Cosplay Mania 12 is the biggest cosplay-related event on the Philippine convention calendar! Slated for the 29th and 30th of September 2012 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, Cosplay Mania 12 plays host to Japanese cosplayers Kaname✰ and 麗華Reika, and Singaporean cosplayer Jesuke!

This year’s event showed a marked improvement in layout for Hall 4 — gone are the oversized kids’ activity booths, and in their place are wide walkways set between four-corner booth islands reserved for dealers and event partners.

There is a fairly large section for clubs and organizations (which was sadly not taken advantage of by many existing cosplay groups), as well as a wide selection of food and drink concessions — which is a pleasant surprise for us who stayed mainly at Hall 4.

Meanwhile — next door at Hall 5, cheers and screams reached the rafters as Guest Cosplayers Kaname✰, 麗華Reika, and Jesuke said hello to their adoring fans, as well as help select the winners of Project Cosplay Solo, one of the biggest competitions over the weekend.

The spoils eventually went to an extraordinary group of cosplayers: Serreniethy Fionah as Beleth from Lineage II (Kids); RB Cheng as the Red Fury Genobreaker from ZOIDS (Anime); Mark Anthony Vibas as Deadpool (Western); Wreidyl Denorte as Baron from Garo (Live-Action); and Jan Erick Torres as his Warrior of Light from Final Fantasy Dissidia (Over-all Champion).

Five years in, and the convention has grown to be an international event — no longer catering to just local fans. However, there are still birthing pains — things that can be improved here and there. More trash receptacles, a more organized way to get into the convention from the Hall 3 spillover area, and other small things that can push the event from “great” to “mindblowing”!

But honestly, the ones who have the most “growing up” to do are the participants themselves 😐 I hate to say this, since I know that no one throws a party like the Pinoys, but the carnival atmosphere of the con sometimes degenerates to wet-market boorishness. Disregarding flash photography instructions, leaving trash all over the floor in Hall 5, and chasing after the VIPs as they enter and exit the stage — really? REALLY? (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

I wouldn’t be surprised if we managed to scare a lot of people off from attending our future cons, no matter how hard the organizers worked to put it together. That would be a damn shame, since I know we can compete with overseas cons — we just need that one last push to let everyone know that “It’s more fun in the Philippines!” 😐

Continued in Day 2.