GEEKDOM IN A NUTSHELL

if you consider yourself an ‘otaku’ then perhaps you are already familiar with the word, COSPLAY, and everything that revolves around it. but for some who have never seen an anime nor attended a hobby convention in his entire life, this blog is ostensibly helpful in having your questions answered about this rapidly growing fad. this is a compilation of facts i have gathered from the internet, read on and know why it’s ambiguous to call oneself an ‘otaku’..

OTAKU: You may not want to use this word again after reading this. ^^

Otaku in Japanese honorific means “house”, or a person who almost never leaves the house due to being obsessed with a certain hobby or subject. it is a taboo word in Japanese as it implies misanthropy, manic obsession, and eccentricity. Surely you wouldn’t want to be called an anti-social, lifeless loser would ya?!.. XD

the word obtained a rather normal meaning when anime junkies outside Japan mistook the word as synonymous to ‘enthusiasm’, and since then, used it to describe a person who is an avid fan of anime, comics, cosplay, games and everything that chronicles Japanese culture. its dark meaning have slowly subsided through the passing of years, but for safety jargon’s sake, might as well say, “I am a huge ‘FAN’ of *insert title of anime/videogame here*”, and get triple star ratings, than say, "I am an ‘OTAKU’", and get hits for being such an ignorant dummy.. :)



COSPLAY: Enthusiasm beyond awesome!

Cosplay is undoubtedly the most amusing activity in the entire Anime Fandom. as we all know, it is a portmanteau of the words, “costume” and “role play”, and refers to both the costume, and the manner of dressing up and acting like a fictional character from an anime show, a video game, or comics.

some popular terms alongside ‘cosplay’ are:

Convention- a huge gathering of enthusiasts.

Con-goer- someone who frequents anime conventions.

anime- animation. cartoons. the 2d or 3d thingies you see ion tv or crunchyroll.

manga- aka comics.

action figure- miniscule figurines or dolls of an anime/game character mostly intended for display due to its expensive value. Gundam Mobile Suits (small scale robots) being the most popular.

Crossplay- when a person cosplays a character from the opposite gender. Yes! boys in plaid skirts ain’t rare in this craft.. so the next time you thought of crushing on a cute babe you see in a convention.. think again! XD


Costrip- a.k.a. ‘Cosplay Tripping’, when a person doesn’t cosplay any existing character but his/her costume suggests one, maybe an original character design or a school attire. I’ve seen a few forums over the net that say ‘costrip’ isn’t really a recognized label but more like an excuse by fans to conceal flawed cosplays. true or not, it’s still the radiating creativity on your costume that matters most.. correct?.. :)

Skit- refers to one’s acting performance. of course, a cosplayer is required to do a skit to entertain con-goers and photographers. the act must correspond effectively to the costume, meaning, Naruto must behave as ‘theee’ Naruto! unless someone asks for a fanservice.. haha! xp

Imba- short for ‘imbalanced’. although it means another thing in the Online gaming world, Imba is now widely used to praise a cosplayer for her magnificent, almost perfect cosplay.


COSPLAY IN CEBU

Cheers! we do have a booming community here. Cebu is lucky to have a bunch of unique individuals who enjoy Cosplaying. It has been practiced in the metro for quite some time and the number of attendees multiply every year! three of the most attended conventions are UP Otakufest, Archon, and HobCon.

you can lurk Cebu forums (e.g. istorya.net), Facebook fanpages and other blogsites for schedules of upcoming events.



Conclusion

Most cosplayers would agree that Cosplay is an artistic expression, a creative way of showing appreciation towards a hobby. Yes for totes and it’s no ordinary leisure!

Cosplay needs passion, time and effort to pull of an amazing masterpiece. the craft is even costly! but if you are resourceful enough, consider yourself saved. There are no standards in cosplaying except for this simple saying: “the closer you are to the portrayed character, the more attention you get from the crowd”.

and the most fundamental of all is to have FUN! that’s what cosplay is all about..


Jaa Ne! <3

OTAKUFEST IV: Marching On!

Cosplayers, costrippers, hobbyists and photographers from all over Cebu gathered once again as the UP Cebu College successfully transformed its grounds into a battlefield of fun and creativity during the recently concluded “OtakuFest IV: Marching On!” last February 5, 2011.


from Otakufest official FB page

this year’s celebration boasted more awesomeness with their fresh line up of attractions aside from the annual Cosplay, DoTa, Photography and Original Character Design competitions. There was a Maid Cosplay Cafe dedicated to the ‘moe-moe’ fetishes, Jpop Dance Contest, Photobooth, mini 4WD race, and band performances. Enthusiasts also had the luxury of shopping cosplay goodies at the bazaar and pigging out at the food station.


Wigs were the most sought after items at the bazaar.. (photo by Regine Bacud)


because pretty maids dance during their coffee breaks! (photo by Alan Odulio)


Irrashaimase, goshujin-sama! Sipping afternoon tea at the Maid Cafe.. (photo by Alan Odulio)


Fortune telling with the Great Red Habagat, Philip Bawasanta! (photo by me)

for the past four years, Otakufest never fails to bring invigorating joys and memories to every Cebuano who attends the event. it’s the only time of the year where fellow junkies can share their passion and hobby to everybody without limits, meet new and old acquaintances, and a chance to switch lives with their favorite fictional characters.


(photo by me)

this year was one awesome Otakufest for me since i went there as a first time costripper, strutting my age-old black lolita dress. now i know why most of my cosplay friends call it addictive. the fun and satisfaction you feel whenever someone admires your costume is priceless! you forget all the hardships you went through in making the costume the moment someone calls you by your character’s name. everything was worth it!


(photo by John Diras)

and the best part of this event is meeting your longtime friends. every hobby convention feels like a reunion with my elementary classmates. though we live in the same city, we never had the chance to meet up because of conflicting schedules. except for Otakufest, Of course!


me and elementary classmate and fellow doodle junkie, Bubbles! we used to exchange drawings and pretend we’re cartoon super heroines back then.. ^^




Me and Sean-Kuun~! they were selling cosplay wigs.. you can check their site here!



DoTa pwners ivan, bennie, john, and richie with Bubbles of course! ^^

Otakufest isn’t merely a comical event, but a massive collaboration of aesthetic expression! Cheers to another successful one..

till next festival, gaizzz!!! <3

DIY: BLACK LOLITA BOOTS

last February 5 was my very first costrip experience at the Otakufest IV. 2 weeks prior to the event, i ransacked my closet and looked for the black lolita dress i have been keeping for 2 years now, and retouched a few accessories i made back in college. then i came to the dilemma of what shoes to wear. looked over the internet for some affordable lolita Maryjanes and boots but neither suit my budget.. XD my last option was raiding the Thrift stores around the city aka “Ukay-Ukay!”.. and eureka! i found just the perfect pair…. tadaa~



and since it looks really plain and boring, i made a little tweaking to this platform boots to make it more Lolita-ish! so if you guys also have a bunch of footwear you’d like to redesign, you can go over these steps and work your own fashionable piece.. here we go!

MATERIALS:

1. Ribbons- since my costume comprised mostly of black colors, i chose this bluish black scrap fabric i got from my mom, and sewed them to 6 pieces of ribbons, about 4x2 inches each.



2. Super Glue- using glue instead of sewing the ribbons on the boots saves you from all the hassles and needle pricks.. :D (you can use Mighty Bond or Bulldog.)



3. Straps- boot straps add accent to the footwear. i got these from my other pair of high-ankle boots.


4. Chains- silver chains for that spunky, kuro loli aura! XD

STEPS:

1. Wash and clean the boots. since this pair has a leathery, velvety texture, i had to spray on leather polish (Armor All or Glade Spray Polish) to smooth the surface before attaching the ribbons.

2. Determine where to position your ribbons. in my case, i placed 3 of them on the front part with equal distances of 2 inches. Start gluing from the bottom going upwards.. CAUTION: Super Glue has enormous sticking power!!! XD it could glue your fingers together and peel your skin off, so PLEASE BE CAREFUL.. ^^;



here’s how it looks after gluing the ribbons:



3. attach the boot straps. you need not glue them.. :)


4. followed by the silver chains. Ball chains are the only ones available when i did this but it’d look better if you use those with square or diamond shaped links.


and you’re done!! :))


ADDITIONAL TIPS:

*before revamping your own footwear, it’s better to make a concept/study on how you want your new shoes to look like. you can just remember it, or better yet sketch it.. :)

*make sure the shoes matches your outfit.

*to get that black or gothic lolita look for your shoes, you can also accentuate using laces, silk ribbons, white pearls, skulls, and cross pendants.

*let your imaginations fly. experimenting with colors and patterns also help..



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