The date is December 29. As I type these exact words, I can’t believe that Cosplay Matsuri 2025: Winter Wonderland just kicked off a day ago — and I got to experience it for the first and last time this year. The exhaustion hasn’t worn off yet, but so does the excitement. It was jam-packed with various events and a huge fair, gathering all cosplayers, anime fans, VTubers, and gamers in one last festival before the year ends.

As someone who has always been into anime but couldn’t openly nerd out (except in online fandom spaces), I felt a sense of belonging even when it’s full of strangers. Japanese pop culture has the power to connect us all, and the great thing is that the community continues to thrive through annual conventions like Cosplay Mania, which is now in its 25th year.

Side Quests at the Fanfair

I knew what to expect highly from CosMatsu — a myriad of cosplayers and a lineup of activities. And I didn’t leave disappointed. From the entrance to the female restroom, I was amazed by the cosers’ love for the craft and their favorite fictional characters. I lost count of how many times I saw a Hatsune Miku and Frieren cosplayer. 

The doors opened at around 10:30 in the morning, but the main events are yet to start in the afternoon. I headed straight to the fanfair and began making a side quest to look for fan-made merchandise of my favorites. I honestly didn’t know where to look first because of their overwhelming number. After warming up a bit, I couldn’t help but see everything at that moment, even when I had a pre-made list of booths I wanted to stop by.

It was a quiet chaos — the space, the influx of booth visitors, and its effect on my wallet. A day before, I told myself to buy only a few goodies, but I ended up joining two stamp rallies and spending a little more.

A stamp rally is where visitors buy a minimum amount of merchandise from each participating artist to complete their stamp card and get their prize. It’s a fun way of supporting your favorite anime, game, etc., and discovering new artists. I felt like a real adventurer looking for treasures because some of the artists’ booth info was tiny, and sometimes there was none at all. It was a fun challenge.

While I had a great time at the fanfair, I wish it was more organized and spacious. When I went there, some of the artists hadn’t finished displaying their items. Some weren’t even done setting up their booths, with their luggages opened and scattered right in the space where visitors are supposed to walk. It’s a little frustrating because, as a fan, you’d want to roam freely in a convention, expecting everything to be ready and have fun. The space allocated was confined as well, even when you remove the visitors in the picture. It got crowded, while there’s a huge area that stands open when you enter the convention.

All-Star Ave, Infinity Nikki, and More

While waiting for the stage events, fans can make the most of the festival by lining up at All-Star Avenue, a dedicated space where they can meet and greet CosMatsu’s featured artists. The roster includes cosplayer Charess, VTuber duo SoulSync, and girl group ICON. Even when I’m not into cosplaying and VTube, I was glad to witness this side of the world that not many people know of.

All the way from Singapore, American-Chinese cosplayer Kiyo was the guest cosplayer at the festival. At Minute Burger’s booth in collaboration with InFold Games’ Infinity Nikki, fans can also expect Myrtle Sarrosa and participate in special activities where they can bring home prizes. InFold Games has no exclusive booth present, but maybe they could bring their well-loved titles Nikki, Love and Deepspace, and Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice here next time.

Besides the huge fanfair, CosMatsu goers can browse the booths filled with several collectibles, stationery, and lifestyle items. The Hubbyte Toy Store made its expected appearance, and sponsor MAGGI Gaming surprised everyone with its booth presence for the first time. If not the hobby shops or the blockbusters, they could just go to the food hall. Either way, they’ll surely spend the last days of the year spending that much, just like I was.

Burning Up the Main Stage

The main highlights of the festival happen in the afternoon. There’s a cosplay auction where fans can score an item for only ₱1, trivia games and contests where the audience can participate, and special performances where people can sing along. I was part of the audience at the rest area in front of the stage, and being there meant being consumed with the collective hype around me. It was interactive, and I liked how the crowd cheered for the contestants as if the power of friendship was necessary. IGA Kendo Club Philippines also made its appearance, and an open mic karaoke ended the night.

The remaining days of CosMatsu feature a cosplay competition, Q&A with guest cosplayer Kiyo, and the Cosplay Mania 2026 announcements, on top of their regular all-day events. As a first-time goer, these already hype me. But Cosplay Mania can step up with even more engaging activities and guests, like our well-liked voice actors or bands in the niche, that will make the crowd more thrilled and feel it’s totally worth it.

A Year-End Matsuri to Remember

At the end of the day, I was just happy to be there — in a place where J-pop culture is alive and celebrated. I saw my favorite characters come to life, and it was a fun game saying their names to myself whenever I caught sight of them. I discovered many artists, too, and enjoyed my time watching the events play out. The Seasons of Cosplay ends with Winter Wonderland, but this is just the beginning for me, who’s definitely coming back next year.