The fourth person who will welcome us to our “Cosplayer Interview Series” is JC Zala, viewing her profile, you will be in awe of her previous and present participation in the Cosplayer World especially her Attack on Titan Cosplay work.

The Philippines may not be that famous in terms of Cosplay extravaganza before however the new generations have totally evolved and the beginning of appreciating the Art of Cosplay.

Jevelyn is a young Filipina, coming out from the South. One of the known faces in her field. She is carrying a big crown on her head with her participation in several conventions in the country and internationally.

Attack on Titan, JC Zala Jevelyn

Squad Leader Hange by Chops Bardos

Including Cosplay Mania, Best of Anime, Anime Festival Asia|AFA, Fantasy Quest, Matsuri Fever, AniCon, Toycon, Torch. I have known her through my sister’s recommendation, honestly speaking, reading her story would want me to switch cosplaying instead.

Since I am a huge fan of Attack on Titan, her style and allure caught me. She got some astonishing cosplay costumes! Here is my interview with her. With no much further ado. Enjoy!

Attack On Titan Cosplay

Bladed Will by Voltaire Nikolai Bernardo

Discovering Cosplay

One word: the INTERNET. I got to know about cosplay through that at first. I officially started cosplay when my hometown hosted its very first Cosplay Event, the MCTV Otaku Fest 2011.

Where I was asked to be a judge, after witnessing the colorful variety of cosplayers in said event. I found Cosplay fun, more appealing and quite challenging in a way. It was like a magnet that drew me in.

First convention as a Cosplayer

The MCTV Otaku Fest 2011 was my first ever convention as a cosplayer and as a judge. I was out of town on a vacation trip when the event organizers called me up.

I didn’t have a lot of time to make my own costume or have it made, so I bought a Ryoma Echizen Seigaku tennis uniform online and borrowed a tennis racket from a friend. It was a simple outfit, so I was surprised that a lot of people still wanted to take pictures with me.

The most memorable convention, nonetheless, and the farthest I’ve attended is the Anime Festival Asia 2014 (AFA2014) in Suntec City, Singapore. Not only was it my first time cosplaying outside the Philippines, it was also my first time in Singapore.

The event was huge and there were so much going on. I bought a lot of anime goodies there and I went crazy with taking pictures with cosplayers and exchanging Cosplay Cards. I also enjoyed the photoshoots there, especially at the HELIX BRIDGE.

Costume/Gear/Props/Armor Making

To be honest, I’m not that skillful, but I’m still able to make simple props and accessories.

When it comes to sewing, I can only do minor things, and because of my busy work, I usually have my costumes made. The costume I made myself is the Arabian Version of Haruka Nanase from Free!.

Kaito (Vocaloid) by Ron Naldo

What does a Cosplayer mean to you?

Cosplay is an expression of love, of art, and a tool of communication!!

I’m not really good at socializing, I’m often cold and taciturn, and socially awkward. However, Cosplay made it possible for me to meet other people with the same interest.

Une publication partagée par Jc Zala (@jczala) le 14 Juil. 2017 à 3h19 PDT

Worst and Unforgettable Experience

Probably the time I was cosplaying as Armin Arlert (Attack on Titan) in SMX Convention Center. A really bad case of Prop Malfunction.

I couldn’t really walk around that much with my 3DMG gear because of my faulty straps and belts. It was impossible to fix it on the spot. I ended up not using the gear at all. Other than that, I still had fun with my friends.

An unforgettable and funny experience that happened to me was during the Fantasy Quest event, where I cosplayed Tamahome from Fushigi Yuugi.

I may be crossplaying but I’m still a girl, so I went to retouch with my partner in the girl’s comfort room. While my partner was still in the cubicle, I was just washing my hands when another girl cosplayer walked in.

She stopped and just stared at me for a few seconds, then went out to check if she accidentally walked into the boy’s comfort room. She was convinced that I was really a guy.

Cosplayers you look up to

I have a lot of idols and role model cosplayers, but I really look up to Jesuke, Reika, and Viospace as fellow Crossplayers.
Meet and Greet with Guest Cosplayers from other countries are always something to look forward to!

I’ve attended a bunch of them when I was still active in Manila and got to meet wonderful cosplayers like Reika, Yugene Fay, Kaname, Jesuke, Viospace, and so much more. I’ve also met a lot of them in Singapore!

Your Greatest Achievement

Featured 4 times in Cosplay Gen’s Website for Best Cos in DeviantArt, like Card Captor Sakura and Syaoran by riskbreaker, The Quest for Water and Squad Leader Hange Zoe  and lastly The Lone Arab

Featured 5 times in Cosmode: Cosnaps in the World Wide, and became one of the judges of many Cons like MCTV 2011 Otaku Fest, WMSU CosCom, and Mindpro’s AniCon.

Many responsibilities come as I’ve earned the position of Assistant Contest Committee for Mindanao Cosplay Summit 2016, then eventually become the head of two committee’s WCSPH Zampen Qualifiers and Ambox Zampen.

Advices would you give to New Aspiring Cosplayers

Cosplay is for fun! Start lightly and slowly. You can’t expect everything to turn out perfect the first time.

Treasure that feeling of excitement when you portray your favorite characters and learn from experience.

Where can we see you?

I don’t attend a lot of conventions these days due to my busy work schedule. But you can catch me and the rest of the organizing team in our next Matsuri Fever Event!

So watch out for it! I’m also planning to visit Tokyo this year, so you might see me there walking around as Osomatsu-san!

Photo by John Mark Pilapil

Indeed Jevelyn has participated a lot of conventions and for now, she is currently continuing her profession. Well, I wish to see her one day wearing that “Attack on Titan” Costume.

Thanks to her great story we have learned a little bit more about Cosplay World, I personally thank her for the effort, hard work and passion that she’s putting into this field. Thank you for your exceptional photos shared with us, now I know why you have tons of achievements.

Do you want to know more about JC Zala? Follow her social media accounts

CURE NO: 293028
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