Stats
UMI RYUUZAKI
 Magic Knight Rayearth
Celestial Armor

Costume Stats:
Costume Completed: 2013
Debut: Katsucon 2013
Convention History:
Katsucon 2013
PortCon Maine 2013
Dragon*Con 2014
Photo Castmates:
Hikaru Shidou: Gale
Fuu Hououji: Ellystar
Photo Credits:
Sketch
Umi Ryuuzaki is a fencing champion at an elite private girls school when she is pulled into the land of Cephiro along with Hikaru and Fuu during a field trip to the Tokyo Tower. She is quick-tempered and tends to go slightly ballistic at times, easily annoyed by the behavior of others. Although the most reluctant of the magic knights, she wields powerful water magic and earns the aid of the powerful water rune-god. In the manga it is heavily implied that she has a romantic relationship with Ascot.

Construction Notes:
I have read the Rayearth manga but have only seen random episodes from the anime; the anime definitely shows its age and I would highly recommend the manga over it. In 2013, Ellystar, Gale, and I decided to make the Celestial versions of the main trio and I choose Umi as she is closest to my personality and I have an affinity for water-magic users. When I originally was planning out this costume I was going to make the armor out of Wonderflex, but just before I started construction I heard about a new thermoplastic material called Worbla that was supposedly much better with compound curves. I took a chance and ordered some, and I was SO glad I did. I patterned the armor first by drawing it out, then testing it in craft foam before transferring the designs to the Worbla. I cut the armor pieces out in layers and Sketch help me bond them with industrial glue, rivets, and scrap pieces of Worbla. The larger gems were cast out of resin and the smaller ones are store bought. The strapping on the armor is blue pleather, and the headband and necklace are made from a textured belt I found at a thrift store. The skirt is made from blue casa, cut into a circle skirt before I distressed the hell out it, cutting the hem at odd angles and gradient dying it then sealing it with fabric paint. The shirt is scrap white fabric sewed into a tube top with an elastic, while the "cape" portion is just a large piece of serged light blue casa draped over the skirt. The boots are store-bought with the armor attached with Velcro. The moon necklace is cut from wood and painted with Rub 'n Buff. Sketch did an incredible job making my sword, and an even more incredible job making the sword for our Hikaru. He went down to the garage with a pile of wood pieces and came back with that a fully crafted work of art, which he clearly made out of magic.

Photoshoot Pics: