Cosplay Competition
Just like every year, this AniMatsuri will also feature a cosplay aka anime-themed costume competition! To register, fill in the application and submit it no later than September 18, 2016.
In addition to the application, it is important to add the selected background music as an MP3 file.
—
This year, the cosplay competition will be in several categories.
1. Défilé: This is mainly about your costume and your ability to present it on stage as well as you can over approximately one minute. The performance must be between 50-70 seconds. The participation of multiple people is allowed. With the application, please send a photo of your costume (can be a work in progress).
2. Eurocosplay: The special category for défilé (optional selection on the application). The winner will fly to London ComicCon in late October to represent the AniMatsuri festival in the Pan-European cosplay championship! The costs will be covered by the organizer of ComicCon, MCM Expo Group.
The costume of the Eurocosplay contestant must be self-made (not purchased from an online store, also applies to separate props) and must be based on an official source (original content). Any sort of fan art is not allowed (a rule of the Eurocosplay contest).
The contestant must perform alone (max. one technical helper is allowed).
The contestant must be a citizen or permanent resident of Estonia (own an Estonian ID and personal identification code), must be of legal age before October 1st, 2016, and must be able and ready to go to London.
The Eurocosplay category winner will be selected by a panel of international judges – themselves some of the world’s best cosplayers!
AniMatsuri general costume rule: Our festival takes place in a school building! Your costume needs to cover at least enough of your body so that you could wear it in front of your school principal and not get into trouble. 🙂
3. Stage show: This is both about your costume and your choreography and/or the story you tell on stage. Here you can use your imagination and creativity to create a short performance or a dance routine based on your favorite anime. You can perform either alone or with someone, and the whole performance must be no more than around 5 minutes.
Additionally, there will be an audience favorite special prize which will be selected by the festival’s visitors through a secret vote. The audience favorite’s voting is not divided by categories.
—
Competing in multiple categories is allowed, but there is an order of importance: Eurocosplay, stage show, défilé, audience favorite. The winner of Eurocosplay cannot win in other categories (the first prize will be given to the second best contestant according to the judges). The winner of the stage show will get their glory anyway, thus they cannot be the winner of the défilé as well, even when they participated in it separately. All the contestants selected by the jury will thus be excluded from the audience’s favorite competition – we will make the voting results public but the prizes will go to those who have not won their category.
NB! We love early registration! This way you will have time for improving your ideas and costumes. If you register before the deadline but can only show a work in progress costume and a lot of enthusiasm, it’s wonderful! Experienced cosplayers among the organizers and winners of the festival are glad to give you advice. What’s important is that everything is more or less ready by the deadline. Everyone polishes their performance till the last moment, after all.
Every year we have festival visitors who do not dare to take part in the competition but walk around, clad in fantastic costumes. Gather up your courage and register – in reality, you have done a great job and your costume is epic!
Cosplay competition judges for 2016
MrGnob (Russia)
Facebook / Instagram/ DeviantArt
“Hi! My name is MrGnob, and I’m from Russia. I have been cosplaying for almost 12 years, which is a lot! It has been a long time since I stopped thinking of cosplay as merely a hobby. Now I am a professional cosplay seamstress, and I have a lot of experience to share with you.
In the beginning, I used to participate in 5-6 events a year, making a new costume for each one. I usually placed high, but I did not consider it so important in those days – the goal was just to have fun! These days I do a lot of commissions, so I have much less time (and less fun; just kidding!) for my own cosplays. But I try to make at least 2-3 costumes a year that can blow everyone’s mind! Simple costumes are not for me.
Last year I became the European Cosplay champion at the MCM ComicCon in London. It is a great honour for me and my country, as it was the first time a competitor from Russia had received this prize! My EuroCosplay winning costume was the Rococo Princess by Sakizo’s Illustration Works. I have always thought that good cosplay cannot go unnoticed, so I hope my Sakizo has inspired other cosplayers in the same way that I get inspired when I see gorgeous works.
Some people think that cosplay is silly and childish. Not at all! It is as valid a hobby as painting, dancing, or collecting coins. A good hobby requires attention, patience, skills and yes – money. It may be hard; you may not succeed from the start, and you may not always get the support and appreciation you deserve. But if you feel that cosplay is your passion, if it brings you happiness and harmony, if you cannot stop doing it — then don’t listen to anyone. Do what you want to do!
Jakub “Zel” Kołecki (Poland)
Facebook / Instagram / Tumblr / DeviantArt
I started my cosplay career somewhere in 2006, and since then I’ve been bound to the cosplay community. I was one of Poland’s representatives to the European Cosplay Gathering (ECG) in the Group category, and got the opportunity to represent Poland in the EuroCosplay finals; just this year, we took second place at the Clara Cow Cosplay Cup finals!
While in costume, I really like to put on a show. Doesn’t matter if I’m competing in a contest, acting as a judge, or just a guest. The thing I love the most in cosplay is performing in front of a live audience, sharing knowledge during my workshops, and last but not least – making tons of friends that share the same passion. Also goofing around! I really enjoy goofing around.
If you are not certain if you should try cosplaying… I only did it the first time because I was curious, and it was my very first manga&anime convention. It’s been 10 years now and I’m still into this! My life has changed a whole lot – and let me assure you – for the better 🙂 C’mon and try it!
Shappi (Poland)
Facebook / Instagram / Youtube
Hello! My name is Shappi and I am cosplayer from Poland who specializes in armor-making. I have been active on the cosplay scene since 2009, and in that time I have created over 50 costumes. I work in the gaming industry as a costume maker, cosplayer, and cosplay contest organizer for game creators and companies. For me, cosplay is a passion that helps me develop my skills as a creator, and gives me an opportunity to meet great people from all over the world!
I continue to actively compete in cosplay contests in order to keep myself motivated to work even harder. I have represented Poland in international competitions such as EuroCosplay, won the first place in the Solo category at the 3rd European Cosplay Gathering, and received the title of Cosplay World Master in Porto. I also take part in gaming cosplay competitions, and placed 1st at the Intel Extreme Masters in 2013, 2014 and 2016, as well as placing 2nd at Dreamhack Summer 2016.
* Photographs of Shappi are taken by Studio Zahora
