[Photos] For a Day, Winter Convention Brings Kick-Ass Cosplay Back to Saigon

In which universe do Captain America and Cardcaptor Sakura rub shoulders with anthropomorphized, anime-fied white blood cells?

Such a mish-mash of eastern and western, solemn and whimsical fictional characters is made possible by the many comic conventions organized by fan groups. On December 27 last year, Saigon’s community of anime and comic lovers gathered at the District 5 Cultural Center for a delightful day of fashion competitions, singing pageants and, most important of all, elaborate costumes that blur the line between fiction and reality.

The event, titled Winter Convention, started in the 2010s and has been an annual bright spot on the social calendar of Vietnamese otakus for a decade now. The latest installment saw, for the first time, the organization of Action Time, a group cosplay competition; and Super Hero the Champion Season 1, a new pageant for western comic enthusiasts.

Marvel at the wickedly vibrant cosplays at the convention via the photos below. Can you name the characters being depicted?