Time to ignite the fire within you.
TOURNAMENT SYSTEM
STAGE 1: ONLINE QUALIFIERS
SUBMISSION PERIOD
4/17 12:00 AM - 5/17 11:59 PM ET
MEMBER
Solo recordings only.
SUBMISSION DETAILS
All entries must be filmed within North America. Minimum 2 sabiwaza lengths (64 beats) of your chosen song, no cuts. No maximum length, but only your first 2 sabiwaza lengths will be taken into account when scoring. Only 1 submission per person is allowed, so make sure your submission is the final take you want to submit. Arranges and cyalume dance are allowed.
SCORING
Each judge will score out of 50 based on the criteria in the “Online Judging Criteria” section below for a total of 200 points.
MUSIC
No music restrictions.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Post your video on Twitter with the hashtag #StardustIgnition. We will comment on your Twitter post to inform you of your confirmed submission. If you do not receive a comment from us after 1 or 2 days, please contact staff (through the Aniwaza Discord server recommended, but Twitter/Instagram and email also valid)
RESULTS
Results will be released around a week after the submission period ends. All scores (each judges’ scores per contestant), rank placements, and respective names/handles will be displayed publicly on a spreadsheet. However, feedback will be sent individually to each contestant via Discord or Twitter.
The top 8 by default will be selected for the in-person finalist battle in NYC. The number of finalists may be raised depending on the number of submissions. Aniwaza will contact each finalist individually to confirm attendance. We will not provide financial assistance, so if you are unable to make it to the in-person finals, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may offer your spot to the next highest placed contestant.
STAGE 2: IN-PERSON FINALIST BATTLE
DATE AND TIME
New York City during 8/21-23 weekend, specific day TBD
LOCATION
New York City, venue TBD
ENTRY
All spectators must have a paid ticket to enter (link and price TBD). The top 8 finalists, tournament staff, Aniwaza members, and judges do not need a ticket. If tickets sell out, then no more spectators will be allowed in.
STREAM/RECORDING
The event will be streamed and recorded on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@AniwazaOfficial) so that people who are unable to make it can view the battle. We will also send individual contestants footage of their rounds so that they can post it to their social media and analyze their form afterwards. The audience is also encouraged to record the event!
BATTLE FORMAT
1v1 top 8 double elimination by default. The number of finalists may be raised depending on the number of submissions.
For each of the 2 contestants in a round, the DJ will play a random song’s intro, then skip to the prechorus and play through to the end of the chorus. Contestants are expected to perform for the entire chorus length. Once the 2 contestants have performed, the judges will deliberate to pick that round’s winner.
PRIZES
All participants will have their names immortalized on a t-shirt design that will be available for purchase at a later date. Finalist/online prizes TBD.
Since details are still being solidified, we will post announcements and updates regarding this portion of the tournament on our Discord server, Twitter, and Instagram.
ONLINE JUDGING CRITERIA
For the online qualifiers, each judge will score each entry out of 50 for a total of 200 points, based on the following sections:
Timing (10 points) - This is how on beat your movements are.
Movement Accuracy (20 points) - This is how accurate your movements are based on the waza you attempt, such as silhouette and the path your lights make. For arranges and custom movements, how intentional your movements look are also taken into account.
Power and Control (15 points) - This is how powerful and frictionless your moves come across, and how well you control that power and speed.
Individual Criteria (5 points) - This is each judges’ own criteria based on their personal taste. Criteria are listed below for the 4 online judges:
Kaze
“Personally I view smoothness of movements highly when doing wotagei. It’s important to think about how to connect different parts of a waza, so that it looks like an entire waza instead of merely combining a few different moves. To improve on this, a good tip I can give is to observe the relationships between moves and think about how you should move your body to better connect them. Try to add small flairs and you can begin with mimicking flairs of your favorite uchishi until you develop your own!”
Third
“Your form is one thing, but remember that wotagei is also a dance style for performance to an audience, both uchishis and non-uchishis. Doing a waza by the textbook is easy, but really channeling your confidence into things such as your facial expression, the windup leading into your first movements, and especially the ending is something that’s honed with experience. Show me your best aura farm.”
Shimo
“You're in a battle, solo, with wazas that your opponent probably knows too and maybe they even accidentally pick the same waza. So just doing a waza accurately will eventually get boring. So stand out, add your personal flair, do the waza your way without drastic modification. Power kei, a torch waza, smooth down a power waza, the choice is yours.”
Hozuki
“Looking for the shape and angle of your light arc specifically. If 2 people draw the same light line with different wrist angles, the feel of the movements will be different. I’ll be watching for the angle and light cross-section that best emphasize your overall movements.”
JUDGES
“Hello, I’m Hako~~~! I am an uchishi in Japan and a leader of teamMoB!! I’ve hosted my workshop in Japan, China, San Francisco, and Singapore. I’m an organizer of WOTAGEI FES, one of the biggest wotagei events. I’m really excited to have a chance to see you all in NYC!!”
FINALS
HAKO
THIRD
“I’m Third, a 1st gen member of Aniwaza, and the team’s main editor and choreographer! I started in 2019 as one of the first American uchishis after seeing Aerie, Aniwaza’s co-founder, doing wotagei, and I thought it looked super cool. I look forward to seeing all your submissions and the energy the finalists show in August in my hometown of New York!”
QUALIFIERS + FINALS
SHIMO
"Hi, I'm Shimo Wonton, founder of YYZ the community and Team Aurora the... well, team, here in Toronto, ON. This year marks my 9th anniversary on the path that's wotagei. I have done panels at cons, individual workshops, and am a proud teacher of all Team Aurora's members. I'm excited to see what NA wotagei has evolved into since 2024. よろしく！”
QUALIFIERS + FINALS
KAZE
“Hi, I’m Kazehaya(Kaze)! I’m a uchishi from China and I currently live in NorCal. I’ve been doing wotagei for 9 years, and I’ve participated in various projects and contests! Very excited to be invited to be the judge for this battle, and look forward to meeting y’all in NYC!”
QUALIFIERS + FINALS
HOZUKI
“Hi everyone, I’m Hozuki! I’m a Uchishi from Shanghai, China and living in central Pennsylvania. I attended several wotagei contests in China and Japan. I’m now interested in looking into this competition culture in the US. Looking forward to having big projects with all of you! Hoping everyone can find their existence on the stage!”
QUALIFIERS + FINALS
FAQs
Are there penlight restrictions for the online submissions?
No, all lights of any color are allowed for the online entries. However, we recommend using UOs or well-known electronic lights such as LLs/E-Lights/Dahuos/etc.
Can beginners participate?
Yes! We encourage anyone to enter who wants to display their wotagei progress and receive personalized feedback from veteran uchishis.
Who is eligible to enter the online qualifiers?
Anyone regardless of nationality can enter, but your submission must be filmed within North America. However, exceptions can be made. Please contact staff about such cases.
Are there editing restrictions on the online submissions?
Please avoid heavily editing your videos. Please note that we must be able to clearly see your light trails and form— your score may be affected if your submission is too dark, too bright, too grainy, too laggy, etc.
Are there song restrictions on the online submissions?
No. However, timing is a factor, so choose a song that has clear beats so that the judges can easily score it.
No, only 1 submission per person is allowed. Make sure your submission is the final take you’re happy with.
Can I submit more than once?
Will I receive feedback from the judges for my online submission?
Yes! You will be contacted via Discord or Twitter once the scores are released publicly..
Yes, for both online submissions and the in-person battle. As long as you perform movements with lights to at least 2 sabiwaza lengths of a song, your entry fits the criteria, so you do not need to stick to standardized sabiwazas. However, no external props such as strings tied to lights, poi balls, batons, etc. are allowed.
Are arranges and cyalume dance allowed?
Can my online submission be longer than 2 sabiwazas?
Yes, but the judges will only factor in the first 2 sabiwaza lengths of your entry.
Are cuts allowed for the online submissions?
No. Your footage should be one continuous clip.
Yes. The stream will be on Aniwaza’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@AniwazaOfficial). We will record the event and post the VOD on YouTube afterwards. We will also send the contestants recordings of their rounds so that they can post it to their social media and analyze footage.
Will the in-person final be streamed and recorded?
If I end up being a finalist, will I be compensated for travel?
Unfortunately no. You will need to sort out your own travel and lodging logistics. If you are selected as a finalist and are unable to attend the in-person finals, please let our team know as soon as possible, and we will offer your finalist spot to the next highest placed competitor.
Can I attend the in-person final even if I’m not competing?
Yes! Spectators are highly encouraged, although if tickets sell out, then we will not be able to accommodate any more spectators.
Will the song list for the in-person final be released beforehand?
No. Aniwaza will privately decide on a pool of songs to use for the battle beforehand. However, all the songs will be between 160 and 185 BPM, will have a standard 4/4 64 beat chorus, and be relatively well-known anisong and wotagei songs.
Yes, we will have a stockpile of UOs to provide to the contestants.
Will lights be provided for the in-person final?
My question is not listed here. Where can I contact staff?
The recommended way is to ping Aniwaza on the Aniwaza Discord server. This will get you the quickest response. However, we accept DMs on social media and emails as well. Exceptions can be made for any rule, so please contact staff if you think there is an edge case worth discussing.
ANIWAZA DISCORD SERVER
The best way to contact staff and talk with other participants is through the Aniwaza Discord server below. It is not mandatory to join, but will give you the easiest way to see updates and announcements regarding the tournament.
CREDITS
Main Organizer: Tenchi
Website: Third
Logo Design: Hyuni
Social Media Graphics: Hyuni