Dressing up for Cosplay

CEBU, Philippines - If you thought Halloween is a costume-crazed occasion, wait until you witness fictional characters come to life through a cosplay!

Cosplay, a shortened term for costume play, has become a familiar word to many of us. It has somewhat transformed into an obsession for some. You will oftentimes see cosplayers walking inside malls in their anime costume, bearing swords, magic wands, and various paraphernalia, but behind these costumes are the dedication, time, and effort they put into bringing to life their favorite fictional characters.

Such is the story of devoted cosplayer, Ate Jessa Christine Adriatico. At the age of 17, her love for the hobby got her started with cosply, saying, “For me, to be able to don your favorite character from a certain anime series is one of the greatest ways of expressing your passion towards for it.”

Her first experience with cosplay was at Otakufest 4 a few months ago when she donned a borrowed costume from a fellow cosplayer.

At the start of her college life, she found out that many students were named similarly. In her pursuit of individuality, she introduced herself as Ani, which is now her nickname in school, as well as her stage name for cosplay: Ani Mae.

Her school allowance was used to fund her expensive hobby, sometimes using the money she got from special occasions. At the cheapest, costumes are made for six hundred pesos and can go to up to more than two thousand pesos for labor fee alone. She confessed to not having the time or the skills to make all her costumes so she utilizes seamstresses with an eye for detail.

“When it comes to detailed or elaborate costumes such as gowns, I would prefer paying for expensive labor for a good output,” said the cosplayer. “I usually get to know good seamstresses by asking other cosplayers whose costumes I like since they were made accurately,” she added.

 â€œCosplaying means copying a character down to every single detail. The more similar you look to the character you’re cosplaying, the more people will notice and praise your efforts,” she added. “To us, it’s like seeing an anime character stepping out of the television. Not everyone could do that.”

From all experiences, some knowledge is derived. Ani Mae learned the value of being sociable because of the interaction that takes place in competitions. Confidence and social skills are not all she obtained though.

Witness your favorite fantasy characters come to life through cosplay!  (FREEMAN)