FiCS Issue 2 - Lin Ling A Edition by FiCS Magazine

Volume no. 1 Issue #2 Cover 2 of 2

Cosplayer Speaks

The "real" history of cosplay! Are cosplayers ruining cosplay?

Cosplay Suggestions Cosplay Features:

Cosplayer Profiles

Yumi Lyra Sarazen

Regine Charlotte Alvarez Mhaki Dizon

My Cosplay Story

Kristine Solis

Ibby Mendoza

Lin Ling:

More than just your bubbly girl!

Lin Ling cosplaying as Shinobu (Adult Form) (Bakemonogatari)

Table of Contents Cosplayer Speaks: Origins Cosplayer Profiles: Mhaki Dizon Cosplay Suggestions Cosplay Feature: Yumi Lyra Sarazen Loki's Heart: Cosplay Idols Photographer: Kuroyuki Kanade Featured Article: Cosplay and Sexuality Pick of the Month: Lin Ling Cosplayer Speaks: Crossdressing Band: Myo na Hako Cosplay Feature: Kristine Solis Cosplayer Speaks: Travel Cosplayer Profiles: Regine Charlotte Band: Ikuzo Iwa My Cosplay Story: Ibby Mendoza

EDITORIAL It was a very warm welcome for FiCS Magazine's first issue! The positive comments and feedbacks really motivated the team to strive and make our second issue on a par, or if possible, better than our first issue. Contributors are coming from all corners of the Filipino Cosplay Community, making our magazine more diverse in topics and cosplay perspectives than ever. International articles are finding its way on the pages of FiCS Magazine too! Foreign cosplay bloggers are in touch with the FiCS Team to provide the the Filipino cosplay community with articles that are of better quality that ever.

For our second issue, we have a very bubbly cosplayer for our covergirl spotlight. Ling Ling will share us her cosplay motivations, financial management and a little bit of her personal side. Yumi Lyra Sarazen will be sharing us her cosplay motivations and her cosplay passion that made her distance from our capital a piece of cake to travel! Kristine Solis will be telling us about her introduction to the world of anime and her cosplay begginings. We also have an interview with Kuroyuki Kanade, a photographer that will showcase his brilliant photos with a touch of fantastic 3D effects. On our Cosplayer Speaks segment, the FiCS Team will reveal the "real" history of cosplay that will astonish you with its unexpected roots and how the art made its way to Japan. And last but definitely not the least, FiCS Magzine will feature two band interviews! Ikuzo Iwa and Myo na Hako, two bands that cover J-Music tracks that we enjoy listening to will now share riffs and inspirations that their bands possess.

As you see, part of our advocacy is to not just feature cosplayers on the magazine, we would like to show all the aspects of the cosplay community that makes us one unique and totally dynamic substrata of the Philippine society. We would like to show that we are more than what the media told the masses and that we are more than just a bunch of just cartoon, movie, gaming and manga enthusiasts. We are on our way to international recognition and we are getting stronger than ever. -Editor King

02 05 08 10 20 23 34 40 54 56 60 70 71 75 80

60 The FiCS Team Editorial Consultant: Wivina Ferrer

Editor in Chief/Layout Artist:

King Constantine Damaso

Art Directors:

Erwin Santos, Robin Chester Santos

Photographers:

JM Cruz , Alec Egido, Dee Jocson, Aaron Panlaqui

Staff Writers:

Franz Caballero, Justin Chantelle, Maria Krisha Franz Domanais, Mary Joy Joaquin, Andrea Legaspi, Leriely Ann Maala, Kimberly Sabino, Iveth Solevilla

Cosplayer Coordinators:

Danica Casidsid, Jhimea Dy, Dexter Ellis Mirasol, Glaiza Sutilo

Contributors:

Elijah Alcantara, Bryan Barredo, Pef Decena, Stacey Lee Feldmann, Bernardo Garbo, Marvin Verzosa, Jene Kirishima, Lawrence Mayfield, Eyestrain Photoworks, Totodale Photography, Martin Aparri Ramos

Contact:

dweavers.project@yahoo.com.ph

Cosplay We Know!

Origins: The “Real” History of Cosplay! By Stacey Lee Feldmann There are a lot of myths floating on the internet regarding the origins of “cosplay,” or media recreation costuming and the costuming hobby in general. I’ve spent so much time and energy repeating myself while correcting the myths and misnomers that I’ve decided to compile a page solely for education on the history of cosplay. It is by no means an exhaustive history, there is probably much I could include, but it does contain the important points to help dispel myths and inform the wider fandom audience of the facts. First of all, cosplay did not start in Japan and is not an original concept of the Japanese. The actual word “cosplay”was invented by a Japanese reporter, yes, but that is the

extent of Japanese involvement in the creation of the hobby. In 1984, Nov Takahashi was sent to report on the goings-on of the ‘84 WorldCon, being held that year in Los Angeles, CA. He coined the word “cosplay” to describe what he saw going on at WorldCon - people wearing costumes in the halls, and a stage masquerade featuring the biggest and brightest of the costumes of the weekend. In Japanese linguistics, they often form composite words (“portmanteau”) out of loanwords from other languages, such as English; in this case, he took “costume” and “play” and smashed them together to try to describe what he was seeing at WorldCon. What is important to note is that while we can only speculate on what he meant by “play,” what is almost certain is that he did not

necessarily refer to “acting,” since the only stage performing at WorldCon is the masquerade, in which performances did not necessarily involve spoken dialogue. In fact, many of them that year didn’t. More importantly, the sort of costumes and costume-wearing habits and traditions viewed at WorldCon in the early 80’s were the culmination of literally decades of convention traditions. The creation of costume, the genres and styles of costume, and the times and places for proper wearing of costume had all been well established by that time via science fiction conventions across the country. The state of costuming and costume-wearing habits evolves very little among those sci-fi conventions, so even though it has been over 25 years since that infamous WorldCon, one can look at fan and costumer behavior at any mid-size regional scifi con still running today and discern what Takahashi probably saw. This includes the masquerade, which is often a convention’s crowning point of Saturday evening entertainment; media recreations regardless of the media source, and daily hall costuming. It is not hyperbole to say that hall costuming has been going on for decades, longer than many of today’s anime-convention fans have been alive. The first documented hall costume was worn by Forry Ackerman in 1939, at WorldCon held in New York. Early WorldCons and other small sci-fi conventions were primarily attended by young men only, and revolved around the discussion and distribution of science fiction anthologies and periodicals. The sci-fi of the time was less in novel form, more along the lines of comic books and magazines dedicated to short stories. Forry Ackerman’s first costume was an original design, a

Kacy Bautista cosplaying as Azusa Nakano (K-On!)

“space military” style uniform. Being as Ackerman is credited with being a trend-setter in more than one fandom tradition that lasts to the present day, it is presumed that his decision to wear a costume instead of street clothing while inside convention space gradually spawned imitators and emulators. Because little existed in the way of “media” besides literature, those early costumes were likely to be informal and original or generic design. Women were either not admitted or not often seen at sci-fi expos until sometime in the 40’s. Among these expos, the biggest and most influential for the longest time was WorldCon, because it changes location annually and is billed as a world meeting of sci-fi buffs. In the modern era, there are many conventions that haul in annual attendance rates triple that of any given WorldCon, but it is so firmly entrenched as the longest-running convention in the world and the mother of all sci-fi conventions - and by extension, the mother of all anime, gaming, literature, and other genre media cons. Thus, trends established at WorldCon and the host conventions that carried it through the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s are the ones that should be understood as the origins of hobby costuming.

veteran costumer who was there (yes, they are still alive and of sound mind) and they could tell you stories of the origin of many classic masquerade rules. This includes “no costume is no costume” from the days when young men would strip their girlfriends naked to a bikini and pasties, paint them green, and throw them on stage as “Star Trek alien woman.” Over time, with the proliferation of science fiction and horror themes in movies and the heyday of superhero comic books, recreations of popular media characters began to creep into both hall costuming and stage masquerade costumes. This includes anime, as there were nerds getting their hands on “Japanimation” in the late 60’s and early 70’s. It is suggested that Karen Dick might have done the first anime costume in the US, when she put together costumes from Captain Harlock for the halls in the late 1970’s, and then entered a Starship Yamato group at WorldCon and other west-coast conventions in 1980. That group went on to win Best in Show regionally, the first anime costumes to be awarded the highest honor in a masquerade, four years before Takahashi even heard of WorldCon.

In the 1970’s, fandom proliferated through the distribution of ‘zines, The first documented informally mass-produced fanmasquerade that I could find made mini-magazines featuring was WorldCon 1950, hosted short stories of original fiction, art, by NorWesCon. Whether there and fanfiction. Yes, fanfic. An ad were other conventions holding in a ‘zine in 1979 is said to be the masquerade contests at that time, origin of the decision for costumers I haven’t been able to find. Many to start getting together and reconventions held (and still hold) showing, archiving, and discussing parties and informal contests, but as their costumes separately from of 1950 WorldCon established the conventions and SCA or re-enactor tradition of a staged masquerade events, but the groundwork for contest involving the presentation of what became CostumeCon and the costumes for the purpose of award. International Costumer’s Society Because media at the time was still was laid at the 1981 WorldCon in somewhat limited, and there was no Denver (Denvention). This was the outside reference material to assist first year the WorldCon Masquerade costumers aside from drawn movie instituted the three-tier skill division posters or comic books, the costumes system for judging workmanship, of the time were still primarily and the year when costume-related original or generic. There is no panel programming brought about documentation for what point in the a sudden wildfire of interest and 50’s, 60’s, or 70’s that the standard attendance. The first CostumeCon of judging changed, but speak to any was held in 1983. The International

Costumer’s Guild itself began in 1985, comprised of many of the convention committee members who organized and put on the first three CostumeCons and continue to this day to be instrumental in the field of costuming.

Veronica Manuel cosplaying as Belldandy (Ah! My Goddess)

Thus, in 1984 when Nov Takahashi was sent over to write about these strange Americans and their science fiction conventions, what he saw was the outgrowth of a minimum of 30 years of solid costuming tradition. People wore costumes in the halls while attending convention panels and events, either media recreations or their own designs and fantasyinspired clothing. Saturday night featured the stage masquerade, in which anyone from novice to master could enter their costumes into competition and present them on stage. This means the tiered system and the tradition of workmanship judging was already established. There are photo galleries of this very convention online where anyone can view the range of costumes that were presented at the masquerade, it appears to be an even mix of original designs and media recreations: Klingons, a Ghostbuster, Disney’s Fantasia, and some amazing Egyptian

cosplay, no matter how popular a phenomenon it might have become in the present day over there. There are some who might use the term to describe solely costumes originating from a Japanese media source (anime, manga, or video game), but even then, without proof that a Japanese person in Japan created a costume of a Japanese media character prior to anyone in America doing the same, “cosplay” under the narrow definition still cannot be claimed by the Japanese. In fact, since Karen Dick was making and displaying Harlock costumes in 1979, she has Takahashi’s audience beat by five years.

Shin Kiyono (top) cosplaying as Takasugi and Touya Aizawa cosplaying as Kamui (bottom) (Gintama)

and Hopi Indian fantasy costumes, as well as generic fantasy and scifi robot costumes. Whether or not anyone was wandering around the halls in a Japanese media costume is unknown and undocumented, so it is more likely than not that Takahashi’s description of “cosplay” was entirely about American character costumes, both original and media recreation. And these costumes were not usually of a closet-raided or amateur variety; at some point in the 70’s costumers became very particular about their standards, insisting on workmanship judging and presenting their best work on stage. Having spoken to some of the people who actually presented in Master class in 1984, it is clear that whatever young people new to the hobby perceive as being “cosplay,” is not at all what Takahashi saw in 1984 when he made up that word. His term encompassed everything from cheap and amateur to high-quality, elaborate “Grand

Opera” style presentations, from fairies and robots to movie-replica Klingons and Darth Vaders. What is still unknown is how soon after the ‘84 WorldCon and Takahashi’s article that the Japanese actually began to make costumes and display them at local conventions. Also unknown is whether the first Japanese person to actually do a media recreation costume was wearing something of Japanese origin, or instead copied the Americans to the point of making a Spider-man or Han Solo costume first. Because these two crucial things are unknown and undocumented, no one can make a claim that the Japanese originated cosplay as we know it today. One thing, however, is certain: the concept of creating and wearing a costume of a character from a media source was not in any way originated by anyone of Japanese nationality. No one in Japan can claim to have invented or started

Therefore, this is what we can state with certainty: cosplay was not invented by the Japanese, it was not started in the last ten or twenty years, and there is nothing unique about wearing anime costumes at anime cons compared to all other geek-genre cons. It’s part of a very, very long-standing tradition that continues everywhere today. It ’s useful to understand what laid the foundations for what goes on at conventions today, because it explains why masquerades exist, why craftsmanship judging is important, and why we’re still allowed to run around in costume at all hours of the convention. We modern-day cosplayers owe most of our traditions and the very idea of costume creation to those who came before us, before most of us were even born. It doesn’t mean that all traditions are carved in stone - after all, the evolution and revolution of costumes and costume design will keep the hobby alive for many more decades to come. Knowing where it came from will help us all to perpetuate the concept and ensure that cosplayers will live on. Sources: http://www.costume-con.org/genesis.shtml http://www.fanac.org/worldcon/ The International Costumer’s Guild Yipe!Zine - the 2.9 issue “All your YIPE are belong to us” Sept. 2010 Forry Ackerman entry on Wikipedia, after his death

Cosplayer Profiles

Mhaki Dizon "Instead of regretting what we cannot do, it is better to do what one can. For example, what we do has nothing to do with results and so we must forge forwards." -Yuko Ichihara (XXX Holic)

05 3

Nickname: Mhaki-chan Age: 26 Location: Caloocan Cosplaying: Meirin Anime: Kuroshitsuij Cosplaying Since: 2012 Characters Cosplayed: 5 Otaku Level: 70% Blood Type: O Cosplay Motivation: Love for anime! Hobbies: Cosplay, Dancing, Drawing, Eating, Watching Anime, TV Series and Movies, Reading Books and Mangas and Eating Favorite Food: Anything sweet and Pasta based dishes Favorite Drink: Tea

07 65

Individual Category Character:Haruhi Suzumiya Anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya An energetic, beautiful and eccentric high school girl who hates anything she considers “normal”. On the first day of class she declared that she believes in aliens, time travelers, and espers which led her classmates to keep distance because of her strange behavior. Most of the time she can be seen sitting alone and gazing out the window thinking if aliens and the like do exist. She founded the S.O.S. Brigade whose main objective is to look for aliens, time travelers, espers, and other weird phenomenon. Haruhi loves to force people into obeying her commands and will do almost anything to get what she wants torture, blackmail, iron fist, you name it! She is known to have massive mood swings which could affect the world they live in permanently.

Advantages:

1.Haruhi’s costume is a simple school uniform. It is comfortable to wear and easy to make so most tailors/ seamstresses can accurately have it done. Haruhi is a cheerful character, you can play with her character. Jolly, Irritated, Tsundere, or downright bully if you want it. 2.Haruhi is a well known anime character to both anime fans and cosplayers making it almost impossible to have the spectators confused with another character. Cosplayer: Faye Liper ©Photography by: Jene Kirishima

Disadvantage:

1. Haruhi Cosplayers are not an unusual sight to see as in every convention, you can find one, or two, or maybe even three.

Individual Category Character: Enma Ai (Kimono) Anime: Jigoku Shoujo “Oh pitiful shadow lost in the darkness, bringing torment and pain to others, a damned soul wallowing in you sin…perhaps, it’s time to die?” -This line, perhaps, is the most remembered line of Enma Ai, the main protagonist of the anime Jigoku Shoujo, or Hell Girl, as the English translation puts it. She often utters this line when granting a request of a client to send the person oppressing them to hell. Ai usually displays no emotion, as she was only seen speaking when the need arises. This makes it quite difficult for people to cosplay her since Enma Ai was only seen smiling once in the entire duration of series, when she was still a 7 year-old child during the episode regarding her past. In order to portray her well, the cosplayer must maintain a blank, emotionless face with a hint of loneliness in her red eyes. She also wears two outfits alternately; a dominantly black seifuku which is similar to a Japanese school uniform but with red and white accents, and a dominantly black kimono with either hand-woven thread balls or floral designs when ferrying someone to hell. Anyone who wishes to cosplay her is free to choose between these two. In this case, we’ll

©Jigoku Shoujo Project / SKY Perfect Well Think ● Aniplex

Cosplayer: Jane Marie Hendrix ©Photography by: Marvin Verzosa

show you the Kimono version of Enma Ai As we can see, the cosplayer’s face displays almost no emotion and her long, jet black hair extends up to her back, much like that of Enma Ai. She was also able to imitate Ai’s gesture of raising her right arm sideward whenever she was about to send someone to hell. Most of all, the hand-painted floral prints on the kimono was commendably accurate and her contact lenses are red too. All in all, Enma Ai is challenging yet a wonderful idea if you want to cosplay a character who is mysterious yet lovable in her own ways.

Cosplay Feature

: n e z a r a S a r y L i ! n m o i u s a Y v n I Doll Yumi, a cosplayer from Cabanatuan City travels for four hours just to attend conventions that lets her meet her PAL (Passion, Art, Love) which is cosplaying. Let us now listen to what the Founder and President of the all-girl cosplay group Doll Nation has to say.

FiCS:Thank you for granting us an opportunity to have this interview. First of all, can you give us an introduction to who Ms. Yumi is?

FiCS: Others look at cosplayers as weird people. What was your initial reaction when you first saw cosplayers?

FiCS: From what we have heard you are the president of a group called Doll Nation, Tell us something about this group.

Yumi: Hello FiCS Magazine, I'm Yumi Lyra Sarazen. My friends call me Yumi or Yumeh. I'm a 19 year old Accountancy student living in Cabanatuan City. Aside from being a cosplayer, I’m also a freelance model, writer, fashion designer and a part time tutor. I love watching anime, photography, reading, drawing, singing, sewing/making my cosplay costumes and playing games.

Yumi: The first time I saw cosplayers walking around me, It felt like I was dreaming. My heart leapt with joy and I was like a mad stalker that followed every cosplayer I saw. Well, we cannot blame some people who think that cosplayers like me are weird because most of them have no idea of what cosplaying is.

Yumi: I created an all girl cosplay group and named it Doll Nation. Our group is made up of female cosplayers and female cosplay photographers. All of us in Doll Nation treat each other like sisters, we help each other in matters regarding cosplay.

FiCS:How old are you when you started cosplaying and why did you get interested with it?

FiCS: So not anyone can barge in and say “Hey! I wanna join your group!”?

Yumi:Doll Nation is exclusively for girls of any age. To be able to join our FICS:What is cosplay for you? Yumi: I started cosplaying back when I group, you must be an active female was 15 years old. I thought cosplaying cosplayer or cosplay photographer. Yumi: Cosplaying is my PAL (Passion, will be fun and interesting for through If they are interested in joining Art, Love). For me, cosplay is the art cosplaying, I can show how much I our group,they can simply leave a of portraying a character that you love. love anime so I tried it. message to our facebook fanpage. (www.facebook.com/Doll.Nation.page) B

FiCS: You are a student and at the same time cosplaying and leading a cosplay group. How do you find time for all these things?

Yumi: Well itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not that easy to manage time but a planner and alarm clock can always help. Cosplaying and all the other things that I do makes me happy but education is the only thing that will give me and my family a secured future and happiness which is why I always give most of my time for it. FiCS: Who are the cosplayers that you look up to? Yumi: The cosplayers I admire are the following: Tasha, Miyuko, Tomia, Kaname, Reika and Yuegene Faye FiCS: How about local scene cosplayers? Yumi: That would be Alodia and Jia Bustamante FiCS: Do you have a specific budget for your cosplay? Yumi: Ahm, all of my costumes, props ,boots etc. are made by me. As for the wigs, I got my wigs from MTO Costume to wig trades so basically I dont spend too much for my costumes. I'm not really setting budgets for my cosplans. FiCS: Then how much is the largest amount of money you've spent on a single character? Yumi: Around 900-1000php for a full set. That includes the wig, boots, props and lenses. FiCS: How do you choose your cosplayed characters? Yumi: I always choose my favorite characters. In every anime I watched or game that I played, there is always a character that stands out for me. That is the character that I will then cosplay. FiCS: If you are to become an anime character, who would you choose to be? Yumi: Miaka of Fushigi Yuugi of course! I'm a lot like her especially when it comes to being a glutton! Haha! FiCS: Is there an anime plot/setting that you want to live in? Yumi: I think the setting of both Sword Art Online and Hyperdimension Neptunia's animated version.

FiCS: Why choose these settings?

FiCS: Have you ever fallen in love with an anime character?

Yumi: Because I love video games and those settings are my preferred settings Yumi: Yes, It wasTamahome from Fushigi Yuugi! FiCS: From Cabanatuan to Manila will take you four hours of travel right? Four hours FiCS: Oh, really? What made you love her of travel, isn't that exhausting? then? Yumi: No, as long as I enjoy the event. Besides, I am a walking powerbank! Haha! FiCS: Any instances that you got really tired in a con?

Yumi: He is so tough and loveable! FiCS: Last question, share us some highlights of your cosplay life.

Yumi: Well, I judged a cosplay competition Yumi: I think instances where I am carrying in CLSU, was invited to be a guest of some all my heavy stuffs while skipping and TV shows, won some cosplay awards, the hopping around the venue! Haha! latest award that I had was best female cosplayer award from Cabanatuan Cosplay FiCS: Tell us more about your four hour Competition, I founded Doll Nation, I travel when you attend cosplay events. became the President of Nueva Ecija Cosplayers Club and a member of Grandline Yumi: I actually dont mind travelling that PH. far because I really love travelling especially when I am travelling together with my FiCS: Send a message to the aspiring friends who are cosplayers and congoers cosplayers out there? too. Yumi: Oh! Here is what I really want to tell FiCS: What is the usual departure time you them. Hi guys,if you ever wanted to cosplay set when you attend conventions? but you cant stop worrying about your looks, body built, budget or anything that Yumi: Around 6:00am stops you from starting to cosplay, well you should not worry at all! Cosplaying is not FiCS: Then how about your departure time about who has the best costumes or who from the convention? looks best. The best cosplayer is the one who enjoys cosplaying more than anything. Yumi: Around 6:30-7:00pm It does not matter if your an anime fan or not,you can cosplay as much as you want! FiCS: What is the farthest venue for a Who knows, you might start loving anime cosplay event that you have attended? if you will try cosplaying! Just keep in mind that you have to exert necessary efforts like Yumi: EK Culture Fest at Laguna. studying the character you want to portray. And do not forget to have fun! FiCS: Lets change the topic to your love Photo Credits: Elijah Alcantara, Pef Decena, Bernardo Garbo life, Are you looking for someone who has some similarity with an anime character? Yumi's Cosplay Character List: Yumi: Actually, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not the kind of girl who looks for someone that I will love, but I will definitely like a guy who is like Tamahome or Otoya.

A - Anarchy Stocking (Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt) B - Chieri Sono (AKB0048) C - Nerine (Shuffle) D - Kyrie Florian (Nanoha Gears of Destiny) E - Hibiki Hojo (Suite PreCure) F - Orine Aida(AKB0048) Interview by Nobuhiro Ono and King Constantine Damaso

Loki's Heart! Cosplay Idols: Yay or Nay? By Kimberly Sabino The Philippine cosplay industry keeps on booming as it slowly becomes a mainstream hobby. Together with its rise, certain cosplayers also gain fame. These people are always on the spotlight on almost every convention. The apple of every photographers' eye, the crowd favorite, the eye candy. To put it all in a single term, they are the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cosplay Idolsâ&#x20AC;?. What makes an IDOL? There are no general guidelines to become one. It is because you cannot become an idol yourself unless the crowd makes you. Having awesome costumes, a great body, and most of all a pretty/handsome face will surely give aspiring idols a boost to be recognized, winning certain competitions also gives alot of points for recognition. There are always good sides and bad sides to being popular and within this article, I will be discussing both. Let's start with the perks of being an idol in the cosplay community: Non-stop photoshoot invitations, harems/fans, fan arts and presents, invitations to events, sponsorships and a lot more. Yes, popular cosplayers experience those. To name a few they are Kaname, Reika, Aza Miyuko, and of course, Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; very own icon "Alodia". I have been observing them for quite a while and I must say, they are really good in the art, but I have noticed they usually don't spill their cosplay secrets. I have seen Kaname's video before on how he puts on his make up for Cloud Strife but it was so fast (and in Japanese) so I couldn't really see how he works on his makeup. Reika shows her work in progress costumes but there no tutorials given on how she makes them. Aza Miyuko and Alodia are the same, they do their make-up, share some tips but never gives away their personal tricks. Each idol has their own secrets. I do respect that and it amazes me how perfect they look in every single photo. Now what happens next after all that? After all the recognition and fame enters the bad sides on being popular. I find it ironic that people can bring you up but they can also bring you down. At first they will be praising you and the next thing you know is that they will be dragging you down. I guess that's how the balance of good and bad works on being popular.

1. Anti Fans were once fans themselves.

2. Idols get to be so high and mighty that is why

people start to resent them. I was really happy before

to meet Kaname in person but sadly I have to pay just to have a picture with him. It is not Kaname's fault, it is the social media and the event organizers that milk Kaname's stardom. I have a few friends who got to meet him in person during Anime Festival Asia in Singapore and they didn't even have to pay just to shake hands with him and have their photo taken together. There are some instances though that idols get to be full of themselves, making them nasty and arrogant. When some idols tend to think so high and mighty, they usually act unpleasantly. They tend to develop that "prince/princess" mentality that in every event they attend to they should feel they are treated well and they would like to feel important making them a total jerk. I had this awful experience before with a local celebrity. I wanted to have my picture taken with that idol but that idol's friends said "can you please hurry up? We are tired" with her eyebrows raised and the idol did not look happy at all. As a fan I was devastated. Ever since then whenever I see that certain idol I do not even stop to have a glance anymore.

Yes, it is true. Before idols got their recognition there are small groups of avid followers that always loved them and their cosplay works but as they rise to fame and leave them all behind they feel left out and ignored. Thus, the bashing starts. They know the Idol's history and they will juice-up all the negative past he/ she has until it spreads to the community like wildfire. Anti fans can make stories or some may even tell the bad truth about an idol and it will never stop. Anti fans know the idol more than the fans. It's a harsh reality.

Share your articles to the community by sending them at dweavers.project@yahoo.com.ph Let us make the community enligthened and entertained about the art of cosplaying!

Idols usually get to be so high up so it's natural for some people to hate them for it. Why? Perhaps there are plenty of reasons but I can only name three general reasons so far:

3. Idols tend to be selfish. Well, not at all times but

there are instances that they do. As I browse certain pictures of popular cosplayers and read through the comments i can see some people asking them questions like "where did you get your awesome wig?" or "Where did you have your dress made?" simple questions like that most of the time remain "unanswered". I don't know if the idols read those comments at all. When they reply it is only limited to those ego boosting comments, but when they read negative ones it's either they don't respond or they will summon their allies to pick a fight or simply delete/block that nasty commentator. These Cosplay Idols are human too. They feel bad as well but sometimes they cannot take negative criticisms themselves thinking nothing is wrong with them at all.

Now, after reading this, what is your personal take on cosplay idols? Do we need them in the community? The answer will solely depend on who is reading this. If you're an event organizer, of course you would say yes because they make conventions up and running. If you're an aspiring photographer you would also say yes because the moment you get your chance to have them in a photo shoot, you will feel like you've won the lottery! Your photo will instantly get thousands of likes and you get to be recognized as well. How about you con-goers? The probability of your answer will be 50/50. Congoers that are fans would love that meet and greet and will splurge themselves on the idol's merchandise but the other half would say "NO" just because they think it's stupid to worship a cosplayer and it crowds the convention area making it hard for them to enjoy the event itself. How about you cosplayer? what's your answer? Do you think it's a good idea for the community to have an icon or have a "no-icon" policy? That all cosplayers shall have the same footing with everyone else, no special treatment whatsoever, sad to say it is never going to happen. People were born to shine and some outshine the others. It is just within yourself that you should feel special. Don't look up, always look down... look at yourself and be happy in what you do. Never compare yourself to others and always have fun! That is the only thing that lacks in our community fun. This article ends with your own answer in your hands.

Photographer B

Kuroyuki Kanade

A photographer with more than just skills, but the desire to raise the Filipino flag to recognition on the worldwide cosplay map as well! Backed up with his astonishing 3d effects on his photos, this cosplay photographer will now showcase his 3d photo gallery and share us a bit of his thoughts towards the cosplay community.

FiCS:Welcome to FiCS Magazine! First of all, tell us something about yourself.

Kuroyuki: My friends see me as a happy going, fun loving person. A person with a lot of drama! Haha! Personally, I see myself as a shy type of person. You can see me without my friends on conventions walking around by myself and when I see them, that’s the time that I become a jolly person. FiCS: You have been in the cosplay convention scene for quite a long time. With that kind of perspective, how do you see the development of the cosplay community through the years? Kuroyuki: The answer to that question is quite contradicting, what it was before and what it has become. The first convention that I ever attended was way back in the years of Questor Magazine. I attended a couple of events then I stopped for a while since I lived in Pampanga before. When I returned, cosplay conventions back then were very small events. It is more on figurines, normally Gundam, a little bit of cosplay and the venue is near empty. But now, the cosplay scene is more likely to be found outside the venue since it is too crowded inside unlike before that you have to get in to see the cosplayers. It’s a good development because it improved, everybody accepted cosplay. It is no longer a “weird” people’s thing to cosplay wearing as the people before called it “cartoon” costumes. It’s fun because we are now entering the level that is on a par with other countries but at the same time it is disappointing because you see a lot of people who have no idea of cosplay’s real meaning. They look at it as their stepping stone to fame. Even some of the renowned cosplayers know that they are doing it. It is sad to see that there are now groups of cosplayers that bring newbie cosplayers down thinking that the new ones are only in due to cosplay’s hype.

FiCS: In that eight years of being in the cosplay scene you have only been into cosplay photography for two years. What made you decide to enter cosplay photography?

Kuroyuki: Actually, I have no Idea! I have been attending cons and taking pictures using my phone. I’m happy to see the animes that I have watched come to life. FiCS: No reason at all, you just feel like doing it? Kuroyuki: It’s interesting that you see the characters that you love watching and the Idea that they are coming to life by taking a picture. I started attending cons taking pictures of cosplayers just for fun and posted it online, tagged my friends and that was it. Then I saw people who are doing it for profit and I asked, “why?”. I continued taking pictures and started seeing that some of them look realistic and it got me interested. FiCS: Within those two years of cosplay photography, what are the best moments that you have experienced so far? Kuroyuki: We won a local photography contest that has a panel of international judges but the best part for me is creating picture that are realistic enough. What you commonly see nowadays are pictures of cosplayers taken during conventions. I am doing it a step higher! I’m adding an effect to the pictures that I take that many photographers does not commonly do. You can see the pictures that I post online edited always as close to the actual anime as possible. Seeing your picture coming to life, it is fun! I do not care about fame and winning stuff, all I care is making my photos as close to relity as possible. FiCS: Any bad experiences in cosplay photography? Kuroyuki: Lots!

FiCS: Then the worst one? Kuroyuki: I think it was the time that I was bashed and labeled as knowing nothing about a specific anime and cosplaying. FiCS: And when was it? Kuroyuki: That was last year. FiCS: May we know more about this incident? Kuroyuki: I have this friend who was bashed and accused that she just cosplayed the character without making research about it. I defended her and the bashers turned their eyes on me. A photographer that I admire always say that cosplaying is two parts: costume and play. You must not just wear the costume; you must also play the character! FiCS: How did you take the bashing? Kuroyuki: Well, at first it hurts! Imagine people telling you that you know nothing about anime yet I have been watching anime since I was a kid. FiCS: That is the worst experience of Kuroyuki in cosplay photography, then how about the common bad experiences that you encounter? Kuroyuki: I think that would be lack of appreciation. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been upping our game doing 3d rendering and all of these enhancement stuffs yet you see shots that were just taken from conventions with no editing of any sort other than the basic gets appreciated more. It is quite draining for your motivation. We are now a part of the World Wide Web. I would like to show that I am a Filipino photographer taking shots of Filipino cosplayers, doing our best to be in a par with what other countries our doing in their cosplay community yet it is our fellow Filipinos that does not appreciate our very own works. It is sad.

FiCS: With all that bad experiences in FiCS: You raise a good point there. cosplay photography, what is it then Aaron Panlaqui shows Editor King that keeps you going on the field? his photos of cosplayers from South Korea and they were oh! So great! Kuroyuki: My pictures! Seeing my work online! The Satsuki Kiryuin that Kuroyuki: See! It is different, In I have recently done was appreciated our country, people were like “oh, on a scale that the comments were I’m gonna to rent Naruto or I’ll like “Wow! It is close to perfect!” be heading to Comic Alley to get and “very close to what the anime Naruto’s stuff”. But we are getting looks like!”. That alone is enough there; think about it, we are now to keep me going. And it speaks for an official participant of the World the cosplayer too since their effort Cosplay Summit. also gets appreciated. It is like I materialized their effort through my FiCS: In our cosplay scene, is there photos. any photographer that you look up FiCS: 3d effects need a green screen to? in order to have its editing done right? Where is the studio that you take your pictures then?

Kuroyuki: Yes, there is one! FiCS: And that photographer is?

Kuroyuki: The studio where I take the pictures only have white screen, I Kuroyuki: Kira Hokuten. have to improvise. FiCS: Why Kira? FiCS: In the perspective of a cosplay photographer, give us Kuroyuki: He is good! He has a picture your comparison of local and that made its way to the finals of a international cosplayers. cosplay photography competition in Anime Festival Asia. Kuroyuki: Differences, alot! First of all is the location. Locationwise, we FiCS: If we’ll ask Kuroyuki Kanade do not have enough good locations to rank himself as a photographer here in the Philippines. Western Wolf, from one as the lowest to ten as the a Taiwanese photographer that I highest, how will you rate yourself. admire conducts simple and normal photoshoots yet the outputs were Kuroyuki: It depends, Is that skillwise spectacular because of the location. or is it based on what I can do? Cosplaywise, I think we are almost there but is still quite a long way to FiCS: Based on both. reach the international level. There were only a handful of cosplayers here in the Philippines that can reach Kuroyuki: Skillwise, I could never be more than five because every that level. photographer should be a student FiCS: Based on what you say, I think everyday. I need to learn new skills; I cannot tell myself that “oh, I it is safe to say that we are getting already have a pretty good portfolio there. and I’m happy with that”, no! We Kuroyuki: Yes we are getting there, cannot stop like that. If it’s based on but only with a handful of cosplayers. what I am currently doing, I think When you look at other cosplayers it would be roughly seven or eight from foreign coutries, some of because I could do things that normal them are not renowned yet the cosplay convention photographers level of cosplay is great! Here in won’t even dare. The things that I the Philippines, not famous, not do are not just for me, it is for the awesome cosplay too! community too.

FiCS: Well, that is a pretty good assessment of your skills and abilities. Were there any phots of you that were heavily criticized?

FiCS: Were you disqualified because of that?

embrace all the appraisal that comes with being famous. I want the fame as a catalyst to send the message Kuroyuki: No. that we can do it. I have been in the cosplay photography scene for FiCS: Well that is a relief. It would only two years yet I have showcased Kuroyuki: Alot! be an awful experience if you them photos that show what the got disqualified due to libelous possibilities out there that we can FiCS: And what is the worst criticism commentary. Aside for the victories, offer are. I would like to show the that you have received so far? good photos and appreciation, is world that I am a Filipino and I can there anything else that makes you do it! I don’t have to be of Japanese Kuroyuki: That would be an incident happy enough to continue cosplay or Chinese nationality to be a cosplay back when I joined this certain photography? photographer of high caliber. If I will cosplay photography contest. Within be famous, I will use it to raise the Kuroyuki: That would be my friends. Filipino flag in the worldwide cosplay the rules, it is mentioned that there Seeing my friends happy with what I scene. should be no manipulation on your photo entries, when you take a shot present to them is priceless. Seeing comments like “wow, you really FiCS: If you’ll be given a chance to , that would be the entry. I did a shoot of Inori from Guilty Crown that captured the essence of the anime”. have a photoshoot with a great These two are enough reasons for me cosplayer in our scene, who would it involves a lot of feathers falling above to go on. be? as an effect. I showed them to several of my friends and they won’t believe FiCS: What are your aspirations as a Kuroyuki: I have been seeing a lot of me that I did not manipulate that photographer? new cosplayers out there that I would shot. A lot of the people who saw my love to shoot but I do not know photo did not believe that it was not Kuroyuki: I would be a hypocrite is if it will work out. It is a matter of manipulated. if I say I don’t want fame, but I want compatibility. I have attended shoots to be famous in a way that I want to that din not went well. S

FiCS: If you’ll be given the chance to have a shoot an international cosplayer, who would that cosplayer be? Kuroyuki: International, ahm, I would love to shoot Reika, not because of her cosplay but because of her facial expression. Her expression is a fine line of perfection. Remove the props and leave her with just her costume, she can still pull it off. She is that good in facial expressions. FiCS: How about in the local scene? Kuroyuki: Eiri and I would like to work with a guy, Liui.

FiCS: Do you have any “ultimate project” in your mind right now? Kuroyuki: Recently I have been doing a lot of 3d manipulation of my photos in order to get that anime touch and feel to it but I do not want to be stuck on 3d rendering alone, I would like to have a real location that would be used as an ideal basis for a reenactment. Even if I have to spend a lot of money for that location, I will do it. I will be able to pull that off, I will feel like I am in heaven! FiCS: We have noticed that you are doing most your shoots by yourself, if you will be given a chance to collaborate with a photographer, who would that photographer be? Kuroyuki: On the local scene, I would like to work with Jay Tablante’s team but not with Jay Tablante himself. FiCS: Why with his team and not him? Kuroyuki : Well, even if you accept it or not, there are contrasts between individuals that will result to friction between their opinions towards the works of their fellow photographers. Others might see things in your photo that you find good but might

look bad to them. Just like what Editor King says about FiCS Magazine, he considers the magazine as his child. I look at my photos the same way. Would you like other people tampering with your perspective of beauty? We can share ideas but when it comes to shoot, I will do it my way.

FiCS: Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it feel sad or lonely? Doing your photoshoots alone? Kuroyuki: I am fine working alone what is sad is to see my friends work with other people. I would like to work with them but not shoot with them. Perhaps I can be their assistant, I used to work with them but it is just that I really work alone. FiCS: How about an international photographer, who would you like to work with? Kuroyuki: That would be Western Wolf from Taiwan. I would like to have a tour with him to the locations where he conducts his photoshoots. The places where he takes his pictures were simply breathtaking. Her in the Philippines, when it comes to cosplay photography, we only have Parks and Wildlife, Paco Park, Bonifacio Global City, la Mesa Eco Park. Very few for an art that is too diverse for these locations alone. FiCS: Send your message to the cosplay community. Kuroyuki: To the photographers, enough with doing the same photoshoots over and over again, doing the same editing, same locations, and same poses. Stop switching poses between different animes and anime characters. Be friendly but not too friendly and do not use cosplay photography for hitting on girls.

Cosplay Character List A - Meiji Purin cosplaying as Q (C:) B - Katherine Louize cosplaying as Cammy White (Street Fighter) C - Monique Dimanlig on her Geisha outfit D - Chi Galindo on her Kpop outfit E - Lin Ling cosplaying as Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto Shipuuden) F - Lin Ling cosplaying as Satsuki Kiryuin (Kill la Kill) G - Chi Galindo cosplaying as Judal (Magi) H - Rhijien Cornito cosplaying as Inori Yuzuriha (Guilty Crown) I - Vincent Austria (left) cosplaying as No Face and Meiji Purin (right) cosplaying as Chihiro (Spirited Away) J - Meiji Purin cosplaying as Mirai Kuriyama (Kyoukai no Kanata) K - Pau cosplaying as Enma Ai (Jigoku Shoujo) L - Lin Ling cospaying as Manaka (Love Plus) M - Mina Miyazaki cosplaying as Miku Hatsune (Vocaloid) N - Katherie Louize (left), Bea Glaze (middle) and Claudshin Matsuki (right) cospaying as the Chiester Sisters Imperial Guard Corps (Umineko no Naku Koro Ni) O - Lin Ling cosplaying as Yoko Littner (Tengen Toppa Gurenn Lagann) P - Rejean Castillo Q - Anna Navarro cosplaying as Ahri (League of Legends) R - Meiji Purin (left) cosplaying as Q and Lin Ling (right) cosplaying as MSYU (red) (C:) S - Mina Miyazaki cosplaying as Miku Hatsune (Vocaloid) T - Katherine Louize cosplaying as Paddra Nsu Yeul (Final Fantasy XIII-2) U - Chi Galindo cosplaying as Sho Fuwa (Skip Beat) V - Katherine Louize cosplaying as Cammy White (Street Fighter) W - Chi Galindo cosplaying as Yata (K Project) X - Meiji Purin (left) cosplaying as Q and Lin Ling (right) cosplaying as MSYU (red) (C:) Interview by King Constantine Damaso and Pauline Chua

Cosplayer Speaks

Are Cosplayers Ruining Cosplay? Article courtesy of www.nerdargufy.com Written by Lawrence Mayfield

Summary: - Cosplay may be hurting because of sexuality in cosplay. - Some people may Cosplay more for their own attention and not the craft. - The world and the Internet are sometimes just plain cruel to Cosplayers. - If you are unhappy with the direction of Cosplay, do something about it. COSPLAY - The practice of dressing up as a character Cosplay is about who you have become and how from a movie, book, or video game, especially one from you got there. No one will care if you are overweight. No the Japanese genres of manga and anime. one will care if you are not as attractive as what society says you should be. People will love you no matter what, Depending where you are from, you may find that engaging in Cosplay may or may not be widely accepted because you are a Cosplayer. as a respectable practice. The idea of dressing up as an admired fictional character and going out in public when Or am I wrong about the last part? it isn't Halloween, falls under the social classification Do people treat you with the respect you deserve? of "nerd" or "geek". And though our current use colloquialisms have spun those terms positive, thanks to Do people appreciate the hard work you put in? Do they care that you were up all night putting the finishing so many social and pop culture sources (Video Games, touches on your outfit? Do they suspect that you might TV/Movies, technology) we must remember that being called a Nerd or Geek was originally an act of defamation. be a little self-conscience about your tummy showing? Such titles were only held for those who did not make it Your rear-end getting more exposure than normal? Your outfit being a more snug than your normal clothes. Do up the popular/social ladder. they appreciate the tailor, the craftsman, the designer underneath the outfit? So now that people are becoming more free to express, explore and embrace their quirky side with Are you a piece of meat? Do you deserve respect? others of like mind, Cosplay has also became one of those bridges between both ends of the social spectrum. Is it OK that, that to many, your only purpose to them is to either be the object for masturbation or the basket of Someone who had struggled their entire life to make insults and laughs? friends or even be accepted, can now find something in common with those who have had lived extrovert lives. Cosplayers, I ask, which is it? I am now somewhat confused. What I believe Cosplay should be, and what I Cosplay is a way for you to express yourself. A am seeing are not the same. What happened? Where did means to enjoy stepping into the shoes of your favorite it go wrong? Or is there anything wrong? Is everything characters and take pride in knowing that your hard just fine, and am I jumping to conclusions or making a big work and design wasn't for naught. People will look at deal out of nothing? your efforts and appreciate the detail and creativity put into your outfit. They will request to take pictures, ask questions or just stop to tell you how much they love I want to propose the thought that maybe Cosplayers are everything you have done and how it pleased them to ruining Cosplay. see you embody one of their favorite characters.

Jessica Nigri is one that is widely known among the Cosplay/ Geek/Gaming world. One might even say that she is the most famous of Cosplayers. You don't even have to like Cosplay to know and appreciate her. She fits the criteria of almost every young man's fantasy. She is into games, she is absolutely gorgeous and the girl has a sense of humor. Every time I see her on camera, this girl is down to earth and gives no impression that she is better than anyone else. But we aren't going to focus on how great she is as a person, but look deeper at her impact on the Cosplay world.

Now before I really dig into the issue, I must reiterate, that I am merely making an observation and not attacking anyone. For me, this issue started some time ago with a picture of Jessica in a very well made outfit with her very large breasts hanging out. As kindly as I could I gave my opinion on her outfit, and how I felt it effected other Cosplayers. Though many agreed with my view (which I am going to soon explain) some replied with the following responses. "She is a really nice person" "She works very hard on her outfits" "She is a really cool person who isn't fake, she really does like nerdy things" And on and on. I want to make it very clear, what I am writing about has nothing to do with anyone's personality, and in no way discriminating the hard work they put into their craft. The question I want to propose is this,

"Has there been a negative impact on Cosplay as a whole, because of Sexually themed outfits?" As we know there are some characters in Anime and Comics that are dressed in the skimpiest outfits. Replicating Witchblade perfectly is not only daring, but being able to pull it off well deserves some recognition. But is there line when we appreciate the spot on replication vs. the sexually transitioned version?

Looking at the images on the left, we have to first ask ourselves what exactly defines Cosplay? This in itself is a common argument among the Cosplay scene. Do real Cosplayers make their outfits vs. having someone else make them? What is good vs bad? What is permissible vs. unacceptable? To my understanding, the easiest way to look at things is if you enjoy dressing up, then all is fair game and no one should judge you. But is this thinking good for cosplay as a whole? Should there be standards?

Let's look at how the fans respond to "Cosplay".

Batgirl

Diana Jones

These two images say so much about how we see Cosplay and how people react to it. Here are some of the things to take note of.

BATGIRL:

- This Facebook Cosplay community page posted this picture. No judgment, fully accepting this as Cosplay. As we can of course accept this as "Cosplay", note that the girl is in reality an Adult Actress. Does this mean Adult movie actresses can't enjoy Cosplay? Well of course they can. - Take note of the vulgar comments. - As fans disapprove of this Cosplay, notice how they are insulted because they don't partake in acceptance. What does this say about what we accept as Cosplay, and how we treat those who disagree?

Diana Jones:

- There is complete acceptance for this Cosplay, but it comes with a price, vulgarity and all. I have to ask, what part of this Cosplayers hard work is appreciated? What was it about her creativity that seemed to really appeal to fans? What are the most common thoughts that come to mind when a fan comes across a beautiful woman in Cosplay? The following are a few examples of images that have all been posted in response to very sexy Cosplay image:

Am I putting the blame and all responsibility on these Cosplayers, as if they have control of how the internet behaves? Absolutely not. It would be unfair to solely hold Cosplayers responsible for this. And again, we are observing what Cosplay looks like in a world with no standards. Let's look at a variety of Cosplay creations that deviate from the original source and resonate more towards an attractive appeal:

Looking at these outfits, one must wonder what exactly it is that we should appreciate. Should we appreciate the lack of material used to create these outfits? Should we appreciate the amount of flesh they were willing to expose? Should we appreciate the very creative ways they were able to turn something non-sexual and make it very sexual? Are we appreciating the person or the character? What exactly is it about Cosplay that says that taking a non-sexual character and making them very sexual is a successful creation? As a man, I can say to myself, it is visually pleasing. Seeing a very attractive female dressed up in in a very sexual outfit definitely grabs my attention, after all I am human and the desire to procreate has been instilled in me. But then I must then ask the same exact questions as I asked before, which part of the Cosplayer am I appreciating?

Now let's take a look at some Cosplay characters that are already sexually charged and need no variation to trigger the same response:

In the images above I would say that the appreciation is in a much different place that the gallery before. When a Cosplayer gets the character spot on, you can't help be really take note of how well they captured the character. In turn, you not only find favor in the physique, but the physique that represents the character. Has the sexually charged Cosplayers had any real effect on how the world sees Cosplay? Do the sexy, amazingly hot overshadow those who don't compare? When the world has been exposed to those incredibly attractive people, how does the internet respond to those who are not on the same level of attraction? How? They took it upon themselves to fix Cosplay. Bringing it to a standard they feel is acceptable, according to the expectation of what is acceptable.

So the internet is filled with mean, hateful, vulgar people. How can this be the fault of Cosplayers? From the beginning of time, human beings have always treated each other poorly, this sure is no different.

But what happens when a Cosplayer's craft is close to spot on, but they don't match the character physically? I'm sure that many of us disregard the fact that not everyone who cosplays will be as fit as the character or even share the same skin color or gender. We in turn appreciate the designer for their design. Here are some examples of those Cosplayers. And here are some examples of how the internet has treated them.

Yes, I agree. People will always be mean and hurtful. But we have to remember what Cosplay was supposed to mean. It was supposed to be a time when anyone, despite their looks, their physique, their social status at school, work or at home, could come and enjoy being someone else. They have the chance to show the world how creative they are. They get to embrace their Geeky side among their peers and those who could appreciate them.

But is it still like that? Are we really appreciating Cosplay? Are Cosplayers appreciating Cosplayers? Do they look out for each other? Or is this a race? Is it a means to show how much better one can be than the other? Is Cosplay becoming High School, where only the popular kids get the right to do it, and everyone else should be shunned? Since I am not a Cosplayer and not involved with the Cosplay scene, this is something I cannot answer. I am just a fan.

With that said, I'd like to take a moment to talk about some other Cosplayers I also really appreciate. Having had such a negative focus in this article, I feel it's only right to give some positive recognition where it is due. Soni Aralynn This Cosplayer is obviously gorgeous, but one must appreciate that even though she has everything needed to be a sexually charged Cosplayer, she tries very hard to stay true to the content. She finds that balance of sexy, accuracy and character. If you watch some of her videos and stay updated with her, you will find that this girl is nerd at heart. She doesn't try to distract you, with “her”. You can't help be appreciate how she gets her characters spot on.

I say if you are a Cosplayer and are happy with the way things are, then do nothing and keep enjoying your life. If you are unhappy with how the way things are, I say do something about it. Obviously you cannot control the internet, but what you can do is stand up for what you think Cosplay should be and demand to be treated respectfully, from fans and even other Cosplayers. And maybe just maybe, you might even want to consider how some Cosplayers affect the others and find a place to draw the line. If you want change, DON'T WHINE ABOUT IT, demand it. And here is someone who has. ↓ Destiny Nickelsen This is a Cosplayer that I stumbled upon long ago. She does an amazing job as a Cosplayer. I have to say that she impressed me most when I caught view of the video (to the right), where she is clearly OK with standing up for herself and demanding respect and not accepting certain behavior in exchange for more fans.

Enji Night This wonderful Cosplayer caught my attention long ago when she did the Cosplay of Videl from DBZ. I appreciate the fact that she tries very hard to also replicate her characters so well. Obviously beautiful, from observation I would say that she might be a little shy. I appreciate how she makes Cosplay seem like so much fun. She osten at times appears to be smiling which makes becoming a fan of her so easy. A great Cosplayer hands down. Courtoon Courtoon holds a special place in my Nerd heart. This Cosplayer could in my honest opinion, rival some of the most beautiful woman on the planet in terms of sheer appeal. But none of that goes to her head. When you see the various characters she embraces, clearly Courtoon is doing this for the love of the craft. The characters she chooses demands that you appreciate the quality of time she has put into each outfit. In a world where taking off more clothing is the norm, this young lady has no problem piling more clothes on. Another great Cosplayer, with a great sense of fun and an eye for accuracy. She is also very open with her fans and creates weekly (or so I think) YouTube videos, giving advice, telling us about her day or just having fun sharing her thoughts. If I had to sum her up into one word, it would be "Fun".

Agree? Disagree? Or maybe you think that there is something I am missing? Let's talk about it.

39 7

Cosplay Cover Feature

Lin Ling:

More than just your bubbly girl!

Meet Ling Ling A very bubbly girl who cosplays on an almost every month scale. More than just a bubbly girl, she also has a secret skill to keep up her cosplay pace. Let us now listen to our covergirl who, as the FiCS Team sees, is a "cosplayer crush ng bayan"!

FiCS: Welcome to FiCS Magazine Ms. Lin! First of all, where did the nickname Lin Ling Came from?

FiCS: We’ve read from DIBS e-Mag that you have never had a boyfriend yet. Why is it? Lin: Actually I had but it only lasted for two weeks so I did not counted it as one.

LIn: It came from a singaporean friend. Pauline was too long for them That is why FiCS: What is the reason of the break-up they gave me Lin as my nickname. then? FiCS: Being a covergirl of two cosplay magazines for their April-May and July issue, how does it feel?

Lin: We graduated from High School and lost communication.

FiCS: Oh, that is unfortunate. What does Lin: I am happy! It is not something I want it take then to catch Lin Ling’s attention for the boys out there who are reading to brag about but I am happy that you this magazine? guys have chosen me. I really am! FiCS: Well, we have been aspiring to have you featured since 2012. What do you think will be the response of the readers, seeing Lin Ling a covergirl for three months of the year 2014? Lin: One thing is for sure, they will know more about me because I’m sure that there will be questions that FiCS will be asking that were not asked by DIBS. FiCS: The past few days after you attended toycon 2014, we’ve been scrolling down our Facebook newsfeed and it seems that every five scrolls down, we are seeing people tagging you in their posts and photos. Most of the people who tagged you were boys. It seems that Lin Ling is a cosplayer “crush ng bayan”, do you think so? Lin: I don’t know what to say! Haha! Well if that’s the case I’ll leave the judgement to you guys! Some of those people who tagged me and posted on my wall admitted that they like and I’m happy about it. Some of them were my friends so I’m not really sure if that is really a “crush ng bayan” case! Haha! When we say “crush ng bayan”, I think it is a level like that of Alodia Gosiengfiao.

Lin: They have to be funny! They must have a great sense of humor. I like to crack jokes alot be cause if there is nothing to laugh at, I’ll get bored. FiCS: From lovelife, let us now switch to cosplay. What inspired you to cosplay? Lin: The people who I see in the conventions that are cosplaying. It really makes me feel like I’m a little girl and everytime I approach them to have some pictures taken really is fun that’s why I started cosplaying too. FiCS: When did you start cosplaying? Lin: I can’t give an exact estimation but I started last august of 2012 FiCS: And in that August of 2012 who was that character that kickstarted your cosplay streak? Lin: Tomoyo Daidouji from Cardcaptor Sakura. FiCS: Why did you choose her? Lin: I had this friend of mine before that told me that she will be Sakura and I will be Tomoyo. I’m not that familiar with the character but I suppose the real reason is that I dared myself that “ok, we should try”.

FiCS : It’s a good thing that you did not have an argument with her. Most of the FiCS: Anyone out there that confessed time when someone tells that she is the their feelings to you and it made your main character and assigns her friend to day? be the side character, that would end up Lin: Confessed to me yes but made my day in an argument right? ahm, no. I’m just happy about it. Lin: Yeah, luckily we did not end up that way.

FiCS: Tell us what happened during your first cosplay. Lin: It was fine! It went well because I have sakura but that sakura, I do not know her. Haha! She was just a cousin of a friend and she is Japanese. When I was with her, we did not talk to each other since she can’t understand English and Filipino. I only tell phrases to her. It was really hard! Another thing is that I was 20 or 21 back then and she was just 13. FiCS: How about your first photoshoot? Lin: I met lots of new friends during the photoshoot since it was a group shoot. That was also the event where I met well known cosplayers like d’Goddess Miaka and Jevelyn Domingo.

FiCS: Having that kind of pace in cosplaying, doesn’t it drain you financially? Lin: Yes! It is financially challenging! Haha! FiCS: Was there a case then that you reach a flat broke point due to cosplaying? Lin: Not really. The moment I get my pay slip, whatever is left after I allot money to the necessary expenses will be the only money that I’ll spend for cosplay.

FiCS: It seems that you are earning alot from your current occupation because you can always cosplay new characters on a monthly scale. Other people only last for like a week after having their payslip. Lin: Ahm, It’s not really that big but I think what enables me to cosplay on that scale is the way I budget my money. FiCS: Oh, so it is more about budgeting, do you consider it a skill then? Lin: Yeah! And I’m amused to do it! FiCS: Let us say that we will be giving you 2,000php for a week, how will you budget that amount of money?

FiCS: What is the worst case that happened to you in terms of finance Lin: Oh I can last a week with just and cosplay? 1000php! I like to challenge myself to last for certain amounts of days Lin: Worst case will be my current with just a specific amount of money. FiCS: And your character back then situation for I am still paying for a Whenever I accomplish them, I’m was? DSLR and I told my photographer very amused with myself. that it’s either today’s shoot won’t Lin: I cosplayed Gilda from Beelzebub. happen for I won’t be able to pull FiCS: If we will dare you, can you last the costume off or I’ll be able to pay with just 500php in a week? FiCS: How many characters have you him. Luckily he said that he’ll give me cosplayed so far? Lin: Actually I tried it back in college another month for the payment. and was able to do it! Now that I Lin: I cannot really count but it’s am working, that feat is no longer FiCS: Hearing that you just purchased around 20. achievable. The lowest now that I can a camera, will you be entering go for is like 1000-1200php a week. FiCS: 20 characters in a span of two cosplay photography as well? years? Wow! It’s like one character FiCS: You have done several cosplay every month! Lin: No! I like to take pictures but I’m before which include the likes of not into taking pictures of cosplayers vocaloids and other cute characters, Lin: Yeah, almost every month. have you tried cosplaying the like cosplay photographers do. antagonist characters? FiCS: With that pace of cosplaying, do you have any specific budget for FiCS: Distancewise, how far will you go Lin: By far, the only antagonist that I for an event? Let’s say that a major your cosplays? can consider is Satsuki from Kill la Kill cosplay event will be taking place in which became a side character on the Valenzuela. Will you be attending Lin: Not really, It depends if the latter part of the anime. character’s costume is too expensive that event? FiCS: Let us say that there came a to produce, I‘ll spend months to prepare for it. Lin: That depends. I have to consider mecha themed anime that you really like, will you go for cosplaying that my work, my costume, budget and mecha character? FiCS: The most amount of money whether my friends will be attending that you have spent for a single or not. Lin: That depends, first of all I do costumeh how much was it? not really like mecha because of its weight. It is hot inside the costume Lin: I suppose it is around 7,000php. FiCS: Do you consider entering the international cosplay scene? and it’s hard to move. That will depend on how much mecha the FiCS: And that Character is? Lin: Yes! I would like to but, for now, I cosplay actually is. If I can walk comfortably, then perhaps yes. Lin: Satsuki Kiryuin from Kill la Kill. have to budget my money first.

FiCS: How Frequent do you attend conventions? Lin: Back when I was a beginner, I used to attend every event that I can go to but now, It depends if it is a major con and if whether I’ll be with someone during the con and my working schedule. FiCS: The largest amount of money that you’ve spent on a convention? Lin: Let me think, I do not spend money when I attend conventions FiCS: Really?

Lin: Yeah, before I usually spend somewhere around 500phph on a single convention to buy stuffs but now I don’t because it is very hard to enter the venues. The line just to purchase the ticket is very long. I have a ticket but seeing those many people on the line, I’m sure that it’s crowded inside. FiCS: Do you join cosplay competitions? Lin: Before, that was in Bulacan. FiCS: Did you win? Lin: I did! I won the “Best Vocaloid” category and never joined again. If I’m about to join a competition, I think I’ll be cosplaying for a cosplay photography contest. FiCS: You favorite cosplayed character so far? Lin: I have a lot but I think I’ll go for Ahri of League of Legends

FiCS: Lin Ling the individual is a very bubbly person, smiles alot and crack jokes, I often hug my friends whenever I see them. Lin: Yes! FiCS Through the course of two years, how many friends have you gained in the community? Do they amount by the hundreds? Lin: I cannot really count because I have met alot of people so far. FiCS: Then the ones that really count as Lin Ling’s friend. Lin: I guess that’s around 50.

52 46

FiCS: Lin the cosplayer is not that far with Lin the individual. I switch myself to someone who wears the costume and someone who portrays the character whenever I cosplay since I’m dealing with other people as I cosplay. I would like to explore everything and try to portray characters from every anime genre.

FiCS: What if we make a dual cover of you and JayEm Sison?

Lin: Yes I am!

Lin: I’ll be in a corner hiding and if he arrives, I won’t be able to look at him straight.

Lin: Oh my gosh! I’m going to die! I’m gonna melt! FiCS: You’re going to melt? Describe how Lin Ling is going to melt.

FiCS: Then how about the antagonist Satsuki, did you become mean while you FiCS: Have you talked to him in person? are cosplaying her? Lin: No, I only see him in pictures. I admire Lin: Yes I did! Haha! It’s a bit challenging him because he works on his body for his since it’s not something that is in my comfort zone. I have to study how she acts cosplays. and how she looks like. FiCS: So, working out for a better body will catch Lin Ling’s attention? FiCS: Have you experienced any form of bashing before? Lin: Yeah because I feel like if you’re working hard to cosplay characters with Lin: No, but recently, a picture of mine flat tummies. After we eat, alot of us was featured on a satirical site. They made would like to lay down right? I also have my weight and body issues. That’s how I a before and after image of me where base things on how people look. the before image was a haggard looking picture of me then the after was a picture of Satsuki. I guess that is just normal in a FiCS: Have you tried pair cosplay before? community that is based on cosplay. Lin: I did, It was the very first photoshoot where I got invited. The Anime was FiCS: We have character stereotypes like Beelezebub and I cosplayed Gilda and my tsundere, yandere etc. What will you partner was Oga. classify yourself as? Lin: I’m Yandere! FiCS: Why is it?

FiCS: How about group cosplay? Lin: Not yet but groups of different anime cosplays, yes.

Lin: Yeah I’m sweet at first, but I’m easy to FiCS: Lin Ling’s very first inspiration that pushed her to cosplay were be the people get jealous! that I see in conventions, those who are cosplaying and those who exert effort just FiCS: What makes Lin jealous then? to cosplay their dream character Lin: When the person I like talks or gets close with another person.

Lin: Yes and they continue to inspire me up to this moment.

FiCS: Oh! So there is someone that you currently like?

FiCS: How about you? Who is your dream character?

Lin: No, that’s only an example. The people that I mentioned I like are the people who I cannot have like celebrities! I already mentioned one, I like JayEm Sison!

Lin: It is hard to think but I guess I’ll go with this new anime No Game No Life and the character from this anime that I would like to cosplay is Jibril.

FiCS: What made you chose her?

FiCS: What changed your mind?

Lin: Costume issues. Lin: She’s like me. The character is so bubbly, it’s hard to explain but I see myself FiCS: What is the most tiring event that in her. you have been to? FiCS: Lin’s aspiration is to become a well known cosplayer in the future. We think Lin: PGF you already are! FiCS: What made it tiring? Lin: Not really. Someone messaged me Lin: I was on high heels making it very about that asking me how does it feel to live the life of a popular cosplayer. I don’t tiring to walk. really see myself as someone popular because if I do, I think it will be something FiCS: What was the best event that like what Alodia Gosiengfiao has. I still feel you’ve ever attended? that my current state is normal. If I have to Lin: That would be Best of Anime 2012 dream, I have to dream big. FiCS: Being tagged by hundreds of people FiCS: What made it the best event? is not yet popular for Lin Ling? Lin: I brought my Mom along and she was Lin: Well, that’s just because I have a lot of very amazed by my cosplay. friends. FiCS: Any unpleasant experiences that happened to you in a convention? FiCS: And another aspiration of yours is to become an international cosplayer? Lin I wouldn’t say unpleasant because at the end of the day I always have my Lin: Yes! friends. I think it would be TagCom of 2013 FiCS: So, will we be seeing Lin Ling attending international events like AFA? FiCS: What made it unpleasant? Lin: Yes! We are thinking about that but we are only in the planning process. I would really like to go there.

Lin: A complicated issue, something with a friend. He said sorry in the end but still,later on, it still feels like it’s not ok.

FiCS: Have you been invited to judge cosplay competitions before?

FiCS: Further bad experiences in cosplay?

Lin: Not yet. FiCS: Now that you’ve spent almost two years in the cosplay scene, how much longer are we going to see you as a mainstay in the community? Lin: I cannot really tell that yet but since I love the community, I’m sure I’ll be here for quite some time. FiCS: Have you ever had the feeling that you no longer want to cosplay? Lin: NO! NEVER! FiCS: How about an instance that you want to attend a convention but ended up not attending? Lin: Yes!

Lin: It would be hypocrite of me to tell that everything was good. There a couple of instances but I tend to forget them because at the end of the day we are happy. FiCS: So you tend to forget when it is a bad experience? Lin: Yeah! FiCS: Send your message to the cosplay community. Lin: Just do what you like because by doing so, you are showing how passionate you are. Just be happy and enjoy cosplaying. For tips, I think I would only like to say that in wigs, if the bangs need to be done, do it! Don’t feel bad about losing a bit of your wig if it means that you’ll get the character’s looks! I would also like to thank everyone for their support to the cosplay community!

Lin Ling's Cosplay Character List: A - Weiss Schnee (RWBY) B - Yuno Gasai (Mirai Nikki) C - Anarchy Stocking (Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt) D - Ahri (League of Legends) E - Satsuki Kiryuin (Kill la Kill) F - Ruri Gouku (Ore Imo) G - Tsubasa Hanekawa (Bakemonogatari) H - Yoko Littner (Tengen Toppa Gurenn Lagann) I - Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto Shpuuden) J - Wretched Egg (Deadman Wonderland) K - Miku Hatsune - (Vocaloid) Interview by King Constantine Damaso and Alec Egido

Cosplayer Speaks Crossdressing Curing the Fallacies on Crossdressing and Crossplaying by Mary Joy Joaquin

Back when we were kids, our parents used to dress us up with the common notion that skirts, blouses and dresses with colors such as pink and red are meant to be worn by girls; while polo, shorts and baggy pants with colors such as blue and black are the ones that are definitely considered “masculine”. In a society where social norms are considered more important and wherein most of its people refuse to accept new ideas that contradict the traditions that they grew up being used to, would there still be any place for crossdressers and crossplayers?

To clear things out, crossdressing, in a simpler sense, is the act of wearing a piece of clothing or accessories that are commonly known to be worn by the opposite gender, usually for the sake of art and self-expression, or simply to just get in touch with the other side of your personality and in order to know how you would look like if you were to become one of the opposite gender. Historically, crossdressing have already existed since the ancient times and have been used even by historical figures for disguise and also in other literary works for varying purposes. It should not be confused with crossplaying because you do not portray any specific character in crossdressing other than yourself.

Crossdressers and crossplayers are not new to the Philippine cosplay community anymore. It has grown popularity for otakus. However, there are still alot of people, amounting to more than twice of the members of the Philippine cosplay community, who are misinformed and ignorant regarding the existence of these ways of art. Thus, causing misconceptions among the masses. Sadly, these often include stereotyping crossdressers and crossplayers either as homosexuals or bisexuals, even though they’re really not, which can even include bullying and harsh comments regarding their sexuality. It is really disappointing how common people who are ignorant regarding the art of crossdressing and crossplaying would just harshly comment that crossdressers and crossplayers are lesbians and gay. Worse is, usually these are just the random people you meet while walking along the streets, who you don’t even know, that would disrespectfully comment on how you look. On this photo: Nickhers Concepcion, male, crossdressing as a girl. © Photography by: Bryan Barredo

Share your articles to the community by sending them at dweavers.project@yahoo.com.ph Let us make the community enligthened and entertained about the art of cosplaying!

On this photo: Kiya Yamada cr © Photography by: Eyestra

Crossplaying

rossplaying as Levi Ackerman (Shingeki no Kyojin) ain Photoworks

On this photo: Nickhers Concepcion crossplaying as Mirai Suenaga (Mirai Millenium) © Photography by: Totodale Photography

Crossplaying, on the other hand, is a separate thing. It is merely a subcategory of both crossdressing and cosplaying, thus, the obvious combination of the two in its name. Crossplaying is cosplaying a character whose gender is the opposite of your own. Unlike crossdressing, in crossplaying you are portraying a certain character of the opposite gender, which includes embodying his/her attitude and personality. Many cosplayers crossplay only for the sake of paying homage and expressing their love for a certain character they admire whose gender is the opposite of their own. Sometimes it’s just for fun, and not because they’re a member of the third sex. This does not also mean that just because the cosplayer is portraying a character who’s into crossdressing, (e.g. Aoi Hyoudou of Kaichou wa Maid-sama!, D’Eon de Beaumont of Le Chevalier D’Eon, etc.) he/ she is already a crossplayer; To put it simply, just because you are a girl cosplaying a character who’s actually a guy wearing a dress does not automatically make you a crossplayer, since the character’s clothing is still meant for a female, which is still appropriate for your gender, and vice-versa.

Perhaps it’s because we’re living in a society where people are more likely to criticize rather than to appreciate art; where people are fond of enclosing their point of views to their stereotypical beliefs regarding different people because of lack of education or what they see on the media. In fact, it is only the society that determines what kinds of clothing are meant for males and what should be worn by females. Clothes have no gender, we can wear anything we feel we are comfortable on, be it pants or skirts. We may not be in Japan, where people can even walk on the street while crossplaying without anyone randomly commenting on what they’re wearing. But maybe, just maybe, it is already the time to act in order to change this narrow-minded society’s aggravating state. That is why it’s inspiring how these people continue in pursuing their way of art despite of the people surrounding them who could just mock them anytime regarding their sexuality and the way they dress up. On the other hand, there are also some crossdressers and crossplayers in the Philippine cosplay community who are really a member of the LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transexuals) community. But, who cares if they’re a member of the third sex? It doesn’t make them less human at all. And being human, they have the rights to be respected and not to be bullied too, just like any other person. What matters is how they act and how they exhibit their art inside and outside the cosplay community. Nothing more, nothing less. On this photo: Jeremia Escueta, female, crossdressing as a guy. © Photography by: Martin Aparri Ramos

Band

Myo na Hako is a Japanese Term for Strange box. The band consists of nine members of pure randomness.

Kei-chi, one of the female vocalists, is an extremely

active member of the band. She has this high-pitched voice which is an advantage and somewhat annoying whenever she's on her fangirl mode.

TJ, also one of the female vocalists, is the other half

Keijo/Kei, the bassist, is the other hardcore member of the band. He is of half philippine and janese blood. He grew up listening to mostly dark and hardcore themed genres which is, on the other hand, made a very big impact on his bass playing style. Kei is one the Myo na Hako papables you'll love to hang-out with.

Karen/Ren, our newest member, also known in the

alias "nokim..." nevermind. she's also a bassist of Myo of the female vocal force of Myo na Hako. She is the Na Hako. When keijo went abroad, karen became a twin vocal of Kei-chi. This girl has this thick-timbre highsessionist in the band though we feel like she doesn't pitched voice which is a perfect blend to Kei-chi's voice. seem like one. She is is our "bebegerl". No man shall lay a You'll definitely knock yourselves to laughter when you single finger on her or else, prepare to receive the wrath see her with Kei-chi conversing about fangirl stuff. from Olympus. Karen has this serious but interesting aura in her. You'll see what I mean once you meet her. Her Eury/Aerone, the male vocalist, is the hardcore member playing style is somewhat different to keij. She has this of the band. This person has this rough-high voice that jazzy and groovy feel on her playing style. Karen has her will surely melt your ears in seconds. Hear this guy growl own band named "Seiteki" where she plays bass as well and you'll find yourself lost in the woods of darkness. so if you want to see her more in action just watch out for their performances together with ours at conventions. Erril, the lead guitarist, is the silent-at-first kind of member of Myo na Hako. Characterized by his good James, the keyboardist, is the chill type member of Myo guitar skills, erril developed his talent playing Western na Hako. His style is characterized by powerful-melodic songs. Until one day, he fell from the great sky of Western mellow tunes from the grave of classical music. This guy genre to the new dazzling world of Japanese music. is one of those who has a mouth that speaks less, but with a mind that roars. Uehara/UeBear, the rhythm guitarist, is the hardshelled soft-core member of the crew. He likes Moe stuffs Carlo/Biboy, the drummer, is the timid yet hilarious like those of Ishihara Satomi. His guitar style is random member of the Myo na Hako Crew. He grew up and and indefinite. Spaghetti and hugs is all it would take to developed his drum playing skills in punk, alternative, and make him love you forever. OPM genre. There is something really interesting with his style which the band really liked.

FiCS: What inspired Myo na Hako to cover Jmusic?

FiCS: How about in the local scene?

Myo na Hako: The anime and the bands itself. Japanese music is quite a really interesting genre.

Myo na Hako: Too many to mention to but I think I can list down a few like Kamikazee, Eraserheads, Franco, Slapshock, and Urbandub.

FiCS: Are there any members who are new to/left the band?

FiCS: How about other foreign bands that you love other than those in Japan?

Myo na Hako: Eury is our newest member. He is an added density to the band's vocal field. Russel used to be our Myo na Hako: Linkin Park! Periphery, All that bassist. The space he left was filled by Keijo, just after he Remains, August Burns Red, Nirvana, Oasis, As left Myo na Hako. I Lay Dying. Animals as leaders, intervals, Becoming the archetype, norma jean, escape the fate(i could go on FiCS: How long have you been covering and performing forever. LOL) Jmusic tracks? Myo na Hako: It has been 3 years i guess. We started covering Japanese songs since October 2011.

FiCS: Tell us what happened during your first performance on stage.

FiCS: Who are your favorite Japanese bands?

Myo na Hako: Our first performance was like all other firsts. We were all nervous and a bit trembling.

Myo na Hako: They are quite many to mention. We all have different tastes when it comes to bands and genres. Well anyway, I guess I can name some of our common grounds when it comes to preferred or "favorite" bands/ artists namely: Versailles, The Gazette, Coldrain, YUI, Pay money to my pain.

The whole performance was great but with no stage presence at all. All of us are crippled with fear of what other people might think of us. It was really a great and thrilling experience. We will never forget that day.

Erril

Aerone

Kei-Ichi

FiCS: How does it feel during and after the performance?

FiCS: How about for those who are always there to listen and cheer for you?

Myo na Hako: If you are going to ask the present Myo na Hako, we would say that during every performance, we feel the adrenaline rush! It really feels great during and after every performance. Whenever we hear positive feedbacks, we feel really happy. That gives us the eagerness to do better next time.

Myo na Hako: We thank them all for they make us feel alive in every performance. We hope there can be lots of them in the near future.

FiCS: How does it feel to perform a song from a language that is not that much spoken in our country? Myo na Hako: It feels really great. We feel very honored to be given a chance to perform Japanese songs from well-known Japanese bands for Otakus and Jmusic Fans like us.

FiCS: What is the first Jmusic track that you guys have covered? Myo na hako: There is really no first track. Our first performance was composed of three songs joined together. It was a medley of Tommy Heavenly6's Papermoon, The Brilliant Green's Ash Like Snow, and SCANDAL's DOLL. We covered all that because we thought it would be a blast knowing these songs were a hit during those times. FiCS: What else are the songs that you have covered so far?

FiCS: As musicians, tell us how it feels when others do not listen to your performance or laugh at it for it is in a Myo na Hako: We covered Serenade by Versailles and language that they do not understand? YUI Yoshioka's How Crazy during the Otaku Valentines. Recently, at Asian Pop Expo 2012, we covered The Myo na Hako: Of course, we feel bad about that. Those people who laugh at something they don't understand Gazette songs Chizuru and Burial Applicant. We also got are people with shallow minds. Music doesn't necessarily the chance to cover coldrain, deluhi and pay money to need a language; it needs something to carry its message, my pain songs in the previous gigs we had this year. its emotion and feeling, a medium to be exact. There is more to music than just the language itself.

Uehara

Carlo

James

Keijo

FiCS: What are the songs that you would like to cover in the future? Myo na Hako: Songs from bands like Jeanne Da Arc, Girls Dead Monster, Dir en Gray, Dazzle Vision, ACID, Acid, Black Cherry, Plastic Tree and more of other Gazette songs! FiCS: Are there members of the band who are cosplayers? Myo na Hako: Yeah! Kei-chi and TJ. They were cosplayers before they became part of the band. FiCS: How about gamers? Myo na Hako: Everyone is a gamer! (not that "hardcore" though). FiCS: Any message to the other bands and Otakus out there? Myo na Hako: STAY COOL and AWESOME guys! KEEP ROCKIN and KICK SOME ASSES (with care).

Myo n

a Hak o

You all can also like our page @ www.facebook.com/myo.hako or contact us @ myonahakostrangebox@gmail.com

Cosplay Feature

Kristine Solis:

It's a Fairy Tail world!

Meet Kristine, a cosplayer who has a passion for singing and cosplaying. She will now share us her cosplay begginings and how much she loves the cosplay community.

Kristine Solis cosplaying as Erza Scarlet Anime: Fairy Tail Interview by King Constantine Damaso 61

FiCS: Welcome to FiCS Magazine Ms. Kristine! First of all, give us a brief description about yourself as an anime fan and a cosplayer. Kristine: I'm Kristine Bernadette Solis, 19 years old and a Dentistry student at Centro Escolar University. I was born here in the Philippines but was raised in Jeddah Saudi Arabia and lived there for almost 14 years. So I only did singing, dancing, modeling, acting. Cosplaying is a really new term for me. Then when I went here in the Philippines someone told me about cosplaying so I tried it and for me it's a combination of acting and modeling as you get to model the character that you are portraying and act the character out as well. FiCS: Since when did you become an anime Fan? Kristine: Ahm, I really wasn't an Anime fan before until my sister Kyla Solis introduced me into the anime world and that was back in High School I think. FiCS: What made you love anime then? Kristine: Like what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve said Anime is a fusion of what I do, acting and modeling. You get to act your character you get to model it and that's where your creativity comes in. FiCS: What is your favorite Anime? Kristine: I literally love Fairy Tail. FiCS: Oh, why literally? Kristine: Yes literally, because of the genre, the action the humor and romance. Everything is there. And I love the characters as well. FiCS: Aside from Fairy Tail, is there an anime out there that you love as well? Kristine: Naruto, because it is action packed as well. Vampire Knight and what else are the animes I like? Clannad, Chobits. As long as the genre is within action and a little bit of romance, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m into it! FiCS: Then within those animes that you like, who is your favorite anime character ? Kristine: Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail.

FiCS: And the reason is? Kristine: She is my anime girl crush. I like he because she is tough, unique and she is hard as a nut. She is a nutshell but deep inside she's innocent, she's cute and she's being loved by everyone. FiCS: Other than Erza, any other characters out there that you like?

FiCS: Let us now move to cosplaying. How does Ms. Kristine Solis define cosplaying? Kristine: Cosplaying for me is a different world. You get to cosplay the anime characters that you love, modeling and acting and creativity, everything is a fusion and you got a chance to know other cosplayers. It's a very different world for me. FiCS: What inspired you to cosplay?

Kristine: Tifa Lockhart of Final fantasy. She's tough as well and she cares about the people around her and she loves them very much.

Kristine: My sister Kyla Solis inspired me to cosplay. She really is the anime fan in our family and she really loves action as well. She FiCS: How about mangas, do you read mangas? told me to try cosplaying, so I did. Kristine: Of course.

FiCS: How about Kyla is She also a cosplayer?

FiCS: Then in the manga department, which one is your favorite?

Kristine: No she's not because currently she is residing in Saudi Arabia, so she really isn't given a chance to cosplay.

Kristine: Fairy Tail FiCS: Oh, that is unfortunate for her. Since FiCS: Oh, Fairy Tail again! You really love Fairy when did you start cosplaying? Tail and your cosplay proves it! Kristine: I started cosplaying when I went here in the Philippines for my college education, I Kristine: Yes! Haha! think that was in 2009. FiCS: Since we know that Fairy Tail is number FiCS: Who was the first character that you one for you in both anime and manga,What genres of manga do you like other than action? have cosplayed then? Kristine: When it comes to manga I read romance manga because I like romance read rather than watched. I can't remember the titles but I've read a lot of romance mangas.

Kristine: I first cosplayed Misa Amane of Death Note.

FiCS: Who is your favorite Manga Character? Let me guess, Erza Scarlet?

Kristine: Because Death Note is the first anime that I have ever watched, I like her character and she's cute.

FiCS: Why is she your first choice?

Kristine: Yes, Erza Scarlet! Haha! FiCS: How about other manga characters? Kristine: I personally like Misa Amane from DeathNote because she's cute, she's gullible, she's innocent but when it comes to love, she protects and cares for the one she loves.

FiCS: Tell us what happened when you cosplayed her. Kristine: I was really overwhelmed. I first cosplayed her at Best of Anime I think, and when I first entered the hall, everyone knows me and they wanted to take a picture of me as Misa Amane. I was very happy.

FiCS:How does it feel to portray your favorite anime/manga characters?

FiCS: How do you feel towards their reaction? Kristine: I feel shy at first because they always tell me "cosplay this, cosplay that, it really suits you", and things like that. Somehow I'm really happy because they really are very supportive.

Kristine: At first I felt happy because they know me as the character that I was cosplaying but now, I'm even happier because everytime I pass by or every time I enter a convention It's not just the character FiCS: Can you share to us the characters that I'm cosplaying that they know, they know me you would like to cosplay in the future? personally as well. I'm really overwhelmed. Kristine: As of now I really want to stick with FiCS: That's an overwhelming feeling Erza Scarlet and her armors because I really indeed. Aside from Misa and Erza, who else love her and now is the chance that I could are the characters that you've cosplayed ? cosplay every armor that she had. As of now, I really don't have any plans to cosplay any other character. Kristine: Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy, Alexiel of Angel Sanctuary and her different FiCS: That is quite a remarkable love for a versions, and Chii from Chobits, I tried character! schoolgirl csopalys too! FiCS: Do you make your own costumes??

Kristine: Yes! Haha!

FiCS: Describe the Filipino Cosplay Kristine: No, I don't make my own costumes. Community. FiCS: who makes your costumes then?

Kristine: Oh! They are terrific! They are really accepted me. They wanted the characters that I cosplay and at first, they know me as Kristine: My first costume is made by Mr. the anime character that I am cosplaying Polly, and now it's Maureen Parendez. but eventually they started knowing me FiCS: Are they professional costume makers? as Kristine Solis so I really Appreciate the Philippine Cosplay Community. Kristine: Nope, they are my friends. FiCS: What are your parents' reaction towards cosplaying? Kristine: At first they are very hesitant towards cosplaying because financially, it is not very acceptable but when they saw me cosplay, they were happy for me and they decided to support me all throughout. FiCS: How about your friends? What are their reactions?

FiCS: Any message to the cosplayers out there? Kristine: Do not mind what other people think about you as a cosplayer or as the cosplay community itself as long as you love what you're doing. As long as you are passionate about it and happy with what you are doing, just keep going. FiCS: Last but not the least, greetings to your friends and the cosplayers out there.

Kristine: to my friends and co-cosplayers that support me with everything that i do, Kristine: They are surprised because they Thank You. To my mom an dad who support did not know i was a cosplayer and most of me financially and emotionally , Thank You, my friends are anime lovers so they were and for my sister Kyla Solis for inspiring me surprised that aside from the things that I do to cosplay thank you, thank you very much before they knew that i'm also a cosplayer. and I love you and to our God Almighty I offer it to you! that's all.

Attending a Cosplay Convention is Always a Journey A "Promdi" Cosplayer Heads to Manila! by Andrea Legaspi Cosplay conventions nowadays occur almost every month and everywhere over the North and South. We meet lots of con goers, photographers, and cosplayers but what we do not know is that some of these people actually live far away from where these conventions are held.

of obtaining money but from their allowance. Keep in mind that there are also strict parents who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want their kids spending money on â&#x20AC;&#x153;unnecessary stuffâ&#x20AC;? or going somewhere that is not school related.

for the very long line just to change their clothes and have their make-up done. Not to mention that it is usually quite claustrophobic inside the room since a lot of cosplayers also use it along with the regular mall goers.

There are also times that cosplayers have to travel with their props. I remembered the time I brought my scythe for Alice B-rabbit of Pandora hearts. It was not designed to be folded and the length is 7eet, so yeah, I carried the whole thing from my house to the con. I got a lot of stares and awful reactions but more than any of that, I was worried that it might get demaged. Really, I may be careful about handling it but those around me are not. They keep on bumping into and my heart felt like would literally break into pieces.

This dilemma is not shared by cosplayers alone. Photographers travel a lot with their huge and heavy equipment not just to be able to attend cons but to get to do a well equipped photoshoot with cosplayers as well.

The most usual places where cosplay conventions are held nowadaysare the SMX convention center at Mall of Asia (Pasay) and SM Megamall (Mandaluyong). Let us remember that cosplayers come from different places, some from the north, and some from the south and all of varying distances and their estimated time of travel differs as well. If only we could teleport from home to Manila to avoid the hassle of traffic and waking up early to attend a con in "time" to meet with friends. Attending a con is always a journey. Because there are a lot of difficulties to overcome when traveling to a con if you are a cosplayer who chose not to attend as a regular con goer and would be cosplaying on the event. I myself is a cosplayer from Cavite. It takes about an hour or two depends on the traffic, I transfer from 4 different vehicles when I go to cons and I always carry a huge bag, like I would go on a mountain climbing trip or going off somewhere really far away. It hurts my back and it always gets in the way of other people during transportation. Yes, It is a hassle, especially when the time you travel will be much longer than the time you spend at a con. What is the worth of that travel is that you get to see your fellow cosplayers and friends even for a short while. Speaking of commuting, there are those who have private cars but let us all remember that not all of us have private cars. Not all of us are working already. Majority are still students who don't have any form

These are the things that cosplayers do to reach the nation's capital and change outfits to live their cosplay dreams. Why all the effort? Because it is worth it! It makes us happy. We enjoy making other people happy. It satisfies us. It is a lot of effort indeed but because we enjoy what they are doing and they still Some cosplayers travel with parts choose to do it despite the hardships, of their costumes on to save the time we salute all of those who put effort in attending cons regardless of and effort of having to squish their way inside the comfort room and wait distance and troubles!

Cosplayer Profiles

Regine Charlotte "Even if everyone calls you a liar, even if you hate yourself, I'll be on your side" -Inori Yuzuriha (Guilty Crown)

Nickname: Regine / Reg Age: 24 Location: Mandaluyong Cosplaying: Inori Yuzuriha Anime: Guilty Crown Cosplaying Since: 2012 Characters Cosplayed: 8 Otaku Level: 70% Blood Type: B Cosplay Motivation: I really love anime eversince watching my very first one which is Bt'X . I started cosplaying as soon as I landed on my job. Hobbies: Watching movies, cartoons & animes, cosplay, drawing, Favorite Food: Siomai and Pasta based dishes especially spaghetti Favorite Drink: Water

Watch out for FiCS Magazine's 3rd Issue for a very funny comic treat!

Are you ready for Master Pogi?

https://www.facebook.com/Lokis-Haven

Band

Meet Ikuzo Iwa, a band that has been a mainstay in the Cosplay Convention music scene since 2007. They will now play their humble beginnings and their musical inspirations and aspirations. 62

FiCS: Welcome to FiCS Magazine Ikuzoiwa, First of all, Tell us something about Ikuzoiwa. Ikuzoiwa: Well, Hello everyone! We are Ikuzoiwa! We are a Jrock cover band, and a bit of other Asian inspired music and OPM. FiCS: Oh, that,s quite diverse for a band, what year did Ikuzoiwa got established then? Ikuzoiwa: Ikuzoiwa was formed last 2007 FiCS: Who founded the band? Ikuzoiwa: It was Jose Angelo Gecale who founded the band but he has to leave to focus on personal matters. FiCS: Do you have other members that departed from the band eversince Ikuzo was founded? Ikuzoiwa: We have an estimate of 12 former members that left our band.

FiCS: What are their reasons for leaving the band? Ikuzoiwa: mainly work related and to focus on their personal matters. FiCS: May we know the names and the roles of your band's current line up? Ikuzoiwa: Our current line up are as follows: Armeen Adavan - vocals Marlon dela Cuesta - guitar Apollo Mendoza - drums Michael Malabanan - bass Alben Dacanay - keys Jerome Skie - support bassist member FiCS: What made you guys decide to cover Jmusic songs? Ikuzoiwa: The uniqueness of each track, the animes that we have seen and to showcase our passion in this genre.

FiCS: What were the inspirations and motivations that drive the members of Ikuzoiwa to keep the band on going? Ikuzoiwa: performing on stage and being able to display what we are capable of, musically speaking. Hanging out each and every gig is a motivational factor as well. Basically, we play and we have fun! FiCS: It's a good thing that the current line-up is going strong. Ikuzoiwa : Indeed. We do admit that we have struggles, from band member changes and schedule conflicts but we can proudly say that we are good in making adjustments, and that's how we keep on. FiCS: How long are we going to see Ikuzoiwa in the cosplay scene? Ikuzoiwa: Our passion for music is never ending, as long as there are any opportunities to rock the stage, we would definitely be around the scene.

FiCS: When was your favorite performance as a band? Ikuzoiwa: OXP 2014, Toycon 2011/2014, Fantasy Quest 2013!

Ikuzoiwa: We look up to Japanese bands like High and Mighty Color, L'arc en Ciel, Gackt, Tokyo Jihen FiCS: Then how about Western bands? Ikuzoiwa: Those band would be Evanescence, Third Eye Blind, Mayday Parade, A Perfect Circle and Skrillex.

Jerome

FiCS: Which bands in the Jmusic scene does Ikuzoiwa look up to?

FiCS: And last but not the least, our local scene. Ikuzoiwa: Franco, Joey Ayala, Salamin, Silent Sanctuary and Greyhounds FiCS: How does Ikuzoiwa choose their songs to cover? Ikuzo : Depends on the event. Normally, tracks wherein con goers can relate to. But we throw in our favorites as well. For them to know us better through our influences. FiCS: What was the First Jmusic Song that Ikuzoiwa has covered? Ikuzoiwa: Memories from the anime One Piece. FiCS: How about Original songs? Do you have any?

Marlon

Ikuzoiwa: We have no original songs yet. Still working on it.

Ikuzoiwa: It feels really good to be a part of the Jmusic scene. Basically because you can't put a label to it, the uniqueness and the style had a lot to do with it. And another thing is that question from regular people like "Jrock? What's that? " makes it more interesting followed by that complicated explanation, then it would always end up in "Basta yung theme song ng Dragonball Z" but we wish they could know more.

Alben

FiCS: How does it feel, being a part of the Jmusic scene here in the Philippines?

Mhien

FiCS: How long do you think will Jmusic be a part of the filipino music scene? Ikuzoiwa: Filipinos knows anime mainly because of mainstream TV. That idea is a great leap for us Jrock cover bands to at least be known as pinoys who can rock tracks from Japan. And local productions sometimes invites us and that chance to play among indie OPM bands a great opportunity to let them know we do musically. For the duration, we are sure that as long as there is cosplay and Animes, there will be Jmusic here in the Philippines FiCS: How do you guys see Ikuzoiwa 10 years from now?

Apollo

Ikuzoiwa: Ikuzoiwa is still going strong, we will have an album released by that time, a platinum record, a worldwide tour, TV guestings and commercials. FiCS: That's a very nice way to visualize the future. Among all the Jmusic tracks that you have covered, which one is the band's favorite? Ikuzoiwa: Chala head Chala from Dragon Ball Z FiCS: How do you see the local music scene? Ikuzoiwa: It is constantly evolving OPM will always influence musicians here in our country and we do respect them. FiCS: During performances, how do you guys feel?

Mike 78

Ikuzoiwa: Nothing beats the ecstatic feeling of being on stage and the crowd relates to what you feel during performances. FiCS: Any message for the aspiring musicians out there? Ikuzoiwa: Your passion for your craft, do take it seriously. Because if you do not, all your efforts will be put to waste. Listen to your bandmates, they artists on their own and each idea will definitely improve yours and the bands'. Lastly, have fun. When all else fails, remember why you were here in the first place. Til next time!

My Cosplay Story Meet Ibby Mendoza, a cosplayer who is about to enter a period of hiatus from the cosplay scene due to personal reasons. A few months ago, she made this facebook post which captured the FiCS Team's attention. They felt the need for this facebook post to be read by the upcoming and newbie cosplayers out there, leading this facebook post on the pages of FiCS Magazine's My Cosplay Story. Ibby, speak!

Ibby Mendoza the crowd! There are a lot of critics and jerks out there but remember that you are fighting for something you love and passionate above. Remember to stay healthy. Do not risk your health just to get that ideal weight. 4. You do not need to get the best wig. It takes time to earn money especially as a student I understand that so take your time and invest on something that you can use over and over or someday sell that costume or wig. 5. Cosplay builds up confidence! I admit I was that one person in class who would not perform alone for a PE class. I would run away because I can't. Cosplay taught me to be confident! 6. Always aim to improve! Be it costume or portrayals, improvement is a must when it comes to cosplaying.

Ibby cosplaying as Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

7. Research more about the Anime/Manga/Game/Movie from which the character you will cosplay came from. Remember their personality, movements and such for cosplay is more that just costumes, it also part play!

I'm known as Ibby Mendoza in the cosplay community. I do made to order cosplay costumes and preorders wigs. I have 8. You must really like or love the character that you'll be been cosplaying for five years but I will eventually take hiatus cosplaying. Not just by looks but at least by personality or due to personal reasons. she/he connects to you because you have the same situation, personality, you admire the character or so. Through the years I learned a lot about cosplaying along the way. For me Cosplay is like any other hobby, an expensive 9. Make a research about the costume and details. You can hobby! Cosplaying is indeed a hobby that should require ask advice from tailors and propsmen for the best option for passion and dedication and is not meant to be used to gain materials. popularity or just using it to become a model of some famous company or so. 10. I do advice to stay away from gina/geena silk and light satin for your costume's base. They are made for linings. They Some cosplayers take cosplaying seriously but it is meant are not really meant for base for it is thin and not really good. for fun! Yes a lot of people have said that but what really is this cosplay? for fun? Fun because im doing cosplaying so I will 11. Find the other parts of your costume to make it complete! be famous or noticed? Or because I want to be photographed by a lot of photographers? Yes I admit I also want to be I'll share to you my Ursula cosplay. photographed but not for fame but I want to show how hard I worked for my costume. Since I was a kid, I watched The Little Mermaid. Of course as a kid I feared or even hated Ursula. While growing up, that Through my years of cosplaying, I am quite confident that is what I thought as well. 2014 was the year when I decided I can give tips to the new and upcoming copslayers out there. to re-watch â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Little Mermaidâ&#x20AC;?. I finally understood Ursula! Before I leave the community, I would like to give them these Yes, she maybe the Villain, but I view her as a beautiful woman. small tips: She's one of those who have a rare and strong personalities that I admire. 1. Do not let other people choose what suits you! If you do so, then what is the point right? It becomes more of a cosplay for I researched through the movie, disney on ice, disney request. rides, plays on the internet the best costume, how she was portrayed, skits to do, everything about her. Best fabrics, the 2. Do not let people or yourself tell you that you are not suited best wig brand and such! for cosplay. That is the beauty of cosplaying. 3. Race, Gender, Skin, Height and Height: Throw it all away! You're husky but want to be Miku Hatsune? Don't mind

I also thought why no one has done Ursula in the Philippines? Ursula is a great villain! I will give her justice! So thats how it started.

The costume then started growing higher and higher in expenses. The tally of the price were as follows: Costume = P8,000 10 yards of Black Velvet, 4 yards of Purple Bridal Satin, 50 pcs of Purple Rhinestones Wig = P2,400 (P1,200 each wig) 2 Lucaille White Short Wigs Marker for the grey streak on the wigs = P150 Wig Styling = P900 Face/Body Paint = P2,000 (P400 each pot) Fake Nails and Red Nail Polish = P50 Red Liptstick = P100 Necklace and Earrings = P320 ______________________________________ TOTAL MONEY SPENT = P13,920 Quite painful for the pocket right? Now, let me tell you the second amount that equals or might even outvalue the very taunting expense above. Here's the sum of what I've gained in exchange of the very expensive cost of cosplay. Ibby cosplaying as Anna (Frozen)

The amount of people who told me to do my best in the cosplay competition. + The amount of people who said my cosplay was so accurate and loved how I brought Ursula to life! + The amount of people who told me that I'm an inspiration to them. ______________________________________ TOTAL = PRICELESS I was touched and actually cried everytime I get a Personal Message saying at least one of those. Overall, cosplay is not a waste of money for me. Yes, that would not be the normal thing your parents, grandparents, relatives, or other people would say.

What do you gain in exchange of all these? Your dream!

Admit it. you wanted to be a Disney princess, Power Ranger, Robot, or so when you were a kid right?! Add the newly found friends, newly found self-esteem within yourself, the lessons learned from other cosplayers, photographers or congoers, the people admiring that you have brought their favorite character to life and the overall experience and you will have something that no amount of money can afford.

Ibby cosplaying as Atsuko Maeda (AKB0048)

I admit I'm fat and don't tell me I'm not. Be honest! Anna is a thin character. Still, I pursued her because we have the same personality and of course her outfits were just wow! Adults and kids especially did not care and approached me like I was the real Anna and chatted with me and took photos. They did not care that I was fat and dark skinned. Proof of the things that I've said earlier.

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Filipino Cosplay Scene Magazine