Ac cosplay: The gamer as cosplayer

Thanks to her brothers, Filipino cosplayer Ac cosplay learned to love gaming.

"I grew up with three brothers, so I would play what they would play, which for me was more fun. A doll vs a PlayStation. My favorite games of all time since I was a kid are Crash Bandicoot and Tekken," Ac cosplay told Digital Life Asia.

What's the story behind Ac cosplay's cosplayer name?

"It's actually a nickname from my whole name cause everyone would usually pronounce my first name wrong and some couldn't remember it properly, so decided to make it short," she said.

Hailing from the Philippine province of Samar, Ac cosplay can speak Waray, English, Tagalog, and some Bisaya.

Asked to describe herself as a person, she replied: "I'm more of a mommy figure, not just in my cosplay but also in the way I act towards my family and friends. During my spare time I would usually organize my shoots, cosplans, and life plans, or would take long naps to be energized again."

According to Ac cosplay, her cosplay journey began when she saw popular Filipino cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao on Animax.

"I became a cosplayer way back in 2012. I was still a high school student back then. Since I live in Samar, way back then we had no knowledge of cosplay. I would just watch anime after classes and during weekends. I first got to know about cosplay when I saw Alodia on Animax as she was one of Philippine ambassadors of Animax," she said.

"At first glance I was already intrigued and fascinated not just by her, but also the way she dressed. So long story short I stalked her. But it wasn't easy since I lived in the province. Internet connections weren't that yet great unlike now. I was also careful in going inside net café shops.

"After long hours of stalking, I understood what cosplay was from her. So I decided to give it a try. It wasn't an easy path. I had no one to talk about it, my friends would think I was weird, and I was low on resources. Until now in our city, cosplay isn't well known. I would check Alodia's guesting schedules just to see her. I flew all the way from Samar and traveled to Bulacan just to catch a glimpse of her. It was also the first time I saw other cosplayers. Then I went to Manila in 2014 to continue my studies and from then on my cosplay journey changed," Ac cosplay said.

Which character is Ac cosplay's favorite among the ones she has cosplayed?

"Recently I have cosplayed more from my favorite game which is Honkai Impact 3rd. I can't pick which cosplay is my favorite cause every time I would cosplay there would a little backstory behind it. Like for this cosplay, I made my first friends in the community, my first photoshoot, my first booth selling, and more. So it's quite hard to pick even by just from the character cause every cosplay I did was memorable even up to now," she said.

Asked to pick her most memorable cosplay experience so far, Ac cosplay replied: "It would be when I cosplayed Inori Yuzuriha way back in 2016. She was and still is one of my favorite anime characters. It was my first time to cosplay her and I forgot to bring safety pins to pin the major parts of the costume. Luckily, a friend helped me out."

What message would Ac cosplay like to share with aspiring cosplayers?

"To all the cosplayers out there, remember to cosplay at your budget, with respect, and have fun. You don't need or have to cosplay the most on-trend characters ASAP. Do it at your own pace. Be mindful of your actions, decisions, and time as well," she said.

It wasn't an easy path, but we're so glad Ac cosplay embarked on her cosplay journey.