2016 Overload + Wellington Japan Festival Cosplay Competition Rules and Regulations
Please make sure that you carefully read through and understand all the following rules and regulations to ensure the safety of yourself and others around you. We want your competition experience to be as stress free and as enjoyable as possible.
- Entry form
To enter the competition, you must submit a pre-registration form prior to midnight November 11th 2016 (Friday). On the day registration is not guaranteed and is eligible only for the prize of Fan Favourite.
Entrants competing in the Best Group category cannot enter individually into other categories, but must do so as a group.
You may enter more than one category, providing that your costume or group meet that category’s requirements.
Honesty is required in regards to the Newcomer category; any entries found to have entered a previous cosplay competition may be removed or banned from future competitions.
- Costume limits &Guidelines
Costumes may be handmade/constructed or bought.
Costumes entering into the Best Constructed competition may include some pre-made pieces such as shoes and wigs but must be roughly 60% constructed or heavily altered by the wearer.
Pre-bought costumes, customised outfits, costumes compiled from pre-existing street clothes, or costumes that are less than 60% constructed by the wearer should enter the Best Compiled category.
You cannot enter into both the Constructed and the Compiled categories.
Costumes entering into the Best Overallcategory may enter any and all other sections but must be drawn from Japanese origin sources: anime, manga, tokusatsu(ie. Power Rangers or Godzilla)– or games.
Overload and the Wellington Japan Festival are family-friendly events. Any costumes that deemed to be too revealing, highly sexualised or seen as promoting illegal or unsavoury activity may be asked to withdraw from the competition and you may be asked to change. If you are unsure, please do not hesitate to contact the competition co-ordinator.
Costumes that include sharp objects, metal, excessive amounts of glitter, liquids of any kind (wet paint, bubbles, water pistols etc) may be asked to withdraw from the competition and asked to leave the event if there is the possibility of injury to the wearer or those around them or damage to the venue. Please be sure to seal all body paint so that it does not transfer onto other people or the venue.
The Wellington Japan Festival is often a very crowded event, so oversize costumes or costumes with limited vision are discouraged for your own safety. If unsure please do not hesitate to contact the competition co-ordinator.
Costumes that have entered and won a prize from any New Zealand cosplay competition may be worn as part of the competition but will not be eligible to win any prizes.
- Prop & Weapon guidelines
Overload + Wellington Japan Festival defines a prop as being any item which is carried as an accessory to a cosplay costume.
The Wellington Japan Festival is often a very crowded event. Please take this into consideration when planning your costume and props. Large props such as oversized weapons, wings, staves, pole weapons et cetera should be constructed in such a way that they can be broken down and carried safely when not being worn on stage.
There will be no area to cloak props.
All props must be checked at the VUW information booth/Overload information booth (TBC) and verified for safety. An orange safety tag/tape will be affixed to all weapons to signify that they have been checked.
Under no circumstances will real weaponry or firearms be accepted – this includes official replicas, blunt steel, live steel, air soft weapons, bb guns, and toy weapons capable of firing projectiles of any kind.
Realistic replica firearms must be non-firing and have an orange safety tip – either a plastic blunt or orange tape. In the case of tape, it must be visually distinctive from the design of the weapon. These weapons should not be on display/visible outside of the cosplay competition – keeping them in a holdall/gym bag/duffle bag until the competition is recommended.
Wooden weapons, both handmade and constructed, should be no heavier than the bearer can comfortably lift and safely control without doing harm to themselves or others.
As a general rule, no metal is allowed. Please make sure that all screws and nails are covered and not visible. Plate or metal armour may be allowed if arranged prior with the co-ordinator but should have no sharp edges, rough points, or protrusions that may harm the wearer or those around them. Metal mail (chain, plate, leaf etc) is allowed. Please make sure that all links are properly closed and if possible soldered. If knitting your own mail, the cosplay coordinators suggest that you research plastic replica alternatives (for cost, weight and safety).
No single prop or weapon may weigh more than 5 kgs or exceed 1.5m in height or 1.2 m in width.
All props, weapons and replicas must be handled responsibly. Anyone failing to show control of their weapon or prop or found to be generally misusing these items in an unsafe manner will be asked to leave the Wellington Japan Festival area immediately and may be excluded from the competition or have their prizes confiscated.
- On the day requirements
All entrants will be required to assemble roughly 45 minutes ahead of the scheduled time for the competition. Time and location will be confirmed closer to the competition date.
As the judging will be conducted live, you will be required to walk on stage and pose long enough for the judging team to consider your costume. You may be asked questions by the MC and the judges may wish to take a closer look at your costume.
When you arrive on stage, you are to hand the MC a pre-filled in information card that states your name, your preferred cosplay name, your group name, the character you are cosplaying, the series the character is from and any key points that you wish the MC to announce while you are posing on stage.
For example:
Name: E King / Cosplay Name: Midori EmeraldGroup Name: N/A
Character: Tamamo no Mae / Series: Sengoku Musou 3 (Warriors Orochi)
Points of interest:
This costume was constructed by hand from kimono silk bought second hand in Nara, Japan.
There are 250 gold leaves that have been applied to the outer kimono/jacket.
It took two months to make these pants.
Can the MC ask you some short questions while you are on stage? YES / NO
Yes! Yes! Yes! Bring it MC!!!
The MC will direct you off stage (either back stage or to the side). Please wait until the end of the competition when the results will be announced.
- Judging panel
The Judging panel will consist of experienced NZ cosplayers as well as Japan related business people or dignitaries.
The Judges will be given a judging sheet which will include information from the entry form and a score sheet. Competitors will be judged on costume, presentation, character accuracy and execution.
The Judges’ decision is final and no discussion will be entered into. The Judges reserve the right to not award any given prize due to a lack of suitable entrants.
- Contact
Entry forms and any queries should be emailed to the competition coordinator at