BAHRAIN'S first-ever cosplay contest at Animania attracted more than 800 animation and video game fanatics from all over Bahrain for a full day of interaction and unconventional entertainment. The contest, where anime and video game fans dressed up in their favourite costumes, was held during an anime and video games convention that opened yesterday.
The convention, organised by Game On, aimed to cater to Bahrain's ever-growing Japanese animation and video game fans. It featured various activities, including video game competitions, art gallery, marketplace, a movie hall, various on stage competitions and acts as well as cosplay contests. The term 'cosplay' represents a contraction of the words 'costume' and 'play'.
It was coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi of the Japanese studio 'Hard' while attending the 1984 Los Angeles Science Fiction Worldcon. He was impressed by the hall and the costumed fans and reported on both in Japanese science fiction magazines. Animania participants had the chance to dress up as their favourite animation or video game character or come as their own made-up character.
They had to go on stage and do a short routine to impress judges and the winner will become Bahrain's first cosplay champion. Animania was held in the Prestige Hall at Adhari Park and was hosted by local comedian Baraa Abdulla. The craze of the competition was so much that some contestants ordered their costumes online.
Khalifa Al Hiddi, who was dressed as Kingdom Heart Xemnas, said he spent BD60 to order the costume online from Amazon. "I love this character and ordered my dress from Amazon and it only cost me BD60," said the AMA University student. "But I bought the white wig from Bahrain.
"I am very excited as everyone is looking at me and praising my costume, especially girls, and they want to take pictures with me and some had asked for an autograph. "Xemnas is the leader of Organisation XIII, and had fought as a boss in both Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts II. "It's good to have such events in Bahrain and I would love to win the contest."
Another contestant Jaferapon Saengnuan, 21, who was dressed as Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII, said it took him almost a week to prepare the costume with the help of his mother. "It took almost a week for me to prepare the costume, but my mother helped me a lot," said the NYIT business management student.
"We went to the shops and selected the best cloth and then stitched it. "Vincent Valentine is the best and I love this character. "He is an optional player character in Square Enix's console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII.
"Everyone is taking pictures and asking me about my costumes, I am really enjoying the event."Fatima Mahmood was dressed as Shinku-Rozen Maiden and many people were attracted towards her because of her cute looks and perfect make-up. Make-up "I am Shinku, my most favourite character, which I always wanted to imitate," said the 13-year-old government school student.
"And finally I am here, into her character, same dress, make-up and almost same looks. "People are taking my photos and asking me about my dress, it's really exciting. "Shinku is the fifth doll of the Rozen Maiden series and the main female protagonist of the story. "In Rozen Maiden: OuvertŸre, Shinku has a fear of cats due to her medium's pet feline, which almost ate her wind-up key."The objective of organising such contests is to promote different anime, manga or videogame series, said organisers.