The Cosplay Culture in the Philippines

A baby cosplayer, she was very cute

Cosplay is short for "costume play", it is a performance art in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Cosplayers or those who wears the costumes often interact to create a subculture centered on role play. Cosplay costumes vary greatly and can range from simple themed clothing to highly detailed costumes.

I was very entertained when I roved around the area I saw a lot of cosplayers were roaming also around. Due to their colorful and visually pleasant costumes, you can’t really ignore them instead what I did was asking them to pose with Tansyong.

Advertisement by Google: While watching, the event most of the cosplayer are in teenage group. I asked one of the Cosplayer, “ Magastos ba ang ganyang hilig(Is it expensive vice )”. “Yes Kuya, We usually allocate a certain portion from our school allowance just to buy costumes and wig”, A cosplayer answered. “Yung iba naman kuya, sila na mismo gumagawa ng costumes nila from recycled materials” another cosplayer answered.



I spent one hour for picture taking to them, while staring and comparing their costumes. I noticed that there were made of recycled materials and there were also “expensive costumes” based on the designs. Undeniably, with this kind of interest, it really need also sacrifice. Sacrifice you school allowance or spent lot money just to pursue this cosplay culture.

Costume play culture and its rapid growth in the number of people cosplaying as a hobby started since 1990 has made the phenomenon a significant aspect of popular culture. This is particularly the case in Asia, where cosplay influences Japanese street fashion. But, now even Philippines adopted this kind of art.

Moreover, in the Philippines we have Alodia Almira Arraiza Gosiengfiao (born March 9, 1988) who is a very popular Filipina cosplayer. She was named by UNO Magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in the Philippines due to his popularity of being an artist of Costumes. Due to her constant contribution to the cosplay community in the Philippines, Gosiengfiao has been invited into various international cosplay conventions and events as a participant, performer, and judge or simply to attend as a guest.

Not only women are hooked by this form of art but also teenage men exist in every contest.

I’ll be posting below the pictures :