An adult film about Cosplay!?
Cover featured image snapshot taken from Vivamax (via The Fanboy SEO).
Definitely, some of them seen it. But how about those people, except minors, who had never seen it?
In the latest trailer video released by Vivamax on YouTube (age-restricted, requires login), titled as Pantasya ni Tami (Tami’s Fantasy), it tells about a girl named Tami (played by Azi Acosta) who is portraying herself as a life of being a Cosplayer. The adult film showcases the two sides of the world of Cosplaying — one is being donned and dressed casually as the character from an Anime or video game series, and the other is on how did Cosplay becomes involved when it comes to brazen and obscene activities.
After that such trailer video was released online, it has sparked with many backlashes from netizens, who are majority are Cosplayers from the Philippines. Such comments can be found via from their official Facebook post itself (Vivamax Philippines).
This movie is sexualizing cosplay and creates a bad image of the hobby and community. It also sexualizes women cosplayer as well as a bad light on a few who are doing gravure and NSFW content. What gives Vivamax the right to create such a movie that would jeopardize a suppose to be great community for destressing. Cosplay is a hobby where most of us get a chance to play out favorite characters and have fun. Now na namainstream na lahat kayo gusto makisawsaw sa dala ng cosplay tapos ito pa gagawin nyo. This is not right! This is unjust for us genuine cosplayers. Totoo man o hindi ang topic ng movie na ito, it tarnishes the community, and the hobby, and it does not account for what cosplay really is
Boycott Vivamax!
David D’Angelo commented.
Never nga ako nag subscribe sa inyo. If connected kayo sa Viva then better let’s boycott all films from Viva!
Wow so…. This is thought-provoking and not in the way they think.
First of all, not all cosplayers are like that. There’s nothing wrong with gravure cosplayers and all that, good for them, but for you to focus on the ‘sex appeal’ of cosplay instead of other struggles non-NSFW cosplayers have is quite appalling. Not only does this put us in a sexual light (now this in a bad way) but it also lessens the impact and meaning behind our efforts.
You have minimised and belittled the hours of makeup, wig fixing, costume making and even performance practice for our cosplays. Our cosplays our not just for your lewd fantasies. It’s an escape for many of us, a hobby.
Second, with how sexual you portray cosplay, I’m a little nervous for future generations. Especially for younger cosplayers. There are NSFW cosplayers of course, but they are consenting and responsible adults. What if, because of this film, minor cosplayers will also be seen in a sexual way? I’ve been harassed before, especially with my body type, but this film makes me nervous with the thought that such unacceptable behaviour will only worsen because of it.
The cosplay community is not perfect, sure, and we’ve had our troubles, but if you wanted a film to represent us, give us a film that could help explain to the public how wonderful cosplay can be. I’ve rarely cosplayed, but it’s always been enjoyable for me, despite how difficult some costumes can be. It helped me connect with other people, and helps showcase my favourite characters.
I have not seen this film yet of course, and I am not putting down cosplayers who have done NSFW content. But again, those are consenting adults. Plenty in our community are minors, and I am nervous for their safety because of this.
We’ve been laughed at before. This is no better. Do better, Philippine media.
Katrina commented.
(#)
this is so harmful to us cosplayers and especially gravure models. you’re creating a narrative wherein cosplayers accept these kinds of favors but we dont. pls think of what the general audience opinions will become in regards to us when this film airs out. We do NOT want to be sexualized in any way nor is anything in this trailer true or speak for the cosplay community. This is disrespectful, distasteful, and dehumanizing. For a lot of people cosplaying is a safe space, creating films like this is harmful especially to cosplayers who have parents that see this hobby as something bad and it tramples on every effort the community has made throughout the years to feel seen and respected for our hobby or for some people their jobs.
Cosplayers include children, teens, adults, and even older people. Because cosplaying is a way of expressing ourselves and our love of the characters we portray. We are NOT sexual objects nor do we want to be seen as one. Trash this movie, literally just take the L.
Elle Francisco commented.
All comments above are from this Facebook post by Vivamax Philippines.
So then, a work of fiction can sometimes become a “work of realism”. It can be fictitious, yet people learn and adapt from them, despite it’s not real.
So, what do you think, people? Does the portrayal on how Cosplay works can make a significant effect on people who do Cosplay, especially girls and women?
Pantasya ni Tami will be released and streamed exclusively on Vivamax on January 26, 2024.
