I'm not the type to do selfies, scream boom panes at the top of my lungs, or squeal at the sight of celebrities and celebrity couples but when it comes to Philippine trends I find Throwback Thursdays nostalgic and acceptable, even if this is the first time I'm actually doing it. Still, even if I'm going along with this trend it's fun to be a little rebellious which is why I'm using TbTh instead of TBT.
The first convention that I attended was Ozine Fest 2011.
There's a unique joy found in events or encounters that are not planned. While expectations amplify the excitement, often times expectations also ruin the experience. Originally, we were supposed to go on a family outing in SM North EDSA after my mom is done running her errands. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck for me when I took an Otaku Vault Anime magazine
(I think they don't make those anymore) to read while in the bathroom. There was an ad about a cosplay convention to be held at SM Megamall's Megatrade Halls from April 8 to 10. My parents, knowing that I'm an anime enthusiast, still allowed me to attend the convention even when I told them about it the day before we went to Manila and the fact that Megamall was much farther than NE.
I went full retard as I prepared for the event. I didn't know what I should wear, or what I should bring in the event. I just went with my three year old Naruto Shippuden jacket bought from Comic Alley, tied a Konoha forehead protector on my neck Hinata style
(Hinata is and always will be mah first waifu) borrowed my mom's camera
(with only 512 mb storage), and brought all my current savings from my coin bank
(and also borrowed money from my mom).
I was in a daze the first time I entered the halls. I've never seen a great number of cosplayers cluster in one area before pumping up my excitement, for a moment I forgot which character belonged to what series. There were stalls, a stage, a large crowd, and photographers all over the place I didn't know whether I should go somewhere or stay and wait for something even more amazing to happen right in front of me.
It didn't take me long to break the ice and start taking pictures of the cosplayers. During the heat of the event, a pair of cosplayers portraying Sawako Kuronuma and Shouta Kazehaya caught a lot of attention. It was only just earlier this night as I was browsing my album when I noticed that the two cosplayers were
Jin Joson and
Miguel Mercado, two of the best cosplayers (and crossplayers) in the Philippines.
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| Jin (middle) and Miguel (Right) |
Other events of the day include the:
Karaoke Contest which is still active as of Ozine Fest 2014:
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| pretty sure this Kaito cosplayer sang Melt |
The Cosplay catwalk competition which is also one of the event's main competitions:
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| pretty well done Alphonse cosplay |
The now probably defunct Anime Quiz Contest (Ozine Fest 2014 didn't have one, at least during day 2):
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| the answer is Watanuki Kimihiro from xxxholic |
The Battle of the Bands:
I don't have any pics of the Battle of the Bands, so you guys get Evening Tea Time on stage instead. They were a guest band, if I remember correctly, and their specialty holds true to the band's name - songs from K-On!
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| Evening Tea Time |
The event ran from 10 am to 9 pm, I only stayed in the halls from 1 to 6 pm. Within that time, I fanboy-ed enough for a lifetime
(I learned how to control myself since), bought my favorite accessory (an arm warmer), learned the rules and regulations of attending conventions, and basically ever since Ozine Fest 2011 I've been more passionate in the field. I don't treat it as a hobby, it's more of a way of living really, pricey yes but extremely rewarding in experience.
Besides, attending conventions like this are the only time I can really socialize without my voice muffling.
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