Cosplay Fashion 2011 @ SM Masinag

Posted on August 14th, 2011 by Ruby Knight

Naruto Cosplayers PH and SM City Masinag held their first Cosplay Fashion event at SM Masinag in Antipolo, Rizal. There was a cosplay competition with 6 main categories: Best Anime Fashion Character, Best Male Cosplay Character, Best Female Cosplay Character, Best Mecha Character, Best Chibi Cosplay and Best Group. All the event winners won cash prizes and gift certificates courtesy of the SM City management. There was also a Ramen Eating Contest and some performances from dance groups.

This was also their third time to organize a cosplay competition, and also their third time to cooperate with SM management. Their first event was Cosplay For A Cause: A Happy Green New Year (in cooperation with Bulacan Cosplay Mania) held in SM City Marilao. This was followed by their Cosplay Transform event in SM City Baliwag – both in Bulacan. Cosplayer Ryan Simbul was one of the three judges for the cosplay competition.

I arrived at the venue rather late – about fifteen minutes before 1pm. It was only one ride away from my school, and I managed to sneak it in my schedule due to me having an activity in school that morning. To be honest, there wasn’t really anything unique about the event. The overall mood of the event was rather typical – much like their Marilao event with people flocking to the mall just to have some pictures with the cosplayers. The catwalk was delayed by about an hour since some more cosplayers were registering by this time.

Most of the familiar people were from the surrounding areas (e.g. Antipolo, Cainta, Marikina and Pasig). Putting aside the common faces I recognized in other events, majority of competitors I saw were mostly girls. It was a good thing that I never saw abusive photographers in the vicinity. It so happened that there was another event on the same day in SM Manila, one which had rather questionable rules. Some chose to attend this one, and some of the cosplayers whom I talked to told me that aside from this event, they would be attending another one on the next day – another cosplay competition in Eastwood City sponsored by Teriyaki Boy.

Now, moving on to the positive side of things. I commend the organizers for setting aside a baggage counter and dressing area for the cosplayers who competed. Although it was in the third floor – requiring three escalator rides – it had a large area. The event logistics was also commendable – marshals were posted in each important corner. From the sound and registration booths to the baggage counters, marshals from NCPH were always ready to help out.

Unfortunately, I was unable to cover the entire event since I had to leave SM Masinag at an early time. According to The Mistress (who once lived around the area), the place was (and still is) notorious for its heavy traffic especially in the late afternoon. I wouldn’t want to get stranded.