15th Impact: Cosplay rocked
Japan Expo’s main stage still remains the biggest cosplay stage in Europe: the perfect place to celebrate Japan Expo’s 15th Anniversary with loads of cosplay and to let cosplayers show all their talent. Let’s go back over 5 days of cosplay!
15th anniversary cosplay show
On Wednesday, to start celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the festival, cosplay fans attended one of the most outstanding cosplay show at Japan Expo: the best cosplayers who ever paraded at Japan Expo were back on stage with breathtaking performances. For the show, EPIC, the association organizing cosplay contests at Japan Expo, had chosen the most rewarded and faithful cosplayers. Their costumes and performances offered a unique show: even more, it was real fireworks!
European Cosplay Gathering
11 countries, 34 cosplayers, over 15,000 people in the audience: the European Cosplay Gathering finals brought together the best of European cosplay and the fans. With amazing costumes and radiant performances, the German, Belgian, Danish, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, British, and Swiss representatives gave their best for the finals.
The finals – Season 4
The British were clearly the big winners of Season 4 finals, in the solo and group categories! Congrats to them and also to France, Germany, Spain, and Italy who were 2nd and 3rd. And here are the winners:
in the group category:
- 1: UK with Avengers
- 2: France with Frozen
- 3: Spain with Star Fox
in the solo category:
- 1: UK with Moulin Rouge
- 2: Germany with Game of Thrones
- 3: Italy with End ! Breaker
- 3 tie: France with World of Warcraft
French selections – Season 5
On Sunday, the ECG French selections launched Season 5, on Japan Expo’s main stage and with outstanding cosplayers who were competing to represent France for the next finals in 2015. The selection European tour thus started at Japan Expo and the entrants are:
in the group category:
- Laura “Nikita” S., Cécile “Sikay” A. & Eva “Annshella” A. as Killer Frost, Wonder Woman & Raven from Injustice
- Second: Shibeez & Milou with Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast
in the solo category:
- Jean-Daniel “Arlek1” P. as Spawn
- Second: Sakuraflame as Malthael from Diablo 3
Tales of Ambassador
Tales of Xillia 2, sponsor of the European Cosplay Gathering Season 4, organized for the second year in a row the election of the Tales of Ambassador. The cosplayer representing the game will attend several ECG events in Europe: Alexandra "Lex" K. is the Tales of Ambassador for 2014-2015, she won as Pascal from Tales of Graces f.
World Cosplay Summit: French selections
The French selections for the prestigious World Cosplay Summit took place at Japan Expo like every year, in partnership with Aichi TV. Ako and Faby in Zelda and Hilda costumes from The Legend of Zelda: A Link between Worlds had been chosen to represent France for the finals last summer.
The Russian team won the competition last August in Nagoya.
Cosplay Shows
This year, cosplay was shining bright at Japan Expo with daily shows, among which the two traditional Cosplay Shows. And here are the winners:
- Thursday – In the solo costume category:
1- Astrid from Dragons
2- Hanji Zoe from Attack of the Titans
3- Giulia Farnese from Borgia - Thursday – In the solo performance category:
1- Hanji Zoe from Attack of the Titans
2- Astrid from Dragons
3- Shun from Saint Seiya - Thursday – In the group costume category:
1- Once Upon A Time
2- King of Fighters
3- Zelda - Thursday – In the group performance category:
1- Beauty and the Beast, and Frozen
2- Chocolat et Vanilla
3- Raiponce - Special prize: Magi
- Forge prize: Diablo 3
- Noob prize: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
- Friday – In the solo costume category:
1- Huntress from Monster Hunter
2- Cecil Harvey from FF IV
3- Elin Reaper from Tera online - Friday – In the solo performance category:
1- Sergent Calhoun from Wreck-It Ralph
2- Elin Reaper from Tera Online
3- Beauty from Beauty and the Beast - Friday – In the group costume category:
1- Frozen
2- Shingeki no Kyojin - Friday – In the group performance category:
1- League of Legends
2- Hey Arnold
3- Frozen - Solo special prize: Vi from League of Legends
- Group special prize: Brave
- Forge prize: Sergent Calhoun from Wreck-It Ralph
More events and activi ties
On top of the main stage shows, many cosplay events and activities also took place at Japan Expo. For the preview of the new season of Black Butler, a dedicated cosplay show brought together the anime characters. On the Saiko ! Japan area, cosplayer Kaname had come all the way from Japan to meet his fans and perform.
Amateur cosplayers met on the cosplay stage to parade in a stressless and friendly atmosphere, as the kids’ area welcomed kids who took their first steps in the world of cosplay.
As for activities, cosplay workshops allowed you to learn some of the basics of costume making. League of Replica exhibited costumes and armors, as Kawaii Attitude and Shudan Pictures were back with their photo studios.