Marketing Japan: Cosplay? Japan is Losing it!

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

Well, have you heard the news? This year's Cosplay championship was won by the Italians. Disgraceful! And just one day after I bragged to the world that the Japanese were going to make holograms for the world to enjoy at the 2022 World Cup! Shame!

The Japanese can't win anything anymore it seems. We haven't won a hot-dog eating championship in a few years and now, horrors of all horrors, the Italians take the Cosplay championships from us.

2010 Cosplay Championships

If I were one of these "otaku" Japanese geeks I'd hang my head in shame.

From the article:


A pair from Italy took the grand prize for costume role-players at an annual world championship in Nagoya on Sunday, beating contenders from 14 other countries.


The contest marked the climax of the World Cosplay Summit 2010, a signature summer event in the city which various entities including the Foreign Ministry jointly organized to enhance exchanges featuring characters in Japan-originated animated films, manga comics and games.


The winning pair, dressed as Link and Ganondorf, characters in a game titled "The Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess," performed an action- filled three-minute play on stage in front of an audience of about 15,000.


"I am happy for winning the title especially for people who have supported us," said 43-year-old Giancarlo Di Pierro after winning the competition with 30-year-old Luca Buzzi.

Wait a minute! The winner was a 43-year-old dork from Italy!? Gimme a break! 

Girls from last year's Cosplay Championships... Well, OK... If everyone who entered looked like these  two, I guess I'd get a front row seat 

The article goes on:

Hundreds of cosplay enthusiasts including the finalists of the championship took part in the event which began Saturday. The 15 countries were Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Italy, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand and the United States.

You know it is the end of western (and eastern) civilization when the entire world gets into Cosplay and then, on top of that, a 43-year-old wins!

Heck, for a bonus, here's a video of this year's contest too: 



See original article here. I need a drink. What's the world coming to?

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Keywords:
Cosplay, championship, Italians, otaku, geeks, nagoya, Marketing Japan, Mike Rogers, holograms, Mike in Tokyo Rogers