WCS Preliminary Australia 2008 Winners

In 2008, Animania Festival was proud to host the first preliminary competition that would qualify an Australia representative to enter the World Cosplay Summit!

The World Cosplay Summit is an annual international level Cosplay competition held in Nagoya, Japan and hosted by TV Aichi. The competition brings together contestants from all over the globe to showcase their prize-winning costumes. Some of the participating countries include Germany, France, Brazil, China, USA - and now Australia.

After an extraordinary year of Cosplay, we are proud to announce the first ever Australian representatives into the 2009 World Cosplay Summit - The Love & Peace Movement Duo! Read on below (or click the jump links) to find out more about this Duo as well as the runner up finalists.

• 2008/09 WCS Australian Representatives - The Love & Peace Movement
• 2008/09 WCS Australian Finalists - Go Wu Go!
• 2008/09 WCS Australian Finalists - Oh! My Bollucks!

For more details on the competition held at the Animania Sydney Weekend, its rules, procedures and judges, please click here.

2008/09 WCS Australian Representatives - The Love & Peace Movement

TEAM MEMBER 1: Gabriella Lowgren a.k.a. Cattypatra
Winning Preselection Cosplay: Allen Walker from D.Gray-man
Winning Final Preliminary Competition Cosplay: Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist

Profile

Cosplay History: 3 years

Favourite Manga & Anime: Angel Sanctuary, Bubble Gum Crisis Tokyo 2040, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Kingdom Hearts

On Japan: Japan is awesome food, fan merchandise, cheap manga and expensive anime.

Self-introduction: Hi I'm Catty, and I'm currently a student in Australia. I love playing games, hanging out with my Tsubaki and spending all my spare money on cosplay.

TEAM MEMBER 2: Katherine Lee a.k.a. Tsubaki-chan
Winning Preselection Cosplay: Second Level Akuma from D.Gray-man
Winning Final Preliminary Competition Cosplay: Alphonse Elric from Full Metal Alchemist

Profile

Cosplay History: 6 years

Favourite Manga & Anime: Kazan, Fullmetal Alchemist, D.Gray-man, Naruto, Junjo Romantica, Soul Eater, & many more. XD

On Japan: Japan is great for experiencing the different culture, I love the public transport and clean streets. It is the best place to see and experience cosplay. Also it is the best place for shopping & great food. X3

Self-introduction: Hi I’m Tsubaki, I’m a huge fan of cosplay. This will be an amazing experience for me, as I’ve always wanted to cosplay in Japan and to see and compete with amazing cosplayers from all over the world. I look forward to representing my country, Australia, with my beautiful partner Catty.

2008/09 WCS Australian Finalists - Go Wu Go!

TEAM MEMBER 1: Amber M a.k.a. Asham
Preliminary Competition Finalist Cosplay 1: Sun Quan from Dynasty Warriors 5
Preliminary Competition Finalist Cosplay 2: Rikuson Hakugen from Koutetsu Sangokushi

Profile

Cosplay History: 6 years

Favorite Manga & Anime: I have far too many to name, but a few that I can think of are: Polemon and Yu-gi-oh! Were the earliest ones I discovered and enjoyed. They started off my interest in Japanese cartoons. An ongoing favourite is Hanakimi (I love the drawings more than the story, though). Blue Lagoon is a current favourite of mine, and right now I’m reading Death Note.

On Japan: It’s a country that I’ve enjoyed travelling to, both times I’ve been. I haven’t seen nearly enough of the land and culture to be able to talk about it intelligently though! I’d love to stay there for a few months and travel to every island…

Self Introduction: I have been cosplaying since 2002. I was about 14 when I went to my first convention. I now travel around Australia going to cons.
I never seem to have any money because of Cosplay and going to cons. I am always aiming to make bigger, brighter and more elaborate costumes. I love helping other people with their props, and enjoy preparing Cosplay skits for individual and group cosplays.

The university course I am doing involves drawing and 2D animation.

TEAM MEMBER 2: Melanie D
Preliminary Competition Finalist Cosplay 1: Sun Ce from Dynasty Warriors 5
Preliminary Competition Finalist Cosplay 2: Sonken Chuubou from Koutetsu Sangokushi

Profile

Cosplay History: 6 years

What got you into cosplay?: At the risk of sounding cliché, I've always loved dressing up, and whilst it was perfectly acceptable when I was little, as I got older, I had to hide it better - and what better way than by fusing my love for costumes with my love for history, and joining a medieval re-enactment group?

I did not enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. Their rules were too strict, and my passion for using interesting fabrics and techniques was slowly being crushed. So, I submerged myself in the gothic subculture for a number of years, where I was free to use anything and everything in my garment construction! Whilst still very much involved in the goth scene, I met an American cosplayer online, who told me about his hobby, and I suddenly realised... that Chun-Li costume I'd made to go to a friend's party... that Maria costume I'd made to go to the Bloodlust Ball... I'd already tasted cosplay, and liked it!

Cosplay awards won recently: Haohmaru (Samurai Shodown), “Second Place Group”, AVCon (Adelaide) 2008; Arslan (Devil Kings), "Best Costume" (Sunday), Supanova (Brisbane) 2007; Kahz (Devil Kings), "3rd Place Male Costume" (Sunday), Animania (Brisbane) 2007; Shinjiro Hayashida (Cromartie High School), "Best Group", AVCon (Adelaide) 2007; Yukimura Sanada (Samurai Warriors), "Runner-up Best Technical" (Saturday), Manifest (Melbourne) 2007; Zowie (Gitaroo Man), "Runner-up Best Technical" (Sunday), Manifest (Melbourne) 2007 and, "Best Group" (Sunday), Supanova (Brisbane) 2008; Lu Xun (Dynasty Warriors 4), "Best Costume", AI Con (Hobart), 2006; Mitsuhide Akechi (Samurai Warriors 2), "Best Male Character", AVCon (Adelaide) 2006; Toshiie Maeda (Kessen III), "Best Group", Animania (Brisbane) 2006.

2008/09 WCS Australian Finalists - Oh! My Bollucks!

TEAM MEMBER 1: Catherine N
Preliminary Competition Finalist Cosplay 1: Suigintou from Rozen Maiden
Preliminary Competition Finalist Cosplay 2: Rem from Death Note

Profile

Cosplay History: 6 years

Cosplay History: 5 years

What got you into cosplay?: Well I always enjoyed watching anime since I was young and back then there wasn’t many anime fans. So one day our family friend (who also liked anime) told us there was a convention coming up
and that people dress up as their favorite character from an anime.

Other recent cosplays: Supanova 2003 - Sakura, Card Capture
Cakura; Animania 2003 - Chocobo, Final Fantasy; Anime.au 2004 - Rikku, Final Fantasy 10; Animania 2004 - Ino Yamanaka, Naruto; AnimeAU 2005 - Chii, Chobits; Animania 2005 - Rikku (YRP), Final Fantasy X-2; Animania 2006 - Ashe, Final Fantasy 12; Animania 2007 - Princess Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess; Animania 2008 - Rinoa, Final Fantasy 8.

TEAM MEMBER 2: Helen N
Preliminary Competition Finalist Cosplay: Shinku from Rozen Maiden
Preliminary Competition Finalist Cosplay 2: Ryuk from Death Note

Profile

Cosplay History: 5 years

What got you into cosplay?: Got sick of wearing everyday normal clothes and after watching a couple of anime episodes, I had to ask "why do they get to wear all the cool stuff"? Plus my sister did this before me and she can
sew, so why not take advantage of it?

Other recent cosplays: Supernova 2003 - Yuna from Final Fantasy 10; Animania 2003 - Moogle from Final Fantasy; Animania 2004 - Haku from Naruto; Animania 2005 - Paine from Final Fantasy X-2; Animania 2006 - Fran from Final Fantasy 12; Animania 2007 - Wolf Link From The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Congratulation to all of the finalists into the inaugural World Cosplay Summit Australian Preliminary Competition!