Top 25 Inspiring Filipina Cosplayers

Hi there! I'd like to introduce myself first so that you would know who the hell wrote this blog post and how dare she created a Top 25 list of inspiring Filipina cosplayers. My name is Wilonah Chan, and I am sharing some photos of my cosplay experience 3 years ago so that you'd have a pretty good idea how involved I was in the cosplay scene before. I am also a cosplayer who got inspired by the craft itself and aimed to inspire others as well. I am introducing myself to you not to show off but to give you a better understanding that I may not be the best cosplayer nor the most experienced one but I can say that I am knowledgeable and not "mangmang" to actually write about my fellow Filipina cosplayers.

I also went through preparing costumes, joining cosplay competitions, traveling out of town for a cosplay event, judging minor cosplay competitions, and showing up on TV sometimes. Have I already convinced you enough that I'm not exactly ignorant? If yes, please enjoy reading until the end! Aside from my personal choices, I asked cosplay enthusiasts via Facebook for names that they want to suggest and out of 40+ amazing female cosplayers, I did my best to choose my Top 25. The ones who did not make it to the list could still be inspiring, but since this is my blog, everything has been under my own discretion. There were some that I just kinda felt short, and I did not include some of them because I know their true colors (and they probably know already that I won't include them because they were such pretentious bitches to me, even bitchier than I am) which make them unfit to be inspirational. I'm too honest. Haha!

I spent looooong hours in checking out all of them, choosing their photos carefully and grabbing them, taking note of the names of the photographers so I could give credit to them (yes, I'm very particular on that since it's my way of giving respect to them), and I certainly spent more hours creating the blog post itself. So I hope that you get to appreciate my efforts and please do enjoy reading!

Top 25 Inspiring Filipina Cosplayers

(in alphabetical order, there's no ranking here, okay?)

Photo c/o Ashley Cristal

1. Jonam Baladad

Her cosplay in this photo speaks for itself. I don't even have to say anything for you to see how amazing she is as a cosplayer. She's a mecha cosplayer from the beautiful city of Pines, Baguio! I haven't met her yet though. Maybe if I see her in this cosplay, the gunpla girl in me will definitely be all over her. Haha!

Photo c/o Jhe Photoglapiruu

2. Christine Blardony

Aside from being an amazing cosplayer, she is also a dancer and a violinist. I've always known that she used to study at Fairview, where I studied too, but for some reason our paths never crossed even in the cosplay scene. I've always wanted to meet cosplayers from way up North and she's one of them! Maybe one day the world would become small for us. Oh, you will see her at Hero TV from time to time too!

Photo c/o Kira Hokuten

3. Jia Gold Bustamante

She's a real cutie and an awesome cosplayer! You can also see her in armored costumes and by that you shall see how talented she really is when it comes to this craft. The first time I saw her in action was when she visited the Pinoy Big Brother house. Despite of her celebrity-like appearance and out-of-the-country achievements, I see her as an undeniably humble lady. I'd be ecstatic to collaborate with her in the future! If only I'd be able to meet her.

Photo c/o Japs Antido

4. CK Chan

She does not have much cosplays yet or maybe I do not have access to all of her photos since we're not friends on Facebook but her cosplay of Mikasa Ackerman was already enough for me to include her in this list. She might have a pretty and effortless fierce face but she also has a cute smile! She's also a manga artist and a member of Mineski-Events Team. Yeap, I know what you're seeing, it's Shingeki No Kyojin a.k.a. Attack On Titan! Does she inspire you to cosplay a character from that anime now?

Photo c/o Romeo Encisa

5. Krissel Dee

She's a really sweet chinita girl that all of us would come to love! She's approachable and nice to almost everyone. We went to the same school before but we did not come from the same batch so honestly, we've never formally met! Haha! We used to chat and we even planned to attend a con together but maybe we just never had the luxury of time. She's your girly type of cosplayer and her other cosplays are, well, girly too! Cuteness overload!

Photo c/o Aaron Panlaqui

6. Bea Glaze

I see her as a pinay version of Uma Thurman! In my opinion, action characters fit her best. Her eyes are very expressive, based on what I can see in her photos. Don't you feel like becoming a strong willed person just by looking at her? I bet she also has a strong personality in real life.

Photo c/o Ashley Gosiengfiao

7. Alodia Gosiengfiao

I would like to remind you that this list is in alphabetical order, okay? So to be honest, if I were to identify her ranking, Alodia is really the one on top. Would there be a Filipina cosplayer that can be more inspiring than her? My apologies but I cannot think of anyone other than her. I saw her once when we both participated in an event of SM Cyberzone; she's so tall, pretty (just like in her photos), and really nice! She's sweet and humble, I never saw her showing some attitude even backstage. Her haters are irrelevant, because whether you hate or love her, you can definitely see how far she has already gotten herself all the way to the top. Admittedly, at one point in our cosplay lives we all felt inspired by our very own cosplay queen. She started cosplaying way back in year 2003 when she was just 15 years old. Through this craft that we all love, she was able to achieve a lot. Awards from in and out of the country, celebrity status, and all the traveling she gets to enjoy through cosplaying. Best part is, she gets to earn her own money and she gets to cosplay all year round! It is true that she's been around for so long already but as I've seen in her latest updates, she's just in the beginning of something awesome! Way to go, Alodia!

Photo c/o Jrjsiaron Photography

8. Jovi Heartilly

She's also known as Jovi Claire Oakenshield. Her photo speaks for itself - legendary! I've always admired her talent and utmost efforts in cosplaying! Her Lightning cosplay is everybody's favorite. What I also like about her is that she's really good in cosmetics. Initially, applying makeup is essential to cosplay and she sets the bar high! Wanna get some tips from her? Go ask her! She seems really approachable to me! And oh, she's gooood in photography too, cosplay photography to be exact. That's Jovi for ya!

Photo c/o Keru Bear

9. Krizdel Ingreso

Oh my gosh, it's no other than Krizdel! This adorable lady sets the bar really high when it comes to costume making - specifically in the girl world. She's really a badass cosplayer and you will surely be in awe once you see all of her creations. She's detail-oriented and even just by glancing at her, you will know that she cosplays from the heart. She knows her characters very well and never fails to give justice to them. As cosplayers, we all want to do great in our characterization, right? Now, let Krizdel inspire you!

Photo c/o Kevin Choi Herrera

10. Beru Kashiragu

She is your rainbow cosplayer! She's also into lolita fashion sometimes and Japanese fashion in general. If you check her portfolio, it's really diversified and coloooorful! She can play around with wigs, dresses, and a variety of cosplay characters. Maybe she's as fun to be with as her cosplays?

Photo c/o Davith Trinidad Golondrina

11. Charmaine Erika Gonzalez Lim

She's also known as Aika. Don't assume just yet! This cute sweetheart can transform into a real hottie! Her eyes, there's something in her eyes that is so inviting, how do I describe this? For the lack of better word, it's seductive. She's also versatile when it comes to her cosplay characters. From the tough-looking ones to the moe ones. Versatility, that's what cosplayers are for!

Photo c/o Jio Verona

12. Kristell Lim

A classic chinita beauty! She's effortlessly cute at all times. The first time I noticed her in social media was when she cosplayed Erza Scarlet. It is probably one of her best cosplays ever! A lot of people admire her and even idolize her. We've never met though, and haven't interacted yet but I'd be glad to have a collaboration with her in any form! She's extremely good at what she does, based on how I perceive her works. She seems really nice too!

Photo c/o Chi Concepcion

13. Scarlet Lim

I haven't seen a lot of her cosplays since I don't have much access on her profile but her Ryuko Matoi cosplay definitely caught my eye. Despite of its initial look, it's actually a complex costume and is not that easy to pull off. It takes a lot of confidence to wear a hanging top together with a short skirt. I've always wanted to try that. She also has this natural fierce look and I really like her that way. At one point, we all wanted to try fierce characters, correct?

Photo c/o Alec Egido

14. Lin Ling

If you got the curves, flaunt it! If you have the same level of confidence as Satsuki Kiryuin, cosplay her with all your might! Lin Ling was definitely breaking the Philippine Cosplay Internet when she took on the challenge of challenging our conservative culture. This kind of cosplay performance might be normal in Japan and other countries but here in the Metro, it made such a big impact and buzz! If you watched Kill la Kill, you won't find this offensive but awesome rather. In her other photos, she was also able to flaunt her dual volume (if you know what I mean). So girls, if it's for the love of cosplay, and if you really want to pull off a sexy costume, if you really really want to do it, just do it!

Photo c/o Dhenz Photography

15. Mimi Mon

Also known as Mimi Monster Cosplay. Another versatile cosplayer that is detail-oriented! She's really gooooooood in characterization. As I look into her cosplay portfolio, she's in character most of the time and she's quite amazing in her expressions and projections too. Her photos can really get through you, maybe she should join more online contests in the future!

Photo c/o Pef Loyola Decena

16. Anna Navarro

Also known as Anna Somerhalder. This one's a personal addition from my part. She inspired me right away when she honestly told me that I inspire her even before. Does it sound weird? I find it really inspiring when a cosplayer openly expresses her admiration to another cosplayer. We inspire each other through this craft and I do believe that everybody should also positively express their feelings to one another just like what Anna did. She does not show unnecessary sense of competition, such a rare inspiration, indeed.

Photo c/o Marlon Alcazar

17. Catherine Ngo

She's a chameleon cosplayer. She can be cute, pretty, beautiful, hot, villain, action star, model, name it! She's blessed with good facial features and sexy body. She knows what she possesses and makes good use of it. We all want to be familiar with every inch of our own physique so we could pull off the best characters for us, right? Time to boost our observation skills and face the mirror!

Photo c/o Thomas Regala

18. Wrenbria Ngo

Also known as Katrin Ngo. Another personal addition from me. She's a passionate cosplayer and incredibly true to herself. She even accepts the fact that sexy/seductive characters are the ones that fit her best, or at least that's what people look forward to. Her passion can sometimes take her to a whole new level of testing the waters of Philippine Cosplay. Bria shows courage to try something new and yes, we need innovation in cosplay too.

Photo c/o Bernard Garbo

19. Gaby Ortega

Also known as Gaby Swan. When I saw her in a cosplay event, I've realized that she's totally a jolly person! She's confident about her physique so she really does not mind wearing sexy costumes if that's what her cosplay character requires. She's crazy fun and it really does not matter if she seemed weird! A fine woman and definitely a gorgeous one. Truly a cosplayer that can simply have fun! Well, we cosplay to have fun, riiiight?

Photo c/o Anne Lorraine Uy

20. Jessica Ouano

Yeap! She's a Filipina and she's from Cebu! Jessica is a perfect epitomy of a cosplayer that does not have to be chinita to do great in cosplay. She's like a living doll - a versatile one. She's so unique that I can even imagine her joining the Asia's Next Top Model. She gives justice to her cosplay characters. With her looks and talent, she can grow internationally! Oh how I'd love to collaborate with her in the future. Such a great gift, a gem.

Photo c/o Paolo Manalac

21. Ae Ri

Damn hot from H to T! A cosplay hottie that cosplays badass characters. A pretty face combined with a complex armor is just too good to be true. Apparently, she exists! I was out of words when I saw the rest of her portfolio. Everything was so awesome that you just have to let it all the way in. Her cosplays are so cool and I would bet on it that she's also the coolest to be with!

Photo c/o Vahn Mendoza

22. Bianca Romero

Sizzling hot! Look at that pretty face and slender physique. Her eyes are like looking at you with the good and the bad altogether. She's effortlessly drop dead gorgeous and the best thing that she can do in cosplay is just to focus on how to stay good at it. As for the aesthetics, it comes naturally already. Oh the perks of having chinita beauty!

Photo c/o Francis Legarda

23. Azeleia Salvatore

Those eyes can pierce right through your heart. I'm not sure if she's using the smize formula or it's just that her eyes are naturally expressive. The way she stares in her photos can strike you like an arrow. Such trait is well loved in cosplay photography. Her cosplay costumes are in high quality and her characterization is top notch. Go ahead and be inspired by Azeleia.

Photo c/o Z3LL Photography

24. Yuu Tachibana

Another rainbow cosplayer! Also known as Jaroukasama. You will see a lot of colors in her cosplay portfolio and you will definitely feel in her photos that she's totally having fun all the time! A collaboration with her is something that I look forward to. She already cosplayed a variety of characters; characters that have different personas. Her cosplay style is something that requires a playful mind, not just plain creativity.

Photo c/o Imel Aimeru

25. Chappi Teabubble

Just another personal addition from me. I mean, come on, how could you forget about Chappi? I'm surprised nobody mentioned her. We really don't know each other but I remember her because she's one of the best tsundere cosplayers I've ever seen. I noticed her when she cosplayed Aisaka Taiga in all three different attires. That character really fits her so well, being the Palm Top Tiger was effortless to her. One day, if I get to know her, my tsundere dreams will come true.

***

Soooooooo! Are you inspired enough? That ends the list of Top 25 Inspiring Filipina Cosplayers. It's been 14 to 15 hours since I posted the survey question. That only means that it took me more than half a day, continuously, to actually finish this blog post. From the researching, to filtering, to photo grabbing, to writing. My brain and body is just so tired. Be that as it may, I really do hope that you enjoyed reading this. I've been doing this for my readers after all. Giving you interesting reads has always been my goal and I thank you for taking time to be here.

Just to make it clear though, by any chance that you find typographical errors in the names of the cosplayers and photographers, please do let me know. By any chance that you're one of the cosplayers in this list and you wish to be removed from it, please do let me know. I am more than willing to do that because I respect your preferences.

Did you like my Top 25? I don't exactly have direct connections with most of them so please do me a favor and share this to them. I would be grateful if they get to see this too. I want them to know that they are inspirational as cosplayers. Please also share this to the photographers who own the photos used in this blog post. I personally handpicked their shots because I find them good for cosplay photography.

Let us continue to inspire each other. All for the love of cosplay!

W