One of the grandest cosplay experiences in the Philippines opened its doors in spectacular fashion as Fantasy Quest 4: An August Wayfaring welcomed guests from all over the world on its first day of festivities. Far from being the usual convention that cosplayers have gotten used to, Fantasy Quest would be bringing together cosplayers, photographers and enthusiasts from all over the country and beyond for a truly unique social affair, with a special lineup of activities and an impressive roster of special guests in store for everyone.
A much-awaited spectacle two years in the making, the Fantasy Quest series, already on its fourth installment, brought together by Romeo Encisa Jr. and Fernwood Gardens in partnership with Cosplay Network Philippines. arkadymac.com is an official media partner of Fantasy Quest 4, and helping us cover the event were our Cosplay Model Mel and Photographer Kami, who were as excited as everyone to partake in the festivities.
Set in the majestic Fernwood Gardens in Quezon City, a sense of wonder and excitement filled the air as attendees, who have been anxiously waiting for the day to come since it was announced earlier this year, flocked to the venue that fine Saturday afternoon, with quite a number already in costume.
Guests were led to the tree house area where the festivities were going to be held. Even while waiting for the program to start, attendees could be seen introducing themselves to others, a bit awkward at first but definitely eager to make new friends despite differences in language and nationality as some of the guests have flown in from Malaysia, Singapore and Japan to be part of Fantasy Quest. Everyone was in a friendly and accommodating mood as they bonded through their common passions in cosplay and photography.
The program started in earnest with greetings and pleasantries shared by the hosts and welcoming them to Fantasy Quest. After a while the official guests, Jun and Neru, made their entrance, much to the delight of the attendees. These outstanding Japanese cosplayers had many fans in attendance and they reciprocated the warm welcome with warm smiles for everyone.
They got to entertain questions from the audience and from the media. arkadymac asked them what their impression of Filipino cosplayers were. They said that from what they saw there at Fantasy Quest, the quality of Filipino cosplays are comparable or even better than those of Japanese. Through their answers to subsequent questions, they got to reveal more about themselves, the challenges of cosplaying, like how long it took to put on makeup, and also how exciting it was to travel to another country to bond with other cosplayers like them. They were honestly surprised that they had fans here in the Philippines and they were of course happy to be able to meet and talk to each other that day.
After the interview, the Japanese cosplay couple treated their fans to a rare autograph signing session. Fans lined up with their official photobooks and postcards as they waited their turn for Jun and Neru to make their souvenirs even more memorable.
Jun and Neru were also gracious with having their photos with their fans, and they were tireless in sharing some moments with their admirers.
Some well-meaning fans even got to give them gifts as a sign of their appreciation for having this exceptional cosplay duo visit the country.
After the session with the guests, it was time for everyone to bond through the games the organizers have prepared. They had Bring Me, Pinoy Henyo, and the Tug of War, which the attendees enthusiastically took part in. They got to have fun and got to take home some nice prizes from Japan as well.
Tasty snacks were provided to the guests throughout the program, and they got to share a story or two as they happily munched on sweets.
The program ended with group pictures with the foreign guests, staff, and everyone else. All were smiling as it was a rare opportunity to have a photo with these many cosplayers.
Cosplayers took the opportunity to exchange coscards and got to know more about each other, chatting and complimenting each other on their cosplays.
Cosplayers of course would not pass up the chance for crazy selfies and groupies that even the official guests had to take part in it.
There were other special guests too who also wanted to make friends with everyone, like Smaug here cosplaying as one of Khaleesi’s dragons.
Cosplayers of course came in their best costumes as Fantasy Quest has always been a rare chance to have shoots at one of the best event venues in the country. They tell us they have been preparing their cosplays for a long time, some ever since FQ had been announced early this year. It was a feast for the eyes of course, as they were a truly remarkable sight.
With these and more, Fantasy Quest 4: Day 1 came to a fun and friendly close, setting off a great start for a promising weekend for cosplay. Do watch out for our coverage of Day 2, coming soon.
Thank you for dropping by, and do visit us again for more features here at arkadymac.com.
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