The sight of cosplayers and art being sold, the taste of freshly made ramen and bubble tea and the sound of Beyblades clashing and fists flying on the screen – these are what made the Cosplay Convention at Durham College (DC) a memorable experience for all who attended.
The third annual Cosplay Convention and Anime Cafe, organized and hosted by DC Anime United, was held in the student building at Durham College on Feb. 21, 2025.
The convention took over most of the first and second floor and featured an artist alley, a cosplay competition and multiple tournaments.
Artist alley
This was the first year that featured an artist alley. Art students registered to host tables and showed off and sold the art they made. Some sold art of anime characters, others made custom drawings and one artist made caricatures of patrons.
Third-year animation student Juan Molano was among the artists selling at the alley.
“ I got the chance to be here because I got to know it from a friend,” he said. “It’s been a pretty new experience for me. It’s the first time that I also [got] to sell art and all that stuff.”
Cosplay
The tournament zone and cosplay area upstairs became the main gathering points for fans throughout the day.
There were many people in cosplay, some in anime costumes, as movie characters and others in maid outfits. The variety and freedom in what was cosplayed was evident, but this hasn’t always been the case.
DC Anime United presidents, sisters Ai and Zo Rahmanyar, shared the origins of the convention and how far it has come in the last two years.
They joked three years ago with the former president about doing a maid cafe.
“And then we’re like, but what if we actually did it? So we started to plan it out,” Zo Rahmanyar said.
The risque aspect of the maid costumes was something the DCSA wanted to avoid right after being in lockdown for two years.
“When we brought it up to DCSA, they said you can’t do maids. You could do the cafe, just not maids,” Ai Rahmanyar said.
Fortunately for the cosplayers, as time passed, the DCSA dropped some of their initial concerns about certain costumes.
Tournaments
Tournaments were held upstairs. In previous years, Anime United held Super Smash Bros. competitions but this year opted for something more closely tied to anime than video games: Guilty Gear and Beyblade X.
Guilty Gear is a fighting game similar to legendary titles like Street Fighter. Players input combos and try to deplete the health of their opponent.
“ It’s almost like a completely different game depending on what character you pick,” said May Robertson, the tournament winner. “Even on defence, there are all these different types of ways to block, so you’re never just sitting there waiting for your turn, there’s always something to do.”
The other main tournament this year was Beyblade X. With the launch of its fourth series, Beyblade has shifted its focus to high-speed, compact tops that deliver more impact.
Many fans have taken a liking to the new direction, including Crystal Polak, who won the Beyblade X Tournament.
“ I’ve been Beyblading since I was really young,” Polak said. “And just got back into it last year. I just think it’s a really fun thing most people should do.”
The Anime Convention was a beacon for excited fans, with many people coming out to enjoy the anime and gaming culture they hold dear. With an ever-growing turnout, next year is looking to be an even bigger hit.
”My goal for the club, or even with this event, is for people to express themselves without feeling judged. Even if I enjoyed [these things] as a child, I should let myself be happy,” said Zo Rahmanyar.