Cosplay is Love

by Von Fritz Evangelista

Shall I say...2009 is my Year of Anime and Cosplay.

The thing is, I gave up anime eons ago. I gave up Flame of Recca, Ghost Fighter, Fushigi Yuugi, and the others way back in high school because my schedule hindered me to finish the series. I didn’t watch that much anime in college.

The first person who mentioned to me about Cosplaying is Kirc. He posted in Multiply this picture of people portraying characters from Death Note. But I didn’t give a damn. That was 2007.

Come mid 2008, a fellow nurse of mine told me something interesting about the coming 2nd Eletric Masskara in Lacson Street which I was itchin to conquer. She told me about this group of people wearing Naruto costumes. “Cosplayers you mean!” I told her. She told me they paraded the street the previous year and it was pity I haven’t seen them. Which made me even more curious about COSPLAY. So I told myself, I gotta see them this time.

October last year, I had my first experience with the Cosplayers. At last! It was great taking photos of myself with them and I put it in my bucket list --- COSPLAY BEFORE I DIE. Though, I got to confess, I wasn’t watching Naruto and Bleach that time so I wondered who the hell were those characters? LOL.

I began researching about Cosplay. Gawd! I learned so much. By then, I began watching Naruto. Yeah, I watched it from the beginning and I became I ninja myself.

Just as the year ended, I FELL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE who likes anime so much, particularly Naruto. And a better twist...I found out she’s one among those fantabulous cosplayers in Lacson during the recent Electric Masskara. How’s that? Cosplaying then became an obsession to me not to mention digesting everything Masashi Kishimoto created.

IT WAS LOVE THAT CATAPULTED ME INTO COSPLAYING.

So this year, I was lucky to find a group of people who were willing to Cosplay together for the 3rd Electric Masskara. We were supposed to join the other Bacolod Cosplayers but just too bad we weren’t able to communicate successfully. I was desperate to become a Konoha ninja.

It was a success! Gawd, Cosplaying in Lacson Street on that fated night was heaven. Somehow, we were able to meet some members of Tinta Production who had been constantly cosplaying for two consecutive years. And what’s more surprising, the LOVE of my LIFE was there cosplaying with us. Oh yeah...one thing that made me euphoric the most set aside all fun and fame.

THOUGH, we weren’t in good terms that night. Everything was perfect except with US. Come to think of it...I watched Naruto and Bleach the whole year and got a costume for myself...and it all ended up with her snobbing me the whole night. I dunno. Maybe she’s trying to portray the wicked anime character she’s playing or whatever. Oh yeah, WHATEVER!

That’s it. I’m done. I’m done with her. Got to find a new inspiration.

But looking at the brighter side, I became a certified cosplayer and met a lot of friends. Hitsuzen Inc., the cosplaying group we formed is getting more stable and is now organizing interesting projects. Plus working with Tinta and other groups in Cosplay Bacolod, what fun! Now this is a new world to enjoy. Yatta!