiden, miko), Mikoto is a Japanese shrine maiden and good student. She often does not understand Koromo's passion for cosplay, and is even more confused by people constantly suggesting that her shrine maiden outfit is a costume. Miko-Miko is diligent about her shrine duties. She has a strong sense of right and wrong, which is evidenced in the manga when she purposely gave Koromo the wrong luck charm. Kuromo had wanted a study charm, but got a good birth charm, since Miko-Miko didn't think she should only rely on heavenly intervention and not study. At the end of the manga, she is still managing her family's shrine, and has cut her (sky blue) hair.

Rumi Kiguu

She is an adorable 7-year-old youngster who is seen as a younger (although much sweeter and calmer) Koromo. She likes to wear full-suit animal cosplay, and can often be seen in the footer of the manga in various theme costumes. She is also the would-be love interest of Kouji Mushano, after he decides that Koromo is too strange for his tastes. Kouji gives her a bag of mushrooms for White day, excitedly, getting them confused with marshmallows, as they are both white and fluffy.

Kameko (Turtle) Deji

She is the photographer who loves to take pictures of cosplay. Turtle is very slow, hence her nickname. She is a lowerclassman of Koromo, Haoru, and Miko-Miko. She has a web page devoted to taking pictures of Koromo. Her closest brush with cosplay was showing Koromo how people wearing glasses act. At the manga's end, she manages a professional website surrounding Koromo's cosplay.

Ai Mushano

Not much is known about this girl. She is the head of the rebels (aka a group of her and her lowerclassman, Rio), and is the same age as Koromo. Her name is hard to find in the manga, as Rio always calls her senpai, the Japanese term for upperclassman. Her name is revealed on an illustration of her and Rio on page 107, with their names shown clearly below it. She comes from a wealthy family and has an extremely strong sense of justice. She has a 7-year-old brother, Kouji, who likes Rumi, but Ai thinks is not tough enough. She takes care of the things that happen behind the scenes. She is very sentimental, even though it would seem unlikely at first glance. At the end of the manga, it is revealed that after school she is studying to be a lawyer. It is said that her favorite word is Justice.

Rio Dazaifu

Rio is a middle schooler who is the other member of the rebels. She tries to be tough, but is a big softie. When she forgets her money, she takes it from another, but they have a 1% interest rate. She is very loyal to Ai, who she dubs "senpai", and always brings her juice from the vending machine without asking, although Ai thinks to herself that she "doesn't really like carbonated drinks". She is short and on a few occasions is shown smoking. She goes on trips with Ai sometimes, and values being assistant of the rebel head.

Koromockle

A huge bear that Koromo befriended at her grandmother's house in Hokkaido. He is the design basis for the bizarre clips on Koromo's head. He is seen wearing a bear hat, much to the confusion of Koromo's friends. He offers it to Rumi, which she refuses on the basis that it is too cute even for her.

Trivia

• The entire manga is composed of 4 panel shorts, which are read from top to bottom. Other manga that incorporate this include Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star.
• At the bottom of the manga pages you can see various characters cosplaying or giving advice.

Links

• AnimeNewsNetwork's review of Cosplay Koromo-Chan
• Dr Master's official website, where you can purchase said manga