By Mei Kuan
After a 3 year-hiatus due to the pandemic, the 2-day cosplay party at Ipoh Parade was a hit with the crowd especially during its main highlight, a cosplay contest which saw over 40 participants hailing from Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Johor and more.
Attracting cosplayers and fans of the popular culture, the much-awaited event was held for the second time after its first in 2019 which had equal success.
During the cosplay contest which unfolded yesterday, contestants from age 5 to 35 years old brought to life characters from comic books, massive multiplayer online role-playing games, Japanese animations, films, cartoons, literature and more.
With attractive prizes totalling RM2300, the cosplay competition consisted of three rounds: runway challenge, mall tour and talent show.
The panel of judges featured three experienced cosplayers namely Micho, Hayate and Yukikawa.
“The contest this year sees most participants from Ipoh as compared to the first one where the participants were mostly from Kuala Lumpur,” observed Alan Thoo, Head of Marketing of Ipoh Parade.
The crowd turnout was simply amazing as those not joining the contest also seized the golden opportunity to come dressing up for the day to add to the fun.
A platform for creative expression, the recent programme also featured doujin booths as a new attraction, brimming with handmade merchandise, art pieces and exclusive, self-published work.
Amirudin Mohamad who cosplayed as Kogitsunemaru from the popular game Touken Ranbu emerged champion of the cosplay contest.
Marking his third time of being crowned a champion in his cosplay journey, the 24-year-old Johor Bahru boy has been joining contests within Malaysia since 2018 to improve himself.
“I have chosen this character for today because the costume enables me to move with ease for stage performance. I usually take around 3 to 5 days to complete my handmade costumes,” he shared with Ipoh Echo.
According to Amirudin, among the best parts of cosplaying are the interaction with members of the public and making new friends.
Here is his advice for those who wish to get started as a cosplayer: “Just show up, get in character and most importantly, be confident!”
For more updates on his passion, check out his Facebook or Instagram of the name, AJ Law Obdam.
The list of winners as follows:
Champion: Amirudin Mohamad (as Kogitsunemaru from Touken Ranbu)
First Runner-up: Frankie Ng Teck Seng (as Liben from Genshin Impact)
Second Runner-up: Ahmad Adry Irham (as Red Whirlwind from Power Stone)
Consolation Prizes: Syed Zulhilmi Syad Sharuddin (as Kamen Rider Zangetsu), Wong Siew Foong (as Rurouni Kenshin), Nurul Atiqah Ramli (as Neo-Queen Serenity), Chiam Zi Ying (as Kinnara) and Syed Hamizan Syad Sharuddin (as Kamen Rider Gaim).
