First worn: Fanime Con 2009
I have always been a fan of strategy games, both real-time and turn-based. It’s not a popular genre at all, but it’s one of my favorites. The Fire Emblem games are not particularly good strategy games, but I love the series for its characters and story lines. I was especially smitten with FE:9/10, Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. They are my favorites in the series. I was really impressed with the cut scenes and really loved the way the game looked. I also really like the artist who did the character designs for these games. Fire Emblem has a lot of great characters, but Leanne is my #1 favorite in the entire series. In the opening for FE:9 (Path of Radiance), you get a glimpse of Leanne sleeping in the forest. My first reaction was OMG WHO IS THAT?? She’s so pretty! She turned out to be my favorite character, and not just because she’s pretty. At Fanime I was so happy to see another girl dressed as Leanne! But I heard her talking to a photographer who asked her what the character was like, and she said “We’ll she’s like a typical angel, sweet and gentle…”….. aaaaaaaand you’ve obviously never played the game. Sure, she is innocent and sweet, but she’s not an angel, she’s a heron princess. She’s also a spunky, strong-willed little trouble maker. That’s what’s so great about her! Ahhh… she’s so cute *w*! You find this baby princess asleep in the forest with no knowledge of the world, and she is the last surviving heron. The cut scene where she and her brother Reyson sing the Galdr of Rebirth to revive the forest is my favorite, it is so beautiful! It makes me cry. TwT~ Leanne has the ability to see into people’s hearts, and because of her own pure heart was able to see the true feelings of the Raven King… and fell in love with a man the rest of the world hated because she knew that’s not who he really was. She even jumped in front of a lion to protect him (because no one would hurt a heron)! Those two are so cute together, and it is my dream to someday make a King Naesala outfit for my husband. Leanne was not a playable character in FE:9, but she became playable in FE:10 (Radiant Dawn). You can imagine how excited I was. FE:10 is the only game I’ve ever bought on its launch date.
I have to say, a costume with giant wings, long hair, and a long dress with a train is kind of a hassle to move around in. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. I kind of wish I could remake this in a lighter-weight fabric. I went with peau de soie, my go-to satin, but it is actually too heavy for the fluid look of this dress. Also, I never finished the wings, so I had to borrow a pair. My biggest regret though is that I never got a photo with the beautiful Reyson cosplayer at Anime Expo because a “friend” refused to take a photo of us because he was “tired”. 