Registration for the Anime Dating Game is Full!

The bigger, better Anime Dating Game!

The Anime Dating Game is a hilarious cosplay game show event in which cosplayers compete in-character to win a date with a fabulous anime bachelor or bachelorette. The prize, a popular anime character like Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop) or Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist), sits on one side of the stage and asks questions of three or four contestants, also popular anime characters, who sit on the other side of a screen where the prize can't see who they are. At the end of the match, the prize must choose one of the contestants to go on a date, based solely on their answers and without seeing who they are. Highlights from past matches include:

Edward: "Bachelorette #4, would you describe yourself as a people person?"
Bachelorette #4 (Rei): "...no."

Faye Valentine: "Bachelor #4, are you a cat person or a dog person?"
Bachelor #4 (Sesshoumaru): "I am not a dog!"

There are two separate versions of the Anime Dating Game. The Main session, where bachelors compete to date bachelorettes and vice versa, is held on Saturday Afternoon, is open to all audiences, but you must be 18 years or older to participate. A separate 18+ Yaoi/Yuri session (where guys date guys and girls date girls) is held late on Friday night; you must be 18 years or older to attend the late night session. You may apply to participate in either, or just to one of these sessions, as you prefer.

To make the action even more intense, there are now Guest Hosts who host each session of the Anime Dating Game in character. Last year the Late Night Yaoi/Yuri session was hosted by Jiraiya (Naruto) and Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist), while the Main session was hosted by the Ouran High School Host Club. In addition, interruption characters appear from time to time to spice up the events - last year’s interruption characters included evil Akatsuki ninjas and Phoenix Wright.

The Anime Dating Game is also now part of the Continuing Cosplay Plotline! Starting in 2007 an overarching story involving rivalries between different groups (ninjas, alchemists, pirates, shinigami and more) has continued through all the main cosplay events (the Anime Dating Game, Masquerade, Cosplay Human Chess and Catch the Barrel) knitting them together into a single story. This Cosplay Plotline will continue at Anime Boston 2008, and have its spectacular finale at Cosplay Chess! For more details, how to participate in the Continuing Cosplay Plotline, and a summary of what has happened so far, see the Continuing Cosplay Plotline Page.

Want to participate in the Anime Dating Game?

Participants in the Anime Dating Game are selected from among convention attendees that apply ahead of time by filling out an online application form. Participants will not be chosen on a first-come, first-serve basis, but based on the quality of their costumes and the popularity and appropriateness of their characters. Priority is given to major characters from popular series, since the audience enjoys the game more when they know whom the characters are. You must submit a photograph of yourself wearing your costume in order to apply. The deadline for applications is February 23rd 2008. Participants may either apply to one session of the Anime Dating Game or to both and may submit one costume or several. All participants for both sessions must be over the age of 18.

For more information, see the Anime Dating Game Rules and FAQ.

Anime Dating Game Information

• Anime Dating Game Rules & FAQ
• Anime Dating Game Application Form