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[Jequila]

Originally Posted by Asha-Morgan

But like Melanie and SeishinKibou I probably won't go next time. Or maybe we should be spiteful and go in and get to registration and say we aren't paying that much then leave XD We can all go hang out in the Parklands :P

Ha ha! Show up in some amazing cosplay to tease them, and then divert all the other cosplayers to the parklands xD Animania did say that the cosplayers are the best part of Animania. What would they do if you took them away? ;p

[Melanie]

Originally Posted by Jequila

Ha ha! Show up in some amazing cosplay to tease them, and then divert all the other cosplayers to the parklands xD Animania did say that the cosplayers are the best part of Animania. What would they do if you took them away? ;p

Hahaha! Not to sound catty, but we DID show up in amazing cosplay, and what did we get for it? Yay, bought and ghetto cosplay - you're so much better than people who actually make their stuff from scratch!

We would have got more recognition for our work at the parklands! Lesson learned.

[Jequila]

You guys always have amazing cosplay @_@ Makes the rest of us jealous ;p And yeah, those judges sucked...

I'm serious though, you should totally drag everyone away next time. I'd love to see their reaction on the website :'D

[kaiaken]

To Melanie, SeishunKibou and Jequila: I'm sorry the judges sucked. Oh hang on... I WAS one of the judges.

Serious though, judging is not that easy and I wasn't alone (there were three of us). And in regards to that Phoenix Wright Cosplayer - Though his costume was cheap and clearly bought - there weren't that many men cosplayers (In fact as I recall, there were only about 4, and the WoW couldn't win twice - that would be really screwed up... So out of a unanimous decision based on fairness, we had to choose him...).

However I can agree that Animania Brisbane is not as enthrilling as Animania Sydney - And I have been to both as well so compared to Brisbane, Sydney Animania has alot more to offer... And considering that I love cosplay as much as the next person, saying that we sucked kind of sucks in its own right, because we really did try to make a fair decision.

[Melanie]

I can understand that juding is hard... I was one of judges at Supanova last year, and our results were bashed for weeks - over a store-bought costume that we did NOT give an award to BECAUSE it was store-bought.

As someone who loves cosplay, as you say, surely you can understand from the cosplayers' point of view that we have poured months of our lives into our costumes, only to be basically slapped in the face and told, "Hey, you should have spent a few minutes buying a costume instead, stupid!"

Originally Posted by kaiaken

there weren't that many men cosplayers (In fact as I recall, there were only about 4, and the WoW couldn't win twice - that would be really screwed up... So out of a unanimous decision based on fairness, we had to choose him...)

1. The WoW guy wasn't even from a Japanese series, and therefore should not have been allowed to enter the competition. Other non-Japanese characters were told off, but he was the exception. You claim the results were fair, but THAT is a blatant show of the complete opposite.

2. And as I recall, the gender of the cosplayer has nothing to do with anything. It is the gender of the character. If two out of the three Male Character winners HAVE to be male, that's not really what I'd call fair either...

Animania's "competition" is a joke and an insult to real cosplayers.

[kaiaken]

Originally Posted by Melanie

I can understand that juding is hard... I was one of judges at Supanova last year, and our results were bashed for weeks - over a store-bought costume that we did NOT give an award to BECAUSE it was store-bought.

As someone who loves cosplay, as you say, surely you can understand from the cosplayers' point of view that we have poured months of our lives into our costumes, only to be basically slapped in the face and told, "Hey, you should have spent a few minutes buying a costume instead, stupid!"


1. The WoW guy wasn't even from a Japanese series, and therefore should not have been allowed to enter the competition. Other non-Japanese characters were told off, but he was the exception. You claim the results were fair, but THAT is a blatant show of the complete opposite.

2. And as I recall, the gender of the cosplayer has nothing to do with anything. It is the gender of the character. If two out of the three Male Character winners HAVE to be male, that's not really what I'd call fair either...

Animania's "competition" is a joke and an insult to real cosplayers.

I can understand your frustrations, and I did actually bring up the cosplay issue of the WoW character to attention (but then again, I was one of 3, so I was completely outnumbered... However the same could go for the Jack Skellington cosplayer - he wasn't from an anime and yet he won. So we basically judged on which costume Looked the best, and it looked like he put a lot of effort into it, that's why he won).

In regards to number 2: You are correct, it was the gender of the character and not the gender of the person cosplaying, and I understand where you're getting that. Maybe we misjudged a bit on that one, I can admit that.

But I personally prefer made costumes, store-bought costumes don't have any life in them, if you get what I mean.

[Melanie]

Originally Posted by kaiaken

However the same could go for the Jack Skellington cosplayer - he wasn't from an anime and yet he won.

Bringing up a costume that won second prize two years ago does not justify an American character winning this year.

So I'm guessing he has been brought up because you know he is my brother? We asked prior to the event, and were given the okay because Jack is also a Kingdom Hearts character - and as far as I am aware, Kingdom Hearts is a Japanese game... an awful one, but one nonetheless.

Originally Posted by kaiaken

So we basically judged on which costume Looked the best, and it looked like he put a lot of effort into it, that's why he won).

This is why we need judges to study the costumes' construction up close... to make sure seams are straight and everything is hemmed and/or lined. And that is all I am going to say on this.

Originally Posted by kaiaken

But I personally prefer made costumes, store-bought costumes don't have any life in them, if you get what I mean.

We are artists... we expect that when we stand up on that stage, we are being judged honestly and without bias. To hear an admission like that does not take away the shame of being told in front of an audience of our peers that our work is crap compared to store-bought t-shirts and suits... in fact, it sort of adds to it.

Until vast improvements are made to the rules - and that the rules are actually followed - good luck with the store-bought competition next year. I shall not be going to Animania again.

[Metanoia]

must say though, the judging on the Sunday was a bit screwy [wtf?! A store-bought/Commissioned costume [Phoenix Wright] won over people who had made an actual effort to make their own costumes!! Thats not right

In all seriousness (and I don't actually know what the rules are, this is just an observation), if there is nothing in the rules to say that you have to have made a significant part of your costume or not then you really cannot complain. If there is nothing in the rules regarding this and you choose to make your costume and the judges see a bought costume as better then tough titties.

If on the other hand it was something such as the Australian Costumers Guild Ball or AVCon's cosplay comp* where the rules clearly state that you must have made the majority of your costume (*to be eligable for some prizes), and then you found out that a cosplayer had bought their costume you would be more than entitled to kick up a stink and expect the organisers to do something about it.



Edit: I went and found the rules, and there is nothing in there that I can see about bought costumes not being eligable for prizes, so I'm sorry melanie and asha, but I think you should be gracious in this one.

http://animania.net.au/files/pdfs/20..._030405_v1.pdf

This is however a note that games characters must be from japanese games, so an american game character should not have won a prize in my opinion.

[Melanie]

Originally Posted by Metanoia

Edit: I went and found the rules, and there is nothing in there that I can see about bought costumes not being eligable for prizes, so I'm sorry melanie and asha, but I think you should be gracious in this one.

I know, we seem like real jerks over this.

It was just frustrating to watch so many good costumes go without acknowledgement (and I'm not talking about our own)... the results stank of favouritism. Choice of series seemed to be rewarded rather than actual cosplaying ability.

I really should have phrased myself better... I did not mean to sound elitist. The majority of people at the con did make their own costumes, and the fact that store-bought t-shirts can win, said to me - this is not a real competition.

However, if t-shirt-wearing characters from a series the judges like are what the judges are looking for in a winner, then I (as a mere competitor) have no right to complain. I should not have tried to force my own standards onto other people, and I am really sorry for anything I've said about the rule-abiding results that may have offended anyone.

Originally Posted by Metanoia

This is however a note that games characters must be from japanese games, so an american game character should not have won a prize in my opinion.

This, really, is the heart of our disgust - the rules were not followed. We, as competitors, have nothing else to go by, and if the rules say we can't do a non-Japanese character, then the people who obeyed the rules on Saturday were punished for it.

Likewise, the rules also state that if you enter as a group, you will be judged as a group. Asha and I were split up, and we had not been expecting that, because the rules told us otherwise. So yes, I can definitely understand why her previous post about the results was a little bitter.

[Jequila]

Originally Posted by Melanie

This, really, is the heart of our disgust - the rules were not followed. We, as competitors, have nothing else to go by, and if the rules say we can't do a non-Japanese character, then the people who obeyed the rules on Saturday were punished for it.

Hopefully Animania notices your protest and, in future contests, abides by their own rules. Either that or updates them... I was going to give it another go, but apparently Mini-Animania isn't even on this year? :/
I've heard of worse at another con though (not Australian). A group of angry cosplayers were told that the rules were really 'guidelines'. Ouch...

[Melanie]

Originally Posted by Jequila

Hopefully Animania notices your protest and, in future contests, abides by their own rules. Either that or updates them...

I am but one insignificant person. I doubt my opinions count, no matter how much I scream and carry on.

Originally Posted by Jequila

I was going to give it another go, but apparently Mini-Animania isn't even on this year? :/

Well, if you do give them one more go, remember to wear your best store-bought t-shirt from an American series!

Originally Posted by Jequila

I've heard of worse at another con though (not Australian). A group of angry cosplayers were told that the rules were really 'guidelines'. Ouch...

Cosplay rules, Pirates' Code... same thing, right?

If they're called "Rules" on paper, then that is what they are, and as such, they should be followed. "Guidelines (subject to change at any moment)" is a far better phrasing for a title if one is going to ass the competitors around.

[Wakaleo]

I'm currently working on rewriting the cosplay competition rules for Animania Sydney, and after seeing this thread, I notice that lots needs to be done. Please let me know of any rules that I should add/remove/change. I'll take your suggestions into consideration

[Melanie]

Originally Posted by Wakaleo

I'm currently working on rewriting the cosplay competition rules for Animania Sydney, and after seeing this thread, I notice that lots needs to be done. Please let me know of any rules that I should add/remove/change. I'll take your suggestions into consideration

It has nothing to do with the rules themselves; it has everything to do with the blatant disrespect for them. There's nothing wrong with the rules as they are; our beef is with them not being followed.

Whatever rules are put in place should be followed - by competitor and judge alike. Change the rules if you must, but first, I think a dramatic overhaul of how they are interpretted by the judges is in order.

(Completely unrelated - you've got a photo with me in your Larva gallery! XD I didn't know that was you!)