HYPER JAPAN 2012 Spring

HYPER JAPAN will feature three fabulous cosplay events!

HYPER JAPAN UK Cosplay Award

Top cosplayers battle to Win trip of a life time!

on Saturday Oct 2nd at 3.30pm

Watch as the UK’s top cosplayers battle it out for an amazing prize – a trip to Tokyo for two! The cosplay awards will see teams of two cosplayers dressing up as some of their favourite characters from manga, anime and other Japanese media, and performing in character in front of a panel of cosplay experts. Will your favourite anime appear? And who will win the prize? Book your ticket now to make sure you’re there to find out!

CosPARADE

All ages and levels take over the catwalk!

competition on Saturday Oct 2nd at 3.00pm & Sunday Oct 3rd at 3.00pm

It can be pretty hard to get a cosplay costume looking exactly right – so our CosPARADE is the perfect place for beginners and children to have a go! Held before the Cosplay Award on Saturday and the Talent Search on Sunday, you’ll be treated to a colourful array of cute! Book your ticket now to make sure you’re there to find out!

Grand International Cosplay Ball Talent Search

Cosplay's Got Talent - or has it? Find out here!

on Sunday Oct 3rd at 3.30pm

Who’s got the COS Factor? The Grand International Cosplay Ball is a magical masquerade ball combining theatre, burlesque and live music – and this year they’re looking for some local talent to perform! HYPER JAPAN will host a talent search with a twist – everyone has to be a cosplayer! Book your ticket now to make sure you’re there to find out!

The word cosplay is a Japanese-English word made up from the words costume and play. Cosplay means the hobby and art of making costumes based on a person’s favourite characters from anime, manga comics, and video games. You can find cosplayers (or layers, as they’re known in Japan) at most anime and sci-fi conventions in Japan and the rest of the world.

Cosplay as a hobby has existed in Japan since the late ‘70s, first appearing at doujinshi fairs. Doujinshi is a kind of tribute comic made by fans of particular manga and animation series, and is similar to cosplay in that they are both fan-driven ways of showing dedication to a favourite character or series.

Since the 1990s, cosplay has spread around the world, spurred on by the popularity of Japanese animation. It’s particularly popular in France, but has been steadily growing in the UK too.

Want to know more? Find out here.