Cos an effect

MANILA, Philippines - It was rush hour at EDSA, on the night Typhoon Juan delivered his final blows of boundless wind and slanted rain. Who would have thought that the busiest and most stress-inducing highways in the Metro could be clear of cars at a time like this? Of course, things aren’t always what they seem to be. 

Friends Patrisha Delgado a.k.a. Kune (20) and Nepherteri Ramirez a.k.a. Sese (25), our representatives to the Anime Festival Asia: Regional Cosplay Competition in Singapore this November, wear masks — that of otaku cosplayers. Kune, who has been cosplaying for close to seven years now, looked so much like a J-rocker in her tattered jeans with long, messy reddish brown hair and dark eye makeup. Sese, on the other hand, has been cosplaying for five years and came looking like a gothic Lolita in a lacey black dress with very long blonde hair flowing all the way down to her knees. One look at them and I immediately felt like I was transported to the streets of Harajuku or at least to some Halloween costume party nearby.

As the minutes passed while waiting for the train to come, more eyes directed curiosity toward the fallen angel and witch that stood out despite their casual stances. “I don’t really like the attention. I’ve never worn a costume in a public setting like this before,” says Kune who has cosplayed over 30 characters in the past. Her most revealing costume yet was when she cosplayed Yoko Ritona of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, where she only wore a flaming bikini top and micro-mini shorts. It was surprising to witness the girls’ timidity, especially considering the attention cosplayers get from people during conventions. But according to Sese, who has also had her share of revealing costumes when she wore only a bra-and-flimsy-vest combo with skimpy shorts to cosplay Yowane Hak, it’s different to be in a cosplay convention setting together with many other people in costume compared to being sole standouts. Riding the MRT is, by far, the craziest thing they have done while in costume, apart from Kune, who got a kick out of turning people off at chat roulette with her friends.

Contrary to popular belief, cosplayers and “otakus” — the Japanese term for people with obsessive interests in anime (Japanese animation) and manga (Japanese cartoon) — like Kune and Sese, don’t live and breathe anime 24-7. “There are things we’re busy with besides watching anime or cosplaying,” says Sese.

Black magic women: Kune cosplays a witch and Sese, a fallen angel

When they’re not busy making costumes for cosplay events, which are held as frequently as twice a week now given anime’s irrepressible popularity, they are actually busy with other things.

Seeing Kune in costume, people won’t think that she is actually a senior student at De La Salle College of St. Benilde taking up photography, which is coincidentally her hobby together with portrait drawing. She also dabbles in makeup and fashion, and she models part-time.

 An even bigger surprise would be Sese, who is currently taking her graduate studies in Guidance and Counseling at Ateneo De Manila University. She loves reading a variety of authors, from Jostein Gaarder to Anne Rice. When she’s not reading, she’s surfing the net or writing poetry and short stories. Being friends for five years now, they share a common love for music and, no, it’s not Japanese music or J-pop. These two are very much into K-pop, liking groups such as Big Bang, 2NE1, 2PM and Super Junior.

When not busy with schoolwork, they spend their time glued to the tube. They do watch anime but not as religiously as they did before, when they would watch everything that’s on the anime cable channel. Now, they prefer to watch only those that really interest them and won’t miss episodes of their favorite US series Glee, How I Met Your Mother, CSI: New York and NCIS. Kune mentions Barney Stinson of HIMYM and Glee’s Brittany as her favorite characters whom she says she loves because she’s so ditzy and funny while Sese loves Danny Messer of CSI and Abby Scuito from NCIS.

And don’t think they go to school or roam around the malls in this flashy garb — not unless there’s a convention going on. On an ordinary day, you will see Kune in pastel-colored floral tops and tights or, like Sese, in oversized, comfortable shirts. While Sese prefers to wear flats or flip-flops, Kune likes wearing sneakers as well as chunky designer shoes by Jeremy Scott for Adidas.

Asked whether they tell their school friends about their double lives as cosplayers, they reply that it’s not really something you tell everyone.

Understandable. If you didn’t know them, you’d be just like any spectator in the MRT this evening — fascinated, amused, judgmental. There are very few who brave the unfamiliar and challenge the safe distance people put in meeting people. What they find is that behind that freaky front are real — and fearless — people.