Future Quest

Alodia Gosiengfiao dares to take a leap and disrupt the industry

- TRINA EPILEPSIA BOUTAIN

Who didn’t have a crush on Alodia Gosiengfiao? For those who grew up to and along with the cosplayer-gamermodel-TV-presenter-vlogger (and singerpianist-actor as per her Wikipedia page), she was—is—the dream girl. She’s the real life inspiration and proof that being unapologetically real to one’s self does indeed lead to success.

And not just any old kind success, but a game-changing, disrupt-theindustry level of success.

When she first burst into the scene in the early aughts, many people were instantly besotted, regardless if they were into anime, comics, gaming or simply alive and able to see. Geek culture was still on the rise, but many, especially the media, were to quick to catch on Gosiengfiao. As a cosplayer her splendid creations turned digital daydreams and anime characters into real life. Here she is an an Avenger, a warrior from the distant future, a humanoid, or even a G.I. Joe character. It helps that she looks splendid herself, all long limbs, delicate facial structure and a seemingly natural rapport with the camera. As the cosplay, anime and gaming industries grew, so did her popularity. TV beckoned, as did publication features, endorsement contracts and collaborations with companies that you may have heard of like tech giant Facebook and top smartphone brand realme, the daring wunderkind that dominated its market in a short span of time (3 years to be exact), much like Gosiengfiao herself. For both industry mainstream audiences, she’s the face of the scene. Now, at 33 years old, Gosiengfiao is all woman, poised to take on and take over an industry that she’s played in for almost two decades.