Nov 22, 2011
Well, good day to you Otakultura readers. Ruby Knight here, and I’ll be writing about the Shoe Festival Cosplay Competition held last November 16, 2011 at SM Marikina. Upon first hearing of the event, I was like: “So I have to cosplay as a shoe to fit the event’s theme?” However, it wasn’t the case once I read the rules. The contest was organized by the City Hall of Marikina, in line with their yearly Sapatos Festival. I initially had doubts since it was held on a Wednesday, but since our Wednesday thesis class was called off, I decided to push through.
I arrived at the venue at about four in the afternoon and saw many familiar faces, many of which attended the UP AME Monogatari event in Pasay just four days ago. As usual, the calm and joyful mood prevalent in small events like this was present. I just hope that this mood could be seen in every convention nowadays – it makes conventions worth going. The ushers called all the cosplayers to the backstage at around five to prepare for the photo-op and parade around the mall. I joined the parade until the second floor, at this point I got out of the line and used the restroom. I was so excited taking pictures of fellow cosplayers and talking with them. After I used the restroom, I went back to the event area and sat down to rest. Minutes later, the ones who paraded around the mall returned. We were then called to prepare for the catwalk.
Now, before we proceed to my actual catwalk experience, let me share who were the cosplayers present. There were some from animes like Chobits, Rozen Maiden and One Piece. Popular games such as Monster Hunter, Defense of the Ancients and Ragnarok Online also had cosplayers representing them in the event. Only three belonging to the tokusatsu genre were present – Kamen Rider Accel Trial, Kamen Rider Knight Survive, and the Travelion mecha from Mahou Sentai Magiranger
Then, my turn for the catwalk came. I did a short skit on stage and answered this question in relation to the event’s theme: What makes Marikina-made shoes unique? The answer for that, I shall leave to you. The other cosplayers had different answers to this question. After I answered the question, I posed on stage one last time and then left the venue. Moving on, here is my opinion about the event. The overall logistics were efficient – with ushers guiding every step of the way for the event’s smooth flow. The hosts were lively (especially Mr. Mark Cerezo) and it helped that Mr. Cerezo was a cosplayer himself since he could relate to the competitors. However, the only thing I didn’t like (even some cosplayers didn’t like it) was when the organizers decided not to allow the use of background music for the stage skits. It was only on the day itself that the rule was repealed.
Before I end this entry, here are the winners for the competition:
Best Male: Ivan Valerio
Best Female: Tel Batiller
Best Craftsmanship: Dennis Isidoro
Best Lady Gaga Lookalike: Kevin Medrano
Overall Winner: Belldandy Chii Grimarez
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