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A Filipino-Canadian cosplayer is breathing life into Disney’s valiant Polynesian princess.

Gladzy Kei, a Calgary-based illustrator, has stunned social media with her “perfect” cosplay version of Moana, Disney’s newest and youngest heroine.

As shown in her social media snaps, Kei orchestrated her sunny shoot at the pristine shoreline of El Nido, Palawan. She impersonated Moana’s quixotic poses and crafted her own costumes and Moana-inspired amulet.

In an interview via e-mail, Kei, 25, expressed her burning passion for the arts,anime and cosplay. However, her liking for Disney royalties came about two years ago. “I started cosplaying Disney characters two years ago when I designed battle-armored Disney princesses with my friends,” she said. “I designed Elsa, SnowWhite and Jasmine [battle-armored costumes].” At 18 years old, Kei immigrated to Canada with her family.

She vacationed in the country to celebrate her grandmother’s 80th birthday. “We all went home, my family from US, Canada, and New Zealand. Cosplaying Moana was literally just a small part of the trip,” she explained.

Her photos on Instagram quickly made waves, with tens of thousands of likes and admirations from cosplayers and Disney fans. The superb beaches in Palawan also stunned netizens. Due to demand from social media, Kei also posted videos showing, step by step, how she customized her jewelry and executed her costume designs.

“When it started going viral on Instagram I was like, ‘omg what’s going on is this a glitch?’ But then nope, it wasn’t,” she chuckled.

For more photos, check out her Facebook and Instagram accounts. Gianna Francesca Catolico

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