REPRESENTATIVE RULES

NATIONAL・REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE REGULATIONS

VIDEO DIVISION Judging and Competition Rules

STAGE DIVISION Judging and Competition Rules

NATIONAL・REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE REGULATIONS

1. One team of two cosplayers will represent each country or region

2. In order to participate in a preliminary round, cosplayers must provide, to the satisfaction of the preliminary round
organizer, proof of citizenship or residency of the country or region holding the event. Participation as a representative of
a country or region is permitted the organizer or license holder is satisfied that the cosplayer is in the process of obtaining
permanent residency in the specific country or region, and the corresponding residence status has been obtained under the
legal system of the concerned country or region. In cases where regional affiliation is more relevant than national
affiliation, or under joint systems such as confederations, participation is permitted as representative of the country or
region to which cosplayers consider they belong.
However, after participation as a representative of a specific country or region, participation as a representative of a
different country or region is not permitted for 5 years from the year of participation, despite any changes in the
cosplayer’s place of residence or nationality.
The organizers of the corresponding country or region should be contacted for any question regarding the eligibility for
participation and should they deem it necessary to be reviewed by the World Cosplay Summit Secretariat, the
organizations and cosplayers shall adhere to the findings of that review.

Participants shall be aged 18 and over.
※ If they are under 18, they must have the consent of a guardian. Participation is allowed only if the permission of a
guardian is obtained, and they are able to come to Japan on their own. Age restrictions may vary from country to
country.

4. Participants shall be able to travel to Japan and participate in activities during the period of the World Cosplay
Championship. In case it is not possible to travel to Japan, participants shall be able to participate in the schedule of the
Championship and in the awarding ceremony via a remote online connection.

5. The organizers of preliminary round events are granted the right to select the representatives by a method of their
choice. In the event that a change of representatives cannot be avoided, the organizers of preliminary round events can
appoint new representatives provided that they meet the requirements for participation. In such cases, the organizers of
preliminary round events shall duly inform the WCS Executive Office of the change of representatives and the grounds for
the selection of the new representatives.

6. The two members of the team must wear costumes belonging to the same Japanese manga, anime, video game, or
tokusatsu work. Also, these must be hand-made by the contestants themselves.
※ Characters from dôjinshi (fanzine), anthology works are not permitted.
※ When doing a costume from a game, the character must be recognizable of Japanese origin. (i.e. not a Disney or
Star Wars character even though the game may be made in Japan.)
※ It is permissible to a limited extent for family and friends to help with costumes however it is preferable that
costumes are hand-made by the contestants themselves

■ Conditions for representatives
1. Representatives shall cooperate in a positive manner in order to ensure the success of the World Cosplay Summit.
2. Media such as TV programs, internet sites, newspapers, magazines, etc., may use pictures of the representatives and
images of the preliminary contests for the purpose of promoting the World Cosplay Summit. On these occasions,
compensation will not be furnished.
3. Image rights in all media exposure such as the news from TV programs and other assorted media involved with the
World Cosplay Summit, promotional activities in the print media as well as events and performances, announcements of
the World Cosplay Summit during the World Cosplay Summit event period, will be attributed to World Cosplay Summit
Executive Committee.
4. The representative cosplayers shall read the separate forms thoroughly and return them filled out upon agreement.

■ Rights of representatives
1. Representatives earn the right to be considered as past representatives (WCS alumni) in the World Cosplay Summit,
being able to join the alumni group managed by the Executive Office and participate in programs addressed to them.
2. The following prizes will be awarded in the World Cosplay Championship. In case the received award includes secondary
prizes provided by sponsors in addition to the commemorative items, these will be sent by mail to the winners at a later date.
Also, there is the possibility that prizes other than those listed below shall be added.

Total score
1st prize (Grand Champion): Trophy, certificate of merit, commemorative items
Secondary prize: Participation as guest judges in the “World Cosplay Summit – Cosplay Championship” to be held
in 2023, including return flight tickets for transportation to Japan
2nd prize: Trophy, certificate of merit, commemorative items
3rd prize: Trophy, certificate of merit, commemorative items
Other additional prizes are to be provided, such as secondary prizes provided by sponsors.
* Prizes are expected to be shipped within 2022

■ Important points regarding participation
1. Besides respecting the Competition and Judging rules, the following points shall also be taken into consideration when
shooting and producing video footage at the country or region of the participants.

1) Participants are required to act in accordance with the measures for the prevention of the spread of the novel
coronavirus established in each country or region while making their costumes, filming the footage for their entry, and
producing the deliverables.
The measures established by national or regional authorities may be different depending on the concrete country or
region, and therefore cannot be subject to comparative evaluation.
2) Participants are required to make their best efforts for the preservation of the filming environment.
In the case of filming on premises other than the private property of the members of the team, filming cannot be done
without obtaining the corresponding permissions and authorizations. In case evidence of the obtaining of such
permissions exist, it shall be provided.

2. As specified in the Competition and Judging rules, dangerous actions and ethically dubious content are not allowed.
Additionally, the deadlines for the submission of each of the deliverables must be respected.
The format and the contents of the aforementioned documents and other deliverables must conform to the formats
provided by the Executive Office.
3. The Executive Office reserves the right to freely use the edited data and the original data of all the materials submitted
to the Executive Office, including the costume construction reports and videos, for both commercial and non-commercial
purposes.

Updated March 3rd, 2022
The World Cosplay Summit Executive Office

VIDEO DIVISION Judging and Competition Rules

■ Basic concept
1. This shall be a competition of cosplay prowess in the spirit of the World Cosplay Summit, in which aspects, such as the
reproduction of the costumes of the characters, are evaluated.

2. Even in such cases in which a performance includes a high number of original elements and reformulation from a
subjective perspective, the performances shall demonstrate respect for the original work, without departing from its
original setting or disdaining it by means of an inconsiderate interpretation.

3. The project shall be based on creative inspiration, and the judgment of the characters and the video entries should
reflect high production skills.

■ Judging criteria
1. Costume Judging (50 points)
Points are awarded according to the following three criteria related to the production of the main elements that express the
character (costumes, hand props, makeup, etc.):
The judging will be done based on the costume report and the costume explanation video submitted by the representatives.
* The differences of race, gender, or size of the cosplayers, with respect to the original characters, will not influence the
judging of the degree of completeness of the costume proper.

1) Level of precision in the costumes (30 points)
The costumes are evaluated by comparing the actual costumes with the design of the costumes in the original work.
If the actual costumes are completely identical to the costumes in the original work, the full points are awarded. If
completely different, the lowest score of 0 points is given. In addition, in cases where there is an unknown part in a
costume that appears in the original work, as long as the costume for judging is true to the spirit of the character and the
atmosphere of the original work, design construction and choice of color are left up to the discretion of cosplayers, and
differences between it and the image submitted of the costume in the original work will not affect scoring.
(ie: In the black and white manga, it is not possible to know the correct color of costumes)

2) Costume Quality (10 points)
The costumes are evaluated according to multiple factors, such as how well the costume is combined, how well it suits the
contestant, how beautifully it is painted/sewn, etc.
3) Technique (10 points)
Evaluation of costume-making skills.
Costumes that have been made by utilizing a variety of challenging techniques are scored more highly than those using a
few basic skills. These criteria look more at the level of quality rather than the number of techniques employed.
If any special techniques such as transformation or other mechanisms are used, the concepts will be evaluated here.

2. Video Judging (100 points)
Points are awarded for the produced video footage according to the following three criteria:

1) Conception (45 points)
The efficiency with which the representatives use the 2:30 minutes to create and edit the video scene. If the video scene
utilizes effective story composition which easily appeals to the viewers. Lastly, the quality of the scene composition and
scene arrangement techniques utilized.

2) Acting (45 points)
An evaluation of the general impression of the movie, including the degree of accomplishment of singing, dancing or
other action elements in the performance and how well-rehearsed they appear, of the expressiveness of performers in
scenes with simple or no action, or the delivery of dialogue.

3) X factor (10 points)
An additional evaluation from the individual viewpoint of each member of the jury regarding elements that cannot be
measured within the criteria of points 1) and 2), such as how much the video features imaginative and original ideas that
provide appeal and entertainment value, or how much it achieves in immersing the viewer in the story.

■ About the Scoring
1. The final placement result by the total score is decided on a scale of 150 points (total of 1. Costume Judging and 2.
Video Judging). It is recommended to use this same system as a reference in the preliminary/qualifying rounds of each
country and region as well.

2. An average score is to be calculated from the scores of the members of the jury, excluding the highest and the lowest
scores, and the final classification is to be determined by the total combined score of Costume Judging and Stage
Performance Judging.

3. Should the final score for the Costume Judging and the Video Judging result in a tie, the ranking will be determined at
the discretion of the judges of the Video Judging

■ Judging Method
1. Costume Judging

2) Judging is to be carried out evaluating all the individual elements of the character which the representatives have
requested to be included as a part of the evaluation. Costumes (one or more per representative), make-up, wigs, and hand
props are all to be judged, but the average score is to be determined only with the points of the elements subjected to this
evaluation.

3) Judging is to be carried out by means of a costume report, whose content must conform with the competition rules and
be written in Japanese or English, as well as a presentation video explaining the costumes with a recommended duration of
about 5 minutes and a maximum duration of 8 minutes.

4) Judging is to be carried out by the organizers of each country and region, but judging by third parties appointed by the
organizers is also accepted.

5) While there shall be no particular order for judgment, the Executive Office will gradually disclose the documents to
the organizers of each country and region in order of reception and confirmation that they are not defective. The
evaluation is to be completed before 240 hours from the submission deadline for representatives (within 10 days).

6) In case documents are received after the submission deadline, a 10% deduction of the score in Character Judging will
be applied for every 24 hours of delay in submission, and a score of 0 points will be awarded without judgment in case the
delay exceeds 120 hours. (delay exceeding 24 hours: 10%, delay exceeding 48 hours: 20%, and so on).
Additionally, in case the Executive Office requests the correction of documents determined to be defective, it is required
to resend a corrected version of the documents addressing the defects indicated from the Executive Office within 24 hours
from the communication of the request. In this case, as well, a 10% deduction of the score in Costume Judging will be
applied for every 24 hours of delay, and a score of 0 points will be awarded without judgment in case the delay exceeds 72
hours.
In case there is a delay in both the submission deadline and resubmission, the penalties are to be applied cumulatively
(delay exceeding 24 hours from the submission deadline: 10% + delay exceeding 24 hours in resubmission: 10%, for a
total deduction of 20% of the score in Costume Judging).
The point reduction caused by overdue will be applied by the WCS Executive Office. It does not affect the Costume
Judging carried out by organizers.

2. Video Judging

1) In the Video Judging, each judge is to evaluate the representative cosplayers’ degree of accomplishment of movement,
expressiveness, the composition of the story, entertainment value, and other overarching impressions through a video with
a maximum length of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The more high-scoring results that emerge during the judging, the more
the judges will score by employing the “score-adding method” in calculating points.
For entries exceeding the limit of 2:30 minutes, a 10% deduction of the score in Video Judging will be applied for
overtime of every 5 seconds, and the score will be 0 for videos over 2:46 minutes.
2) In accordance with the competition rules, participants must submit a script and details of the production, together with
the reference images for the costumes and information about the characters in advance to the Executive Office. A change
of the original work or major changes to the information submitted to the Executive Office will not be allowed. In case the
Executive Office determines that the contents depart from the competition rules, the corrections or the elimination of
concrete points may be requested. In addition to the completed entry video, the resources of objects such as effects,
animations, and pictures, as well as the resources of music and sound effects used in the edition of the video shall be
submitted within the due date. Whenever third persons other than the representatives have been involved in the production
of the video, either their cosplayer name or nickname or their real name shall be provided as well.
3) Since the degree of accomplishment of the video is the most important element for judging, judges will carry out their
judging in advance so they can check details as necessary, and they will be allowed to watch the entries several times if
required in order to decide the score.

■ Contest Rules
Please make sure to check the National・Regional Representative Regulation in addition to these
Judging and Competition rules.
1. Costume Judging

1) Judging is to be carried out evaluating all the presented elements of the character that the representatives request to
be included as a part of the evaluation. Costumes (one or more per representative, if there is a costume change during the
performance), make-up, wigs, and hand props are all to be judged, but the average score is to be determined only with the
points of the elements subject to evaluation. All the elements deemed indispensable to portray the character are to be
considered a part of the costume and can be subject to judging. Elements that are not worn by the cosplayers, but placed in
the scene of action (objects to be used as assistance for the performance) cannot be subject to costume judging.

2) All items that are judged should all be made by the 2 representatives themselves. A proportion of 75% or more of the
items should be handmade, and the process and method of production shall be explained in the construction report and the
costume presentation video. If friends or family members have assisted in the creation process, this should be clearly
presented in the costume report. If it is determined that 25% or more of an item is not made by hand, the item will not be
included in the judging.
3) Shop-purchased items (commercial articles) that are included or used will not be eligible for judging

4) If details of the original costume are changed (i.e. parts added for augmented purposes or effects), this must be clearly
presented in the costume report.

5) It is permitted to use fully automatic production tools that rely on data input, such as 3D printers or fabric printers.
Aspects such as the modeling data, balance with the costume, finishing, paint, and coating or fitness with the
representative are to be judged for each item, and objects for which modeling data or patterns have been downloaded or
obtained from other sources and printed as they are will be treated as a Shop-purchased item (commercial article). In case
that it is determined that commercial articles constitute more than 50 % of an item, it will be excluded from judging.

6) If an issue arises upon which it is difficult to make a decision regarding a representative’s costume, it will be discussed
and judged by the Regulation Committee

2. Video Performance Judging

1) In order to ensure the safety of competitors, the use of dangerous weapons such as shop-purchased imitation swords,
katana, or similar items with processed metal edges, blunt instruments, and firearms is prohibited.
Additionally, performances in which actual fire is lit, or in which dangerous substances requiring special care in handling,
are also prohibited.

2) Contents that violate the guidelines of the streaming platforms, like those detailed in points A)~E) will be prohibited.
The following points are just a partial extract of platform guidelines, and participants shall refer to their full text for the
details.
(Ex)YouTube：https://www.youtube.com/intl/en_us/howyoutubeworks/policies/community-guidelines/

A) The use of official illustrations or logos from the WCS or official logos, images edited into the video, animation,
copyrighted special effects, copyrighted sound effects, and copyrighted music from other original works or violating
someone’s copyright.

B) Excessive sexual expression or narration.。

C) Detestable violent expressions such as an immoderate depiction of blood or vomit, assault, and torture.
D) Contents instigating hate speech, suicide, and bullying.

E) Video challenges that can cause serious injury or encourage the possibility of it.

3) Rules for the use of background music and videos are as follows:

A) Music used in the video must be played or created by representatives if it is music that would otherwise be subject
to rights management by JASRAC, or it must be copyright-free music and sound clips. Organizers should confirm that
no sound sources used in the representative’s video incur copyright infringement
B) It is allowed to use the mother tongue of the participants, whereas dubbing in unrecognizable Japanese will be
rejected.

C) The use of copyrighted background music or the voices of voice actors from original works and the copying or
tracing of scenes or images appearing in original works for use in the videos, and sources, where the copyright holder
is someone other than the representative team, is not permitted. In addition, the basic video editing must be done by the
representatives, however adding CG or visual effects done by someone other than the representatives are allowed with
credit to them.
※ Basic video editing means the editing of the video and to ensure the finished length of the video is no longer than
2:30 minutes.

D) Shooting without permission in public places or private places which are not the property of the team, as well as
‘guerrilla-style’ unpermitted shooting is prohibited.

E) It is allowed to feature persons other than the members of the team participating as extras, as well as creating
characters by means of techniques such as animation or CG, but the two representatives shall be clearly denoted as
performing as the main characters. Also, in the case of creating characters, these shall not be produced copying or
tracing original designs, as specified in C )

F) It is allowed for the representatives to perform as multiple characters, but in the case of characters such as those
performed by extras, these are excluded from Costume Judging and judging criteria 2) Acting in Video Judging. Since
there are no limitations in the use of extras, as well as with the use of backgrounds or computer graphics, the use of
commercially available costumes for the extras is also allowed. It is not allowed for both representative cosplayers to
be out of the frame for a period of more than 15 seconds consecutively.
· When this time limit is exceeded, Video Judging points will be deducted as follows
·15.1 ~ 16 seconds: 5 point deduction
·16.1 ~ 17 seconds: 5 point deduction
·Hereafter, 5 point deduction for every second in excess
·For an excess time of 20 seconds or more, an unconditional score of 0 will apply to Video Judging.

G) Japanese and English subtitles will be displayed on the lower fourth part of the display for any lines spoken during
the performance. The Executive Office is to arrange the subtitles, and therefore it is not necessary to add them to the
video in advance. The subtitles will be shown in accordance with the timing of lines that have been included in the
storyboard in Japanese or English.

H) Sound: Full Stereo at least 192kbps Image: 1920×1080 pixels, Screen resolution 1080p, Aspect ratio 16:9 If using a
background video, submit it as a video file mixed with the sound clip in one of the following file formats: MOV, MP4,
AVI, or WMV.

4) The organizers of each country and region shall check and make sure that the contents of the video submissions do not
violate any of the regulations. The Executive Office may ask for an edition of the video submission if it considers that the
contents of the video submission are dangerous or pose ethical problems. In such a case, a period between 48 and 72 hours
will be given for the editing of the video.

A) In the case of planning to use special expression methods not listed in the rules, consult with the Organizers of your
country or region in advance, sending some document with information about the planned expression method, and
include the details in the script.

B) There must be a consideration for safety and environment at filming locations, and filming shall be done in
accordance with national and local regulations.

Updated. March 2022
The World Cosplay Summit Executive Office

STAGE DIVISION Judging and Competition Rules

■ Judging criteria
1. Costume Judging (100 points)
Points are awarded according to the following three criteria related to the production of the constituent elements that
express the character (costumes, hand props, makeup, etc.):
The judging will be done based on the costume report and the costume explanation video submitted by the representatives.
* The differences of race, gender, or size of the cosplayers with respect to the original characters will not influence the
judging of the degree of completeness of the costume proper.

1) Level of precision in the costumes (40 points)
The costumes are evaluated by comparing the actual costumes with the design of the costumes in the original work.
If the actual costumes are completely identical to the costumes in the original work, the full points are awarded. If
completely different, the lowest score of 0 points is given. In addition, in cases where there is an unknown part in a
costume that appears in the original work, as long as the costume for judging is true to the spirit of the character and the
atmosphere of the original work, design construction and choice of color are left up to the discretion of cosplayers, and
differences between it and the image submitted of the costume in the original work will not affect scoring.
(ie: In the black and white manga, it is not possible to know the correct color of costumes)

2) Costume Quality (40 points)
The costumes are evaluated according to multiple factors, such as how well the costume is combined, how well it suits the
contestant, how beautifully it is painted/sewn, etc.

3) Technique (20 points)
Evaluation of costume-making skills.
Costumes that have been made by utilizing a variety of challenging techniques are scored more highly than those using a
few basic skills. These criteria look more at the level of quality rather than the number of techniques employed.
If any special techniques such as transformation or other mechanisms are used, the concepts will be evaluated here.

2. ／Stage Performance Judging (100 points)
Points are awarded for the on-stage performance according to the following four criteria:

1) Performance (50 points)
Evaluation of aspects such as the quality and degree of accomplishment of the performance, the manner in which the story
is conveyed, the usage of props, the respect to the original work, or the overall entertainment value.

2) Acting・Stage proficiency (20 points)
Evaluation of the expressiveness on the stage, including aspects such as the degree of accomplishment of singing, dancing,
or other active elements in the performance and how well-rehearsed they appear, the expressiveness of performers in
scenes with simple or no action, or the delivery of dialogue.

3) Costume stage presence (20 points)
Evaluation of the impression caused by the costumes on the stage, such as the values that are first perceived when the
costume appears on stage. Aspects such as the use of gimmicks to change the appearance or the structure of the costumes
during the performance are also taken into consideration.

4) X Factor (10 points)
The additional evaluation of points that exceed expectations and results which are particularly moving or exciting, or of
the realization of new ideas that had not been seen before in the competition.

■ About the Scoring
1. The total score is on a scale of 200 points (total of 1. Costume Judging and 2. Stage Performance Judging).

2. An average score is to be calculated from the score of the members of the jury, excluding the highest and the lowest
scores, and the final classification is to be determined by the total combined score of Costume Judging and Stage
Performance Judging.

3.Should the final score for the Costume Judging and Stage Performance Judging result in a tie, the ranking will be
determined at the discretion of the stage judges.

■ Judging Method
1. Costume Judging

1) In the Costume Judging, each judge evaluates the excellence of the representative cosplayer’s handmade costume
creation technique, design, or overall atmosphere. Costume Judging is carried out in such a way that for an average value
for the costumes of all teams, those with outstanding characteristics receive a higher score, and those in which the
costumes are deemed incomplete or are in violation of a rule shall receive lower scores. It may occur that several teams
receive the same score.
2) Judging is to be carried out evaluating all the individual elements of the character which the representatives have
requested to be included as part of the evaluation. Costumes (one or more per representative), make-up, wigs, and hand
props are all to be judged, but the average score is to be determined only with the points of the elements subjected to this
evaluation.
3) Judging is to be carried out by means of a costume report, whose content must conform with the competition rules and
be written in Japanese or English, as well as a presentation video explaining the costumes with a recommended duration of
about 5 minutes and a maximum duration of 8 minutes.
4) Judging is to be carried out by the organizers of each country and region, but judging by third parties appointed by the
organizers is also accepted.
5) While there shall be no particular order for judgment, the Executive Office will gradually disclose the documents to
the organizers of each country and region in order of reception and confirmation that they are not defective. The
evaluation is to be completed before 240 hours from the submission deadline for representatives (within 10 days).
6) In case of documents are received after the submission deadline, a 10% deduction of the score in Character Judging
will be applied for every 24 hours of delay in submission, and a score of 0 points will be awarded without judgment in
case that the delay exceeds 120 hours. (delay exceeding 24 hours: 10%, delay exceeding 48 hours: 20%, and so on).
Additionally, in case the Executive Office requests the correction of documents determined to be defective, it is required
to resend a corrected version of the documents addressing the defects indicated from the Executive Office within 24 hours
from the communication of the request. In this case, as well, a 10% deduction of the score in Costume Judging will be
applied for every 24 hours of delay, and a score of 0 points will be awarded without judgment in the case the delay
exceeds 72 hours.
In case there is a delay in both the submission deadline and resubmission, the penalties are to be applied cumulatively
(delay exceeding 24 hours from the submission deadline: 10% + delay exceeding 24 hours in resubmission: 10%, for a
total deduction of 20% of the score in Costume Judging).
The point reduction caused by overdue will be applied by the WCS Executive Office. It does not affect the Costume
Judging carried out by organizers.

2. Stage performance judging

1) In the stage judging, the judges evaluate the representative cosplayer’s staging, expressiveness, creativity, entertainment
value, and other overarching impressions through an on-stage performance of a maximum of 2:30 minutes. The more
high-scoring results that emerge during the judging, the more the judges will score by employing the “score-adding
method,” in calculating points. In the event that the performance exceeds the 2:30 minute time limit, 10% will be deducted
from the score for performances that exceed the time limit by less than 10 seconds, and 25% will be deducted for those
that exceed the limit by 10 seconds or more.

2) All the required items must be filled in on the performance sheet, which must
be submitted by the deadline before the judging, together with original photos of the costumes, audio files, and video
materials.

3) While contestants are free to select the content of their performance, they should leave the stage promptly after the
conclusion of their performance unless otherwise advised. Actions that have the potential to dirty the stage or leave any
residue or marks behind are prohibited, and contestants should act in accordance with the competition rules.
The props left on the stage after the performance will be collected by the staff members, and neither the staff members or
the WCS Executive Office shall be held liable for any damage caused to the props during collection.

4) The period of about 40 seconds before the start of each performance is treated as change-over time. Performances that
have stage props will have the props set (pre-set) by staff during this interval.

5) All items required by the representatives or necessary for the performance will be put on standby to the left of the stage.
If the representatives appear on the stage from stage right, they are to cross the stage to configure the items during the 40-
second change-over time.

6) It is not possible for anyone other than the two representatives to act as support during the performance.

7) The order of performances will be decided beforehand through a fair lottery with all teams. Once the order has been
decided, it cannot be changed for any reason other than health reasons.

■ Contest Rules
Please make sure to check the National・Regional Representative Regulation (a separate document) in addition to these
Judging and Competition rules.

1. Costume Judging

1) Judging is to be carried out evaluating all the presented elements of the character that the representatives request to
be included as a part of the evaluation. Costumes (one or more per representative, if there is a costume change during the
performance), make-up, wigs, and hand props are all to be judged, but the average score is to be determined only with the
points of the elements subject to evaluation. All the elements deemed indispensable to portray the character are to be
considered a part of the costume and can be subject to judging. Elements which are not worn by the cosplayers but placed
on the stage (objects to be used as assistance for the performance) cannot be subject to costume judging.

3) Shop-purchased items (commercial articles) that are included or used will not be eligible for judging.

4) If details of the original are changed (i.e. parts added for augmented purposes), this must be clearly presented in the
costume report.

5) It is permitted to use fully automatic production tools that rely on data input, such as 3D printers or fabric printers.
Aspects such as the modeling data, balance with the costume, finishing, paint, and coating or fitness with the
representative are to be judged for each item, and objects for which modeling data or patterns have been downloaded or
obtained from other sources and printed as they are will be treated as a Shop-purchased item (commercial article). In case
it is determined that commercial articles constitute more than 50 % of an item, it will be excluded from judging.

6) If an issue arises upon which it is difficult to make a decision regarding a representative’s costume, it will be discussed
and judged by the Regulation Committee.

2. Stage Performance Judging
1) Items including costumes that are necessary for the performance are to follow the rules below:

A) A maximum of 3 stage props are allowed. Each item should weigh under 10 kg and measure no more than 2,100 mm in
height, 2,100 mm in width, and 900 mm in depth.
Furthermore, unique items that are used to hide the costumes or that have mechanical augmentations or remarks, must be
presented clearly in the performance sheet. If such items are deployed in a way that is connected to the stage props, this
must be carried out within the 2:30 minute limit for the stage judging.
・Should one of the stage props exceeds 10 kg in weight, Costume Judging points will be deducted as follows:
·10.1 to 10.5 kg: 5 point deduction
·10.6 to 11.0 kg : 10 point deduction
·Over 11.0 kg: an additional 5 point deduction for each 0.5 kg of excess weight
·Should the stage prop exceed 15 kg, an unconditional score of 0 will apply to Costume Judging.
・Should the size of one of the stage props exceeds the maximum allowed dimensions for height, width, or depth,
character judging points will be deduced as follows:
·1 point deduction for every centimeter in excess of any of the maximum allowed dimensions for height, width, or
depth
·1 point deduction for each centimeter in excess of the combined figure for the height, width, or depth
·For excess dimensions a total of 10 cm or more, an unconditional score of 0 will apply to Costume Judging

B) Items other than the stage props that need to be set on or at the side of the stage before the performance are to be set by
the representatives.

C) The total weight of the costumes, wigs, and hand props used on stage is to be under 40 kg for two people.
· Should the total weight exceed 40 kg, Costume judging points will be deducted as follows:
·40.1 – 41.0 kg: 5 point deduction
·41.1 – 42.0 kg: 10 point deduction
·For total weight over 42.0 kg: 10 point deduction for every kilogram in excess
·For an excess weight of 10kg or more, an automatic score of 0 will apply to Costume Judging

D) Weapons such as shop-purchased imitation swords, katana, or similar items are prohibited. If the WCS considers an
item to be dangerous, for such reasons as the possibility that it can be dropped and/or cause injury to the audience during
the performance, its use may be prohibited.

E) The use of official illustrations or logos from the WCS or official logos and images from other original works on items
required for the performance is prohibited.

2) Rules for the use of background music and videos are as follows:

A) Music used in the video must be played or created by representatives if it is music that would otherwise be subject to
rights management by JASRAC, or it must be copyright-free music and sound clips. Organizers should confirm that no
sound sources used in the representative’s video incur copyright infringement.

B) B) Background videos may be projected on the screen set up on the stage. As the use of such videos is intended to assist
with the stage and enhance the scope of the stage production, points will not be awarded for the quality of the background
video.

C) It is allowed to use the mother tongue of the participants, whereas dubbing in unrecognizable Japanese will be
rejected.

D) The use of background music or the words of voice actors from original works and the copying or tracing of scenes or
images appearing in original works for use in the background videos is not permitted. In addition, the use of videos for
which the copyright holder is someone other than the representative team is also prohibited.

E) In addition to the above points, background videos are to be produced in accordance with the following points:
· Standard backgrounds: backgrounds that augment the stage atmosphere. i.e.: landscapes, groups of buildings, interiors
Permitted production methods: live-action video, drawn illustrations, computer graphics, dioramas, etc.
· Special effects: Explosion, energy, or light effects that coordinate with movements of the cosplayers on stage. Permitted
production methods: live-action video, drawn illustrations, computer graphics, dioramas, etc.

F) The dialogues in the performance are to be displayed with subtitles in Japanese and English. The display of the
subtitles is to be arranged on the WCS side, and therefore it is not required to include any subtitle in the video submission.
It is recommended to use the mother tongue of the representatives for the dialogue, and only the contents that have been
clearly indicated with an accurate timing in the performance sheet, in either English or Japanese, will be included in the
bilingual subtitles.

G) Sound: Full Stereo at least 192kbps Image: 1920×1080 pixels, Screen resolution 1080p, Aspect ratio 16:9 If using a
background video, submit it as a video file mixed with the sound clip in one of the following file formats: MOV, MP4,
AVI, or WMV.

3) Additional rules regarding special effects and further considerations:

A) Performing in the audience area or outside of the stage is prohibited.

B) Using the following materials is not allowed
– Powder, small metallic confetti (lamé)
– Fire (Smoke)
– Water (Liquid)
– Paper confetti smaller than 2 cm (includes flower petals and feathers to scatter on stage)
* Paper confetti bigger than 2 cm can be used up to a total of 100 pieces.
– Crackers that use gunpowder
* Crackers that do not use gunpowder can be used. However, the paper confetti
expelled from the cracker must be larger than 2cm, as stipulated above.

C) WCS will stop the use of any material that it deems dangerous or a hindrance to further stage conversion. When
planning any special stage effects please consult with WCS in advance. Only equipment that has been approved by
WCS can be used for special effects. (i.e.:items that produce a smell, make an explosive sound, emit strong light,etc.)
D) Please consult with the WCS in advance if you wish to use laser lights.
E) Performers are not allowed to use any other external power source, such as the plugs, at the venue. All power must
come from built-in batteries only.

■ その他
Only two representatives of each country/region and their two designated organizers/interpreters/assistants are permitted
to enter the backstage area of the Championship.
*The designated organizer/interpreter/assistants for each country/region must be appointed by the country or region’s head
organizer by application to the WCS prior to the event.
*Family, friends, and related press will have seats provided for them and must remain in the audience.

The performance at the Championship can be the same as, or different from the performance given in the preliminary
round. However, if it is the same, your performance should be enhanced to a level appropriate for the Championship.

Updated March 2022
The World Cosplay Summit Executive Office