Cosplay under the spotlights during the 18th Impact

Season 7: the finals

13 countries were part of the ECG Season 7 finals, THE biggest cosplay event of the festival which took place with a full house like every year! On Saturday, the contestants representing Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, UK, and Switzerland showed amazing costumes and dazzling performances in front of 14,000 enthralled people. Sponsored by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, the finals ended with the victory of Finland in the solo category and Switzerland in the group category. Congratulations to the winners and all the contestants who offered a breathtaking show!

And now let’s remind you of the winners rewarded on Saturday at Japan Expo, after the deliberations of a jury composed of Annshella, Ashe, Echow, Kairi, and Yuks General. 

In the solo category:

• 1st: Finland with Maija Cosplay & Costuming as Brave
• 2nd: Belgium with Macky Cosplay in a costume from Mortal Kombat
• 3rd: Spain with Hermione from Hermione & Shaykow Cosplay as the Little Mermaid

In the group category:

• 1st: Switzerland with K5 Cosplay, Tinkerer Work'n Cosplay & Jigsawphia cosplay in costumes from Krampus
• 2nd: Spain with Zihark Cosplay, Sender Cosplay & Nunnally Cosplay in costumes from The Nightmare Before Christmas
• 3rd: France with Steel Wheel Cosplay in costumes from The Phantom of the Opera

Special prizes:

• Best wig: Tamiyo Cosplay solo, with Italy, in a costume by Sakizo
• MAKE UP FOR EVER Academy: Sally from the Spanish group in a costume from The Nightmare Before Christmas

Season 8 launch: French selections

As Season 7 had just ended the day before, the European Cosplay Gathering was already launching the next one. On stage, cosplayers among the best in France performed to win the chance to represent France in July 2018 during the finals at Japan Expo. The French representatives for ECG Season 8 are: 

In the solo category:

• Finalist: Nad Cosplay & Cousu Main as Sylvanas in Heroes of Storm
• Second place finisher: Kalimsshar as Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn

In the group category:

• Finalists: Sumsum Cosplay Workshop & Lynah in costumes from Child of Light
• Second place finishers: Althea & Shrimpie cosplay in costumes from Infinite Crisis

Japan Expo was delighted to welcome 5 world famous cosplayers this year, come from all over the world to be part of the festival. Ashe, Echow & Naru, Kairi, and Yuks General shared their experience of cosplay with budding or skilled cosplayers who wish to improve their techniques at cosplay workshops.

Specialized in weapons and armors, Yuks General unveiled her best tips and secrets to make them yourself. Echow & Naru have also showed much talent along the years to make armors, and they shared their skill with you. Ashe taught you how to use lumigram, a bright fabric made of optical fibers. As for Kairi, she met you for some advice about how to organize a cosplay group and work together.

All 5 cosplay guests also met you on their booths at the heart of the Cosplay Village, for signings and photo shoots. Cosplayer Nikita Cosplay was also giving a signing for the release of her book Le Guide du cosplay (Mango). As for Popette, she came to present her Abécédaire du cosplay (Glénat, collection Over the Pop).

Japan Expo was offering to all the cosplayers who felt like performing on a big stage two opportunities to shine: on Thursday and Friday, the Ichigo stage welcomed over 200 of them who showed to the audience the result of long hardworking months, embodying your favorite characters during Cosplay Shows. And here is the list of winners:

Thursday’s Cosplay Show

Costume prize, solo:

• 1st: Sylyne Cosplay as Sapphire by Sakizo
• 2nd: @Angel 7 as Jocasta Nu in Star Wars
• 3rd: Vanta's costumes as Ferrera de Ortega in Assassin's Creed IV

Costume prize, group:

• 1st: Yukine Costumes & Wingedlight Cosplay as Lady and Gentleman by Sakizo
• 2nd: SaSil Cosplay with Aion
• 3rd: Tsuki Meian & Anida S. with Vocaloid

Performance prize, solo:

• 1st: Aluota Cosplay as Chihiro
• 2nd: Rowze Cosplay as Link in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• 3rd: Ju-Mangie cosplays as Rise Kujikawa in Persona 4

Performance prize, group:

• 1st: Pichu Cosplay in costumes from One Piece
• 2nd: Lynah Cosplay & Shibeez&Milou Cosplay in Minikeum costumes
• 3rd: MendoriH cosplay with Little Nightmare

Special prizes:

• Forge: Yukiko Akamaru Cosplay, Karyu Cosplay, Amayelle cosplay, Dodo's Craft Store, Cirth & YunaRox Cosplay as Akali, Tristana, Morgana, Ashe, Kalista, and Yasuo in League of Legends
• Personal creation: Lunneth as Snow White

Friday’s Cosplay Show

Costume prize, solo:

• 1st: Kyuti Cosplay as Hanayo Koizumi in Love Live!
• 2nd: Dark'L as Sith Inquisitor in Star Wars: The Old Republic
• 3rd: Zaiji Cosplay as Alphonse Eric in Fullmetal Alchemist

Costume prize, group:

• 1st: SaSil Cosplay in costumes by Sakizo
• 2nd: Irina Cosplay & Aika cosplay in costumes from Love Live!
• 3rd: Cospoison Cosplay Team as characters from The Phantom of the Opera

Performance prize, solo:

• 1st: Anniv'Féérique as Moana
• 2nd: Shibeez from Shibeez&Milou Cosplay as Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• 3rd: Sakura Kagamine Cosplay as Mikumo in Macross Delta 

Performance prize, group:

• 1st: Tales of Zestiria
• 2nd: Sumsum Cosplay Workshop & Rinny 's Closet in costumes from Macross Frontier
• 3rd: Tsuki Meian in costumes from Love Live Sunshine!

Special prizes:

• Favorite: Shoucolate as Lunafreya in Final Fantasy XV
• Forge: Mad Manc, Ichigo Ellysea, Popette Cosplay, Paine, Muralu, Sikay Cosplay, Craxus Cosplay & Ivy's Envies in costumes from Spartacus
• Personal creation: Lirin Cosplay in costumes from Journey to the West

For the 100th anniversary of Japanese animation celebrated at Japan Expo this year with the Animé 100 project, the association CoSa also proposed on the Ichigo stage cosplay interludes dedicated to cult anime. The cosplayers performed playlets inspired from studio Ghibli movies such as Princess Mononoke or Howl's Moving Castle, Sailor Moon, or the Macross saga.

Around the Kitsuné stage rose the Cosplay Village, full of cosplayers and many attendees attracted by the colorful bustle and bright costumes. Together, they wandered among the booths, meeting specialists, discovering new products, and attending workshops to learn how to use various tools. 

Associations were also part of it: League of Replica exhibited its greatest creations, while Kaokig took you to the surprising world of animegao kigurumi, remarkable with its anime masks. Aoi Sora Cosplay rescued cosplayers in distress, fixing their damaged costumes. Its members also organized makeup, sewing, or DIY workshops, to teach the techniques of cosplay making.

Shudan Pictures invited you in their photo studio to immortalize the most beautiful costumes. For the second year in a row, free photocalls allowed you to pose in kawaii, gothic, manga, or fantastic atmospheres.

Cosplay workshops were organized again this year, welcoming experienced cosplayers, among whom our cosplay guests, to share their skills with you. Many entered into the spirit of the game and so did you. From sewing (embroidery, sewing machines, patterns…) to techniques such as molding, mechanics, or robotics, and also photography: many subjects were tackled to fit all attendees! Two lectures organized by Make Up For Ever Academy tackled the morphology of faces (with Andrée-Line DUMONT), and latex prostheses (with Harold LEVY). The singer of the band Kamitsuki also shared her own passion for cosplay, telling how to make a perfect Hatsune Miku cosplay.

At the heart of the Cosplay Village, the Kitsuné stage offered to all the opportunity to spend a moment on stage, with no constraint, for a short performance or cosplay games! The alleys also bear the bright colors of your favorite characters while photographs’ flashes sparkled, enjoying the talent and merry mood of the cosplayers.