The Animate! Miami convention this past weekend was a welcome sight in the normally summer and fall-heavy convention circuit. While smaller than its Florida Supercon counterpart, the atmosphere was that of a con on the rise, underlined by full parking lots and long lines of adoring fans wanting autographs from animation stars.
The attendees did not disappoint, contributing to not one, but three cosplay competitions throughout the weekend. Check out some of the coolest, awe (or 'aww')-inspiring, and clever outfits this weekend had to offer after the jump.
5. Master Chief (HALO)
Travis
There may have been plenty of these at the con, but this guy took the cake by flying the UNSC flag high and staking his claim as Master of Chiefs. As for the sweltering heat in that thing? This chief claims, "It's just a matter of staying hydrated." We didn't ask how he pees.
4. Rufioh Nitram (Homestuck)
Lotus Seishin
Great homespun (pun intended) ingenuity: The horns? Painted pool noodles. The grey arms? Stockings with fake nails rather than annoying body paint. The hardest part of the whole operation is trying to navigate crowds with those wings of his: "But if I walk a certain way, the crowds part for me." Cool.
3. Gundam Psy
Varleit
This clever mix of anime and loveable South Korean export (as parodied here) is a mix of Goodwill and papercraft. When asked if he's replicated the iconic ass-yelling scene from the music video, Varleit sighs, "No one's bent over for me yet!"
2. Fifty Shades of Grey (Literally)
Angelica
"It seemed like a good idea at the time. I like doing cosplay that's thrown together in good humor." Angelica and her paint chart bodice would go on to win a judges' choice award at Saturday night's cosplay competition!
1. Adventure Time!
Stephanie and Family
Cosplay is a family affair for Stephanie: "These are all five of my kids, my husband, and my sister. I said, 'If we're going to do it, we're going to do it as a group.'" Stephanie started on the costumes on Halloween and worked until the very last minute to get finished: her axe-bass was constructed out of welding rods, Styrofoam, paper mâché, and duct tape in the three days prior. The family went on to win Best Group on Saturday (and Best in Show in our hearts).
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