Who doesn't know Alodia Gosiengfiao? I think almost all of us knew about her.

   
     The first time I heard that name was on December 10,2010. I was second year high school back then. Alodia was featured on an entertainment show "Rated K" episode entitled with "Bongga ka day". I was so amazed by her fancy costumes and accessories. She was named as the "Cosplay Queen of the Philippines".

Alodia on "Rated K"

     Alodia Almira Arraiza Gosiengfiao also known as Alodia Gosiengfiao was born on March 9,1988. She is a Filipina cosplayer, model, artist, singer, and recording artist. She is fond of art, make-up, fashion, gadgets, video games, photography, collecting toys and figures such as BJDs, and plays the piano. She holds a degree of a Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Information Design in Ateneo de Manila University. She is also worked on art commissions for international clients, illustrating both digital and traditional works.

     Alodia became involved in cosplay after contacting other anime and video game enthusiasts in an internet fan forum called Anime Club. Being encouraged by her friends from the forum to join cosplay. She started cosplaying in 2003 at the age of 15, joining various competitions in Metro Manila. Her first cosplayed character was a Priestess from Ragnarok Online at "Ragnalaunch" in Glorietta. She began to attract attention when she won 3rd place in the 2003 C3 Convention as Gun Mage Rikku og Final Fantasy X-2. This led to her and her younger sister Ashley Gosiengfiao being featured on the cover of issue 14 of Culture Crash Magazine, a Manga Magazine in the Philippines.

Alodia(left) , Ashley(right)

Alodia(left) , Ashley(right)

     Since then, she cosplayed a series of characters from over 40 Anime, movie and video game titles including Witchblade, K-On!, Paradise Kiss, Evangelion, Final Fantasy X-2. As multi-awarded cosplayer, she is now being invited to appear at conventions or to judge competitions locally and abroad. She started judging at the age of 18. Due to her constant contribution to the cosplay community in the Philippines, Alodia has been invited into various international cosplay conventions and events as a participant, performer, judge or simply to attend as a guest.

Witchblade
Alodia(left) , Ashley (right)

K-On!

Paradise Kiss

Evangelion

Final Fantasy X-2

      In November 2009 at Suntec Convention Hall in Singapore, Alodia together with her younger sister Ashley, represented the Philippines as one of the Finalist for the Anime Festival Asia Regional Cosplay Championship. Alodia and Ashley cosplayed as Masane Amaha and Shiori Tsuzuki from the Witchblade anime. On July 3,2010, Singapore, Alodia and Ashley Gosiengfiao were invited by the Mascot Parade supported by the Singapore Government to judge the cosplay competition. They both coslpayed characters from the romantic anime series Paradise Kiss. In addition to judging the cosplay competition, Alodia and Ashley also performed two songs on stage: Lonely in Gorgeous from Paradise Kiss, and Real Emition from the hit Japanese roleplaying game Final Fantasy X-2. Animx also held "Meet and greet" sessions with Alodia in Camp Pong for Singaporean anime and cosplay enthusiasts.

Ashley and Alodia Gosiengfiao

      On July 21-24, 2010, Alodia attended the Annual San Diego Comic-Con for a cosplay gathering at Kotobukiya booth. She landed a big role in the San Diego Comic-Con documentary directed by Morgan Spurlock and produced by Legendary Pictures. The documentary team followed 5 different people from around the world to document what they did at the San Diego Comic Convention in the United States-line up includes an artist, comic book enthusiast, cosplayer, etc. Part of the team was Stan Lee; the father of Marvel Comics. this led to a meeting with Legendary Pictures CEO/founder Thoman Tull and vice-president Alex Garcia, regarding their new upcoming movie Warcraft. After this meeting, Alodia was featured in a very popular US-based website Kotaku.

      Blizzard Entertainment, maker of Warcraft, got in touch with Alodia regarding business and an endorsement deal for their new game, Star Craft 2. She also won the "Hall Costume Award"; an award given by the Costume Designers Guild to convention members who wear exceptional get-ups inside the venue. On October 31,2010, Alodia together with Animax and Hong Kong Tourism Board held an event "Hong Kong Halloween Treats Party". It is a culmination of a one-and-a-half-month long campaign by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Animax to promote Hong Kong across South-East Asia as the dream Halloween destination. Cosplayers from all over Asia gathered to celebrate the event.

      On November 13,2010 Alodia was back again in Singapore for the Anime festival Asia 2010 in Suntec Convention Hall, this time she was invited as a Celebrity Judge for the AFA Regional Cosplay Championship. The same event Alodia and Ashley attended as a finalist and representative of the Philippines way back 2009. She graced the event along with the Japanese celebrity guests namely Ichirou Mizuki, May'n, SCANDAL, JAM Project, angela, Kana Hanazawa, Milky Holmes and the Cosplayers Kaname and Aira. On November 27,2010 Alodia's Rei Ayanami Grimrock version cosplay made its first appearance at the 2010 Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Brisbane Australia, she was invited to guest judge the Madman National Cosplay Championship as part of the Supanova Cosplay Festival.

      Alodia's achievements in the cosplay community led her way to be recognized by the mainstream media and various companies in the Philippines. Currently she is endorsing a whitening skin care product, health food and beverage product, Japanese Sushi bar, toy collector and figurine distributor in the Philippines, a large video game company based in Japan, clothing line, and Japanese snack. She also became one of the brand ambassador of a Philippine telecommunication company, and in 2012 became a brand ambassador for canon. Past endorsements include many video game companies such as Level-Up Games, E-Games, Kelphil's Shade and SEGA'S love and Berry. She was part of the Official Muse Guild fir the Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) Mv Online.

      She was also a gme moderator for another MMORPG called the Level UP Games, ROSE Online event and given the title of "Community Manager" and a one-year contract with Level Up Games. As the official model and endorser of IPVG-EGames Zhu Xian Online game in 2009, Alodia; an avid gamer, hold her first Fans Day during the Domination 3 Event on April 2009. Alodia is the Animax's first ever Levi's Kawaii girl winner in the last episode of Mad Mad Fun, which was announced on air on Ocober 27,2007. In 2010, Alodia together with Ashley Gosiengfiao ang Model Steph Henares was chosen by Animax to be their Ambassador and VJ, known as the Animates.

Animax VJs
Steph Henares, Alodia and Ashley Gosiengfiao

      It was the first time Animax has chosen a cosplayer as one of its VJ's. Alodia's cosplay hosting stints in various events and Animax paved the way for her first project in ABS-CBN. She is now seen as a Host in ABS-CBN's prank show titled L.O.L - Laugh Out Loud with Luis Manzano every Saturday night. 

      She has been featured in several magazines such as Candy Magazine, Meg Magazine, Preview Magazine, GAME! Magazine, Digital Photographers Philippines Magazine and newspapers like Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin and Manila Times. She was also invited to appear as guest on TV shows like MogTV, QTV 11 now GMA News TV, Front act, Matanglawin, Mel and Joey, and Ang pinaka. Other than local media, she has also been featured in newspaper and magazine in different countries such as Japan, Singapore, and United States. She was also part of the book called OTACOOL: Worldwide Otaku rooms and OTACOOL: Worldwide Cosplayers by Danny Choo. She was also featured on a TV show in Tokyo "Culture: Japan" featuring her costumes, artworks, comic books, and figure collections which was also shown in Animax.

      Alodia ranked #76 in the Philippine FHM 100 sexiest women poll for 2010, and ranked #87 in 2009. She was named by UNO Magazine as one of the Most Influential Woman in the Philippines.