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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Sea Empress (DJS Photography) |
With a beauty that has
blossomed well beyond her years, this gorgeous teenager from Pampanga has enthralled the hearts of
thousands of cosplay enthusiasts all over the country.
Meet Tantin Legaspi-Meneses -- the 17-year-old cosplayer famous
for portraying Erza Scarlet from the anime Fairy Tail. Let’s get to
know her more and see her journey from being a simple high school sweetheart to
becoming one of the country’s most admired cosplay celebrities.
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Sea Empress (Justin Garde) |
I’m Tantin Legaspi-Meneses. Some
people call me Tantan. I’m cosplayer, anime lover,
martial arts enthusiast, gamer, and nature lover.
When did
you start cosplaying?
I started last year September 17 2011 . That
day has truly changed my life.
What motivates you to cosplay?
Well I have no idea that I will someday enter the
cosplay world. It started because of a red wig which my sister brought for an
event. I saw it and instantly associated it with that of Erza’s hair. The idea
of cosplaying Erza just grew in my mind. That was the start of my cosplay life.
Then the day of my first cosplay event came. My
first reaction was, “Oh my gosh! Am I
dreaming?”
I never thought so many people would be interested
in taking pictures of me. It felt more like a fairy tale!
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Heaven's Wheel |
A lot of people know me as Erza Scarlet – and
there’s perfectly good reason for that. I already cosplayed three of her armors!
1. Sea Empress
2. Japanese Cloth
3. Heaven's Wheel
1. Sea Empress
2. Japanese Cloth
3. Heaven's Wheel
I have also cosplayed other characters such as
4. Black Rock Shooter
5. Alexiel from Angel Sanctuary
6. and an original gender-bent character which I made
Erza will always be my favorite. She’s one of the
coolest anime characters I’ve ever known!
What do you consider the most special cosplay event you’ve attended?
My first cosplay was the most memorable… It changed
everything in me! Otaku expo back in August 2012 was also very
special. It was during that event that I met people who eventually became dear
to me.
Describe something that you hate.
I hate bullies, hypocrites, and judgmental people. Believe
it or not, I was a victim of bullying when I was in grade school and early high
school. I was bullied almost on a daily basis.
I don’t know what was wrong with me back then. I’m
not sure why they hated me so much. I was tormented both physically and
emotionally. They said I’m the ugliest in school. That time I can’t help but
cry almost everyday.
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Heaven's Wheel |
Describe something that you love.
Aside from cosplay, I love martial arts. Boxing is
a good workout ^__^ . Trust me!
I also love snakes! Seriously! Lots of people hate
them. But what they don’t realize is that snakes are very interesting creatures
and are actually needed in the environment. I hope to educate people about
them.
Well when it comes to crushes ;) I tend to be
attracted to silent type guys. Looks don’t really matter to me that much.
Describe your life outside cosplay.
Describe your life outside cosplay.
I’m just a girl who loves to workout at the gym.
Being fit is important to me.
Our place is surrounded mostly by agricultural
lands. On a good weather, I like staying in a nipa hut near our house. It is situated in the
middle of a field. Air moves freely in and out of that place making it very
relaxing; I sometimes fall asleep while watching workers go about their choirs.
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses in Casual Wear (WC Photography) |
When it comes to anime, I love those with
comedic-theme. Full-Metal Panic and Fairy Tail are some of my favorites.
I used to be an online gamer too. I’m addicted to
Ragnarok. But I don’t have much time to do that anymore since I started
cosplaying. But I will forever be an online-gamer by heart.
What’s your dream job
and how do you see yourself in the future?
I’m a big lover of nature. I plan to take
environmental science in college and be an environmentalist.
If God permits, I’d also like to host an
environment program like “Born to be Wild.”
Tall order you may say? But isn’t that what dreams
are for?
Short message to your fans and fellow cosplayers
If you want something, go for it. Don’t be afraid
of failures. You may be knocked down every now and then but certainly not
forever.
Cosplay is not about titles. It’s about the happiness
you feel when you put a smile on somebody else’s face. It’s PRICELESS!
If you have time please do vote for me at otaku house http://cosplayidol.otakuhouse.com/2012/08/asia-pacific/tantin-meneses-erza-scarlet-from-fairytail/ click like button near tweet.
If you have time please do vote for me at otaku house http://cosplayidol.otakuhouse.com/2012/08/asia-pacific/tantin-meneses-erza-scarlet-from-fairytail/ click like button near tweet.
Thank you CosplayTips.com for featuring me! =)
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Heaven's Wheel |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Heaven's Wheel |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses in Original Gender-bent character |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses in Original Gender-bent character |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Heaven's Wheel |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Black Rock Shooter |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses (Image by Rocky Onin) |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Sea Empress - Best of Anime 2012 |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Heaven's Wheel |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses and Mary Ann Meneses |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Traditional Japanese Cloth |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Alexiel from Angel Sanctuary |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses as Erza Scarlet wearing Heaven's Wheel |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses (Image by Mike Atienza) |
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| Tantin Legaspi Meneses (Image by DJS Photography ) |
Observers say cosplay has fully entered the realm
of mainstream media. Now more than ever, we see droves of young and dreamy
individuals taking advantage of the hobby’s new found fame to catapult
themselves to more illustrious careers such as becoming a TV personality or
commercial and fashion model. Tantin has none of these ambitions. For her, the joys
of cosplaying are enough to fill her plate. She, however humbly stated, that she will
not close her doors to these opportunities should they come in the future.
There are many other girls who are beautiful, talented,
and have great personality in the cosplay scene — but very few can make an
impact like Tantin can.
Every time she appears on conventions she instantly
attracts the attention of photographers, spectators and fans. People surround
her like curious moths engrossed to gleaming light. Her appeal is so immense that
simply no one with correctly functioning faculties can ignore.
It is because of this inimitable charisma that
Tantin’s star shines and will continue to glitter within and beyond the
boundaries of the cosplay universe.
Follow Tantin on her official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tantin-Meneses/429830707080877?fref=ts
