Commuting can be such a drag. Because of this, it can be such a relief to see a different site of it, even if it is just i the form of art. Koi Sotto is a nurse by profession, but a photographer and visual artist by passion. He is one of the moderators of Lightroom Classroom PH, an online community open to all Filipino photographers with a common interest in Adobe Lightroom, specifically in editing and color grading photos.
Koi recently finished a project where he created anime style art for our MRT stations. “I wanted to tell a different story about our daily MRT commute life here in Manila,” Koi shares. “We undeniably know the suffering of the commuters at the MRT long line, the waiting time, the chaos inside of the train which will make you wonder if Manila people deserve this kind of dreadful commuting life.”
Koi explains it so perfectly: “Papunta palang sa trabaho pagod ka na then uuwi ka ng mas pagod.” Still, he doesn’t give up on the beauty of our city. “I have always tried to see the beauty in everything,” he explains before continuing to tell us why he loves anime so much. “Ginagawa ko is to watch anime with my headset on while waiting in line or in the train to ignore the miserable situation. I’m an anime die-hard fan since nung bata pa ako, and there are plenty of things anime can teach us. Anime can not only entertain, but also teach us valuable life lessons.”
Check out his full album of anime MRT artwork here:
Koi adds, “I just want others to know that life is amazing when you look at it from a different perspective.” Koi used a premium anime filter and lightroom to give vibrance and adjust the color of the photos. “If you look at the photos, may buhay, colorful, masayang tingnan and we all hope na sana ganito lagi everytime we commute. Parang ang sarap bumyahe if ganito yung nakikita natin. It’s all about the way we look at things.”
Next time, Koi suggests: “If you are trapped in a chaotic commuting situation again, remember to inhale, exhale, breathe, and tell yourself it’s just a bad day, not a bad life. Life is unfair, but you still get to decide what to do about it.”
Koi also shares his favorite anime quote from Roy Mustang of Full Metal Alchemist: “Nothing’s perfect, the world’s not perfect, but it’s there for us, trying the best it can. That’s what makes it so damn beautiful.”
Koi Sotto
https://www.instagram.com/hoiitskoi
https://www.instagram.com/lrclass_ph
Make sure to check all of the Instagram commuters’ accounts, as well (tagged in each of Koi’s photos in the album above).
