COSPLAYER PROFILES: MAKA DURAN

Let us welcome to COSPLAYER PROFILES, MAKA DURAN.  She had been cosplaying since 2010 in school, joining school programs and events from 2010 - 2013.  She started officially attending events in cosplay starting 2014 and also joined competitions and attended anime/game/& toy events, malls & school universities.

Introducing Maka Duran

Why do you cosplay? 

Nag co'cosplay po ako kasi po noon una po ay want ko lang po ay mai'cosplay ko lang po yun mga want or favorite ko po ng mga anime & game characters for fun & meet a new friends. Pero nung nagtagal noon sumasali na po ako sa mga compettitions ay gusto ko po maging inspiration sa mga PWD at mga kabataan na want po rin nila mag cosplay para maging masaya po sila for that hobby like cosplaying.

(I started cosplaying initially because I just want to cosplay my favorite characters and meet new friends.  Later on when I started joining competitions, I want to be an inspiration to other PWDs. that this hobby can bring them happiness.)

What or who inspired you to cosplay?

Fist of all ang mga una ko po maging mga inspirations ko sa pag co'cosplay ay sina Mis. Alodia Gosengfiao, Ashley Misaki Hermandez, & Sir David D'Angelo. (My first inspiration in cosplay are Mis. Alodia Gosengfiao, Ashley Misaki Hermandez, & Sir David D'Angelo.)

Kasi po sila po yun lagi ko po nakikita sa mga TV show/commercials, youtube, & magazine dahil po sa background story po nila sa pag cocosplay po nila kung paano po sila nag start, kaya po ayun nag start ako na mag cosplay na mag-isa nang walang nag iinvite sakin na friends as in wala pa po ako friends noon dahil may kapansangan po ako sa pag-sasalita at mahiyain po ako kasi po lagi po ako binu-bully noon dahil po sa kalagayan ko po. (They are the ones that I commonly see on TV, commercials, Youtube and magazine.  Their background on how they start cosplayung inspired me to also cosplay.  I attend events without anyone inviting me since I also have no friends back then because of my status.  I have a defect with speech and am also shy.)

And now i have a once of the most inspired in real life & in cosplay is my lola, mom, family, & friends dahil very supportive sila sakin dahil dito po ako masaya sa hobby ko nito. And also Michallea Advincula, kasi po sya po yun mosted na tumutong po sakin pagdating sa co'cosplay & sa mga other things na kung ano ang mga ikakabuti po para sakin. (Right now my family is helping me as well and they are an inspiration.  Also, Michallea Advincula, because she helped me a lot.)

What characters have you cosplayed? 

1. Nitta Io - Devil Survivor 2
2. Aqua - Kingdom Heart: Birth by Sleep
3. Rin Kagamine - Vocaloid
4. Annie - Leagues of Legends
5. Umaru Doma - Himouto: Umaru-chan!
6. Shinoa Hiragi - Owari no Seraph
7. Enju Aihara - Black Bullets
8. Elizabeth Bathory - Fate Grand Order
9. Yashiro Nene - Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun

Maka Duran and Her Plans in Cosplay

What is your best experience in cosplaying?

I have a 2 best exprience in cosplaying:

Yun po nanalo ako sa mga cosplay compettitions, kasi dun nyo po makikita na kung gaano kasulit yun mga pinaghirapan mo sa pag-gawa mo ng costume & props at pag-practice ng pag-acting/steps mo para sa performance mo. (When I won in cosplay competitions because somehow it is a reward for all the efforts that you have done from preparing your costume to your performance on stage.)

Having more exprience with other people, kasi po dun nyo po makikita na kung gaano kasaya at kahirap yun pag co'cosplay na you need more improvement to your self and other people around to you, & need more confident to your self. Kasi dun mo makikita na kun gaano kasaya na mag cosplay kahit may kapansangan ka. (The whole experience of cosplay is so profound for me.  I was able to improve myself despite the fact that I am a PWD.  It made me happy and contented.)

Any future plans or dream?

In my life? Hmm... I want to be a multi-media art or animator & a fashion designer.  In cosplay i want to join in biggest cosplay compettitions and i want to go in other country like in the international cosplay/anime events.

What is your message to other cosplayers?

Hi guys!  I'am Maka Duran the once of the legal loli cosplayer in phillipines, if you want to see my cosplay & etc, pls visit my social media accounts! 😉 Thank you & God bless you all! 🥰

Sa mga Cosplayers po na dyan na need pa po ng more improvements & want nila ilabas ang cofident sa pag co'cosplay, ay always think possitive, hayaan nyo po yun mga nang bu'bully or nang ba'bash sayo form social media and real life kasi pag-pinansin nyo ay ikaw po yun masasaktan and bigla nalang igi-give up ung hobby mo dahil sa mga bad reasons at pinapansin nyo sila. (To all the cosplayers out there who needs more improvement and want to boost their confidence in cosplaying, all I can say is think positive and just ignore the bashers in social media and even in real life.  If you will mind them then you will just lose hope, so just ignore them.)

Mali po yun, if want mo mag stop sa pag-co'cosplay dapat in the good ways like "nice! Im done in cosplay, i want to give a inspirations to other people specially to the cosplayers who have a person with disability like me because i want to show to others what is a true magic of cosplay." (It is wrong to stop cosplaying because of what other people says about you.  For me I will stop cosplaying soon but I know in my experience as a cosplayer, I am able to inspire others especially those who are also PWD.  Let my story be an inspiration to others.)

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