Anime Expo is traditionally one of the most, if not THE most, attended Japanese pop culture convention in the country. Located in Los Angeles, CA, it attracts attendees from all over the world as well as some of the most amazing cosplays you’ve seen.

The convention just wrapped up yesterday, July 4th but over the 4 day convention, the annual Anime Expo Masquerade was held which is one of the most prestigious of its kind.

“The Anime Expo Masquerade has been a longstanding tradition, running for over 25 years. Every year, cosplayers bring the best in performance and craft to entertain the audience and impress our incredible cosplay judges. The AX Masquerade is a cosplay craftsmanship and performance competition, with some of the largest cash prizes in the country.“

This year’s “Best In Show” winner was cosplayer Kymchi who competed with their Kotori Minami from Love Live! School Idol Project and who also happens to be from right here in Phoenix! Kymchi was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions:

Q: To start things off, how long have you been competing in cosplay contests/masquerades?
What did you cosplay as for your very first competition?

Kymchi: I’ve been casually competing since Taiyou Con of 2018 – Anime Expo 2023 was my 7th time
entering a masquerade.
For my very first competition, I actually made two costumes; Nozomi Tojo and Eli Ayase in their
White Day set from Love Live! School Idol Project. For that set, I took home “Best Novice
Craftsmanship.”

Q:What part of competing do you find the most enjoyable?

K: The best part of competing, hands down, is hanging out in the green room with other
contestants. It’s a great opportunity to learn about different techniques and build processes
firsthand.
The friendships I’ve made in masquerade green rooms are priceless, and it’s always something I
look forward to. The green room camaraderie and support make the whole experience even
more special.

Q: Congratulations again on winning Best In Show at Anime Expo this year! What does that
acknowledgment do you for your passion in cosplaying? Do you feel you’ve reached the
mountain top so to say or does the win give you even more motivation to keep competing?

K: Thank you so much! It still feels so surreal. This was my second time at Anime Expo; my first
year being 2016 – that year, I was an audience member in the masquerade and was so inspired
by the performances. I was so inspired by the competitors that year, so this really feels like a
full-circle moment.
Right now, I don’t have any major competitive builds set in stone, but I feel so invigorated and
excited for what’s next. I would love to continue competing in the AZ sphere, but to also
participate in more out of state conventions. I have some really fun ideas in mind and I’m
looking forward to executing those plans!

Q: What was the most challenging part of your Kotori Minami (from Love Live! School Idol
Project) cosplay?

K: Definitely the planning and prep-work. From a surface level, this may not seem like a
traditionally “difficult” costume to create; however, so much thought and detail went into this
build. Before I had even started to put anything together, I spent about 2.5 months researching
and sourcing stage-accurate materials – the black glitter tulle was actually designed by me!
From the point I received my materials, I wanted to focus on this costume being as neat and
clean as possible. Most components of the costume were remade at least once or twice. I did
have a bit of a time crunch due to the delay in receiving my materials and working fulltime, but
I wanted to make sure that I was totally happy with this, and I’d say the extra effort was worth
it!

Q: Do you have any tips or suggestions for anyone just getting into cosplay competitions?

K: Don’t be afraid to start small – from my experience, judges will prefer clean and intentional
work over a finished product where you’ve spread yourself thin. Also, make sure you’re
choosing a project that speaks to you; your passion and care will naturally shine through.
I mentioned it earlier, but really appreciate the time spent with other contestants in the green
room before and during the masquerade. It’s a great way to make new friends and to learn new
skills to implement in upcoming performances and costumes!

Thanks again to Kymchi for taking the time to answer a few questions during a very busy few days. You can follow Kymchi on Instagram to see more of their work!