Eorzea's Next Top Model - Cycle 3 Round 2

[Xisin]

Women:

Iris Dawnshade
Kaiyoko Star
Eirwen Mackenzie
Rhaya Relenah

Men:

Flare Raulbel
L'yhan Nunh
Marik Destiel
Jinx Fireboot

[LittleCat]

Women:

Sakuraya Kai
Lowena Fae
Kaiyoko Star
Rhaya Relenah

Men:

Marik Destiel
Flare Raulbel
L'yhan Nunh
Jinx Fireboot

[Tyriont]

Before this starts I want to say something on behalf of all the judges.

You made our lives VERY DIFFICULT.

We wanted to hand out so many more high marks and so many less low ones! I want to stress that in almost every case, where we assigned a 1 it was more because the shot was our "least favourite" as opposed to not liking it -every shot submitted was incredibly strong and you can see from the judge scores how truly divided we were this round.

I want to take a moment to explain how scores are assigned - every model is scored from 0-3, however there are restrictions. In this round judges -have- to assign at least two scores of 1 and can assign no more than three scores of 3. In round one, it was three '1' scores and three '3' scores, these limits will adjust as models are eliminated. I mainly wanted to clarify this here so that models understand that if a judge scored them a 1, it was likely because it had to go to SOMEONE!

But, without further ado...

Men's Contest Judge Scores and Feedback

Adam Fylrmyn

Judge A: "You're very easily recognizable as Phoenix and the pose is great! I would've potentially suggested taking it from the opposite angle just so your body could be open. Also, play around a bit with the persistent emote expressions/typing to get your mouth to move. It can help make your expressions more advanced to take the poses to the next the level. " Score: 2

Judge B: "Much better round for you. I think you did great with the costuming and his stance. Your background is ok, I buy the lawyer theme well enough but there is definitely room for improvement there. Also, your hair is the wrong color, which is a blaring no no in the cosplay world. Next time, shoot an email to TyrionT if you are unsure of any rules as the wrong hair color is what earned you a lower score from me. " Score: 1

Judge C: "While not too familiar with the Ace Attorney series, it seems like you captured his signature pose, and the outfit seems like it fits. That being said, the shot itself needs work, the background is dark and very plain. Not much else to say other than I think it could've been pulled off alot better with a better background, angle and lighting." Score: 1

Judge D: "Very nice work with the pose and outfit! Easily recognizable - and this would have been brilliant had you only changed the hair! You stand out quite nicely, though perhaps a brighter area would have worked better? I understand you were somewhat limited by available 'desk' type structures though." Score:

Judge E: "I haven't seen this series minus meme's but I'll say you definitely pulled off that "Objection!" My only wish is that you had a bit more of an aggressive face in this picture. Background pulls off the court look and the added character doesn't steal from your focus." Score: 2

Aiden Weaver

Judge A: "I snorted pretty loudly looking at the shot, I think it's awesome. Very funny and your expression is perfect for comedy. I think overall the light and the coordination with others worked out well too. Still, there's something missing. It seems a bit too simple for a model a shot and maybe doesn't sell you enough, but that might also just be a weakness of the character. Still, it was good. " Score: 2

Judge B: "Bold choice going with Tina Belcher, kudos for difficulty level. The costume works well enough and your hair and glasses are spot on. You, sir are a smart, strong, sensual woman. I expected your background to be more “kitchen”, rather than a patio but, that I can live with. My biggest issue is the Mi’qote in the shot. Had she been off the chair and bending over/posing, it would have sold the story more. Don’t be afraid to try different emotes, expressions or even spells (with effects off) to avoid any tunnel vision that might occur." Score: 1

Judge C: "The cosplay looks decent, though I feel that the Miqo'te is out of place entirely for the sole purpose of you grabbing her butt. Also not sure why she has a frying pan, but oh well. But basically the most glaring problem is that there's a miqote standing on a chair, and I'm pretty sure people sit on those. While not a complete wreck, I feel as though the shot could've been handled better. (pun intended...?)" Score: 2

Judge D: "Nice job of constructing the outfit - despite having never seen Bob's Burgers I immediately recognized the character, so you did a great job there. I like the expression on your face here too, being unable to look at the butt you're groping. It does really bug me however that the Miqo'te's head is chopped off! The Lalafell's reaction is really nice, which unfortunately only serves to highlight how out of place the Miqo'te looks. Having her react, or having you not actually touching yety and her looking blissfully ignorant would have really made this shot. Nice work overall!" Score:

Judge E: "Had to do some looking up to understand this shot, but it does seem you fit the role well. I do wish you had chosen a male cosplay, but that's just a personal opinion. Cosplay is about being creative and having fun! I do wish you had your model a little more turned so the examination of the butts was a bit more clear though. A bit more expression would have been favorable as well. I think I would have scored you higher had you used your shot on the forum with the two examinations going on." Score: 1

Epsil Ion

Judge A: "I have to admit that I'm not very familiar with FF8, but googling your person the cosplay looks spot on! I'm a fan of the stained glass-windows in the canopy, so I think it's a lovely shot. The pose is a bit confused to me, but maybe you were teleporting to get a better shot of the windows? I might've tried pairing it with an /emote expression to get your eyes in the shot and make it just a bit more interesting! Simple isn't bad by any-means, it's just not all the way there for me. " Score: 2

Judge B: " Great job on the costume. Even without a gun you sell it. The shot is risky but, I get that you were trying to give the illusion of lying down and it works once I let go of the knowledge of where you were and what you were actually doing. Very clever. To me though, your pose feels a bit awkward and I’m not getting any story. Those two things keep me from giving you top marks. " Score: 2

Judge C: "Always a safe choice to go with another Final Fantasy character, although a hyur highlander seems a bit bulky for Irvine. Nevertheless, you captured him well enough. The background I feel was thrown in because you could'nt think of anything else to use, and these stain glass windows seem like a "safe choice" which is how I all around feel about this shot. Speaking of FFVIII, who here is excited for Triple Triad?" Score: 2

Judge D: "Irvine was my favourite FF8 character! Was very happy to see him in this and you did a wonderful job of the outfit. What threw me was the background - I didn't really get what you were going for. I saw you explain later that it was meant to look as if you were lying down, which I now see but I wouldn't have gotten that without the explanation. I appreciate what you were going for though! All in all a solid shot and I appreciate you trying something creative with the backdrop even if I don't feel it quite worked out." Score: 2

Judge E: "Ahh the ever famous and charming Irvine. Tipping of the hat and outfit was pulled off great! Great shot overall and a safe well known character to boot. I know it couldn't be helped but i wish your eyes had been open for this shot." Score: 2

Fate Lhas

Judge A: "This shot is fantastic. The pose, the outfit, the dark backdrop all fit the cosplay extraordinarily well. I love that there's just enough light to capture your side of the face in a mysterious way, but I can still see the light off your other one excellently. If I had any tips, it would be to experiment with locking on to to things/minions/NPCs in your background to get you out of the exact center to make things more dynamic!" Score: 3

Judge B: "Love this shot! Fate, for me you nailed it. You’re use of colors; the darkness, the perch, the pose and the lighting all come together beautifully. At first I was put off by your choice of outfit but then I realized you went for his casual outfit vs. his well-known X-men suit. This is a great example of using light properly and probably the one time I’ll approve of shadows on your face. Well done! " Score: 3

Judge C: "This shot overall is great. While not familiar with X-Men Evolution, I saw a rendition of that version of nightcrawler, I feel you could have done better on the chosen gear. With all else weighed in, the lighting, angle and everything else blends in to make this a well rounded shot." Score: 2

Judge D: "Absolutely brilliant. This was an incredibly creative way of using the weather effect to create Nightcrawler's 'BAMF!' effect. What really stands out for me is that thanks to the backdrop and lighting, your eyes really pop here. Brilliant effort, well done!" Score: 3

Judge E: "Ever mysterious Nightcrawler. The spell effects worked well with your character and your darker skin made many cosplays a bit difficult to come up with such a great theme. The fact you were able to think of it and pull it off so well makes this a great shot in my opinion when skin tone could have been a hard factor. Great job!" Score: 2

Flare Raulbel

Judge A: "This was a tough score to give because even though I loved the concept and the creativity, your facial features have gotten washed out in the shot in part because of the make-up, and my eye sort of travels around a bit unsure what to focus on. I know it's hard as a Lalafell to really find the balance between being too close and things getting pixely and getting too far out and losing yourself, but try to experiment a bit more and practice different angles. I feel like if I had gotten more scenery in this shot, maybe looking down a long table with you on one side, I'd get a better depth in this particular theme. " Score: 1

Judge B: "Great concept for a cosplay. Love the blackmage top hat and am glad someone used it. Your background is done well. I like the oversized chair, used tea set and even the Minfilia minion. I also like your use of bright colors but I wish you had bypassed the face paint so I could see your cheeky grin. In the future, if possible, push your laptop graphics to high while taking screenshots, especially on close up shots such as these. (I’m on a laptop as well, I feel your pain)" Score: 2

Judge C: "This is instantly recognizable and I have to say done quite well indeed. Having the tea kettle and cups in the pic, really help to portray the Hatter. The little Minfillia doll doesn't seem too out of place either, even though she does stick out a little bit, but perhaps you could've chosen a more whackier wallpaper and different chair?" Score: 2

Judge D: "In both rounds thus far, one thing has really stood out for me about you - you have a wonderful talent for using facial expressions to sell your shots. It's an easy thing to overlook and you've been knocking that out of the park. I love the creative use of Minfilia too. My only real problem here is that the shot feels a little too busy - the tea set is so big it overpowers you. Other than that, very impressive!" Score: 2

Judge E: "Oooo *slowclaps* Perhaps my favorite this round. your shot background, minions all were wonderfully executed right down to the smirk on your face. I am very impressed with your shot. Nailed it." Score: 3

Jinx Fireboot

Judge A: "Hah! I think the cosplay is super creative. The outfit is spot on and I love that your skin and hair match very well too. The dog and the machines give this shot's anime reference a great touch as well, everything seems very well thought out. I think the sunset is a pretty too. If I can make a suggestions, play around with angles a bit to make it so you're not centered all the way. I know how hard it is to coordinate minions and how unpredictable they move, but the dog's placement is a bit distracting for me in this shot. I almost focus on him more than you. " Score: 2

Judge B: "Costume. Check. Ein(dog). Check. Goggles. Check. Wild red hair. Check. Even your skin tone is spot on. This is the perfect cosplay for you. Aside from any gender issues of course. My only concern honestly is the background. The tree on your right is distracting and although the sky is amazing it’s borderline too dark. One suggestion for you; utilize the mobs in the background by locking onto them and adjusting your view, thus putting you to the far left or right. Something as simple as this could improve your shot ten-fold." Score: 2

Judge C: "Funny cosplay indeed. One thing that stands out is how you captured that futuristic looking building in the background. What needs work is the lighting, perhapds the use of the sun minion could've helped this shot, but its a tad dark overall it doesn't really have a focus point, so I question the dusk or dawn lighting that goes with this as I think it would've worked better during the daytime." Score: 2

Judge D: "I like this shot a lot - you chose your background very well to sell the Cowboy Bebop look and I like the choice of the time of day to really build on that. The minion was a nice touch and definitely helps, though he could have been positioned better so as to not steal focus from you. You and he are both also lost a little - getting some light thrown on you would have pushed this to the next level." Score: 2

Judge E: "Ahh one of those Anime I never quite got around to seeing but meant to. I had to look this character up but I think you managed to pull it off fairly well. I think you could have done a bit better as I don't feel you are really the focus of the picture. The bigger problem I had with this shot was the background and dog stand out more then you do. " Score: 1

L'yhan Nunh

Judge A: "This shot is fantastic. It definitely takes guts like some of the other contestants have done to cross-dress for the cosplay, but I think yours really nails it. Even not being the center, my eye immediately goes to you, and then looking at the other half of the shot I see the ship in its perfect placement for this story. I see the cosplay, the scene, and the story unfolding, which is well-done indeed! My favorite of the round. " Score: 3

Judge B: "This shot, for me, is pretty amazing. I know exactly who you are. I see the story and I even see the angst in poor Ariel’s face knowing her prince is so close, yet so far. The Costume, hair and pose are cleverly done and your background is gorgeous. My only gripe is the bit of chin hair you are sporting. However, your playful, cheeky approach still earned you a high mark. Great job on this screenshot " Score: 3

Judge C: "Well, first it made me laugh, then I was a bit confused, and then I kinda forgot about it... But anyhow it doesn't work for me overall, the background is a bit bland, the outfit looks very campy as well. But sorry L'yhan, maybe next round you'll prove me wrong about you." Score: 1

Judge D: "Love it, love it, love it. The sunset behind the fishing boat is perfect and what really makes this work for me is how you managed to use the water to hide your legs, making it really like like you have a mermaid tail. Of all the shots in this round I feel this was the ballsiest and you pulled it off wonderfully. If only you'd shaved!" Score: 3

Judge E: "Oh my Ariel you've come a long way! I'll give you kudos on using the skirt underwater to pass as a tail. I do wish you had picked a more masculine cosplay but as I started in a previous vote cosplay is about having fun so it's more of a personal wish. Background is well done but the facial hair looses points for me. (As a side note im pretty sure hairstyles and facial changes as well as dyes are permitted for the rounds) Truth be told I would have rated this much higher if not for the beard. It was rather jarring once noticed and I couldn't quite look past it." Score: 1

Marik Destiel

Judge A: "I'm probably one of the 10 people left in the country not really familiar with the Walking Dead, but after looking up the source material, you did him justice! I think your outfit and dirt work amazingly for the character and your bow is a good substitute for the crossbow. My only gripe is that the background is not very interesting, tbh. I like the grass as a wilderness touch, but the grassy hill on the left feels a bit weird and doesn't add much for me. especially when it makes the majority of the background grass. Regardless, you did a great job. " Score: 2

Judge B: "This cosplay is great. One of my favorite things about your shot is that you took me completely out of Eorzea and into the world of The Walking Dead. You did Daryl Dixon justice with the costume, hair and even the bit of dirt on your face. Your background is ok but had you taken this shot at twilight or under a full moon I think it would have given more of a suspenseful feel. Also, watch out for backgrounds that might be seen as too bland. " Score: 3

Judge C: "Trying to win over the ladies votes by choosing Daryl, huh? The outfit, the dirty face, the messy hair, if only this game had crossbows, right? Anyhow, I guess the only thing I could say that needs improvement is the background: It isn't spectacular, but at the same time, I personally don't think it needs to be as it's shot in decent light and at a nice angle. I suppose that is where I differ from other judges though I'm not sure what they'll have to say about that." Score: 2

Judge D: "The dirty face, the scar, the shirt...you aced it. You made an excellent choice in bows to stand in for the crossbow and it fits the look perfectly. My only gripe is that the background is a little bland - perhaps more trees would have helped, or getting a skeleton or two in the background (this is by the entrance to Tam-Tara, I think?). Nonetheless, you did a fantastic job and should rightly be proud of yourself." Score: 3

Judge E: "*slowclaps again* Haha, great job! Another favorite. You look angry, dirty and ready to kick some zombie butt. Outfit is perfect and background doesn't take away from you, rather adds to the overall effect. I really have no complaint about this shot. Great job!" Score: 3

Ronin Woofcub

Judge A: "This was on the border for me between a 1 and 2. I love your interesting pose timing the astral fire with your fist and the outfit with the character matches well. On the other hand, I can't quite make out your eyes for this picture which is a bit frustrating, and the limsa background is doing some weird rendering to me, which is a bit distracting. I think if a different environment had been chosen, I wouldn't have minded as much. Try thinking of ways to make things seem more dynamic in the shot!" Score: 2

Judge B: "Better job this round. I did have to look up your cosplay as I was unfamiliar with your choice but, I believe you did a good job costume wise. I appreciate the effort in getting the fireball and your hand to line up so kudos to you for pulling that off as well as you did. In the future, please make efforts to use a sun minion to highlight yourself and pull attention to you. You are lost behind the fireball." Score: 2

Judge C: "I like this shot and the effects are done well. While not having seen One Piece personally, I feel like you captured this character well. The angle and background as well as your pose blend together well, I guess the only thing I would say could do with improvement is the lighting, as it's a bit dark around your character." Score: 3

Judge D: "ACE! I'm a huge One Piece fan and was happy to see this! I appreciate what you did with positioning the fire, I just wish as much focus had been placed on the rest! The overall shot is very dark and I feel as if it would have worked much better with daylight. I also feel that either using the Fishing hat (if you have it) or at least dying the Forager's hat would have sold things better - Ace's hat is orange! If I looked at this and was told it was a One Piece cosplay, my immediate thought would have been Luffy with that hat. It's a solid effort with a lot of potential that could be realized in it." Score: 1

Judge E: "Everything about this shot from location and background, outfit and spells pull off the character well for that of whom you were portraying. The only thing I could think of is using the sun minion to make it so you don't seem quite as faded in the shot." Score: 2

Sienna Moonlux

Judge A: "Like Flare's, this was a tough score to give and was honestly on the border for me. While I think you did well on the character's outfit, and the background is pretty for the ice elemental theme, it just feel too simple and a bit boring. The Astral Ice was a nice thought but it doesn't add as much as it could when your pose is just sort of standing there to the side. IMO, you and Ronin had what each other lacked. He had a more interesting pose and you had a better background. For the sake of this round, I went with the more interesting pose and expression, but yours wasn't bad by any means. " Score: 1

Judge B: "This was another cosplay I had to look up and from a layman’s perspective I think you did a good job over all. I like that you pulled in the ice/cold into your shot and even your slightly smug expression seems befitting. Your costume is as close as possible while missing only his iconic tattoo. Unfortunately, this shot feels a little safe. Had you (or a friend) cast different ice spells in frame I think it would have made a world of difference and given your photo more depth as well as a whole lot more “oomph”." Score: 2

Judge C: "While a simple background, it goes back to one of those shots that I think still work. There's nothing spectacular about the background here, but it's still shot nicely. I think Sienna, you have the background part correctly, but working on "you" and making sure you blend in with it and don't "stick out" is what I think you might need to work on a bit more. Overall I still feel like this is an improvement to your round 1 photoshoot, and improvement is always nice to see." Score: 2

Judge D: "One thing about this really stands out. You knew your character has a tattoo that you had no way of mimicing, so you deliberately (I assume) framed yourself so as to hide it. Smart choice! It's well framed and the pose sells you as being very self-assured. I like the use of your ice ability too, though I do wonder if a different pose would have helped, try to position yourself as if it looks like you're actively creating the ice? With a darker toned outfit you managed to avoid blending in too well, so thumbs up there!" Score: 2

Judge E: "Haha Yes, I can definitely see Gray in this shot. Lighting, background was well done. spell effects for Grays ice effects was a good choice and you even seem to have captured his more youthful innocence back when he was training and not quite so tough. Perhaps shorts over pants but well done." Score: 3

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Women's Contest Judge Scores and Feedback

Adeline Urusa

Judge A: "The shot itself was quite creative and a great idea. My only concern is so many characters, though well portrayed make it hard to tell who you were put of so many people in the shot." Score: 2

Judge B: "I really like this! So lovely to see you made an effort with the whole gang. Love that you had a Miqo'te play Zidane, tail! The lighting is nice. Poses are nice. Only critique would be that you arn't really the focus of the shot, someone even thought you were Eiko. Yours is the best Garnet cosplay I have seen, well done. " Score: 2

Judge C: "I love what you were going for here, assembling this group was wonderful! I particularly love your Eiko - which is actually a problem as she's stealing the shot from you! Were this a group cosplay shot, this would have been a clear winner and you still get a solid score, but be careful in future to remember that this is -your- shot! (Also, please beat your Zidane with sticks until he tries out next Cycle.)" Score: 2

Judge D: "Great concept!!! You have awesome friends! Haha. Your Zidane is perfect. If this was a group effort, as a whole you guys would score a 3! The only thing I dislike about the picture is the background, could have been prettier, and the fact that you don’t stick out enough to really take command of the picture." Score: 2

Judge E: "It was hard to judge this round and while I love Garnet and this composition is very cute, I would have loved for you to be in the center of everyone. I can understand why though it looks right to be organized this way, but maybe it would have been more interesting if you were all on an airship. Now knowing that I love this cosplay and this round is very hard to give anyone a low score I gave you a 2 because of the setting mainly. I feel that like previously stated you could have made this very interesting if on a ship or ferry, even composed by the fountain in Uldah by the thm guild." Score: 2

Eirwen Mackenzie

Judge A: "I understand that you have to work with what you have, but I'm not really getting a -strong- "Gabrielle" vibe from this shot. Outfit suits the character and background works, Though I wish you had used a lighter hair shade." Score: 2

Judge B: "The location is gorgeous. I love your pose and outfit. I wish you had dyed your hair blonde though. She did have blonde hair didn't she? lol I forget. *googles* ah yes she did. I have nothing bad to say really apart from that. I like that you are looking away from the camera and are slightly off center too." Score: 1

Judge C: "Nicely framed, absolutely GORGEOUS backdrop. A strong entry only hindered by the fact that your hair doesn't match! That said, if this is the kind of work we can expect from you then I'm very excited for future rounds." Score: 2

Judge D: "I don’t know the character, but I looked her up on google! Great job at matching the outfit and feel of the character! I do wish you had coughed up 2000g to become a blonde though! The background is stunning! The pose is very fitting." Score: 2

Judge E: " I adore this background the fade and the composition. This image is so appealing and it really comes down to the organization of your body and the landscape. Your arm seems to point off toward the fog and I really enjoyed how open the environment is. Now I can go on and on about this image, but it is a Cosplay. Now I'm not too familiar with Xena, but I can see that the hair color was an issue and this is where I had to give you a low score. Last round I gave you a low score because the image was not appealing, but now you give me an appealing image and I have to nock it because of the inaccurate hair cosplay. Keep it up though, I love this and I cant wait to see what other shot you can capture." Score: 1

Iris Dawnshade

Judge A: "Iris- This is a really good picture. The ruins in the background make me reminiscent of delving through labyrinths in search of Triforce pieces, and you even have Navi with you! Well done! I literally feel like Navi is in my ear yelling "Listen!" with this shot." Score: 3

Judge B: "Haha cute! Nice thing about a Lala is you can say you are young link. xD Outfit is nice! I like that you used a bow rather than a sword and shield which most Link cosplayers use. The SCH pet is perfect too. Nice time of day and location. Well done." Score: 2

Judge C: "You absolutely nailed this outfit and the fairy sells it perfectly. I only wish we could see what you're shooting at! Your background choice was excellent and fits your shot very well." Score: 2

Judge D: "The outfit works, the pose works, the background works, you’ve got a fairy… everything works but it’s just boring (in my opinion). I am curious to see how the image would have looked if you had been fighting a monster or leaping from ledge to ledge instead." Score: 1

Judge E: "So cute. This was the Perfect cosplay for a lala and you nailed it. I love the use of the background and the competition was really tough this round but you stood out because of your stance and expression. I really feel bad for whatever you are attacking. To be killed by one so cute. The background seems a little too detailed though, there is so much going on that it almost distracts from you, I know that as a Lala is it hard to get a good camera angle, that is my only concern with this shot. Good Job and keep up the good work! I believe you are the only Lala!! Stay strong!" Score: 3

Kaiyoko Star

Judge A: "I feel odd saying this, but I'm not a player of League of Legends so I had to look this up. That being said, after looking and making comparisons... this shot is absolutely spot on. The outfit and setting are both perfect, and there isn't much more I can say about it." Score: 2

Judge B: "Now this is a character I am unfamiliar with. Thankfully google can fill me in! Straight away, as soon as I saw the images on google I thought, damn. (In a good way.) Even your pose is perfect. Great job. The outfit is ace too. I love a night sky in Eorzea. Nice work. " Score: 2

Judge C: "The mist, it's perfect. Very well done. This shot just oozes casual confidence. It's a wonderful shot and I truly wish I had more top scores to give out!" Score: 2

Judge D: "I don’t know the character, but I looked her up on google! Ninja came out just in time didn’t it!! Haha. You did much justice with the pose and outfit. The background and setting work great as well! I love the weather effect as well! It’s a nice photo, but it’s not very exciting. Maybe just using a skill for an added effect would have made the image POP." Score: 2

Judge E: "I cant state enough how hard it is to judge the cosplay shots...I love it. The ship and starry background is magnificent. The fog, is great really creates a mysterious and dangerous atmosphere. The only thing that would have made this better is if you were able to get the male hairstyle with that super long locks...if only Square would make all hairstyles available to all sexes and races...curse them. Great job Kaiyoko keep up the good work." Score: 2

Lowena Fae

Judge A: "Geez.. another one. You girls aren't making it easy for me to determine who gets the points. This is another outstanding picture that truly captures the theme. The setting, outfit, the Malboro.. this is almost like a scene out of the movie "Batman and Robin"." Score: 3

Judge B: "I love this shot, the location is perfect for the character! Lighting in such areas can be a pain but you look fine. I like the Morbol in shot, looks like your pet. The pose and evil smirk are great. I feel if you were in the negative space to the right it would have been a nicer composition. " Score: 3

Judge C: "Absolutely brilliant. You sell Ivy's confident sensuality perfectly and the fact that you took the time to think about accessories really adds to it. Takes guts to go into AV just for a photoshoot! My only complaint is that I wish your 'pet' was framed a little differently, but that honestly feels like a minor nitpick. Phenomenal effort." Score: 3

Judge D: "I love it. I love the outfit, I love the hair, I love the bracelet, I love the background and the Malbarro…I think it would have been better to off center yourself and use the Malborro as a henchmen instead of blocking it, but I really just love this picture." Score: 3

Judge E: "Poison Ivy is one of my favorite characters and I was surprised we did not have cosplay twins for her since there was so much you could do with Posion Ivy in the Black Shroud. I love the back ground and the monster. It would have been especially enjoyable if you had been interactive with the plants or some vines, but that just me being picky. I love it really spot on I especially enjoyed your accessories. This shot really leaves me wanting more." Score: 2

Miki Hoshi

Judge A: "You've got the whole 7th Heaven vibe going with the bar setting and the outfit is well suited, but in comparison to some of the other shots that have been submitted it seems rather.. lackluster. I mean, I can't really find any fault with this shot, but it doesn't "wow" me as much as some of the others. Competition can be pretty tough in ENTM." Score: 2

Judge B: "Nice job on the outfit, accurate with what we have in game. Colours are good. I love that you chose a bar, and the pose is very Tifa. Looks like you used the Sun Minion? I guess the position of it was well placed as it can seem like you are standing under a ceiling light. Good choice of hairstyle too. Only thing is I am wondering why you are punching in a bar? Did a TURK come in? :3" Score: 2

Judge C: "The pose, the hair, the gloves, I love it. You are immediately recognizable and I appreciate that you put so much into what could have been an easy, 'safe' cosplay. Well lit and I really like the way you've got Buscarron framed so that he's watching you. A prime example of why this round was so hard to judge!" Score: 2

Judge D: "Those gloves are amazing! I would have liked it better if you hadn’t centered yourself, and if you had used your (very nice costume’d) body to hide that NPC." Score: 2

Judge E: "Tifa is another favorite of mine. The facial expression is great, must have taken you quite a few tries to capture that shot and I can appreciate that. It would have been hilarious to have a cloud cosplay sitting at the bar in the back ground, just mentioning, but the bar scene is very nice. Once again it was hard to judge this round, but regardless of the scoring you did a wonderful job!" Score: 2

Overlord Rikkustrife

Judge A: "You've got the skin and hair tone pretty well in line, although I wish you had angled the shot a bit to hide your tail. It looks like you took this picture in one of the Garlean Empire's Castrums, and I would have been much happier with this entry if you had taken Mystique's nature as a spy and saboteur into context rather than just standing out in the open doing nothing." Score: 1

Judge B: "Clever use of your skin colour. I do find the image a bit boring though. I wish you were doing something, or there was more going on in the image with extras or monsters maybe. The outfit is pretty good in line with the comics though, well done." Score: 1

Judge C: "Brilliant costume, you really aced that. I like your choice of location too, I just wish you weren't just standing there. With so many things to hide behind in the Castrums, I wish you'd found something to really sell the act of infiltrating the base. With a more dynamic shot you could have stolen the round - and I can't want to see what you'll give us in future ones!" Score: 1

Judge D: "I love the idea, I love the outfit, and I loved that you aren’t centered…but the background is boring (so empty!) and the pose is, while really makes her look tough, kind of boring. Were there no other emotes that made her look tough?" Score: 1

Judge E: "Magnificent. There may not be a whole lot going on in this scene but this was a great choice of cosplay for a darker skin color. I recognized the character right away and the modern and industrial feel of the setting is so X-men. You really went into great detail with your hairstyle and outfit choice to be as accurate as possible and It shows. The white garments make your skin stand out and even though the color isnt very blue it doesnt have to be the face tattoos make up for it. Great great job, a true Overlord." Score: 3

Rhaya Relenah

Judge A: "Oooh! Another excellent submission! The concept of perception really stands out in this.. how did you make your character look so small? Standing on a mushroom with a person (perhaps Gargamelle) right next to the "lens" so they seem so huge in comparison is excellent attention to detail. Amazing pic!" Score: 3

Judge B: "Oh Rhaya, you are becoming a favorite of mine. I don't know how you do it, but you manage to somehow keep up the quality of your pics. Must make the next round hard, to top this! Such a cute idea. The mushroom and the placement of that hand are perfection! Great optical illusion to make you seem as small as your character. The outfit is adorable. Keep up the amazing work. I look forward to seeing what else you can do." Score: 3

Judge C: "This is how you use perspective to your advantage. Framing the hand there was wonderful - and I love that you even thought to have the visible parts of whoever that was in black to look like Gargamel! I would never in a million years have expected this character selection for the round and it's that kind of creative thinking that will take you far in this contest." Score: 3

Judge D: "I love it. I love every bit of it! I loved it before I even noticed the giant hand on the right side of the image! Haha. You’re a professional. I have nothing negative to say about the picture. I bet all the other models are looking at your images and taking notes." Score: 3

Judge E: "Now understanding that this round was hard to judge I had to be tough on you. The use of the mushrooms and positioning the character so that the hand was really close to the screen making you look extremely small was genius. Great job! But I marked you down because the light and the outfit washed you out so much! Maybe if you had waited till the sun set a little more the colors would have pop'd more, maybe even the mushroom would look more appealing in better lighting as well. I also have to note that Square did not do a good job wrapping the texturing on that mushroom, but that has nothing to do with you, I've done a lot of 3D mushrooms and I cant believe they would let the textures be cut like that...anyway You did a great job but I had to lower your score because of the washed out colors." Score: 1

Sakuraya Kai

Judge A: "These are haaaaaaard! Your take on Yda is very well done, and I love that you brough Papalymo along for the photo, and the Gridanian locale is spot on. The only complaint I have is that.. taking a character from FFXIV to cosplay in an FFXIV modeling cosplay contest seems very.. unoriginal and safe. The outfit that Yda wears is available in-game without any real need for creativity to create the desired look." Score: 2

Judge B: "Very nice cosplay, pretty much spot on with the outfit. Good use of an extra. The location is nice and fitting to the characters. I'm not sure what else I can say about it. I like that you positioned you pal slightly behind you to keep yourself as the focus. The outfit is already in game pretty much, so it's kind of an easy one to do is my only critique." Score: 2

Judge C: "Solid shot! Another one hard to judge. I like that you used an emote that really helps capture Yda's personality. I do wish your Papalymo was facing us more - did you frame it that way to avoid the fact he doesn't have a monocle perhaps? The background is nice, though I wish the center of it was clearer - you're getting a little lost in it. Good job overall!" Score: 2

Judge D: "The background is nice, the outfit is dead on, and the concept is fine. But overall it is so boring. I think you went a really safe route by cosplaying as someone from within the game. Yes, your outfit is going to be the most dead on than anyone else in this round, but that is for obvious reasons. I don’t hate the picture. I think its composition is fine. It’s just a boring, safe choice. Bonus points for getting a lalafel to join you though!" Score: 1

Judge E: "Busy Busy background. Yda is a very unique character. I've thought about doing a rl cosplay of her so I can understand why you did her. Though it would have been nice to see a little more creativity in your choice. This round was hard and doing something no one has seen would have benefited you. I love how you have someone working with you and I appreciate the poses. They are perfect and accurate to the characters. I gave you this score because I think you could have chosen a setting that would have made this cosplay a little more interesting. The background is distracting and busy taking my attention away from you in a bad way." Score: 2

Sangriah V'

Judge A: "Well, I'm a huge fan of Star Trek so I can honestly appreciate your take on Seven of Nine here. The outfit chosen is about as good as I feel you can get within the confines of FFXIV.. the eyepiece seems a little off, though. The biggest issue I have is the background. You're obviously no longer a part of the Borg Collective here, so did you have to make the background so plain? Surely Seven could have found a more photogenic spot than her regeneration chamber." Score: 1

Judge B: "oooeh one of my favorite Star Trek characters! I would not have thought of cosplaying as her, nice job on uniqueness. The outfit is good, as is the colour. The location is also well chosen, looks like the places the Borg sit when not active. (Shaad aap I'm not a huge Trekkie lol.) In comparison to some of the other pictures, it can feel a bit bland, but judging purely on character, it's great!" Score: 2

Judge C: "Nicely done, I like that you found something to represent her recharging chamber! Nice use of the alchemist head gear as well, it's perfectly done. With that said, despite how fitting the background may be for the character it doesn't make for a particularly interesting shot. Perhaps being out on an away mission would have been a more interesting choice. Still, this was a great effort and wins out on character portrayal even if it loses out on the shot as an artistic piece." Score: 1

Judge D: "I love Seven of Nine!! I can’t believe someone chose her! Haha. The gloves, the head gear..theyre perfect. I am not a huge fan of the outfit overall, but it works and I can’t think of anything else you could have worn. I like the background too. You zoomed in enough where it wasn’t a huge focus. I don’t like the pose, or the empty space on your left and right, but I don’t dislike it enough to take points off." Score: 2

Judge E: "I did not want to give you such a low score. Its a great cosplay idea and I can see why you went with it. The body position and expression is wonderful, but I gave you a low score because the cosplay just made it recognizable to the character. You made a unique setting choice and I appreciate it but it needed that extra push, that little highlight of blue or a sharp industrial element to really emphasize that your in a high tech environment. I do really like this cosplay and understand this round was not easy to score at all. You did a find job, continue to think outside of the box!" Score: 1

Xev Bellwyn

Judge A: "Now this is Xena! And Gabrielle too! Both of you have chosen perfect hairstyles and attire. And Gabrielle isn't taking away from the image, since Xena stands out in the forefront quite effectively. Nice choice of backdrop as well. Overall, a solid entry." Score: 2

Judge B: "Ahhh this is lovely! The location is very nice, I like the suns rays filtering through the trees. Great use of an extra, yours and their outfit are great. Good job on the hair as well. I like how you are posed back to back. Nice that you are not perfect center too, but both of you center the image if you know what I mean? x) I can't think of a bad thing to say about it. Nice. " Score: 3

Judge C: "Perfectly selected background. There's enough open space to not steal attention from you and I love the sunlight filtering through the trees. The back-to-back pose works wonderfully. I'm trying to come up with something to suggest as an improvement and I honestly can't come up with anything. A+" Score: 3

Judge D: "I vaguely know the character, but I looked her up on google! Spot on!!! Haha. This is great. The pose, the outfit, the background. All very nice. The only thing I would have loved is if you guys had been on the right side of the frame instead of the left so we could see your sword all the way. Good job. " Score: 2

Judge E: "I loved this composition. The back to back stance and the fading background are perfect. The Xena cosplay was also well done and spot on. Your friend there kind of stole the show those her expression really grabbed my attention. While I believe this is one of the stronger shots, I would have appreciated darker eyes for your Xena, but THAT IS ALL I WOULD CHANGE. I could not find anything else to pick this shot apart. It is gorgeous and you met the cosplay perfectly. The outfits, hair, setting, lighting and body placement all get a star!" Score: 3

Final tally:

Men's Contest Round 2
36 - Flare Raulbel
35 - Marik Destiel
33 - Fate Lhas
32 - Epsil Ion
31 - L'yhan Nunh
20 - Jinx Fireboot
19 - Sienna Moonlux
18 - Aiden Weaver
15 - Ronin Woofcub
14 - Adam Fylrmyn

Women's Contest Round 2
40 - Rhaya Relenah
39 - Lowena Fae
27 - Kaiyoko Star
26 - Iris Dawnshade
23 - Sakuraya Kai
23 - Xev Bellwyn
21 - Miki Hoshi
19 - Adeline Urusa
17 - Overlord Rikkustrife
15 - Eirwen Mackenzie
13 - Sangriah V'

And after a VERY hotly contested debate, this week's "S-Rank Shot" goes to Lowena Fae! Congrats Lowena! We were debating for far too long between at least four shots for this one. Everyone, absolutely amazing job this round. I couldn't be prouder of all of you.


EDIT: One judge's critiques got lost in e-mail hell, so I used our backup judge. I now have their critiques and while the scoring wouldn't have changed much, I'm going to post them anyway for additional feedback. So here!

Adeline Urusa – Love the effort you went through to get the FF9 gang together! Taking the photo at a different and more scenic location would have helped you greatly here though. The shot is strangely centered, and at first glance I thought you were the Lalafel. She seems to be stealing the show!

Eirwen Mackenzie – It’s a good hill shot and I’m loving the autumn colors but the hill perspective draws my eyes to boring rock faces. I am wishing there was just a little more energy in this picture.

Iris Dawnshade – Adventurous! The forest ruins, fairy, and bow were nice additions to the cosplay. I wished there was different pose and more dynamic shot with the bow.

Kaiyoko Star – The stars, fog/cloud, and ship scenery are undeniably cool and are what wow’d me about this shot. I love the slight off-centeredness and pose, and the blade effect that made me think I had scratches on my monitor (thanks for that!). While I understand backgrounds do not have to be a tropical rainbow of vibrant color, the fog effect in this picture seems to creep a little too much and mute your background. A light source somewhere – not necessarily directed at you - in the shot would have offset the greys I think.

Lowena Fae – The expression, pose, location, morbol, plants, the rock arch spanning across the top in the background – perfect! The things I appreciate the most about this picture are your facial expression and the signature ominous fog that seems to go with anything “DC” these days. Loving the blighted plant color scheme, and I’m super glad the glowing sprouts and light on the morbol are giving the shot more dimension.

Miki Hoshi –This is great and I love the big fist towards the camera! I admire the angle of the background counter and bar in relation to your character. I love the lighting in front and on top of your character. I think maybe a different background and angle of the bar would have helped the shot a lot. The back bar wall provides nice contrast to your character, but its darkness and browness also are a little boring. It would have been fun to see more open bar scene behind you.

Overlord Rikkustrife – I appreciate the futuristic vibe to support the cosplay, but I feel that the current pose, expression, and the grey strip of road for your background aren’t really doing you any favors. If I ever go blue moon kitty, I think I’ll have to snag the glamour though!

Rhaya Relenah – This shot has the most creative camera trick!!! Your expression is adorable and the camera angle is amazing. Another glamour I will have to snag if I’m a blue moon kitty.

Sakuraya Kai – Very fun, especially with your own Papalmo! Papalymo? Palympo? Paplymo? I wish you guys were a lot less centered in this picture. I could have seen you using the rock face behind you for a cool upwards shot of Gridania and placing the Lalafel somewhere in the rocks looking down at you. I’m glad he isn’t stealing the show in your shot though!

Sangriah V’ – It’s a really cool cosplay, and a hard one to pull off given the scenery in the game. I appreciate the iconic meditation alcove shot! As much as I recognize and love the whole scene, aesthetically I especially hate the grey spaces in this picture, especially on the panels either side of you. I think a spell/particle effect of some sort would have enhanced this shot a lot. You can even get a friend to cast spells for you to use in your shot!

Xev Bellwyn –Loving the background angle and the sun pouring into the shot. The forest setting and especially your cute Gabrielle friend (her character’s face looks just like her!) are great at supporting your character. This one was very hard for me to critique, because of your character’s pose and the space to the left of you. I think either a different pose appropriate to your cosplay filling up that space a little more would have been great, or maybe just you and your friend shifting over some would have been great too! In any case, I love the “I have your back!” vibe.

[AdamFyi]

Placeholder post for char limit, results coming shortly...

I'm sooo dead. D:

[Eirwen]

I'm sooo dead. D:

I admit to be thinking the same about me... Good luck, man!

[Amenian]

I'm sooo dead. D:

Nope, you're fine I'm thinking. I've been keeping a running tally and you're not doing too bad. I think you'll survive another round.

I admit to be thinking the same about me... Good luck, man!

My personal opinion is you should advance. We'll see!

[AdamFyi]

Nope, you're fine I'm thinking. I've been keeping a running tally and you're not doing too bad. I think you'll survive another round.

I meant the judges reviews. That's what I'm worried about. D:

Edit: THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME.

[Yamimarik]

I meant the judges reviews. That's what I'm worried about. D:

Yes! that's my concern as well @.@ It's always a lil' nerve-racking awaiting those reviews/critiques of our work.

Also I'm pretty sure the men don't get an elimination this week just because of the two no-shows/drop outs from last round, correct me if I'm wrong though.

*heavy breathing intensifies as we wait*

[Sandoria]

I kinda hope to be dead so I can go out with a bang. Regardless of tallies, I'm totally proud of my shot this round. Also every single model in the contest brought their A game this round and totally killed it. I honestly don't want a single one of them to go. Also, if I get cut now, no one will see the absolute disaster I took for next week's challenge.

[Sadana]

@o@ With all of yall talking about the Week 3 challenge being... a challenge... I'm real curious to see what the theme was!