????Wang Yuanyuan ????cheekywang@hotmail.com ????MORE than 2,000 cosplay enthusiasts from 120 cosplay organizations and groups applied for a competition at the 5th Shenzhen Cartoon and Animation Festival (SCAF), which started Wednesday and ends Sunday at Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District. ????The number of entrants has increased by 30 percent from the 2012 event, and most of the enthusiasts, also known as “cosers,” are young students from Shenzhen, Hong Kong and across Guangdong Province, the festival’s organizer said. ????Professional cosers from well-known animation groups in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have been invited to perform. ????Cosplay, short for “costume play,” is a role-playing or performance activity that originated in Japan and in which participants wear costumes representing fictional characters. ????“We like cosplay very much and are very excited about joining the event on summer vacation. This is a great platform for us to express ourselves and meet people with similar interests,” said a high-school coser surnamed Zhao from Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province. Zhao and her teammates performed a drama, “Magic Girl Xiaoyuan,” at the competition. ????Some young visitors toured the venue in costumes even if they weren’t participating in any competitions or events. ????“I just came here to have a look with my friends. I like cosplay, but it looks weird when walking on the street in such costumes, so we are so glad that there is finally a place for us to dress in whatever we want. I think Shenzhen should have more activities like this for people to share their interests,” said Shenzhen high-school student Li Sha. ????“I prepared three costumes for this event. Today, many people have spoken highly about my costumes, and I will bring more shocking ones in the next few days,” added Li’s friend, Lu Meng. ????Cosplay is not the only activity for young people at the festival. Other competitions and performances involve graffiti, street dance and school uniform design. Winners of a street dance contest, for example, are expected to get further training from professionals in Taiwan. ????There’s also a flea market, with vendors selling creative and specially made animation and cartoon products to collectors. ????Well-known cartoonists such as LM, Tong Yimin, and Zhou Mengchun, and popular cosers including Rei from Japan and Yinchuanhudiezhu from Hainan Province, will meet visitors at lecture events. ????Covering 150,000 square meters, the festival attracts more than 300 companies from around the world. ????The festival was first held in Shenzhen in 2009. More than 700,000 visitors attended the festival last year and attendance is expected to reach 800,000 this year, the organizer said. Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., through Sunday Venue: Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, Fuhua Road 3, Futian District (福田區福華三路深圳會展中心) Metro: Luobao or Longhua Line, Convention and Exhibition Center Station (會展中心站), Exit C or D | 