KaryaOne is an annual student program organised by Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Faculty of Film, Animation and Theatre (FiTA). A play on the Malay term karyawan, KaryaOne aims to showcase its students’ talents in various artistic fields, including film, illustration, literature, dance, and even cosplay.
THE MAGIC RAIN was invited to visit KaryaOne’s Creative Costume Play slot, which ran from 10am to 12pm on the 5th of December. Organised by the FiTA Cosplayers club, the segment was themed after the Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos, more commonly known in English as the Day of the Dead.
First Impressions
Upon stepping into the event venue, we were immediately impressed by the effort that went into making sure the event lived up to its Day of the Dead theme.
From the various stage decorations and effects, to students dressed to the nines in elaborate sugar skull makeup, the event instantly brought to mind beloved Day of the Dead movies such as Pixar’s Coco. We especially loved spotting the event’s mascots wandering around the hall!
However, we also noticed that there were a lack of clear directions or signposts guiding visitors to the venue. It’s a small detail that would go a long way to help improve the event-going experience.
Stage Highlights
FiTA Cosplayers’ two-hour segment was jam-packed with entertaining stage events, including a dance performance by the club members. The enthusiasm and high spirits each member brought to the dance was infectious, and we even found ourselves smiling and cheering them along.
Ufotable’s Kimetsu no Yaiba has proven to be the breakout anime of the season, inspiring thousands of diehard fans across the world—and the event’s special guests Team Kuramaker and Mewriel were no exception. Team Kuramaker put on their signature action-based skits, re-enacting Shinobu and Giyuu’s iconic fight scene, while Mewriel performed a ballet dance set to a song from the series’ soundtrack.
The event’s cosplay competition was a small but lively affair, only featuring approximately six participants – two of whom were adorable kids, cosplaying as Harley Quinn and Hatsune Miku.
Still, each participant made the most of their time on stage, and Muhammad Nashruddin bin Nazri, Nurul Atiqah binti Ramli and Muhammad Akmal bin Abdul Hai emerged in first, second and third place respectively.
Closing Thoughts
They say ‘time flies while you’re having fun’, and it was certainly the case for us, as FiTA Cosplayers’ segment at KaryaOne seemed to go by in the blink of an eye.
THE MAGIC RAIN would like to applaud the students and faculty involved in the Creative Costume Play slot for a job well done, and we’d love to visit again next year!