MANILA, Philippines – When I type “cosplay” into a Word document, I get a jagged red line under it. That’s normal for most portmanteau words, and decidedly normal for a hobby that hails from Japan but has grown in crossover appeal.

Cosplay, a combination of the words “costume” and “play,” happens when people dress up and act as characters from manga, anime, video games, movies or pop culture.

Virtually unheard of in the Philippines before the first anime convention was held in the country in 2000, cosplay has grown so big that local cosplayers are going global, trying to qualify for the World Cosplay Championship held every year in Nagoya, Japan.

I was one of the few, the proud, the brave oddballs who began cosplaying in the early 2000. I still remember rushing from the ladies’ restroom towards the Megatrade Hall during the AXN Animexplosion event and getting strange looks from passersby because a bunch of girls and I had just changed into our costumes for a cosplay contest.

It was as if a television had just spit out characters from the popular anime series airing at the time. Nobody in Megamall had ever seen such a thing.

These days, cosplay events are more mainstream because cable channels that air anime, like Hero and Animax, exist and hold anime and manga conventions with cosplay contests. The same can be said for video game companies, particularly those offering massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).

Add the mix local cosplay communities organizing their own conventions and contests, and you have a cosplay boom in the Philippines.

If you’re not a cosplayer, you’re probably scratching your head and asking “Why?” I could tell you about the festive atmosphere at a convention, the thrill of acting out a fantasy or the rush when people compliment you on a character well done.

Or I could just tell you about three different girls who have the same passion for getting all dressed up and going places.

Cath de Jesus
(http://dustiedoll.multiply.com)

Most cosplayers begin as such great fans of an anime, manga or video game that they want to bring their favorite characters to life.

Cath recalls her experience as part of a group cosplaying characters from Angel Sanctuary at Toy Con in 2006. She liked the story from the anime because it was dark and mysterious; the character she adopted, “Doll”, is a mechanical being created out of organic components. “Cute kasi yung costume design nya, so yun.”

Cath makes her own costumes and also takes commissions for others. “Masaya yung feeling kasi fantasy ‘to ginawa kong reality.”

The favorite character she has cosplayed is Miyobi of Alichino. “Powerful being sya e.”

When she wears that costume, she feels as if she’s also slipping into that character’s attitude. Miyobi is also the most difficult character she’s cosplayed because of the details required to make the costume. “During that time wala akong machine, so hand-sewn sya,” she says.

“I cosplay kasi mahilig ako sa anime talaga, isa yun sa way para mapakita ko yung enthusiasm ko sa anime,” she adds.

Cath recommends plenty of research for making a costume and understanding the character that goes along with it. But once that part’s over, “magpakasaya ka lang.”

Shivena Uy
(http://shivena.multiply.com)

Nobody embodies this “just have fun” attitude about cosplay better than Shivena Uy. She started cosplaying only last year but she has already done five characters, with plans for more.

She was photographed as Songstress Rikku from the video game Final Fantasy X2 because Rikku, she revealed, is her favorite character.

“Kasi I like her costume, she’s bubbly, tapos she’s very cute kasi sa Final Fantasy sa role nya dun, nakakatuwa [it was fun].”

Shivena doesn’t join cosplay contests. She just likes going to an event or convention and being in character while being photographed with other cosplayers.

“I found it very pleasing you meet a lot of friends that are cosplayers too, you build confidence with cosplay, [because] you socialize with others.”

She began cosplaying although she was afraid that people would not take notice. She then realized that people who attended conventions and cosplay contests appreciated the work that goes into cosplay.

“Sometimes pag tuwang-tuwa talaga sila they praise you dun sa suot-suot mong costume [when they’re really amused, they praise you for the costume you’re wearing].”

Alodia Gosiengfiao
(http://www.alodiagosiengfiao.com)

One female cosplayer who received a lot of notice for her work is Alodia Gosiengfiao, who has cosplayed more than 10 characters since 2003.

She first came to prominence when she won at the C3 Convention as Gun Mage Rikku from Final Fantasy X2, and was featured with her sister Ashley on the cover of Culture Crash Magazine.

Now she has her own website, a fan following and endorsing agreements from hobby shop Maxiworks and game giant E-Games, among others.

“Before I hated being in pictures, I hated posing or asking or public speaking. I have stage fright. But after five years, hindi na [not anymore],” she says.

“If you cosplay for fun, you won’t think about those stuff,” she adds, referring to the endorsements and competition triumphs. “If you cosplay for those reasons you might get disappointed if you won’t be able to attain them.”

Alodia chooses most of the characters she cosplays from video games she plays. Her favorite character is Lili from Tekken 5.

“That girl, she’s the girl I use in the game, and I really beat guys with it.”

Cosplay is “an integration of my hobbies: art, fashion, video games. Everything’s there. In cosplay you can see things as art, as craftsmanship, how you build things. And then fashion 'cause you get to wear clothes and show them to others.”

Once she selects a character, she draws its costume layer-by-layer and then takes this to any one of a number of seamstresses she’s sought services from over the years.

“Iba daw before. Yung mga seamstress, ‘ay hindi kami tumatanggap nyan!’ Eto magaling sa props, eto magaling sa contour dresses, depende sa costume where we should go [It was different before. Seamstresses don’t accept it. Some are good with props. Some are good with contour dresses. Where we have it made depends on the costume].” She also usually creates her own props.

Alodia sees cosplay as a passion. “I don’t see myself not doing it... no plans of stopping. Since I just graduated, I have more time to make costumes.”

“Cosplaying is supposed to be fun, not something you see as work or stress-related. Just enjoy doing it,” she says.