Memememememeee
When's the last time I did one of these, I wonder...
From hughes_maes:
Reply to this entry with a random fun fact or awesome macro and I will give you five words that remind me of you. Then post them in your journal and explain what they mean to you.
1. Cosplay
I love cosplay. So much love. It is that hobby in life that I choose to spend my money on. Some people buy beer, movies, and video games, but I mostly just buy fabric. I sort of have 2 modes when it comes to cosplay. There are certain outfits that I love and adore because I like to be in character. That really only happens when I can cosplay in a group of people from the same series and truly become the character. I can be like an actor and become somebody else for a day, and it's so much fun! There's also this sort of pride that I get, wearing a cosplay that I made myself. I like being able to show off my sewing and construction, all of the detail and accuracy that I try to achieve. Yes, I'll still put on the air of that character and will act in character as much as the situation allows, but I really like to be appreciated for the care that I put into making a character come to life. Makes me a little elitist, I know, but I like to show off my creative skill and wear things that I can be proud of. It's also kinda neat that since I wrote that essay and will be presenting on cosplay at a national undergrad research conference, I can pretend to be scholastic expert on the subject XD;;
2. Tenimyu
Tenimyu is all your fault, Paula. You got me into it, and now there's only one person in my state who I can fangirl with. XP I started getting into it because you were so excited about it, and I wanted to be able to share it with you. I liked recognizing some of the actors and the acting was good, though the singing made me visibly cringe at times. XD Now I'm truly absorbed in the story. I like meeting new characters and getting to know them, getting to know the actors and see their interpretations of the various players. First and foremost, I'd say I like it for all the pretty boys dancing, but the singing's gotten better, and I like the interpretation of the story that they have going. The songs aren't always good but they're never entirely bad. In fact, they're often absolutely ridiculous, but I like that. And gay clubbing Shitenhouji is win.
3. Burimyu
Burimyu is, in my not quite humble opinion, the best version of Bleach that's out there. It picks all of my absolute favorite characters to focus on and condenses the Soul Society story into a well paced tale, hitting all of the necessary highlights and glazing over a lot of the grinding. The casting is great. The singing is good. The acting is spectacular. And OMFG I hate that I wasn't able to see any of them live. I loved teaching myself a lot of the dances, and singing Burimyu songs in karaoke was one of my favorite things to do 3 times a week (Bengara Koushi like 5 times in a row the day it showed up at Big Echo XD). Burimyu is also a huge factor in why I finally got around to doing Bleach cosplay when I did. If only I could have won Naoya's drawing of Hisagi Shuhei....
4. Last year's Study Abroad
I would not trade my year in Japan for anything. It was rough when I was with a host family and didn't really feel free to stay out and experience the city and spend time with friends, but once I got into the dorms and was really living on my own, it was the best time of my life. I feel like I absorbed so much culture and language and gained so much maturity by working my way around the city and making myself a legal resident. Not to mention, I discovered the joys of the karaoke-kan and was introduced to the world of Japanese small theater. ♥ Most of all though, the friends that I made in Japan are probably the closest friends I've ever had. Our shared experiences in that one year brought us closer than I've felt to most people in my life. Friends as close as family. I will never forget that year. ♥
5. Living in Japan again?
I am determined to make it happen, one way or another. I have a lot of hope for the JET Program, but even if that falls through, I will find a way. I may not be in Tokyo, maybe not right away, but I seriously thrived when I was over in Japan, and I really feel like it's where I'm supposed to be in the coming years of my life. I have a plan. I want to go back to Japan as a teaching assistant, to settle down in Japan, get back in the groove and improve my language skills, pad my bank account a little. Then, after a year or two of that, I hope to land a job in some sort of artistic field, using my art major, my time at Waseda, my English speaking ability, and maybe my cosplay expertise to get me in. If I can do that for a few years, then if I ever realize that it's time to go back to America, I'll have the work experience and a lovely exotic resume to present, helping me get an artistic job back in the States as well. Now, I know that my plan probably won't work out the way I've imagined, but my entire life has been one big series of paths. I start moving towards one destination only to discover something new and even better that I want to pursue. It's gonna start with going to Japan again, but who knows where I'll end up.
In other news, KATSUCON IN LESS THAN A WEEK!
From hughes_maes:
Reply to this entry with a random fun fact or awesome macro and I will give you five words that remind me of you. Then post them in your journal and explain what they mean to you.
1. Cosplay
I love cosplay. So much love. It is that hobby in life that I choose to spend my money on. Some people buy beer, movies, and video games, but I mostly just buy fabric. I sort of have 2 modes when it comes to cosplay. There are certain outfits that I love and adore because I like to be in character. That really only happens when I can cosplay in a group of people from the same series and truly become the character. I can be like an actor and become somebody else for a day, and it's so much fun! There's also this sort of pride that I get, wearing a cosplay that I made myself. I like being able to show off my sewing and construction, all of the detail and accuracy that I try to achieve. Yes, I'll still put on the air of that character and will act in character as much as the situation allows, but I really like to be appreciated for the care that I put into making a character come to life. Makes me a little elitist, I know, but I like to show off my creative skill and wear things that I can be proud of. It's also kinda neat that since I wrote that essay and will be presenting on cosplay at a national undergrad research conference, I can pretend to be scholastic expert on the subject XD;;
2. Tenimyu
Tenimyu is all your fault, Paula. You got me into it, and now there's only one person in my state who I can fangirl with. XP I started getting into it because you were so excited about it, and I wanted to be able to share it with you. I liked recognizing some of the actors and the acting was good, though the singing made me visibly cringe at times. XD Now I'm truly absorbed in the story. I like meeting new characters and getting to know them, getting to know the actors and see their interpretations of the various players. First and foremost, I'd say I like it for all the pretty boys dancing, but the singing's gotten better, and I like the interpretation of the story that they have going. The songs aren't always good but they're never entirely bad. In fact, they're often absolutely ridiculous, but I like that. And gay clubbing Shitenhouji is win.
3. Burimyu
Burimyu is, in my not quite humble opinion, the best version of Bleach that's out there. It picks all of my absolute favorite characters to focus on and condenses the Soul Society story into a well paced tale, hitting all of the necessary highlights and glazing over a lot of the grinding. The casting is great. The singing is good. The acting is spectacular. And OMFG I hate that I wasn't able to see any of them live. I loved teaching myself a lot of the dances, and singing Burimyu songs in karaoke was one of my favorite things to do 3 times a week (Bengara Koushi like 5 times in a row the day it showed up at Big Echo XD). Burimyu is also a huge factor in why I finally got around to doing Bleach cosplay when I did. If only I could have won Naoya's drawing of Hisagi Shuhei....
4. Last year's Study Abroad
I would not trade my year in Japan for anything. It was rough when I was with a host family and didn't really feel free to stay out and experience the city and spend time with friends, but once I got into the dorms and was really living on my own, it was the best time of my life. I feel like I absorbed so much culture and language and gained so much maturity by working my way around the city and making myself a legal resident. Not to mention, I discovered the joys of the karaoke-kan and was introduced to the world of Japanese small theater. ♥ Most of all though, the friends that I made in Japan are probably the closest friends I've ever had. Our shared experiences in that one year brought us closer than I've felt to most people in my life. Friends as close as family. I will never forget that year. ♥
5. Living in Japan again?
I am determined to make it happen, one way or another. I have a lot of hope for the JET Program, but even if that falls through, I will find a way. I may not be in Tokyo, maybe not right away, but I seriously thrived when I was over in Japan, and I really feel like it's where I'm supposed to be in the coming years of my life. I have a plan. I want to go back to Japan as a teaching assistant, to settle down in Japan, get back in the groove and improve my language skills, pad my bank account a little. Then, after a year or two of that, I hope to land a job in some sort of artistic field, using my art major, my time at Waseda, my English speaking ability, and maybe my cosplay expertise to get me in. If I can do that for a few years, then if I ever realize that it's time to go back to America, I'll have the work experience and a lovely exotic resume to present, helping me get an artistic job back in the States as well. Now, I know that my plan probably won't work out the way I've imagined, but my entire life has been one big series of paths. I start moving towards one destination only to discover something new and even better that I want to pursue. It's gonna start with going to Japan again, but who knows where I'll end up.
In other news, KATSUCON IN LESS THAN A WEEK!