The World Cosplay Summit (WCS) saw the light of day in 2003 as a cultural project aimed at promoting international exchange through the youth culture of anime and manga. Cosplay, without doubt being one of the most spectacular and eye catching ways for the creative fans of anime and manga to express their passion, was an obvious choice as the basis of such a project.
The first WCS event took place in October 2003, featuring five international cosplayers from Germany, France and Italy. The event included a panel discussion and photoshoots as well as an informal reception. It has since then been held annually around the start of August in Nagoya and other parts of Japan. In 2005 the WCS was held as part of Expo 2005 (a 185-day world fair also held in Nagoya, Japan) and a championship (the Cosplay Championship) was introduced to the WCS program for the event.
By this time, the US, China and Spain had become a part of the WCS. For WCS 2012 the number of participating countries has increased to 20 and since 2008, the event has been officially recognized and supported by no less than 3 Japanese ministries. Denmark joined the WCS in 2007 and has since then been taking part in this grand event, showing the world what cosplay means to Denmark and how good we are at it!
The numbers continously grows, but currently 34 countries from all around the world participate.
World Cosplay Summit, abbreviated WCS, is a cosplay event sponsored by TV Aichi and Brother. The Cosplay Championship is a cosplay competition held during the WCS, with the same level of evaluation between stage performance and costume craftsmanship. Bonus points are given for accuracy to original series.
As the biggest and oldest event for Japanese pop-culture, J-popcon has had the honor of hosting the Danish qualification round for the WCS. The selection of the Danish representatives takes place as part of the yearly Danish Cosplay Championship (DCC) held at J-popcon. The representatives is sent on an all-paid trip to Nagoya, Japan during the following summer to participate in the WCS finals including the grand championship, photoshoots, interviews, smaller stage appearances as well as other related events and social gatherings.
The finals are held in Nagoya, Japan from the end of July to the beginning of August. The full program typically runs over a duration of 7 to 12 days.
2021 CrashShadow Cosplay & REEF Cosplay (Winners of Best Performance in Drama, Video Division)
2019 ChikaraCosplay & Zuum Cosplay
2018 TinYasuo & Aik0hime Cosplay
2017 Samie & Mirazie Cosplay
2016 Shinji Costumes and Tailoring & TinYasuo
2015 Rinaca Cosplay & Surine Cosplay
2014 Shinji Costumes and Tailoring & TinYasuo
2013 Winther Cosplay & Cherryzard Cosplay
2012 Samie & Yoshu Cosplay
2011 Surine Cosplay & Abena Kuranchie
2010 Lupin - Costume & Performance Artist & Lillyn Cosplay
2009 Ida Kirkegaard & Sigge Ludvigsen
2008 Liuwina Cosplay & Riku
2007 Stine Holm Jensen & Marie Mortensen
2014
Brother Award - Shinji Costumes and Tailoring & TinYasuo | Cantarella: Haitokuno Ai to Doku to Hate
2016
Second place - Shinji Costumes and Tailoring & TinYasuo | Persius & Lalvan, The Angel of Elhamburg
2018
Brother Award - Aik0hime & TinYasuo | Tan Hi & Rin Setsu A (Kicho), Thunderbolt Fantasy
2021
Best Drama Performance Award - CrashShadow Cosplay & REEF Cosplay | Lupin Arsene & Impey Barbicane, Code Realize