Everything you need to know about Cosplay Mania 2019!

by Chiara Quiocho / September 20, 2019

What to do? Where to go? Here’s your handy guide.

Cosplay Mania 2019–also known as CosMania–is almost here! CosMania is the biggest cosplay convention in the Philippines. Filled with anime merchandise, amazing cosplay, fun activities, exciting contests and international guests and cosplayers, it’s no surprise CosMania draws thousands of attendees every year (over 40,000 in 2018!). 

Here’s everything you need to know so that you can make the most of your CosMania experience.

1. What’s there?

In this sprawling 9,310-metre space, you’ll find booths and stores selling thebest geek merchandise in Metro Manila. Think big names, like Bandai and Banpresto. The famous makers of Nendoroids and figmas, The Good Smile Company, will be there selling a few limited edition figures for collectors!  Make your wallet cry and check out other booths like Long Live Play Philippines. They sell merch and props of your favorite video games and anime: katanas, keyblades, nerf guns, plushies and more!

You can also try out the latest video games from Japan, and watch esports tournaments at the Quantum Booth. Collectors and gamers also need to check out the booths of popular mobile MOBA, Mobile Legends, where you can snag official merch and see their new mobile game releases. You can also visit Ludus for your collectible card game needs.

Groove to music from Japanese DJs at the Lumica Stage, and learn how to dance with lightsticks. Watch Filipinos battle it out in dances using concert lightsticks, and see who will represent the Philippines in the Cyalume World Dance Battle.  

Make sure to also check out Fan Fare, Cosmania’s artist alley, as well. Have a favorite fanartist? Artist alleys feature local Filipino artists who will be selling their art as keychains, prints, pins, shirts and more. Check out the floor plan to see all the sellers and where to find them!

Aside from the merchant booths, there will be two stages at CosMania: the EX Stage and the SP Stage. You can watch exciting contests, panels with Japanese actors, meet and greets with world-renowned cosplayers, and J-Pop performances at the Japanese Anime Music (JAM) concert.

Check out the program and plan your day, so you don’t miss out on all the fun and exciting activities and performances.

2. Who will be there? Here are the guests! 

The biggest draws to conventions are usually the special guests. Lucky fans will get a chance to watch, meet and greet their anime, cosplay or J-Pop idols right here in Metro Manila! Here’s a rundown on the special guests at CosMania for 2019!

• Motoko Kumai: A voice actress best known for her roles as Li Syaoran in Cardcaptor Sakura and Takao Kinomiya from Beyblade
• Rumi Okubo: A voice actress with many roles under her belt, including Ako Shirabe from Suite PreCure
• Allen Kohatsu: This stage actor is best known in his role as Iwaizumi Hajime from the stage adaptation of the volleyball anime, Haikyuu!. He’s also appeared in various other stage plays like Gurren Lagan and K Project.
• Kosuke Asuma: Another stage actor, he earned the love of Haikyuu! fans for playing Oikawa Tooru in the stage adaptation. Since then, he’s also played roles in Kageki Meikoi and the latest Rock Musical Bleach.
• Hige Driver: Best known for his 8-bit music style, Hige Driver is a “chiptune” musician and is responsible for the music in various rhythm games around the world. He’s also the musical genius behind various J-Pop songs and anime music.
• Mirai Akari: She’s a popular Japanese virtual YouTuber. (A virtual YouTuber is an actual person who’s motion-caped and rendered as a 3D-animated avatar.) Mirai Akari likes to sing and talk to fans through virtual reality communities like VRChat. She was designed by the illustrator KEI who also created design of the OG digital idol, Hatsune Miku.
• Hiroto Kuramasu: A returning CosMania fan favorite, he’s known as Japan’s Ikémen Series’ resident cosplayer, and is even a producer of otome games.
• BoiledCurry: This popular Singaporean cosplayer has cosplayed characters from Love Live, IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS and many more.
• ReaKami: This is another popular Singaporean cosplayer who’s known for cosplaying characters from the Fate series, Neon Genesis Evangelion and a lot of other popular anime.
• VENaS Japan: This Japanese cosplay duo consists of Naoya Kirihara and Martha Asahi. They are most known for their crossplay (or cross-dressing cosplay), and have received contracts for official cosplays even! 

3. There will be lots of music!

Anime fans can bop along to CosMania’s JAM concerts, which will feature performances from the following music acts: 

• May’n:  This J-Pop singer is most known as the singing voice of Sheryl Nome in the anime Macross Frontier. She’s also known for singing its opening and ending songs. She’s performed all over the world, from Germany to Korea to the Philippines! Her chart-topping music has been used in many anime, J-dramas and movies.
• Myth & Roid: Composed of Tom-H@ck on guitar and bass and Hotaru on keyboards, along with multiple vocalists, this J-rock band has done music for popular series such as Overlord, Re:Zero and Boogiepop wa Waranai.
• ASAKA: A rising star in J-Pop, ASAKA’s catchy Oricon Chart-ranking tunes have been used in various anime openings and endings such as Occultic;Nine, A Centaur’s Life and Laid-Back Camp.
• Yasutaka Nakata ft. Ichigo Rinhamaru: The composer, DJ and record producer Yasutaka Nakata is the man behind the music of popular J-Pop groups Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. At CosMania, he’s teaming up with a member of the idol group CY8ER, Ichigo Ranmaru. 

4. Tickets

Now that you have an idea what to expect from CosMania’s live acts, you can decide which ticket to get!

There are three tickets available: Silver, Gold and VIP.

• Silver Tickets (₱499.00) give you access to the entire convention area, including the exhibits and Fan Meets, but you won’t have access to the JAM Concert.
• Gold Tickets (₱899.00) give you the same access as Silver Tickets, but they come with a standing room spot for the JAM Concert.
• VIP Tickets (₱2,999.00) give you the same access as Silver Tickets, but with all sorts of awesome perks. That includes Reserved Seating in the front section of the JAM Concert, front row seats for special fan meets, and access to a Premium Lounge that comes with free drinks and snacks.

You can also buy tickets in advance at discounted prices. Avoid the lines and buy Cosplay Mania tickets online!

5. Remember: No pictures or videos at fan meets and concerts!

Concerts and fan meets are special experiences, and you want to remember them forever. However, CosMania prohibits the taking of pictures or videos at fan meets and concerts. They’re not trying to ruin your experience. In fact, they want to make it more enjoyable by making sure you don’t have a hundred smart phones blocking your view of your favorite J-Pop idol. Con goers who violate this rule will be escorted out of the SP Hall without a refund, so keep your phone in your pocket and just lose yourself in the experience!

Now that you’re all caught up, put your wig on and get ready to show your love for your favorite fandom at one of the best cosplay conventions in the Philippines! How excited you are for CosMania 2019? What are you wearing? Tell us in the comments below!