This year’s World Cosplay Summit was a little bit different from previous years. The cosplay competition, which normally competes in Nagoya, Japan, was held virtually this year. The competition chooses finalists from several countries to compete in the finals. While they were not able to fly the finalists to Japan due to the ongoing pandemic and travel restrictions, they still found a way to hold the competition.
Participants from over 30 countries and one observer nation filmed videos of their cosplays for what became known as the “video division” of the contest. The videos were judged based on cosplay accuracy, quality, technique, video conception, acting, and X factor.
Conception consisted of “the efficiency with which the representatives use the 2:30 minutes to create and edit the video scene” including effective storytelling and scene arrangement techniques. X-factor, on the other hand, was how many imaginative and original ideas were used to immerse viewers into the story.
In third place was Team UK featuring Be More Shonen and Nomes Cosplay, who made a video with their Zack Fair and Cloud Strife cosplays from Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. The fact that they aldo had a proper squat workout, chocobo puppet, and the infamous “Shall I give you dis pear?” makes them more than worthy to win the award.
Second place went to Team Italy with Diaboliko Cosplay and Nero Cosplay in their The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Fierce Deity Link and Skull Kid cosplays. Props to the horseback riding and usage of special effects in the video!
Finally, the grand prize winner was Team Germany, consisted of Elffi Cosplay and Calssara. These two made Jessie and Biggs cosplays from Final Fantasy VII: Remake. The locations, acting, and the overall filming made them look exactly like they were from the game. Job well done to you both!
If you want to see all the contestants from this year’s World Cosplay Summit then be sure to check them out on the World Cosplay Summit website!
