Erika Tapalla
INQUIRER.net
A FAVORITE subject among photographers, Alodia Gosiengfiao has lived her teenage years in the limelight of an obscure world called “cosplay.”
The term “cosplay” is a portmanteau of words, “costume” and “roleplay,” originally from a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from anime, sci-fi movies and video games.
Today, cosplay is not as strange as it used to be and as one of the initial icons of this pricey hobby, Gosiengfiao reveals that there is more to her than her seemingly extravagant method of looking like a character; it is a higher form of tribute.
“It changed my life in terms of fashion and the way I act. How you see characters, sometimes you tend to copy them, so it changed my personality a bit.” Gosiengfiao says.
Emulating characters from the physical to their traits and demeanor takes more than just acting skills. A person needs to internalize heavily, in order to accurately execute a character without a single flaw that could ruin a spectators’ suspense of disbelief.
“It’s not just about looking like the character, it’s also being the character temporarily,” says Gosiengfiao.
With six years of cosplay experience in her belt, one may think Gosiengfiao is used to the huge lenses, the light and the flashes — but in reality, she was surprisingly “normal”.
She’s meek and shy, the silent type of girl that exudes mystery and a hint of pensiveness beneath her childish porcelain smile.
“I’m not the type of girl who goes out a lot,” she says with that smile, “On a Friday night, I’m online.”
She claims she’s much more talkative via the Internet, perhaps a no-brainer after just a few minutes of a quite reserved initial interview. But within minutes, Gosiengfiao loosens up, urging me to ask her about a certain group of haters who’ve established an “Alodia Haters Club.”
Like any other person, she expresses a tinge of disappointment and sadness that reflect in her eyes. But unlike any other person at her age, she seems resilient towards them, only worried about how the recent attacks have included her mother.
“My mom is actually being accused of many things, and people take it the wrong way that she’s fully supportive of what I do,” says Gosiengfiao, “So that upsets me more than the other rumors being said, cause I know that isn’t true.”
Quiet or loud, bare or all made up, Gosiengfiao claims she is her own person. No doubt she is because only a few people are blessed with the opportunity to pursue even their wildest passions.
(Photographs taken by INQUIRER.net web developer Jonathan de Belen)
May 16th, 2009 at 1:28 am
Hey! A geek babe. Awesome. And about as rare as pinky orks. LOL
Although I gotta agree there are some better cosplayers out there, I also must admit she looks good in the spotlight. Come on people, cosplay is about having fun. And despite the fact that I’ve run into a handful of people bent on the idea of cosplay as a pageant (particularly here in the Philippines), I still believe in the fun factor. It’s definitely what drives me.
I wonder if Ms. G has even seen this page, and I wonder how she’d react after reading all the flak being thrown around for and against her.
April 5th, 2009 at 12:04 am
Ganesa your reputation precedes you. I have reliable sources that you like making up stories to discredit another person.
And do name names or this information you say that was passed to you another one of your fiction to discredit Alodia
April 4th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Alodia Haters Club (AHC) is nothing but a collection of cowardly thugs who may have been fanboys earlier but degenerated to being haters since their former idol may have shunned their advances.
Ganessa where you not a fan once?
And did you not get banned from several forums due to your undesirable activities such as trolling, flaming, double accounts and such.
And you speak here as if you are a reliable source.
Wow such a credible person or character witness you are 
March 8th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Cosplaying. Serious Business.
February 26th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
lol this is lame. fanboys and haters are just the same lamers.