12 Aug, 2008
NY ANIME FESTIVAL, DEL REY MANGA AND SAMURAI BEAT RADIO TO STAGE COSPLAY DAY
Posted by: David In: Anime News
Sonnya (L) and Renee (R) in their award-winning costumes. Photo by Anna Fischer.
WORLD COSPLAY SUMMIT TEAM USA AT KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORE ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 17!
The New York Anime Festival today announced it is partnering with Del Rey Manga and Samurai Beat Radio to hold a Cosplay Day at the largest Japanese bookstore in North America - New York City’s Kinokuniya Bookstore - on Sunday, August 17, 2008.
Kinokuniya Bookstore, located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan, will present a day-long series of events showcasing the diverse world of Japanese cosplay and the World Cosplay Summit — an international cosplay event held each summer in Nagoya, Japan. Sonnya Paz and Renee Gloger, Team USA in the 2008 World Cosplay Summit, will attend Kinokuniya’s Cosplay Day as Special Guests.
“We’re extremely pleased to form this partnership with Del Rey Manga and Samurai Beat Radio and I think the Cosplay Day at Kinokuniya will be fabulous,” New York Anime Festival Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. “These partners are key players in the anime world and I think Cosplay Day underscores that we have become a key player, too! We want to celebrate the passion of cosplayers and accomplishments of Sonnya and Renee, and there is no better home for this than Kinokuniya Bookstore.”
The New York Anime Festival is an anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention from the creators of New York Comic Con and will take place September 26th through the 28th at the Jacob Javits Center in New York, NY.
Cosplay is short for “costume play” and is one of the most vivid and creative aspects of anime fandom. At its center is the creation and wearing of costumes based on a fan’s favorite anime or manga character. The World Cosplay Summit is the Olympics of Cosplay, an annual event which draws cosplayers chosen from around the world for a competition before judges including some of Japan’s most iconic anime and manga creators. This year, countries including Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, and the USA sent representatives to the World Cosplay Summit.
Kinokuniya’s Cosplay Day will include special all-day activities as well as a series of cosplay-themed presentations…
Kinokuniya Cosplay Day All-Day Events
Anime And Manga Discount: Any customer who comes into Kinokuniya Bookstore at 1073 Avenue of the Americas on Sunday, August 17 wearing anime, manga, or video game cosplay will receive 10% off all anime and manga purchases.
Cosplay Day Giveaway: All customers who come into Kinokuniya Bookstore can enter to win a number of prizes from Del Rey Manga and the New York Anime Festival. Winners will be drawn at 5:30 PM, and customers must be present to claim their prizes.
Kinokuniya Cosplay Day Event Schedule
3:00 to 4:00 PM: World Cosplay Summit Memories. The World Cosplay Summit — the Olympics of Cosplay — was held earlier this month in Japan, and two girls from Queens represented America in this international event. Team USA’s now back in NYC, and they’ve come to Kinokuniya to talk about their trip to Japan and experiences in the World Cosplay Summit. Sonnya Paz and Renee Gloger will spend an hour speaking about what it was like being crowned Team USA, what it was like winning a trip to Japan, and how they felt going up against cosplayers on the international stage!
4:00 to 4:30 PM: Cosplay Q&A. Got a question about cosplay? Curious about beadwork? Don’t know the best fabrics, metals, and woods to work with? Sonnya Paz and Renee Gloger will answer all your questions — beginner to advanced — so that one day you, too, will be good enough to compete in the Olympics of Cosplay.
4:30-5:00 PM: Samurai Beat Radio. Samurai Beat Radio, broadcast in 26 cities in Japan, comes to Kinokuniya to record a special, live show. Samurai Beat Radio will interview Sonnya Paz and Renee Gloger as well as cosplaying attendees to find out the who, what, where, when, and why Americans cosplay. This is a chance to get your voice heard throughout Japan!
5:30 PM: Raffle Drawing. Free tickets to the New York Anime Festival and Del Rey Manga prize packages are up for grabs in the Cosplay Day Giveaway. Customers can enter all day long, and to win, they’ll have to be present at 5:30 PM for the giveaway’s drawing.
Kinokuniya Bookstore, Del Rey Manga, the New York Anime Festival, and Samurai Beat Radio invite anime fans and New Yorkers up for a unique and unforgettable experience to come out to Cosplay Day at Kinokuniya on Sunday, August 17!
Sonnya (L) and Renee (R) in their award-winning costumes. Photos by Anna Fischer. Click for high-res versions.