Etsu

I'm originally from the DFW area, and I went to university in Houston. Last year I was teaching English in the Miyagi Prefecture of Japan. Now I'm back home living as a research technician by day and writer by night.

I got into cosplay right after I graduated high school even though I had been wanting to dress up like my favorite anime characters long before that. I love getting my friends into cosplay because the more, the merrier!

What got you into cosplay?
I like Halloween, theatre, and anything else that allows me to dress up and assume a different persona. I was asked to be in a Magic Knight Rayearth cosplay group for A-kon 15. It was so much fun that I knew I had to cosplay again.
What was your first costume and why?
Cho Chang, Quidditch version- This was before I knew what cosplay really was. For the premiere of the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie, some friends and I used our graduation robes to make Ravenclaw Quidditch outfits. Being the token Asian, I was automatically Cho Chang.
What is your favorite costume and why?
Nana Osaki, red kimono - It's a mix of traditional Japanese and punk rock, and I'm all about combining two completely different things. My roommate put a lot of work into the outfit so I'm really thankful that she made it (and trusted me enough to let me help out).
Do you have a dream costume you'd like to make?
Lucifer from Angel Sanctuary - One day...
What has been your most memorable cosplay experience?
Amano Cosplay Showcase at Oni-con '06 - It was my first cosplay contest, and my Amano Tifa costume really tested my creative abilities (since I'm sewing machine-challenged). It was fun hanging out with the other cosplayers, and I got to meet Yoshitaka Amano!
Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Jen. I live in the DFW area. I just came back from a year in Japan. My other hobbies include writing, karaoke, playing the piano, reading, acting, and being a couch potato. I also like extreme sports, art, divination, mythology, languages, and dancing.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Etsu is one of my many alter-egos (and the main character of a manga I have in the works). She's the J-rock half-demon anti-hero from another dimension. Cosplaying is a ruse she created to allow her to assume disguises without raising suspicion.
My favorite anime
Black Lagoon, Bleach, Blood+, Code Geass, Cowboy Bebop, Detective Conan, Eureka 7, Fullmetal Alchemist, Genshiken, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gundam Wing, Gungrave, Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, Last Exile, Mushi-Shi, Ouran High School Host Club, Paradise Kiss, Samurai Champloo, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Vampire Knight, Witch Hunter Robin, X/1999 My Favorite Manga: Angel Sanctuary, Alichino, Full Moon wo Sagashite, Godchild, Hana Kimi, Ludwig Kakumei, NANA, Prince of Tennis, Saiyuki, ShutterBox, Wild Adapter, Yami no Matsuei
My favorite game(s)
Bookworm Adventures, DDR, Dynasty Warriors, Final Fantasy series, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Spider Solitaire, Tekken series, Tetris, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
My favorite book(s)
Absalom Absalom!, A Separate Peace, A Wrinkle in Time, Demon in My View, Dune series, Ender's Game series, Harry Potter, Hercule Poirot, Howl's Moving Castle, Les Liaisons dangereuses, North and South, Pride and Prejudice, Romantic poetry, Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, Stardust, The Dark-Hunter series, The Dresden Files, The Lord of the Rings, The Outsiders, The Sandman, The Vampire Chronicles, To Kill a Mockingbird
My favorite character(s)
Aragorn, Brandon Heat, Cain Hargreaves, Death from The Sandman, Dino Chiavorone, Ed Elric, Faith Lehane, Hamlet, Haruhi Suzumiya, Jack Harkness, John Sheppard, Kyoya Hibari, Lelouch Lamperouge, Malcolm Reynolds, Mark Cohen, Nana Osaki, Nikola Tesla from Sanctuary, Ponyboy Curtis, Roy Mustang, Sherlock Holmes, Vincent Valentine
My favorite movies(s)
Anastasia, Batman Begins, Cruel Intentions, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, Finding Nemo, Hero, Iron Man, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Love Actually, Moon Child, Mulan, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Sassy Girl, NANA, North and South, Pan's Labyrinth, Rebel Without a Cause, RENT, Rookies ~Sotsugyo~, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Saving Face, Serenity, Sin City, Star Wars saga, Studio Ghibli films, The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Titan A.E., Ultimate X, X-men, X2
My favorite actors/actresses
Angelina Jolie, Antonio Banderas, Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, David Tennant, Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman, Haruma Miura, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellan, James Dean, James McAvoy, Johnny Depp, Jun Matsumoto, Kazuya Kamenashi, Kenneth Bragnaugh, Maki Horikita, Ming Dao, Richard Armitage, Takumi Saito, Tom Cruise, Tomohisa Yamashita, Viggo Mortensen, Yukie Nakama, Yuu Shirota...I'd include VAs, but this list is long enough.