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Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Arts and Culture devider Rain or shine: ACX 2025 showers fans with surprises at the Raindrop Reverie!

Rain or shine: ACX 2025 showers fans with surprises at the Raindrop Reverie!

By MBrand
Published Aug 6, 2025 05:14 pm
This year’s Anime and Cosplay eXpo was truly one of the most challenging events to date. Despite the gloomy skies brought by Typhoon Crising, the passion and dedication of every attendee warmed every corner of SMX’s Function Rooms 4-5 last July 19-20, 2025.
As the third season featured in Cosplay.ph’s “Season of Cosplay” series, the event truly lived up to its theme, “Raindrop Reverie”—stirring a storm of surprises that overflowed with excitement. For its ninth-year celebration, it showered fans with a weekend deluge of vibrant attractions—from hundreds of exhibits flowing across the hall with a variety of must-have hauls and exclusive merchandise, bound with unforgettable experiences shared by the crowd of fellow anime and cosplay enthusiasts at the event.
If you happen to miss it because of the rain, we’re here to give you a recap of the most outstanding moments from Anime and Cosplay eXpo 2025!
1. A Whirlwind of Talents Swept The Stage!
The main stage was bursting with energy radiating from the 10 new hopefuls who impressed the crowd in this season of Cosplay Got Talent! Contest winners Raindrop and successfully earned the trophy and the spot to become the opening acts for the upcoming JAM Concert!
It wouldn’t be complete without fan-favorite segments like Shadow Play and Don’t Skip the Intro, and powerful vocals flowed in the Cosplay Karaoke Encore and Open Mic Karaoke! Added to the roster of fan-favorite activities was the Cosplay Contender, where cosplayers competed in a single-elimination, tournament-style format!
Yoshinoya is also back to bring deliciousness to ACX with their most anticipated Gyudon Eating Contest, which satisfied the palate of participants and amused the audience cheering them on to finish a flavorful bowl of gyudon!
2. Kanalyss Brightens Up The Day With Her Dazzling Presence!
The rain couldn’t dampen the excitement for the arrival of the multi-talented cosplay star and special guest from the U.S.—Kanalyss! With her enchanting vocals, she serenaded the crowd with classical hits like “Fly Me To The Moon” and fan-favorite titles “Sign Wa B,” from Oshi No Ko, “Baka Mitai” from Like A Dragon (Yakuza) Series, and “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from the Phantom of The Opera. Fans also warmly welcomed her with jam-packed meet-and-greet sessions and sold-out exclusive merchandise for two days!
3. A Downpour of Surprises for Upcoming Events!
One of the most exciting moments at ACX 2025 poured down with exciting revelations! From back-to-back events; Cosplay Camp: Kaiju Clash, stomping back on August 30-31, 2025, in Festival Mall, Alabang, and the biggest cosplay convention this year is Cosplay Mania 2025!
Anticipating fans at the event were the first to hear the epic lineup of special guests—featuring cosplay icons Thames and Le Josette, rising voice actor Jacob Takanashi, stage stars Kairi Miura and Kousuke Asuma, and beloved VTubers Unnämed and Hololive’s HOLOARMIS—Jurard T. Rexford, Goldbullet, Octavio, and Crimzon Ruze!
Fans cannot contain the excitement surging for the upcoming JAM Concert—featuring top acts from Octavio and Sangatsu no Phantasia on October 3, STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION & TRUE on October 4, and Unnämed, angela, and Shouta Aoi on October 5!
As the rain continues to fall during this season, ACX remains a bright gathering place for fans! And as the final raindrop hits the ground, new ripples of excitement begin to stir, welcoming a fresh season of exciting events and announcements to look forward to along the way!
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