Saturday's shaping up to be a busy day for cosplayers, that segment of anime and manga fandom that likes dressing up in costumes as their favorite characters, as a pair of stores in Kaimuki host costume contests.

Let's start at Mechahawaii (1126 12th Ave., Unit 105), where store owner Sean Akita will host the third annual Customer Appreciation Night from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Once again the costume contest comes with prizes for the top three contestants and a night of in-store specials. Members of the 501st Stormtrooper Legion will be attending as well, representing “;Star Wars”; fandom.

New to this year's event is Oahu Anime Explorer's anime trivia contest, which I've covered before in this space (see tinyurl.com/3ty4h3 if you missed that). Group president Kell Komatsubara told me last week that there were still slots for contestants available, so if you think you know your trivia, get down to the store and register by Wednesday at 7 p.m.

And may I remind you of the incentive: a 4-foot-tall trophy for the winner. Everyone loves tall trophies ...

Meanwhile, over at Toys N' Joys (3632 Waialae Ave.), it's time once again for that store's Halloween Cosplay Contest, from 6 to 9 p.m. (with contestant check-in starting at 5 p.m.). Refreshments will also be served at this event.

Pre-register at the store by Friday, and it's free (and you can get a “;15 percent off everything anime”; coupon); walk-up participants will be eligible but will have to pay a $10 fee. As long as the costume is anime- or video game-related, it's eligible.

The winning contestant, as chosen by the store's staff, will win either a PlayStation 3, an Xbox 360 or a Nintendo Wii if there are at least 30 contestants, or a $100 Toys N' Joys gift card if there are fewer than 30. Winners in the “;most original”; and “;most accurate”; categories will receive $50 gift cards, while honorable mentions will receive $25 gift cards.

Pictures will be taken of all eligible contestants for the final component of the contest: an online vote during the week after the contest, at toysnjoys.com. The winner of the fan vote will receive a $100 store shopping spree.

For those of you considering double-dipping in both contests, though, there's one catch: You can't. Both stores are saying as part of their contest rules that contestants must be present to claim their prizes. Either way, though, it promises to be a fun night all around ...

More anime online

Funimation is now offering episodes of the “;Witchblade”; anime for sale via Apple's iTunes Store. You can download the first episode for free until Sunday at tinyurl.com/3uduva (note: recommended for mature audiences).

Also coming soon from Funimation: an online community on Joost (www.joost.com), with episodes from 14 series being posted online for free, starting in November ...

Coming up Sunday

Most of this column has been about cosplay ... but how about some CROSS-play, where boys dress up as girls and vice versa? In “;Drawn & Quartered,”; tag-team partner in fandom Wilma J. looks at manga with that theme, including “;Princess Princess”; and “;Girl Got Game.”; ...