Haru Tachibana (Futon-chan) shows off her cosplay of Zion, an Ori-Character from the smartphone game "Riseros"! Interview and gravure feature!

TV personality Haru Tachibana, known by her nickname "Futon-chan," appeared on the official live broadcast of the smartphone game "Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu Lost in Memories" (hereafter "Rezelos") as the program's MC on the "Rezelos Channel" (No. 3), She showed off her cosplay of "Zion," a character original to the game.

This time, we present an interview with her as well as a collection of freshly shot cosplay photos!

The Charm of "Riselos" Original Character Zion

Tatsuya: What was the main point of your cosplay?

Tachibana: The most important point is the face. The character Zion has distinctive suspended eyes, so I made my makeup higher than usual to bring it closer to the character's face. I also took care to make her face strong while making her costume stand out, because she uses neutral colors, which is one of my favorite points of hers.

What do you find attractive about Sion?

Tachibana: Theon is a navigator character who appears in the "Reminiscence Township" to help Subaru regain his lost memories, but he is a bit unguided or ...... (laughs). He is such a natural and outgoing character, but he also has a lot of mysteries in his background that we can't leave him alone. He is a character whose future development is very interesting.

Tatsuya: What do you find attractive about the "Riselos" game?

Tachibana: In the anime and the original novel, I think many people are in Subaru's camp, but in "Riselos" you can fight together with characters from other camps, so I think the appeal of this game is that you can enjoy that sense of unity. Recently, characters who originally appeared as enemies can now be made into allies, so I find that part of the game very interesting.

Tatsuya: The second season of theanime(second half of the season) that iscurrently airingis also very exciting, isn't it?

Tachibana: I had originally read all the original stories published on the web, so I knew the flow of the story, but in the recent broadcasts, Subaru has grown up, and the distance between him and Emilia, who in a sense had been distant, has gradually been shortened. I think that sense of closeness is "tete-a-tete" (precious) (laugh). The other characters also resolve their background feelings by confiding them to Subaru, and everyone seems to become happier, so "now" I feel as if I am being saved. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they will face the darkness that awaits them later on.

Tatsuya: By the way, who is your favorite character?

Tachibana: I used to be all about Emilia, but recently I'm more interested in Beatrice. In "Riselos," I put the most material into her, and I was thinking, "I'm sorry about Emilia! but now I'm cheating on Beatrice (laughs).

Cosplay is a communication tool

Tachibana: You are known by the nickname "Futon-chan.

Tachibana: There is no one who doesn't like the word "futon. For example, if you use the nickname "Carrot-chan," maybe there are people who don't like it. That's how it originated. I would like to say ......, but the truth is that it was because I liked sleeping (laughs). It's a nickname I like very much now.

Tatsuya: What made you start cosplaying?

Tachibana: I started cosplaying when I saw Enako's pictures on the Internet and prepared my own costume for Comiket. I was a member of a clothing circle at university and I liked making costumes, but since I was so particular about making them myself, I developed a love for the costumes. The cosplays I make in this way are often my most confident works. I'm too busy to make costumes now, but I once made a costume for Ram. This time I would like to try my hand at Emilia's nightgown and personal clothes.

Tatsuya: Do you feel any internal changes since you started cosplaying?

Tachibana: Before I started cosplaying, I didn't have many opportunities to talk with people. Then I started to use "becoming a character" as a communication tool through cosplay, and I gradually became able to speak. I think cosplay has changed my life.

Tachibana: I know that you do a lot of work in the video game industry.

Tachibana: I took the junior high school entrance exam, but my parents were very strict and prohibited me from playing any games until then. After I passed the junior high school entrance exam, I started playing all kinds of games as a reaction. At the time, Nintendo's "Wii" was very popular, but I played games as far back as the Game Boy and Famicom, and I got more and more addicted to games (laughs). (Laughs.) Now it has led me to my job, so I really feel like it is my calling.

Tatsuya: Is there anything else you would like to try in the future?

Tachibana: My dream is to come up with my own characters, dress up as them, and perform as a voice actor. So I would like to try voice acting as my next goal.

Tachibana: Are there any voice actors you admire?

Tachibana: Marika Takano, who also plays Petra in "Re-zero". I have worked with her in other jobs as well, and she is very sincere in her approach to her work. I respect him a lot, partly because he is close to my age.

Using my love of games to build bridges between users and clients

Tatsuya: What do you do at home during this period of self-restraint?

Tachibana: I have always been a bit of a recluse, so my lifestyle has not changed that much. Now my hobby is to spend money on that distribution equipment (laughs). I have three monitors at home, a green bag, and an SLR for my webcam. I will do my best to make everyone feel as if they have actually met me!

Tatsuya: Do you have any goals for 2021?

Tachibana: I started living on my own in January, but until now I have been living at home with my parents, so my first goal is to survive this year. I have never done any housework before, and the only dish I was good at was cooking frozen fried rice, but recently I have become able to make pork miso soup (laughs).

Tachibana: Do you have any goals for the future as a cosplayer?

Tachibana: I think Enako is currently the top cosplayer, but she is especially good at still pictures, so I would like to work as a cosplayer who does voice work and shows her work in videos. I also think that I am the best cosplayer who loves games, so I would like to use my love of games to be a bridge between users and clients.

Tatsuya: Lastly, do you have a message for our readers?

Tachibana: "Riselos" allows you to see stories and IF routes that are not told in the anime, so if you like "Riselos" at all, I hope you will give it a try!

(Reporting, writing, and photography by Kounosuke Yoshino)