[1]

All clothes, handheld props (including weapons) and especially stage settings should be handmade. Using commercially available items such as replica swords is, in principle, forbidden. If used, they will not be included in the “Small Props” section during the costume judging.

[2]

Take all safety precautions with stage weapons and props. Should the WCSUS Representative judge that a prop used in the performance is a danger to the audience (i.e. slip from hands and cause injury to audience members) the WCSUS Representative may prohibit the use of that prop.

[3]

All equipment, costumes and props for the WCSUS USA Finals performance are limited to a maximum weight of 88.18 pounds combined for both performers. Please report the weight of each item with the other material in A-13.

[4]

All large props set on stage before the WCSUS USA Finals performance begins are limited to a maximum weight of 22 pounds. Prop dimensions are limited to 6.8 feet in height, 6.8 feet in width and 2.95 feet in depth.

[5]

All large props set on stage are limited to a maximum of 3 items. Dimensions of hand held props carried onto the stage must be relayed to WCSUS head office in written form and accompanied by photographs.

[6]

It is not permitted to directly copy original drawings, logos or graphic art to your equipment or props.

[7]

Please prepare your own music for your performance. A performance sheet stating what you will perform is to be submitted in advance. The use of voice actor’s voices from original works in your music is prohibited. Please send your music in sound file form.

[8]

When displaying the words used during the performance on the stage screen in Japanese subtitles, we recommend using your native language when speaking the lines.

[9]

The performance at the Championship should be the same as the performance given in the Finals.

[10]

Strictly adhere to the time limit of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Stage staff will set the maximum 3 stage props before your performance and remove them after your performance.

There will be 40 seconds to make the necessary changes before the next group begins.

[11]

The 3 props on stage will not be subject to evaluation by the judges.

[12]

Only the 2 designated representative cosplayers are permitted to enter the backstage area of the WCSUS USA Finals.

* Designated organizer/interpreter/volunteer for a given country need to be appointed/defined by the country’s head organizer prior to the event.

[13]

The organizer and WCSUS staff or any other person is not permitted to help you during your performance on stage. (Members of the stage staff will help you set up props on stage)

[14]

It is possible to scatter things onstage during your performance, but staining, marking or damaging the stage in any way is prohibited. Anything that takes time to clean up on stage is also not allowed. (See B-16 for what cannot be used)

[15]

It is prohibited to take your performance into the audience area.

[16]

Special effects, etc. produced using the following materials are not allowed.

The following materials are prohibited:
-Powder, small metallic confetti (Lamé)
-Fire (smoke), water
-Paper confetti smaller than 2cm (includes flower petals and feathers scattered on stage)
*Paper confetti larger than 2cm can be used. (Limited to a maximum of 100 pieces)
-Crackers using gunpowder.
* Crackers not using gunpowder can be used, however the paper confetti expelled from the cracker must observe the larger than 2cm rule as mentioned above.

* The WCS USA Representative will stop any performance that it deems dangerous or a hindrance to stage conversion. When planning any special stage effects please consult the WCS USA Representative in advance.

[17]

Although special effects using the following items are possible, only those using WCS USA Representative approved equipment will be allowed.

Laser lights

* Since Japanese Law restricts laser light output for safety reasons, only those machines specified by the WCS USA Representative are allowed. If you wish to use a laser light please consult with the WCS USA Representative in advance.

[18]

Performance order is decided by lottery. Every performer will be taking part in the lottery with the same chances of placement.

* Once decided by lottery, the order cannot be changed unless there is urgent medical necessity.

Judging is carried out in two parts:
– On Stage judging
– Craftsmanship judging

[1]

Each on-stage judge of the cosplay championship can award 10 points for Performance, 5 points for Costume Stage Expression, and 5 points for Character Fidelity, for a maximum total of 20 points.

(a) Performance (10 points): Art of performance, inventiveness, entertainment value, and smoothness of act.

(b) Costume Stage Expression (5 points): Faithfulness in movement, look and flow of costume to the original character, general visual impact of the costume on stage. The cosplayers may make some changes to the costumes for better performance (i.e. to add some parts for gimmick, etc.), as far as the change does not detract from the essential character or work. In this case the cosplayers must provide an oral and/or written explanation about the reasoning behind deviating from the original work to the judges during craftsmanship judging.

(c) Admiration and Respect (5 points): Admiration and respect in the performance to original characters and story. How well the performance shows admiration and respect toward the original work (stories and characters etc.) How well the “intensity” of the performance conveys the cosplayers “admiration and respect” for the work to a third party (in this case the judges).

* If a team breaks the time limit rule (B10) for stage preparation, a penalty on the team’s point score will be imposed on the performance score.

* 10% total point deduction for exceeding the time limit by up to 10 seconds. 25% total point deduction for exceeding the time limit for more than 10 seconds.

[2]

Craftsmanship judging is carried out by the national organizers before the championship is held and added to the score from the on-stage judging.

Each national organizer can give up to 100 points. An average score is calculated which is then multiplied by the number of championship judges and then divided by 10 to give the final craftsmanship score.

* Costumes to be worn on stage and hand held props will be subject to craftsmanship judging.

* Background screens or larger props on stage are not subject to judging

* A national organizer of a given country will not take part in judging said country’s team.

Craftsmanship (100 points):

The mark out of 100 given by the craftsmanship judges will be subdivided into the following subcategory:

(a) 40 points for accuracy of the costume,
(b) 40 points for the quality of the costume,
(c) 20 points for technique.
Accuracy is marked as a direct comparison of the costume with the original artwork. A costume that is identical to the original artwork should receive 40/40, and a costume that looks nothing like the original artwork will therefore receive 0/40. In addition, if there is an unknown part of the original work (i.e. inability to determine the colour of a costume in a black and white manga) as long as the character’s likeness and the costume design are followed then the selection of the colour and the detailed design will be left to the discretion of the cosplayer and any differences from the costume original images submitted shall not affect scoring.

Quality is marked based on several factors, including how well the costume is put together, how well it fits the contestant, how neat painting, sewing, etc. has been done.

Technique is marked as a way to reward skills. A costume that used a wide variety of difficult skills will be award high marks in this category than a costume that use few simple techniques. It is more about the quality of the technique than the quantity.

* The mind-set put forth in the Craftsmanship Judging Guide is to be used as the benchmark during judging.

* If a team is found to break costume rules outlined in this document, the craftsmanship judges are able to penalise the craftsmanship score of that team. Penalties may vary depending on rules broken.

[3]

In case of a tie in the final score, on-stage judging score will determine the order.

* in case of a tie after the on-Stage judging score is taken into account, the championship judges will choose a winner by simple vote of majority between the two teams in question.

Prohibited Content Material

* Video game material considered unsuitable for sale to minors (18 years old or younger) by the Ethics Organization of Computer Software or Contents Soft Association.

* Video material considered unsuitable for sale to minors (18 years old or younger) by the Nihon Ethics of Video Association or Visual Software Contents Industry Coop.

* Material considered unsuitable for sale to minors (18 years old or younger) by the Publishing Ethics Association (出版倫理協議会) or the publishers themselves.

* Other material considered inappropriate by the WCSUS executive committee (essentially material that is considered to contain adult related material)

Explicitly Prohibited

* Video game material considered unsuitable for sale to minors (18 years or younger) by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (NPO).

If there are any questions regarding interpretation of the rules or decisions on specific cases please contact the WCSUS staff.

[1]

One team of two cosplayers will represent each country and region.

[2]

In order to participate in a preliminary round event, cosplayers must have proof of citizenship or permanent residency of the country or region (Taiwan, Hong Kong) holding the event. In the case of a nation where over 50% of residents are foreigners the following rules also apply entries for the preliminary event:
1)　have the right of permanent residence in the country or region concerned
2)　are born in the country or region concerned
Contact your WCS national organizer if you have any questions regarding national representation qualifications.

[3]

Countries taking part in the WCS may implement restrictions on the participation of former WCS representatives, by prohibiting them from entering their national preliminary round from 1 to 2 years if deemed necessary. This may also apply to cosplayers who change partners. The rule is subject to change based on country and region.

[4]

You are required to bring a minimum of three costumes to Japan: one for the parade, one for the championship, and one for courtesy visits.

[5]

The costumes worn during the World Cosplay Summit must be from Japanese anime, manga, tokusatsu and video games.

* Dojinshi and unique characters from live actor movies based on anime or manga are not permitted. (i.e. Dragon ball Evolution etc.)

* When doing a costume from a game, the character must be recognizably Japanese.
(i.e. not a Disney or Star Wars character even though the game may be made in Japan.)

[6]

During the World Cosplay Summit events (WCS Championship, Parade and media appearances), cosplay costumes should be hand-made by the contestants themselves. Commercially available cosplay costumes are not allowed in the WCS Championship costumes but may be used in the Parade and media appearances (but not recommended).

* It is permissible to a limited extent for family and friends to help with costumes (but it is preferable that costumes are hand-made by the contestants themselves.)

[7]

You are required to bear the cost of any overweight luggage charges when shipping costumes and other items. It is not possible to send them to Japan by air or ship beforehand.

[8]

You must be able to come to Japan for 10 days during the World Cosplay Summit.

[9]

You should be aged 18 and over when you come to Japan.

* If you are under 18, you must have the consent of a guardian. Participation is allowed if you have the permission of a guardian and are able to come to Japan on your own.

* Age restrictions may vary from country to country.

[10]

You should cooperate in a positive manner in order to ensure the success of the World Cosplay Summit.

[11]

Media such as TV programs, Internet homepages, newspapers, magazines, etc., may use your pictures and images of the preliminary contests prior to the World Cosplay Summit. On these occasions, compensation will not be furnished.

[12]

Image rights in all media exposure such as news from TV programs and other assorted media involved with the World Cosplay Summit, promotional activities in the print media as well as events and performances, announcements of the Cosplay Summit both prior to the Summit and during your stay in Japan, will be attributed to World Cosplay Summit Executive Committee.

[13]

After the World Cosplay Summit has finished, images/footage of cosplayers, photographs, programs broadcast, internet homepages and DVDs etc., come under the jurisdiction of World Cosplay Summit Executive Committee. Compensation will not be furnished for such images used by the media. (Your signature is required on the attached acceptance form for regarding this matter.)

[14]

Please send the documents and sound file at latest one month before the date of the Cosplay Championship.

* Material for submission:

Performance sheets (if applicable, include any related dialogue)
Images of the characters (wearing the same costumes to be worn in the championship)
Costume construction report (Use the designated WCS Secretariat format)
Information on the large props (size, images, placement location and weight of each item)
Music sound file (MP3, etc.) Background movie (MOV, AVI, WMV files only)
Participation appearance agreement
*Please send these as soon as possible after the preliminary round, particularly if the date of the preliminary round is close to the Championship.

*It is assumed that the WCS can use submitted data, such as costume construction reports and background images, freely except for commercial use.

OTHER REGULATIONS FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP

[1]

All clothes, handheld props (including weapons) and especially stage settings should be handmade. Using commercially available items such as replica swords is, in principle, forbidden. If used, they will not be included in the “Small Props” section during the costume judging.

[2]

Take all safety precautions with stage weapons and props. Should the WCS secretariat judge that a prop used in the performance is a danger to the audience (i.e. slip from hands and cause injury to audience members) the WCS Secretariat may prohibit the use of that prop.

[3]

All equipment, costumes and props for the Cosplay Championship performance are limited to a maximum weight of 88.18 kilograms combined for both performers. Please report the weight of each item with the other material in A-14.

[4]

All large props set on stage before the Cosplay Championship performance begins are limited to a maximum weight of 22 Pounds. Prop dimensions are limited to 6.8 feet in height 6.8 feet in width and 2.95 feet in depth.

[5]

All large props set on stage are limited to a maximum of 3 items. Dimensions of hand held props carried onto the stage must be relayed to WCS head office in written form and accompanied by photographs.

[6]

It is not permitted to directly copy original drawings, logos or graphic art to your equipment or props.

[7]

Please prepare your own music for your performance. A performance sheet stating what you will perform is to be submitted in advance. The use of voice actor’s voices from original works in your music is prohibited. Please send your music in sound file form.

[8]

When displaying the words used during the performance on the stage screen in Japanese subtitles, we recommend using your native language when speaking the lines.

[9]

The performance at the Championship can be the same as the performance given in the preliminary round, but if it is the same, your performance should be augmented to a level appropriate for the Championship.

[10]

Strictly adhere to the time limit of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Stage staff will set the maximum 3 stage props before your performance and remove them after your performance.

There will be 40 seconds to make the necessary changes before the next group begins.

[11]

The 3 props on stage will not be subject to evaluation by the judges.

[12]

Only the 2 designated representative cosplayers and 2 designated organizer/interpreter/volunteer s are permitted to enter the backstage area of the Cosplay Championship.

* Designated organizer/interpreter/volunteer for a given country need to be appointed/defined by the country’s head organizer prior to the event.

* Family, friends and related press will have seats provided for them and must remain in the audience.

[13]

The organizer and WCS staff or any other person is not permitted to help you during your performance on stage. (Members of the stage staff will help you set up props on stage)

[14]

It is possible to scatter things onstage during your performance, but staining, marking or damaging the stage in any way is prohibited. Anything that takes time to clean up on stage is also not allowed. (See B-16 for what cannot be used)

[15]

It is prohibited to take your performance into the audience area.

[16]

Special effects, etc. produced using the following materials are not allowed.

The following materials are prohibited:

Powder, small metallic confetti (Lamé)
Fire (smoke), water
Paper confetti smaller than 2cm (includes flower petals and feathers scattered on stage)
* Paper confetti larger than 2cm can be used. (Limited to a maximum of 100 pieces)
Crackers using gunpowder.
* Crackers not using gunpowder can be used, however the paper confetti expelled from the cracker must observe the larger than 2cm rule as mentioned above.
* The WCS Secretariat will stop any performance that it deems dangerous or a hindrance to stage conversion. When planning any special stage effects please consult the WCS Secretariat in advance.

[17]

Although special effects using the following items are possible, only those using WCS Secretariat approved equipment will be allowed.

Laser lights

* Since Japanese Law restricts laser light output for safety reasons, only those machines specified by the WCS Secretariat are allowed. If you wish to use a laser light please consult with the WCS Secretariat in advance.

[18]

Performance order is decided by lottery. Every country representatives will be taking part in the lottery with the same chances of placement.

* Once decided by lottery, the order cannot be changed unless there is urgent medical necessity.

JUDGING CRITERIA FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Judging is carried out in two parts:
– On Stage judging
– Craftsmanship judging

[1]

Each on-stage judge of the cosplay championship can award 10 points for Performance, 5 points for Costume Stage Expression, and 5 points for Character Fidelity, for a maximum total of 20 points.

(a) Performance (10 points): Art of performance, inventiveness, entertainment value, and smoothness of act.

(b) Costume Stage Expression (5 points): Faithfulness in movement, look and flow of costume to the original character, general visual impact of the costume on stage. The cosplayers may make some changes to the costumes for better performance (i.e. to add some parts for gimmick, etc.), as far as the change does not detract from the essential character or work. In this case the cosplayers must provide an oral and/or written explanation about the reasoning behind deviating from the original work to the judges during craftsmanship judging.

(c) Admiration and Respect (5 points): Admiration and respect in the performance to original characters and story. How well the performance shows admiration and respect toward the original work (stories and characters etc.) How well the “intensity” of the performance conveys the cosplayers “admiration and respect” for the work to a third party (in this case the judges).

* If a team breaks the time limit rule (B10) for stage preparation, a penalty on the team’s point score will be imposed on the performance score.

* 10% total point deduction for exceeding the time limit by up to 10 seconds. 25% total point deduction for exceeding the time limit for more than 10 seconds.

[2]

Craftsmanship judging is carried out by the national organizers before the championship is held and added to the score from the on-stage judging.

Each national organizer can give up to 100 points. An average score is calculated which is then multiplied by the number of championship judges and then divided by 10 to give the final craftsmanship score.

* Costumes to be worn on stage and hand held props will be subject to craftsmanship judging.

* Background screens or larger props on stage are not subject to judging

* A national organizer of a given country will not take part in judging said country’s team.

Craftsmanship (100 points):

The mark out of 100 given by the craftsmanship judges will be subdivided into the following subcategory:

(a) 40 points for accuracy of the costume,
(b) 40 points for the quality of the costume,
(c) 20 points for technique.
Accuracy is marked as a direct comparison of the costume with the original artwork. A costume that is identical to the original artwork should receive 40/40, and a costume that looks nothing like the original artwork will therefore receive 0/40. In addition, if there is an unknown part of the original work (i.e. inability to determine the colour of a costume in a black and white manga) as long as the character’s likeness and the costume design are followed then the selection of the colour and the detailed design will be left to the discretion of the cosplayer and any differences from the costume original images submitted shall not affect scoring.

Quality is marked based on several factors, including how well the costume is put together, how well it fits the contestant, how neat painting, sewing, etc. has been done.

Technique is marked as a way to reward skills. A costume that used a wide variety of difficult skills will be award high marks in this category than a costume that use few simple techniques. It is more about the quality of the technique than the quantity.

* The mind-set put forth in the Craftsmanship Judging Guide is to be used as the benchmark during judging.

* If a team is found to break costume rules outlined in this document, the craftsmanship judges are able to penalise the craftsmanship score of that team. Penalties may vary depending on rules broken.

[3]

In case of a tie in the final score, on-stage judging score will determine the order.

* in case of a tie after the on-Stage judging score is taken into account, the championship judges will choose a winner by simple vote of majority between the two teams in question.

Prohibited Content Material

* Video game material considered unsuitable for sale to minors (18 years old or younger) by the Ethics Organization of Computer Software or Contents Soft Association.

* Video material considered unsuitable for sale to minors (18 years old or younger) by the Nihon Ethics of Video Association or Visual Software Contents Industry Coop.

* Material considered unsuitable for sale to minors (18 years old or younger) by the Publishing Ethics Association (出版倫理協議会) or the publishers themselves.

* Other material considered inappropriate by the WCS executive committee (essentially material that is considered to contain adult related material)

Explicitly Prohibited

* Video game material considered unsuitable for sale to minors (18 years or younger) by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (NPO).

If there are any questions regarding interpretation of the rules or decisions on specific cases please contact the WCS staff.