One of Baguio City’s major cosplay events ends on its 7th edition
If there’s one good thing about my first visit to Baguio last January, it’s the fact that I am personally invited to one of its major cosplay events — if not THE one.
The event is held at Newtown Plaza Events Center, facing the hotel which runs it. I think it’s a newly-built, fairly new venue in the City of Pines.
This year’s theme is “The Harajuku Parajade,” which is reflected in their pastel kawaii aesthetic. The stage is set like a catwalk, audience seats at the side, and the guests gradually enter the event as time passes by. I noticed that most of them don’t crowd the lobby area and go straight up to the second level where the event is at.
My first visit to Baguio did not count quite well as I was soooo drowsy that I slept in the benches of PFVR Gym in the afternoon at that time. Thankfully this year’s Cosplay Tanabata program spans two days, which means I get to recharge up to capture the moment.
I believe the days are separated into two to allow performers of the karaoke/dance cover contests and cosplayers to give them ample time to prepare.
Baguio’s cosplay community is indeed small compared to Manila’s. I mean, some cosplayers are wearing different costumes for different days. I’ll show you examples:
Center: The wild tandem of Ladybug and Cat Noir who won the Pair Cosplay on Day 2. Left: Ladybug donning what I see is legit Harajuku attire during Day 1. Right: Cat Noir during Day 1. (Captured by Wiljanz Lopez for keepsakes.)
Left: Rika during Day 1. I’m not sure which Saber she is, so I shall leave it like that for the meantime. (Captured by Wiljanz Lopez for keepsakes.) Right: Rika as Kiyohime on Day 2. If she had not reminded me of the bunny she has with her during Kospurei Bunkasai last January, I won’t remember her.
Left: Jeliz in gothic attire participating in the Karaoke Contest. Right: Jeliz, as Harley Quinn from Batman Ninja, participating in the pair cosplay competition. Photos of her performance have been immortalized into memes. (Captured by Wiljanz Lopez for keepsakes.)
I never expected Baguio cosplay to be as wild as Manila’s — maybe it’s the tight-knit community. Maybe it’s the way they perform skits on stage. Maybe it’s the way they cheer for their folk who sings or dances on stage.
The organizers, the cosplayers, the performers — they all went out on this. The atmosphere was so wild, I felt I’m home… well, that’s the plan for organizer CurTeaNah Cosplay Events Baguio, which has been doing this for quite a long time.
Baguio’s meme-loving cosplay community
I had so much fun, someone made memes out of it, which led me to conclude that Baguio loves memeing each other. They press F to pay respects, they have wild people running to the stage… Sure, I press F, but at the same time, I don’t want to get off this wild ride. Oof.
There’s this one guy who has this tarp of Keanu Reeves saying “You’re breathtaking!” and that kind of sums the point. He’s the only one with that get-up, but you see, even the hosts love it. “You’re breathtaking!” “No, you’re breathtaking.”
I found it hard to compose this post as I have things to share, and I’m hoping I convey this love letter from the City of Pines to you. I have more content from Baguio to post as time passes, so I hope you stick around. I’ll see you at the next events.
Special thanks to CurTeaNah Cosplay Events for having me as one of their media partners for Cosplay Tanabata 7. I have more photos on Facebook, tag youselves.