halca had long been curious about the Philippines through half-Filipino friends during her school days, and through Filipino fans who showed up consistently on her livestreams. When the JAM Concert at Cosplay Carnival 2026: Eternal Emerald finally brought her to Manila, her reaction was immediate.
“I was very happy because I felt like, ‘Oh, I finally get to come to the Philippines!'” she said. “I always wanted to come to see my fans here.”
The Filipino fanbase was not new to halca before she arrived. “Even during Instagram lives or YouTube lives, there would be a lot of people saying that they’re ‘Watching from the Philippines’, ‘I love you!'” she recalled.
Overseas events also gave her something she cannot experience at home, she is not permitted to walk the convention floor even with security. Abroad, that changes. “The fans are able to see me, and I feel happy because there’s that ‘Oh, it’s halca!’ that surprise makes me happy,” she said.
Before concerts, halca makes it a habit to try local food for her MC segments on stage. In Manila, that went further than expected. She had sinigang and sotanghon on consecutive days at two different restaurants. “I really, really enjoy it,” she said. “I’ll probably miss Filipino food when I go back to Japan.”
She then extended an open invitation: “When I have an opportunity to do a solo concert in the Philippines, I would also like to promote it to my fans in Japan and ask them to come — so that they can also try these Filipino foods.”
halca closed with a direct message to supporters: “I definitely hope to come back to the Philippines, so I hope for your continued support.”
halca performed at the JAM Concert during Cosplay Carnival 2026: Eternal Emerald, held March 28–29, 2026, at SMX Convention Center Manila, alongside Who-ya Extended and Naomi Payton.
ANIMEPH is a media partner for Cosplay Carnival 2026.
