Sekana Katayama

I enjoy cosplaying because I like to pretend to be different characters. It's very freeing, because often in life you don't have the chance to express yourself in a variety of ways, you just sort of become ingrained in one personality. But with cosplay, you can be anyone, and so you get to be flexible and not worry about who you're supposed to be, never mind just being yourself.

I also love wearing costumes, and the excitement of starting a new project or finishing one. Pretty much my favorite part of cosplay is that first time you wear a new costume, when you're not quite settled into the character, and it feels all strange but somehow thrilling. Although I still love doing cosplays that I've worn many times, which I am usually more comfortable in.

To sum it up, I cosplay for fun - not aiming to be a master costume designer or sewer. To me, it's something that's not only a hobby, but a method of independence from the regular flow of life.

What got you into cosplay?
I like being someone else. It's like being sucked into the fantasy worlds of the characters. And all that good stuff.
What was your first costume and why?
Kagome from Inuyasha. I kinda have her whole personality going (outwardly, not inwardly), and my friends used to call me Kagome-chan. So it kinda stuck, and I had to cosplay her. Although now I don't like her character any longer, I still look back on my first cosplay with fond memories.
What is your favorite costume and why?
My most comfy/fun costume at the moment is Ryou Bakura - that sweater is just so big and... well, big. Plus I get to wear regular shoes (yay for Ryou wearing converse in the anime, or as good as) and guy jeans, which are pretty comfortable. Out of other cosplays I've seen, I'll say Pikminlink's Ocarina of Time Link. Just wonderful.
Do you have a dream costume you'd like to make?
Mmkay... I'd definitely like to make a Soren (Fire Emblem 9) costume. So many little details! And Yuan (Tales of Symphonia), too. That ought to be agonizing.
What has been your most memorable cosplay experience?
Oh, if words could express such happiness~! I shall stay painfully silent on this one.
Do you participate in masquerades?
Not yet. Someday, though. It sounds fun. Although I am kinda shy so... yeah.
What was your best masquerade experience?
None yet.
Have you won any awards for your costumes?
Never entered the contests.
Tell us a little about yourself
School, unfortunately. But it's tolerable. My hobbies are cosplaying, World of Warcraft, video games, drawing, writing (fanfiction), reading, playing piano, etcetera.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Pikminlink is awesome! I really hope I can meet her someday. ^_^ I could list a whole bunch of other '1337' cosplayers I also want to meet, but that would just take up more space... *embarrassed*
My favorite anime
Kyou Kara Maoh, Monochrome Factor, Gravitation, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Fullmetal Alchemist, Yugioh Abridged... I'm not really watching anything at the moment, though...
My favorite game(s)
Zelda, Mario, World of Warcraft, Tales of Symphonia, Pokemon
My favorite book(s)
Hmmm... Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc. Those kinds.
My favorite character(s)
There are TONS. I'm not even gonna try to list 'em here.
My favorite movies(s)
'Lord of the Rings'. They did a pretty good job with it. 'Pirates of the Carribean'. It was entertaining, definitely. Anything Miyazaki. I like 'Howl's Moving Castle' the most atm. I also go for comedies like 'She's the Man'. My guilty pleasure is 'Labyrinth'...
My favorite actors/actresses
I don't really follow celebrity stuff much.