Cosplay Mania continues to be a significant gathering for cosplay enthusiasts in the Philippines, drawing tens of thousands of attendees each year. And it shows no signs of slowing down.
According to Pablo Bairan, president of Cosplay PH, the cosplay community in the Philippines is steadily growing, especially after the pandemic, where there has been a rise in new youngsters venturing into the art of wearing anime costumes and other popular characters.
Cosplay PH is the organization behind Cosplay Mania, which celebrated its 16th year through a three-day event.
“It’s our first time to hold the annual event for three days, and we’re expecting at least 20,000 people attending throughout the three-day celebration,” Bairan told Manila Standard Life. “To give you an idea of how big this year’s event is, last year, we saw around 12,000 people attending Cosplay Mania.”
This year’s Cosplay Mania launched its most massive celebration ever, occupying Halls 1 to 4 of the SMX Convention Center Manila, Pasay City, from October 4 to 6.
The event featured intense competition, meet-and-greets, and a three-day concert with anime song artists from titles like Gundam, Vocaloid, Sword Art Online, Yu-Gi-Oh, The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Digimon.
Cosplay Mania included the Grand Finals of both the Cosplay Mania Cup and the Cosplay Karaoke Cup, where winners from around the country competed for prizes. The Cosplay Mania Cup focused on costumes and skit performances, while the Cosplay Karaoke Cup emphasized singing abilities.
To help determine the winners, international cosplay stars Taryn from Italy, Byou from Vietnam, and Lea from Malaysia provided their expertise and participated in a meet-and-greet with fans. Local figures such as Diane Sabandeja, Zackt, Roxanne Kho, Prince De Guzman, Jane Yu, Liabear, Pomponmy, Katiecakey, and others also engaged with attendees in the convention’s All-Star Avenue.
The event highlighted prominent virtual YouTubers, including hololive Indonesia’s Vestia Zeta and Anya Melfissa, as well as holostars EN’s Octavio and Jurard T. Rexford, featuring Philippine-exclusive merchandise.
Gaming was another key aspect, with Hiroto Kuramasu, the producer of Japan’s Ikémen Series, hosting a talk on Otome Culture, while VOLs held their Valorant Arena. Su Ling Chan, the voice of Bailu from the popular RPG Honkai: Star Rail, attended the event. She is also known for her roles in Path to Nowhere and No Straight Roads, as well as in animated series like The Simpsons, BoBoiBoy, and Bread Barbershop.
The JAM (Japanese Anime Music) Concert was a highlight, featuring artists such as Nami Tamaki (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, D. Gray-man), kz (livetune) (Hatsune Miku), ASCA (Sword Art Online), BRADIO (Death Parade), Chiai Fujikawa (The Rising of the Shield Hero), and sajou no hana (Mob Psycho 100 II).
Collectors explored merchandise from Good Smile Company, Kotobukiya, Hololive, Genshin Impact, and Honkai: Star Rail, among others. There was a collectible gacha game with prizes like a PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam Deck. With over 200 booths and exhibits across more than 9,000 square meters, the event attracted many visitors.
