In a year and a half of covering over 70 cosplay events, sometimes it’s hard for me to get excited about any particular convention. That wasn’t the case for Philippine Cosplay Convention 2014. I’ve been waiting for it since the last one last year. Why you ask? It’s a great event that celebrates a really broad spectrum of cosplay genres and categories where you get to see really fresh and amazing cosplays from all over the Philippines. Oh, and it’s held at Robinson’s Place Manila too. I personally think the events there are the absolute best. Entrance is free, the venue is relatively open and spacious, and their staff and security are particularly courteous. If it isn’t obvious yet, I like attending events here.
The 7th Philippine Cosplay Convention was organized by Cosplay.ph in partnership with Hobbiworx Inc. and Robinson’s Place Manila. Boasting of being the longest running free event for all cosplay enthusiasts, it was a well-attended event, with veterans, newbies and regular congoers particularly eager to be there and to be seen and to partake in the many attractions during the event, like exhibits, cosplay contests, performances, anime and cosplay auctions!
The Midtown Atrium of Robinson Place Manila in Ermita was bustling with activity as even ordinary mallgoers got to experience the event along with the regular patrons, particularly curious of the various merchandise booths selling toys, wigs, costumes, accessories and many more.
The program was hosted by Brad and Fatima, mainstays of these events. The first cosplay category was the historical cosplay where folks in mostly historical military costumes performed in front of the crowd. The winner for that category was Emmanuel Ortega who cosplayed Spanish Governor-General Ortega and gave a monologue in pure Spanish.
The most awaited category of the whole convention was the Solo Cosplay Tag Competition. The cosplay tag is a fun twist to the usual cosplay catwalk wherein cosplayer come up with skits or fight scenes or whatever strikes their fancy to the other participants before and after them.
At the end of the day, winners included: Isabel Cortez for Best Craftmaship, Rowyn Sanggayan for Best Performance, Maria Angelica Magdaso for Best Child, Izaiah Luke Buelos for Best Robot or Mecha, Mark Anthony Vibas for Best Male, and Erika Garbin for Best Female, winning two straight years in a row. Winners received gift certificates from Robinsons and giveaways from event sponsors.
The first day of the event was quite exciting and enjoyable, with a couple hundred cosplayers mingling with the crowds and having their photos taken. For me it was a chance to see old friends, meet new ones, and establish ties with other organizations which are part of the cosplay community.
I took over a thousand photos that day while in my ANBU cosplay. It’s a bit tougher than usual, but I really enjoy being both photographer and cosplayer. When it was almost time for closing, I just enjoyed costripping. Sure my costume really wasn’t a hit for photographers, but my character, Nyanbu, was quite popular with the children, and making them smile was a welcome reward for the effort I put in throughout the day. As it all that weren’t enough, I had to cover the second day as well, ahahahaha. Please visit our post for the second day as well.
Thank you for visiting, and please drop by again for more cosplay features here at arkadymac.com
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