Finally it's the final part of my POF highlights and this time I'm going to tackle the last year's edition with the theme of "Asobi," or play in Japanese!
The con had moved to its new venue, Robinson's Novaliches, and for the first time that it'd be a three-day con than a two-day one. The activities were still the same with the exception of the battle of the bands and the two-sub karacons from the 2018 edition, but adding a new sub karacon which was the Ultimate Karaoke Royale.
In terms of my cos lineups, it was east meets west this time as I cosplayed Rio Kuroki and the 13th Doctor, who were also both debuted from the past year, for the weekend session only.
The 2019 edition marked the 3rd time that I joined the YCSF, this time singing the KiraKira PreCure A La Mode opening theme, and my 1st KRB appearance with AKB48's "Heavy Rotation" in a brilliant friendly contest with my mates in Team OKE.
Not only myself, my elder brother was one of the panelists about the local idol scene and speaking of idols, Ivy! Musume, CH4U, JAPH Dolls and Aidoru Sozai made their own oozing numbers the now 3-day POF. Though a bit lost about the exact venue but overall it was a very nice change of view as well considering the more spacious way and a twincool experience!
As of this moment, I'm still cleaning my backlogs from last year, so it'll be taking time before finally posting my POF 2019 vlog so please bear with the WIPs.
And that concludes my Pinoy Otaku Festival experience highlights! Hope that you've been taking back into the past and how the con itself expands over the years. Till then, see you all in POF 2021! 😊
Hooray, hooray! Welcome to my Pinoy Otaku Festival highlights part 3 and let's take a trip down memory lane of its 2018 edition entitled "Ai," or love in Japanese!
Speaking of themes, it was also my first time that an old and a new cosplay to be lined up at the same time in the same con and these were Reina Kousaka (Hibike! Euphonium) and Nishikata (Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san), plus my personal lineup theme would be the school setting coz it was a week before the new academic year began in PH at the time so I chose this.
Like the previous year, the con had more new activities including workshops, the Cosplay Championship League, the battle of the bands and the subs of its karacon - the Japanese translated and the Tagalized Star contests - aside from the YCSF.
Besides the Darling in the FRANXX appreciation rally, this marked the 1st time for Colony Drop Cosplay made their Asian con tour although it was also the 2nd time for Ms. Lorelei anyway, and they had a panel.
The 2nd day of POF also coincided with the MNL48 First Generation Fan Meet and I wasn't able to attend the latter due to sked conflicts, but my elder nii-san became my proxy for it.
Speaking of karacons again, I sang "Shinkyou Projector" by Chika Anzai aka Reina K.'s seiyuu for the YCSF and did a Filipino-translated rendition of "Himitsu Dolls," the ending theme of the Strawberry Panic! anime series originally performed by Mai Nakahara and Yui Horie. I won the latter as the champion of the Tagalized Star karacon and gosh, I just couldn't believe that I finally had another token for the first time in 2 years (until I bagged another one, this time in Coslandia, more than a year later as the 2nd runner up)! 😭❤ Super unexpected but that more than 3 month preps were really worth the wait.
Tearjerkers aside, POF 2018 had a whooping 7000+ attendees which was a 3k more than the previous year. But considering the space and other circumstances, the organizers had decided to move in a more spacious venue beginning in 2019. Nevertheless, it was another blast despite various flaws. If you want to take a look on the 2018 edition, check out my vlogs posted on my page.
Welcome to the 2nd part of my Pinoy Otaku Festival highlights and today I'm gonna share my experiences about its 2017 edition, also with the title "Danketsu." It was also the con that had some firsts since I first attended in the previous year:
- first to debuted two new cosplays in a con (Haruhi Fujioka and Kobayashi)
- first to attend both days
- first to have and attract more new friends
- among the firsts to join its first Your Cosplay Sounds Familiar karacon
In addition that POF made its new venue in Fairview Terraces for that year and 2018, it had the biggest number of attendees since its first inception in 2011, roughly more than 3000 of them, and it had newest activities including the Your Cosplay Sounds Familiar contest.
I didn't expect not only for the number of attendees nor the new activities but also some peeps had quickly recognized both of my Haruhi-kun and Kobayashi cosplays and yep, I sang "Sakura Kiss" by Chieco Kawada for YCSF and made an unexpected intermission dance to the tune of fhana's "Aozora no Rhapsody" performed by my boi Bien for the actual karacon. Didn't expect the crowd aura but I really enjoy it, I won them out after all on both contests. 😁
Overall it was a blast and in case you missed it and curious about the con, you can check my 2-pt vlog about POF 2017 on my FB page.
Since Pinoy Otaku Festival got postponed till next year, I'm going to share my experiences in the con for the past four years since I first attended. So here I go!
My first POF was in 2016, then entitled AniMay Weekend, and I was only attended the 1st day and cosplaying as Yui Nanase in her summer outfit. It was also the first time that I joined the karaoke contest as well as gained new friends for the first time, including Ms. Lorelei Hutchings of Colony Drop Cosplay and Hiro Saeki-san and I had to say they were awesome lads and geek nerds like most of my mates, and my first stint to join a cosplay contest there. 😊 Surely it was toughie but hey, I had a lot of fun despite the venue's quite far from my place.
Speaking of karacons, I sang "KIRA KIRA" by the J-pop group Every Little Thing which was part of the Go! Princess PreCure movie soundtrack. Didn't took the trophy, but I just performed it for fun alongside some of my mates from Team OKE Gakuen. Overall it was fun amid the flaws, I say.
And that's the 1st part of my POF experiences. Next report, POF 2017. 😃
Wargods Gaming Expo is the conventional brainchild of the Wargods Gaming Arena Cafe that aims to showcase the talents of different gamers with the support for the otaku world via the cosplay contest. The real essence of this con was one should be bold and brave like a Wargod/Wargoddess. It is divided into various contests including the Gamers' Got Talent and the abovementioned one (individual and group). The tickets meanwhile has various prizes range from PHP 150 to PHP 500 depending on what tier style that they choose from and all of these come with a free baller bracelet and some freebies.
Last July 12, 2015* (8 days before the splashing birthday of Minami "Cure Mermaid" Kaido from Go! Princess Pretty Cure), the event was held at Playland inside Fisher Mall in Quzeon Ave., Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Quezon City. It's basically a few meters away from my home in Brgy. Paltok (aka the current All Pretty Cure Facebook Page main HQ) within the Frisco^ area of the abovementioned either by walk, blue trike (for the peeps surrounding Frisco), or take a jeep. It's also co-organized by the Otaku U Rule org of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Manila (the guys that brought us the Japanime Expo and the Invitational Open Photoshoot) which also the ones that provided marshals.
The event was hosted by Louise Betita and Koleen Mercado who're both cosplayers. Betita is an Imagineer at Cosplay Network Philippines while Mercado is part of Team M.A.R.C.H., the crew provided for the cosplay seminar at the start of WGX.
WHAT IS FISHER MALL'S PLAYLAND? (Credits to Deremoe)
STRUCTURE
Playland is a three-floor amusement area at the fourth level of the mall. At the ground and second levels are arcade games while the third level has a basketball court, an airsoft field, and a billiard hall.
TYPE OF OPERATION AND ITS FLAWS
Playland’s operation is quite similar to that of Timezone where it uses cards and prepaid load to play games, but unlike its bigger counterpart, they use near-field communication (NFC) technology. If you want to play a game, tap the prepaid card into the reader and wait for a moment until the load gets credited into the machine. The card readers are connected to a local network, and the online system sets the price for each reader. The only downside of this system is the infrastructure of the network itself.
PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW FOR THE CON
As a congoer for almost seven years, it's a good and wise decision for the Wargods Team that they've gotta occupy the only nearest mall within the Frisco area although WGX 1.5 was also the 4th event overall that I've attended inside Fisher Mall. The event itself serves as my first big cosplay skit break as Yui Nanase, the current and youngest aide of a Pretty Cure team coming from the Blue Planet in the long-running Pretty Cure Series anime franchise.
Before that grand royal entourage, I was put into a tough yet despair-like test because of the suspension of classes for three... No, four straight days due to typhoons Egay and Falcon that made my budget plans had been foiled up. Fortunately by the grace of G (God/Kami-sama) and with some random peeps who're lending up their bucks out for me on the event day, I was able to cover the event lately than the usual (because I was still then busy for the GPPC episode 24 coverage as well as taking up some updates for its upcoming movie this October). Anyways, the saying "better late than never" has proven even in WGX.
Speaking of the cosplay contest, I was one of the 49 contenders for the solo division. It was full of wild yet intense pressure with touches of nervousness, but everyone's keeping calm the situation (screw that Cure Twinkle reference!) in their own ways, especially the papapicture stuff and selfies from random people around the Playland root deck. I gave a Monster Energy Drink from Aya Fujimiya-niisan, who dresses as a ninja from the League of Legends game in which I was one of the few peeps from his side that recognize him (only the voice) before lending a parody endorsement pic.
The cosplayers (that includes myself) were carefully evaluated by Sir Christian Mack of arkadymac, Wargods ambassadress Mina Kim and an influential cosplay mate of mine that is kuya Lyron Aquino. In the end, only 1 winner from each category and a grab to take the overall big winner token in a surprise showdown.
Big winners:
Best Chibi: Izaiah Buelos as Gundam Heavy Arms from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Best Male: Miko Enriquez as Razor the Lightning Revenant from DOTA 2
Best Female: Snow Carranceja as White Walker from Game of Thrones
Best Group: Dragon Ball Z Warriors as various characters of Naruto
Overall: Nicki Roque as Korra from The Legend of Korra
Runners-up for the Solo Cosplay:
RB Cheng as King Gojulas
Nicki Roque as Korra from The Legend of Korra
So, I'll proceed to the wildest topic ever in the meantime! I ain't got the chance to taste the sweetness of Playland's arcade world because of the time lack, but what's crazily surprising for me was, yeah, being the only gal stood up for the Playpark Dance Contest. And since I was cosplaying as Yui-Yui (nicknamed by again, Cure Twinkle, herself. As in, Kirara Amanogawa.), I've already got the guts to do the challenge all by myself by doing the popular Nae Nae and Twerk like Miley dances in a not-so rated SSPG (Super Sadyang Pinilit at Ginagaya) showdown with screams and cheers from the audience. Anyways, here's the video courtesy of Deremoe!
In the end, that damned guy dressing as Hentai Kamen in long white ordination dress named Jego Daniel emerged as the winner of the said contest with a PHP 2,000 cash, a plaque and a loot bag courtesy of Thermaltake, one of the sponsors for this WGX iteration. However, the most braved one for being a Wargoddess (or in Cure Series terms, being a Pretty Cure heroine, although Yui-Yui is only a helper to the Princess Pretty Cures and literally has no powers) in this dance showdown was no less than myself with PHP 1,000 cash!
After that, a too amazing performance from Jammy Reyes who sang the official Wargods theme song, "Mandirigma," followed by DJ Shin Boo as he introduced the three lovely ambassadresses of Wargods with giving freebies to the lucky audience.
Back to cosplay contest, I was approached and talked to a relative of one of the cosplayers who has been experience some technical flaws for her skit. And as the admin of a Pretty Cure-oriented social media page (and the representative of Prince Kanata of the Hope Kingdom) who's already experience some inconsistencies in various cons and events, specifically regarding the cosplay no sekai, I consulted the mom that something was terribly wrong with the chosen BGM itself yet I told her that maybe because of the USB which was suppose to inserted and already stored in the sound system hours before the proper. Fortunately, one of the sound technicians fixed the problem... At least.
She told me that it was her daughter's first time to join the cosplay contest, in which gives a huge nod, and also reminded that cosplayers should just wanna have fun even in competitions, which is very true. That thing also encouraged and inspired me as a cosplayer to give my all and win the audience's hearts no matter what.
The event wraps around 9 pm to the fact that WGX was totally a huge success and (in the style of Cure Flora) suteki sugiru (too amazing), giving what the audience are expecting and deserving in this awesome yet different con unlike any other, though again has a few flaws! Therefore based on my researches that the team will continue doing a series of events in the near future, and from what I've read from some sources that they're gonna plan to have another event this September (for as long as it won't bumped the upcoming Asian Pop Comic Con at the Manila World Trade Center and the Best of Anime at the SMX Convention Center, which are both in Pasay City).
And to end this heck long review on WGX, here's our resourcing Yui-Yui doing the two splendid poses of her Cure partners!
