Giant Fire Breathing Robot

Photos from Sakura-Con 2012

Less than a week after the comic and science fiction crowd invaded the Washington State Convention Center, Seattle was flooded by fans eager to share their enthusiasm for Japanese anime and manga. The 2012 Sakura-Con anime convention was held in the building from April 6th through the 8th, filling downtown with cosplayers attempting to bring their favorite characters to life.

You know I love my cosplay safariing, and opted to stay local instead of joining in on all the fun at PAX East. Based on all the cool costumes I saw over the course of the show, I have no regrets regarding my decision. My camera and I managed to capture over 1,000 of them throughout the busy weekend. Here’s a glimpse at some of the astounding costumes that were put together by Sakura-Con attendees:

Sephiroth and Cloud received the honor of being the first cosplayers I photographed at Sakura-Con 2012.

Ico and Yorda link up with Trico, the star of the upcoming video game the Last Guardian.

Hitmonlee demonstrates his solid kicking technique.

Several of Koei’s Dynasty Warriors assemble in the lobby.

A pair of Hanar discuss their religious views.

You know I like my Misty cosplayers… even if they’re men beneath the wig!

A Dom claims Sakura-Con for the Principality of Zeon.

Ms. Frizzle must have parked the Magic School Bus outside.

The royal brothers, Edgar and Sabin Figaro.

Ace Venture was on hand to amuse attendees by doing tricks like talking out of his rear end.

Even Japanese superheroes are affected by the economy.

I think he must’ve been the buyer.

Tired of Metropolis and Gotham, a trio of DC’s femme fatales heads to Seattle.

Pinkie Pie was among the many cosplayers representing My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Same with this really, really tall Rarity, who probably towered over most attendees even without her heels.

EVA Unit-01 cries to the heavens.

I guess Hunk and Keith couldn’t find anyone else to represent the Voltron team. Does anyone really want to dress up as Pidge?!

I caught up with Dante after he descended to the dark bowels of the convention center.

Following the Witch of the Wilds paid off, as Flemeth lead me to a Dragon Age gathering.

Dr. Ryuta Kawashima is more than welcome to pick my brain at any convention.

This cosplayer did a nice take on Jack Skellington that didn’t involve a mask.

WUH OH! FanimeCon’s Freddie better watch out, as he’s got competition at Sakura-Con.

French Toast is a delicious way to start the day at the con.

Thanks to the Hobbit, Gandalf had to ditch his nice, clean white robes.

Minors weren’t allowed in the convention by themselves. Good thing we have Big Sisters!

Squall Leonhart looks like he just stepped out of 1999.

Yotsuba springs out of the pages of her self-titled manga.

Some anime fans take their Bleach a bit too literally.

I can’t say that I’ve seen anyone dressed as Tibbers and Annie from League of Legends until now.

If a zombie outbreak were to happen at an anime convention, the undead would fit right in.

Dracule Mihawk, the Greatest Swordsman in the World of One Piece.

A woman dressed for the masquerade ball in a gown inspired by a character called the Lord of Nightmares.

I was happy with the abundance of Sengoku Basara cosplayers, including this Mitsunari Ishida.

The transformed Unicorn Gundam was frequently surrounded by both amateur and professional photographers.

The Boy Scouts have switched over to a new kind of merit badge.

Crow and Tom Servo take a break from making smarmy remarks in the anime viewing theaters.

A loud and enthusiastic Black Star cosplayer that could be heard from a mile away.

Oh, no! Godzilla and Mothra are on a rampage!

Good thing Jet Jaguar was nearby to stop Toho’s two monsters.

The photo finish shows Luigi winning this Mario Kart race.

The Once-ler and the Lorax have settled their differing points of view.

Who wouldn’t trust Loki, the god of mischief?

I’m sure that moments like this make you love the clarity of my camera.

Erza Scarlet dons the elaborate Heaven’s Wheel Armor.

Poor Samara still hasn’t invested in a DVD or Blu-ray player.

Remember the video games Loaded and Reloaded? Fwank sure does!

Cutting out Capcom, Namco and Tatsunoko face off for supremacy.

One of the best Kakashi cosplayers I’ve ever seen.

Every Street Fighter legend begins somewhere.

Uhhhhh… New 52? What’s that?

The Animaniacs have escaped from the WB water tower yet again.

I was told that I’m the first person who correctly identified Kai from Samurai Warriors 3.

Dr. Doom has new opposition in the form of the Magic Knight Rayearth trio.

The Corpse Bride still seeks her groom after all these years.

Link and Saria spend time in the Sakura-Con courtyard.

The bulky Terran Marine has returned for another year.

Holy moly, it’s the Adam West-era Batfamily!

Thing 1 and Thing 2 better help clean the convention center before our mothers return home!

The true ending to Catherine has the lucky Vincent keeping both girls by his side.

Suigintou from Rozen Maiden has a nice shady spot in her box.

Is Zach Galifianakis doing research for a live action Secret of Mana movie?

Classic characters like Benten and Lum never go out of style.

An awesome all-female Soul Calibur cosplayer gathering. Yes, that includes Voldo.

The stars of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

The creations of Jhonen Vasquez don’t get along very well.

Orochimaru wants you to play with his snakes.

I loved the amount of detail that went into this Ashlotte costume, especially the gears.

Since Trico was among my favorites, the Last Guardian deserves to be the conclusive photo.

To view the remainder of Giant Fire Breathing Robot’s collection of over 1,000 pictures from Sakura-Con 2012, head over to our Flickr slideshow. As always, feel free to leave a comment or contact us if you’re in a photo and would like a copy for yourself.