The outfits were immaculate, the weaponry impressive and the florid array of wigs striking — but there could only be one winning entry.
In a unanimous decision, judges voted Sydney duo Gabriella Lowgren and Katherine Lee as the first-ever Australian representatives for the World Cosplay Summit to be held in Japan in August 2009.
"Cosplay," a combination of "costume" and "play," is the unique form of Japanese pop culture that involves dressing up and role-playing as famous characters from "anime" animation and "manga" comics.