Anime Idol Convention 2024: Fans Reunited

It’s been four years since the last Anime Idol Convention was held, and this year’s comeback spelled the return of the presence of anime idol fans to the stage.

Several factors came into play for the positive return of AICon this year:

  • First, the cloudy weather matched with the cold temperatures we are facing at the moment (I am grateful it did not rain at all).
  • Second, the new venue at Elements at Eton Centris, which a short distance away from the Quezon Avenue MRT Station.
  • Third, is the overall reception of fans and performers alike, understanding that all of them have been waiting for this moment to come once again.

I have been waiting for the return of AICon too – last time (2020), I had to substitute someone to produce a video feature for the said event. Now that I’m back on solo flight, I am more than happy to be present there.

I landed at the venue at exactly 4pm, two hours before the event closes. Just outside the venue, I see fans adorned in the costumes of their favorite anime idols. Some have already catched up to the current LoveLive! meta like the ones dressed as the characters from Hasunosora.

I only have three things in mind beside my participation as media for AICon 2024:

  1. Meet the organizers at Pygmalia who continues to reach out to keepsakes. to cover this event despite my deeper inclination to VTubers (they are the same minds behind the ONLive Convention which also received positive reception as one of the rare VTuber-focused events worldwide next to Thailand’s V-FESTA and the pioneering OffKai Expo).
  2. Make sure to capture photos of a COMPLETE ChamJam (OshiBudo) cosplay group because I do not want to miss this RARE opportunity of seeing a complete cosgroup from one of my Winter 2020 sleeper hit favorites.
  3. Support NIKO LAB, who I treat as a successor to numerous anime idol cover groups such as Aquarius and the Alliance of Limitless Idols Connecting Everyone, aka AliPro (or as I call it, Alyansa).

I did mention earlier that I came in late, but I was just in time to complete this checklist. I have several short videos in mind, which I plan to release soon.

Moving back, I met once again the people I know from the anime idol fandom, such as this rice knight whom I will hide under the name Robin Emblem. He looked like the same rice knight I knew from years ago.

I also went ahead and met the titas of Seishun Kakumei who always looked like the titas I knew from way back then.

I made sure that I get to capture cosplay photos of anime idols as much as possible, including what was left of the A-RISE group (LoveLive!) and THE iDOLM@STER SIDE M delegation.

Despite such nostalgia, other matters were also present at AICon 2024, such as the presence of Yume Shou dressed as characters from fan-favorite idol drama anime Oshi no Ko, as well as the impending closure of the LoveLive! School idol festival game with a three-month send-off for the global audience.

With all the factors mentioned, I made my AICon 2024 experience a memorable keepsake which i will carry in speech and prose. Thank you everyone for making another milestone in local fan history.

More photos from AICon 2024 on Facebook, check the album and see if I got you captured.

About That Pinoy R-Rated Cosplay-themed Film…

woman wearing anime character costume

Friends, I am sure to say that I am back to blogging on a personal level. It’s been a while since I wrote pieces for this blog (because I have been focusing on activities outside keepsakes. for the longest time).

A trailer for an R-Rated film with Cosplay as its setting has been released online Saturday night (January 13), sparking conversations on how this film will further stigmatize cosplayers especially the female ones.

I’m watching reactions from actual cosplayers:

  • I stumbled upon one post from a cosplayer who was an extra when it was being filmed. The gist of it is that they were informed late that it’s part of THAT film, giving them little to no choice to back out.
  • Another is from a cosplayer (a student) who said that she was asked by another student if she can do sexual acts because she’s a cosplayer (and this was at school, by the way).
  • Reactions from people in the community who are familiar with how mainstream media interpret niche cultures without care AND are also familiar that we have aliens in the community who lack respect and sensitivity towards others.
  • Reactions from people who understand that cosplay has been sexualized in other countries (especially in Japan) and felt that this was bound to happen.
  • A response from a trusted friend of mine who, in detail, shared what they figured out from this, assuming they shared their thoughts hours after watching the trailer (and I share their sentiments, too).
  • The rest are cosplayers who are either enraged and/or disgusted at the portrayal of Philippine Cosplay in the said film.

Now, this is being billed as an original film for a video-on-demand platform, therefore you need to pay a subscription to the platform and then you can watch THAT film plus hundreds more in their catalog.

That said, before it gets released on the platform in full January 26 (previously announced February 2), I watched the trailer and figured the following:

  • While this is billed as an original film for the platform, it is produced by an unfamiliar entity who produced 3 other films prior. The IMDB entry for the said producer does say that Viva Films is a co-producer for the said three films.
  • I looked up the directors’ names online and saw that one of the two directors is best known for directing horror films. He directed segments for four films under the same series. The other one is part of Batch 29 members of the Directors’ Guild, whose batch mates include several known directors in the field of cinema and television.
  • The lead actress for the said film also starred in several films, including one penned by a National Artist for Literature who I’d love to learn from either in person or in prose.

Again, the film has not been released yet, but as the cosplayers gatekeep harder and harder against the displayed ignorance of how mainstream media portrays cosplay in the Philippines, what can cosplayers do about it? What can you do about it? I humbly suggest the following:

  • Just ignore the film. All this film needs is publicity, either negative (warranted) or positive (questionable), and they are winning each time we give it any further mention.

    • Do not talk about it online. That will only gather attention from fellow humans (like you who can’t search this piece because I explicitly didn’t include keywords as much as possible) and robots (search engines and scrapers will not display this as part of the results upon your request).
    • Don’t talk about it offline. Do not spread the word that this exists while we are making the most out of our hobbies especially in safe spaces.
    • Do not talk about it to others at all. Crusades and calls for boycotts can backfire because it is still publicity. Heck, keep it to yourself and do your best to forget it exists! Move along.

  • Reiterate and then reiterate some more that this is not reflective of Cosplay in the Philippines. I have a long list of stuff to say about this, but allow me to be brief:

    • First, let’s show the uninitiated and uninterested that Philippine Cosplay is fun, a great hobby, develops creativity, and boosts confidence. Introduce your parents (and by extension, your relatives) to what you do, let them get to know your trusted cosplay friends, show them your support system.
    • Second, let’s show them photos and videos of what you are doing at a cosplay event – please don’t show them the kabedons or any other fanservice though. The goal is to reassure that nothing bad is happening there.
    • Heck, if you were even able to buy books about cosplay, show them those as well! Let them know you appreciate cosplay and you will defend it as much as we want to defend the cosplay scene from the stigma this R-Rated film is giving.
    • Lastly, do your best not to get into any drama, no matter how petty or heavy it is. Do not fall victim into any scams, traps, or anything that will distress you – because if anyone (parents, relatives and even friends who are not familiar with OUR culture) see you in a sad state, they’ll just advise you to quit.
    • Take note: From the time that R-Rated Film’s teaser was posted online until the time its hype or any mention of that film dies down, all of us are on red alert for stigma and is expected to be at your best behavior and reaction as someone familiar with cosplay in your family or circle of friends. You can control how you react to this stigma. It just so happens that I am reacting in a concerned manner, warning you about this and preparing you for the worst to come.

  • Rest assured that cosplay isn’t going away. I get it, some of you have fear of missing out (I do). Cosplay in the Philippines has boomed post-pandemic that even events can’t just get us all in one place altogether.

    • In fact, I checked the calendar of events and I think we are eating good at how major event organizers are already cooking their events scheduled for various dates. (One day I will update mine)
    • If you are not allowed to cosplay yourself, then by all means still enjoy going to cosplay events. We are now at a time where cosplay events at malls are all the more becoming the norm, so you can tell your parents you’ll be meeting friends at the nearby mall when there’s a cosplay event happening – and if they need to join, that’s a perfect bait for them to see how great cosplaying is.
    • In due time, you will be able to cosplay. Don’t mind if you’re already in your 30s beyond, there are still cosplay ideas around for your age. Heck, if you are allowed to be independent, you got the chance.

If you feel that my suggestions are one-sided or lacking, please suggest anything possible and let’s help in putting a positive spotlight and removing stigma against Philippine cosplay.

Photo by meijii from Pexels

Cosplay Token in the Philippines: My Experience in Using It

Long time no see, keepsakes.! I am so immersed in VTubers that I gave this space the least priority. It’s not too late to write here, so I have a story to share with everyone. Earlier today, I was at OtaCute to witness the Launch Party of its Event DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization).

I am still somehow confused as to what a DAO means even after reading this Investopedia article and how it applies to OtaCute’s current format, but I did realize that the whole process of organizing the launch party was left to those who want to participate in it.

Nevertheless, all I had in mind is this: At last, I can use the Cosplay Token that I have in my crypto wallet. Cosplay Token was developed by CureCos initially to support the cosplay economy—which according to Cure is valued at 45 billion US dollars.

When Cosplay Token was revealed in 2018, I was not OK with cryptocurrency. Especially at that time, rug pulls were the big news, giving me the impression that cryptocurrency is used as a scam. That bitter aftertaste is still present today, especially with how volatile major cryptocurrencies are—not to mention, the then well-endorsed FTX exchange was gone in an instant.

Despite this, major fintech services such as Maya and GCash are opening the doors for the common folk to use spare change to play with volatile cryptocurrencies. CONQuest Festival last year distributed its limited-edition NFT to those interested at no cost. Philippine TOYCON last year has partnered with a token service for a utility token.

It’s better for me to say that I am slowly opening up to these technologies rather than continue dissing them when I have such items. To me, as long as it’s at little to no cost, and it respects original content (unlike NFTs which can be created using AI art, together a bad combination), I can be fine with it. That’s my current personal opinion on NFTs.

But we are not talking about NFTs here—let’s go back to Cosplay Token. I had the chance to use 600 COTs as payment for goods. I got this by signing up in the event as a visitor (400 COT) and previously through a lottery at OtaCute’s booth during Japan Fiesta two months ago (200 COT).

This one’s important: Currently, OtaCute’s COT is in the ByBit exchange, and ByBit shoulders gas fees for COT transactions. This means that if I were a ByBit user, I don’t have to pay additional transaction fees (or gas in Etherum terms, in the form of MATIC).

That’s where my problem lies: I don’t have MATIC at first. Sure, I can swap some of my COT using MATIC, but I don’t have MATIC at hand to swap coins. This is a Catch-22 problem that I only faced because I am not using a ByBit wallet. I asked a staff member if I could purchase Php50 worth of MATIC just for things to push through. And so, it did. Remember this part so you don’t face the same problem as mine. It’s a Metamask thing, because the minimum deposit amount from your bank to Metamask is around Php1,700.

So, how did I spend these coins? Over the course of almost 4 hours, I bought two A4 cosplay prints, a bundle of two 4R prints, two hotdog-on-sticks, a 4-piece sushi set, and iced tea. All’s good. I enjoyed the rest of the event especially the music-by-request segment. It felt more like an intimate party rather than a formal launch, which is good because the purpose of these events is to hang out with your fellow fans.

My current impression is that OtaCute is keen on developing the use of COT in the country. I had a chance to sit down with one of OtaCute’s founders, Yu Ohara, and exchange thoughts. I asked Yu-san which country aside from the Philippines has an example of using COT, and he told me about Vietnam. I have yet to ask about this in the future, but do let me know what’s it like there.

I talked to a cosplayer who sells prints about their experience. She told me that it’s as if they’re doing cashless transaction a la GCash. That’s good, because they don’t have to prepare change. Well, as for me, I have to think of those gas fees (thankfully you can at least have 0.1 MATIC and proceed with your transactions).

Thank you for reaching this far. I’m sure this was an unusual experience, but I will continue to monitor Cosplay Token’s use in the Philippines. More stories from this event will be posted on Tiktok, and Cosplay photos are already posted on Facebook.

Get Lit at the Bloc—Cebu Litfest 2023

My latest trip to Cebu was last-minute, but it sure did lead me to another great event, which is Cebu Litfest 2023 at the Ayala Malls Central Bloc at the heart of Cebu IT Park. I got a lot of cosplay photos on Facebook, plus a video featuring my good friends Gary and Lloyd who covered the 6200 Geek Con and Otakufest last year.

Now for some photos that I’m sharing in this post: There was this one special booth where Sharreh dressed up in traditional attire. Happy to know that hours after taking this photo, her merch are sold out!

Of course I’m in for VTuber merch—I got my budol moment hours after recording footage from the event, and I brought home with me some good merch from Jumpy Bun and Xero. Guess which NijiEN prints I purchased from the artists!

I was present for one day only (Day 1), so I made it a point to capture as much cosplay photos as I can. Thankfully, the photos went well enough—and there are rare cosplays such as Nagumo from Arifureta:

The good ol’ Genshin Impact featuring a rare Bonanus cosplay (rightmost)…

…and perhaps the only Quilldren on that day, a rare Ike Eveland cosplay.

I did not return back to Manila empty-handed, and it was a great experience to fly again to the Queen City of the South. I hope to do it again someday, for sure.

Ozine Fest 90s Retro Anime Event

It’s the first time I’m posting here on the site in a long while, so let me start the year right by sharing this video I did before the year ended—Ozine Fest 90s Retro Anime Event.

What kicked the Cosplay Week in the Philippines was a nostalgic, feel-good event. The dress code has set the tone for the event—90s Anime—and the cosplayers followed suit. Those who have complaints of seeing cosplays from a major game should have been here to relive their childhoods, as they will see only a few of such.

Understanding that the audio quality may not be at par with the rest of the videos, I still made sure that the audio is audible. That said, enjoy around 19 minutes of me asking cosplayers some questions or checking out the variety store.

Check out more photos from the event on Facebook.