Cosplay and How it is Affected by Zamboanga’s Infamous Power Outages

  Cosplay, a combination of the words costume and play, is a hobby of portraying fictional characters in an event such as a photo shoot or competition. Despite its almost decade existence in Zamboanga City, the hobby is still a budding art that needs to be cultivated to be appreciated by a greater number of people. Some situations such as a slow support to modern hobbies and a recurring crisis hold the bloom of the strange yet interesting activity.

Ambox ZamPen - cosplay event organising team headed by yours truly during the World Cosplay Summit Philippines Zamboanga Peninsula Qualifiers last 2018. This event is the most-awaited cosplay culture happening in the city.

  One of the predicaments that hinder the rising popularity of cosplay in the city is the unpredictable power outages. Undesirable situations are common throughout all hobbies, and these unwanted occurrences strike the hobby in a negative way. Firstly, due to electricity’s importance in powering certain contraptions needed in the making of cosplay items, electrical failures handicap the primary steps in creating costumes and props – the very core essentials in the hobby because most tools, if not all, utilized by people doing the activity is powered by electricity. To illustrate, a cosplayer (a person doing a cosplay) tries to look for tips in an online information source on how to start getting into the hobby however, due to power interruptions, one is not able to start up the modem to connect to the World Wide Web and turn on the computer set to be able to access said information.

Cee as Gogo Yubari during the MCTV Movie Mania 2012, one of the first cosplay events in the city.

  Secondly, electrical failures affect functions relating to cosplay. Because the presentation of the art is usually done in a contest-like manner, requirements powered by electricity such as a stage with lights and sounds, LED projectors and the likes are vital.  Blackouts ruin not only the ongoing affair that uses these items but also the total experience enthusiasts want to gain by attending them. For example, a competing cosplayer who is in the game during one’s performance gets interfered by a failure of power thus leads to a stop in the momentum of performing on stage and in turn wrecks one’s opportunity to fully represent the chosen character.

Cosplay parade during the World Cosplay Summit ZamPen Qualifiers last 2017. The event was held in KCC Mall de Zamboanga, the largest shopping centre in the city which is also one of the establishments that experience frequent power failures.

  Who are responsible for this condition that the citizens of Zamboanga had no choice to be in? What could be done to lessen, if not eradicate, the aggravating situation that not only affect a particular group of people but the entire population? More of these on the next few posts to be published here.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post however this did not influence on how it is written. All thoughts are of the author's.

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AdZU COSPLAY REPORT: AdZU Cosplay Promotional Ramp

Been busy making accessories that I didn't notice that it's already August! Time to post my report on the two AdZU cosplay events that I participated recently. The first one will be the promotional ramp that we did inside the Ateneo Campus.

Cosplayers during the ramp 

The aim of this activity is to promote the AdZU cosplay event 'Otaku Attaku' (that was held on July 29) during the celebration of the AdZU 100 and Beyond. Some of my friends who were helping in organizing the event invited cosplayers to help promote the Otaku Attaku to AdZU students. I gladly obliged to the invitation and prepared my costume for that day.

I was with my friends during the ramp. Look at my mango-shake hair! 

I went as Panty from Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, Daten High School version since we were going to cosplay in a school. Almost all of the cosplayers went in their seifuku! It was like a meetup of students from different Japanese schools. LOL. We gave out flyers and showed the official poster of the event to the faculty, students and staff.

Yours truly with Queen and PJ

Met a new friend during the ramp. This is Craig! 

Only a few people recognized the character that I was cosplaying that day. But the kids were talking with us enthusiastically anyway. They were talking about their love of anime and their excitement on the second cosplay event in AdZU,

I had fun talking with these kids! They were asking for flyers of the event for their friends.
Link

I enjoyed this short parade inside the campus! It was nice seeing different expressions on the faces of the students while we were promoting the event. Some of them enjoyed the activity and some... well.. :)

I would like to thank the organizers of these parade and to my friends who accompanied me during the activity. Thank you for helping me with my things! :)

What I've been doing lately. 

More updates on my Facebook page!

That's it! Watch out for the AdZU Otaku Attaku report soon! 

Thank you for reading~ 

TEASER: One Piece - Taste of Summer

Hey guys!! At last I have organized the One Piece photo set and found out that we made three sets of GIFS that day and all of them are cute and super hilarious!

Sorry if this took so long. I wanted to release the photos of the past shoots that we had before processing the recent ones. I have already posted the Fruits Basket Casual Shoot and the next one will be the Lords and Lolita Appreciation Day set. I'll try finishing the last two starting tomorrow since I am already done with all my school activities. *yay*

Anyway, here are the GIFS as teaser for the set. This is a closet cosplay shoot organized by yours truly together with the Watermelon Team. Enjoy!

Luffy: 

Shiba

Sanji: 

Cee

Chopper: 

Eli

Boa Hancock: 

Kon

Trafalgar Law: 

Kenta

Nojiko:

Marj

Human Caymy:
Shirley

Luffy: Let's go, Sanji!

Ready, set, GO!

And now for the group photo together with those who helped us made this fun shoot possible: 

Fruits Basket/BLEACH Inspired Shoot

Or you can call it.. THE WIG PICNIC! I don't know what came into our mind when we organized this shoot. Originally, it was supposed to be a casual Fruits Basket shoot. Maybe Fruits Basket abstract version. LOL We had lunch at the Butterfly Garden, Pasonanca Park (same place where we had the shoot) then we put on our wigs and started taking photos of each other. Oh I missed those crazy moments!

These photos were taken last September 8. LOL Sorry for the super late upload! I decided to finish everything else before editing photos from the latest shoot that we had, the One Piece Closet Cosplay Shoot. Please bear with me!

We ain't really calling this cosplay. Maybe, costrip? And I kind of explored my editing software a bit, tested a few filters and so. Hoped you will like it!

Mark as Shigure

Kyo and Akito

Now Ichigo and Rukia?
LOL

Kyo and Tohru

Y U EMO TOHRU??

Tohru, Kagura and Hana
The girls of Fruits Basket

    

Best Friends Forever! 

And the following are bonus, out-of-character photos. Enjoy!

How HIGH can yo go? :)

That's it guys! Watch out for my next photo set:
Lords and Lolitas!

WIG REVIEW: Alice Cosplay Wig from Vanity Lair

Hey guys! remember my previous post on a new cosplay wig bought online? Now it's time for a full review on a cosplay wig brand Alice Wigs (or Ywailisi) from an online shop called Vanity Lair. 

Disclaimer: I bought this wig with my own money. I was not paid or sponsored to do this review. 

I know buying from online shops on Facebook is a bit risky but I made sure that the shop is legit before filling up an order form. You guys should do that too if you are going to buy online for the first time. Take note of the proofs of the shops like real feedback from previous customers of the shop. It is important to be very sure before sending in your money for a product. A lot of these shops require full payment before sending in your order so if you are not sure about the legitimacy of an online shop, do not transact from it.

A little about the shop:
Vanity Lair is an online shop on Facebook that sells cosmetic lenses, hair dyes and different brands of cosplay wigs. Most of the cosplay wigs are on-hand (readily available) and they ship nationally, but buyers can also opt for meetup in buying wigs and other products.

Link

Shop's Description of the Product:

1,350PHP

ALL WIGS ARE HEAT RESISTANT
~FREE SHIPPING FOR NCR; ADD 50PHP FOR PROVINCIAL
~FREE WIG CAP



So the product that I bought from them is Panty's wig - Alice Brand which is on hand. That time, I had a bit of a problem in the mode of payement. I did not have enough GCASH credits to buy the wig but the owner suggested that the remaining balance can be paid with cellphone load. The owner was understanding and patient during our conversation online. So after completing the payment, the owner informed me that the wig will arrive by Monday or Tuesday (I placed my order and completed the payment on Friday).

And so it arrived on Tuesday. 
The wig arrived on time, which is a plus to the seller. I really dread delayed arrival of products because of my previous experience with a shop some time ago (I bought a wig from a shop once, and it arrived UBER LATE. So late, that I missed a photoshoot, the time where I was supposed to wear the wig. Instead of anger, I felt so sad that time that I actually thought of giving up cosplay!).

Anyway, here is a set of photos of the wig that I got. I did not enhance any of the following photos to show the actual color and quality of the wig.

Opening of the package...

Wig was enclosed in a bubble wrap.

Wig was with original tag.  No special wrapping whatsoever.

The wig was packed properly, complete with the wig net that held the entire wig. 

The order came with a free skin-tone wig cap. Yay! 

Shot of the length of the wig. 

The wig is made of Kanekalon fibers, is heat resistant (can be ironed and curled) and the length reaches my butt. It was heavier than I expected, I actually thought that it will not be as thick as Gakupo since it only costed me about 1350PHP. (my Gakupo wig, as seen here, is about 1800PHP). Actually, this wig is really cheap (usually, long wigs like this will cost you about 1800PHP to 2000PHP in other shops or other brands) yet the quality is as good as the Grand Young Brand or Lucaille Brand, which is a bit pricey than other wig brands.

Here is a close-up photo of the wig fibers (with flash). It's the same as my Gakupo wig - Lucaille brand.

I think the color of the wig (which is yellow) is perfect for Panty of Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt since the anime was drawn in American cartoon style, and Panty's hair is really yellow rather than the real blonde.

Panty and Stocking

So for the photos of yours truly with the wig...

Instead of the normal SELCA (Self Capture) and webcam shots that I did on my previous trials and reviews, this time I had an actual mini-shoot with the product. Some of the photos were taken by my brother. 

Without flash, outdoor light.

The following photos were taken outside, without using flash. Photos were not enhanced in anyway to show the color and quality of the wig. I only added the watermark.

Wig is not very shiny on this shot. It actually reminded me of mango-flavored ice cream. :D

I have Panty's red stilettos for the default version. :)

Without flash, enhanced.

The following photos were taken without flash and were enhanced using a photo-editing software.

I still need to trim the bangs and add more spikes to make it look like Panty's hair.

I was impressed by how my brother take photos. :D

With flash.

The following photos were taken with flash but were not enhanced in anyway. I only added the watermark. 

Oh yeah, this one is SELCA. :D

I-am-thinking-of-something.jpeg. HAHA

With flash, enhanced.

The following photos were taken with flash and were enhanced using a photo-editing software. 

I do really love this pair of red shoes! 

Okay, same pose - different angle. LOL

In conclusion...

I like the overall quality of the wig. It did not have a moment of massive hair loss during the trial. The color is not really blinding and was close to the product photo from the company. The fibers are thick and strong - which is surprising for a low-priced wig. The transaction with the shop was good and the product arrived on the expected date. The shop owner was considerate on the modes of payment, even though I was a first-time customer of hers. 

Would you recommend this wig brand to other cosplayers?

Yes! I think it's a great brand for a low price. Quality is similar to other brands that I have seen personally but is a bit cheaper (slash about a couple of hundred pesos from the price). For cosplayers out there, this brand is definitely worth your money. I would also like to recommend the shop, Vanity Lair. My first transaction with them is great. I might buy wigs from this shop in the future. 

And that's it! I hope you guys like my review on this product. What brand do you want me to review next? Comment your thoughts below!

Nihon Christmas Party 2012

Another UBER late post from yours truly! This time, a Christmas event with COSPLAY as a theme. Of course, characters must have a touch of Yuletide in their outfits. I went as Gakuko that time (Female Genderbent character of the Vocaloid Kamui Gakupo) and I won an award! YAY!

With the president, Emil as host.

The party was organized by the Nihon Fure Ai Kai - A Touch of Japan Club of the WMSU College of Nursing. It's the only club that I belong to. The members of this club gather to promote and appreciate the Japanese culture in the college and in the university. The officers organized a mini Christmas party with Christmas Cosplay as the theme. Of course, my friends and I instantly joined the event. It's nice to celebrate Christmas in a Japanese way.

Some of the contestants of the competition. It ain't a major contest but still I enjoyed being a Chirstmas character a lot.

The party started with the presentation of the contestants. Here are a few shots by Sheed.

The Butler Sebby as a raindeer? :D

PJ gathered up her courage and joined the contest too! 

And me, As Santa Gakuko smiling like a hyena. :DD

With friends Shiba, Ralphy and Gairu.

After the presentation of the contestants.. dinner was served!  One of the guests of the event is a Japanese chef known as Oji-san to us. He brought Japanese curry that was served during the event and it was just deliciously spicy! Forgive me if I was not able to take a photo. We were a bit busy eating away all the good food! LOL

As a compensation to the lack of photos, here is a kid who dressed up as Iron Man that night. So in-character!

Where are the Ironettes? :)

So after eating, time for the photo op! I had fun spending time with my friends before going on a Christmas break. It was a wee bit different this time because we were in costumes rather than in fashionable clothes. :D

Some of us in our Christmas-inspired outfits!

Whole body shots!

Shiba and Gairu

After all those poses, the program continued on and the emcee announced the winners of the cosplay competition.

And I won second place!

Yaaay I won 2nd place! Here's Oji-san presented the prize.

With the winners!! Sheilla won 3rd, Cee - 2nd and Kuya Mark won 1st place!

After the awarding of the winners of the cosplay event, the party games were next. We joined a couple and our group won a few prizes as well. What a lucky night for us! 

I enjoyed the event a lot, especially the food! It was my first time to taste a real Japanese dish and I was not disappointed! Hooray for Oji-san's cooking! 

It was also my first time to dress up as a Christmas-inspired character. I hope I will improve more in the near future.

It was one of the merriest Christmas yet! Can't wait for the next Yuletide Season!

That's a wrap! Thank you for reading this entry. What do you think of my Gakuko Kamui version? Comment down below! Love lots!