Cosplayer Tiffany Chen continues to rack up the accolades in 2023 as she copped her third cosplay event at Anime Picnic 9.0, held on Saturday, April 22, at the Macaw Lawn, Hope Zoo, St Andrew.

Chen took home the Best Female Cosplayer award.

“I feel fantastic about the win because I’m trying to avenge myself from last year not entering the Caribbean Cosplay Championship,” Chen told the Jamaica Observer.

Chen won last year at Anime Picnic 8.0 and hasn’t lost yet. She opened 2023 with two victories over one weekend in February starting with Daisuke! Chapter II, and following that up with being crowned crowd favourite at Japan Day, hosted by the Embassy of Japan.

Her character at Anime Picnic 9.0, Kirin Beta +, from the video game Monster Hunter, got the nod of the fans and judges with Chen’s signature oversized weaponry.

“This character is from Monster Hunter World from the Playstation 4. Not many people know this version of Kirin and the armour because it doesn’t look like the regular version, but I find this version of the costume nice and comfortable for me. And I love the weapon,” she said.

In the male category, it was another Monster Hunter character that claimed top honours, Dreadking Rathalos as cosplayed by Jerome Wilson.

“I feel really good. I was actually surprised today because everybody told me to enter the competition, even though I said I wasn’t going to,” said Wilson.

His early apprehension was based on the fact that his costume had been already used to enter last year’s AnimeCom Fest Cosplay Competition in which he won second place.

The intricate design of the costume, its complex weaponry, combined with Wilson’s energy and perseverance during the display segment sealed his win.

“I entered AnimeCom Fest with this cosplay last year. I’d won two prizes, but my friends just told me to go out and do my thing. I did. I slipped on the grass, I improvised, and I won, so I feel really happy about it,” said Wilson.

With cosplaying growing in popularity, event organisers Anime Nerds of Jamaica (ANJ) altered its formula at this staging of Anime Picnic having multiple categories for the cosplay competition.

“We wanted to make sure that all our attendees had the opportunity to participate, regardless of their level of experience. That’s why we decided to split up the competition into several different groups, including kids, and novice cosplay. This way people who may be hesitant to join a more advanced competition could still participate in a fun and friendly environment.

“Our team is dedicated to creating an inclusive and welcoming experience for everyone at our events, and we believe that the different cosplay categories contributed to that goal. We are grateful for the support and enthusiasm we received from our participants, and we look forward to future events,” explained Tianna Powell, president, ANJ.

With their next event in November, Powell said her group will continue to promote anime and Japanese culture in the upcoming months through various methods, including working with other partners with the genre space.

“In the upcoming months, we have several projects lined up, including a yard clean-up initiative at the Jamaica National Children’s Home and our highly anticipated Maid and Butler Café event on November 18, 2023,” said Powell.