Another Cause of Cosplay
She wears a wig, but she has hair. She makes weapons, but she is not a killer. Primarily, she poses to different photographers yet she does not get paid for it. She poses not as herself but as a different persona.
Dressed in a costume while posing at a camera, Kristine Olive B. Caravana-also known as KC to her friends, looks like any other cosplayer (costume player).
What sets her apart from other cosplayers is her advocacy with cosplay – to use it as a door to help other people, especially children.
“I wanted to extend my hand further to those in need; and if you’re a cosplayer, it’s easier for you to help-there’s something special about it,” Caravana says as she smiles.
Cosplayers, Caravana explained, often reason out that they cosplay to express themselves, others for photoshoot and to make friends.
But for her, cosplay has been her vehicle to see smiles painted on children’s faces.
As most cosplayers do cosplay only at conventions and photoshoot, this newbie cosplayer goes to different orphanages, schools, institutions, and foundations in costume to inspire and lend a hand to children.
“Oo, ang init-init (Yes, it is very hot), but at the end of the day, pag nakita mo yung ngiti ng mga bata, ang saya-saya. Mawawala yung pagod mo (when you see the smiles of the children, it is very satisfying. Your tiredness will be gone),” she reflects.
She was just 14 when she joined the cosplay community and at that time, she has already been an active member of the National Cosplayers of the Philippines (NCP), an organization founded on 2010 by a group of cosplayers who has the advocacy to help and inspire people while cosplaying.
Caravana never thought that cosplaying and helping other people at the same time was possible and would be fun until she became a member of NCP.
“When I was starting, I thought of the advocacy most cosplayers do, to express themselves and all… But as I attended NCP’s for-a-cause projects, I felt fulfilled that I was able to cosplay and help at the same time,” she said as she recounts the moment she first joined NCP.
It was on 2011 that she had her first participation on a for-a-cause project with NCP. She participated on NCP’s Photoshoot-for-a-Cause, a project that lets cosplayers, photographers, and cosplay enthusiasts pose and have photos with their favorite anime and gaming character in exchange with school supplies that will be given to public elementary schools students. She proposed this project since she was also hooked with photography.
After that event, her growing advocacy of “cosplaying and helping others at the same time” was driven even more by the smiles of the children. “Nainspire ako na lalo pang tumulong kasi gusto kong nakikita na ngumingiti yung ibang taong dahil sa akin (I am inspired to help even more because I like seeing other people smile because of me),” Caravana reflects.
One of her most unforgettable projects with NCP was when they went in a detention center. There were children there who robbed, left their home, and have lost hope in life.
Caravana and other NCP members were grouped with some of the children during their group discussion. “Naiyak ako kasi sabi nila ‘Ate, gusto na naming makalabas dito, gusto na naming magbagong buhay (I felt like crying because they told me ‘Big sister, we wanted to get out of here, we wanted to change our ways),” she ponders in a low tone.
But before she had that advocacy in life, she was already way different among other cosplayers.
“For me, it’s not just a hobby. It’s a way of life… cosplay is something that makes up myself as a whole,” the 16-year old cosplayer believes.
Her first cosplay was the character Shiro Togi from the anime Fortune Arcade. She chose that character even if it was not that popular because she dreams of the character’s life.
“Since the character has an older brother, I had to find one since I am the eldest in our family,” she recalls. Her dream to have an older brother has been fulfilled as she found a partner who cosplayed as the character’s brother.
She also emphasized that one “must be compassionate when in cosplay community.” Caravana added, “A real cosplayer would do everything, even not to eat, just for the sake to have a costume.”
Cosplayer KC Caravana shows her sword as she cosplays Crux Knight Pintail from the anime Sword Girls during Cosplay Mania 2012.
From the very start, her family has been very supportive of her. “They were even there during my first cosplay event, hinatid pa nila ako at minake-upan (they even brought me to the venue and put on make-up on me),” she narrates with a smile.
When she told her family that the cosplay organization she joined has charity works, they even donated goods for the project
“Indeed, cosplay changed my life…my advocacy turned me into a better person,” Caravana admits.
Young as she is, she wanted to be an example to her fellow teenagers.
As cosplay has been a craze to the youth recently, she lamented: “Cosplay, has been sensationalized lately for some reason. It has been an issue now in the cosplay community… nawawala na yung essence ng pagco-cosplay (The essence of cosplay is losing).”
With this notion of cosplaying, especially to her fellow youth, she asserts that “cosplaying should be done to express and not to impress.”
Caravana is now the head photographer of NCP. On May 4, she would be organizing another Photoshoot-For-a-Cause, which is open for all. This event aims to gather school supplies for approximately 500 public school students in a public school in Morong, Rizal.
She said, “There are so many ways to help other people, but in my case, cosplay serves as the way to extend my hand.”#
