CosPlay

What is CosPlay?
Cosplay (kosupure), short for "costume play", is a type of performance art whose participants outfit themselves, with often-elaborate costumes and accessories, as a specific character. Characters are usually sourced in various Japanese and East Asian media, including manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, and fantasy movies. Other sources include performers from J-pop, J-rock, Visual Kei, fantasy music stories (such as stories by the band Sound Horizon), novels, and objects from cyberspace or the real world that are unique and dramatic (especially if they have or can be given an anthropomorphic form).

Cosplay participants ("cosplayers") form a subculture centered around wearing their costumes and reenacting scenes or inventing likely behavior inspired by their chosen sources. In some circles, the term cosplay has been broadened to include simply wearing a costume, without special consideration given to enacting characters in a performance context.

CosPlaying can be divided into two categories: basic cosplay and Masquerade. While basic cosplay only involves an attempt to look like a particular character, either in the halls of a convention or on stage, Masquerade is much more involved. When masquerading, CosPlayers attempt to act as the character would. They often have prepared skits with memorized lines, and the more advanced masqueraders can easily ad-lib their character's personality.

Anime/manga CosPlay has become very popular amongst fans in Japan and North America. Some CosPlayers make their own costumes, investing large amounts of time and money in the process, while others buy their costumes from professional costume designers. then add on to there props The end products are generally shown off at Anime conventions. Many Anime conventions hold contests for Cosplay and for Masquerade. Some successful cosplayers have become very popular and are considered celebrities in their own right.

Cosplay has a couple of meanings, but the most relevant is the merging of the words costume and play. If you want to wear a costume while attending an event (perhaps even to compete or to perform a short sketch), then you have entered the exciting world of cosplay. Wikipedia describes Cosplay as follows:

Cosplay (kosupure), a contraction (or portmanteau) of the English words "costume" and "play", is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, Japanese movies, or Japanese pop music bands. However, in some circles, "cosplay" has been expanded to mean simply wearing a costume.

In Japan, "cosplay" as a hobby is usually an end unto itself. Likeminded people gather to see other costumes, show off their own elaborate handmade creations, take lots of pictures, and possibly participate in best costume contests.
The most specific anecdote about the origin of the word "cosplay" was that Nov Takahashi (from a Japanese studio called Studio Hard) coined the term "cosplay" as a contraction of the English-language words "costume play" while he was attending the 1984 Los Angeles Science Fiction Worldcon. He was so impressed by the hall and masquerade costuming there that he reported about it frequently in Japanese science fiction magazines. This ultimately triggered Japanese cosplay. This point is debatable.

Wikipedia goes on to say that Cosplay in the United States and Europe differs from Japanese cosplay culture in that cosplay concerning Sci-Fi films and TV shows along with Renaissance-era characters, and historical re-enactments (i.e. Civil War battles), especially at science fiction conventions, are far more popular in the West than they are in Japan.

It also mentions that another recent trend in cosplay is a blurring of the distinction between costumes based on characters from games and anime, and "original" costumes based upon a general theme or existing fashions. In particular, the Tokyo teen-fashion trend of gothic lolita has attracted some cosplayers who might not have the inclination to wear such distinctive clothes around town, but who would like to dress in such a manner on some occasions.

Cosplay venues
Cosplay can be seen at public events such as video game shows, as well as at dedicated cosplay parties at nightclubs or amusement parks. It is not unusual for Japanese teenagers to gather with like-minded friends in places like Tokyo's Harajuku district to engage in cosplay. Since 1998, Tokyo's Akihabara district has contained a large number of cosplay cafes, catering to devoted anime and cosplay fans. The waitresses at such cafes dress as game or anime characters; maid (or meido) costumes are particularly popular.

Possibly the single largest and most famous event attended by cosplayers is the semiannual doujinshi market, Comiket. This event, held in summer and winter, attracts hundreds of thousands of manga otaku and many thousands of cosplayers who congregate on the roof of the exhibition center, often in unbearably hot or cold conditions.

Cosplayers in Japan refer to themselves as reiya (reiya); pronounced "layer". Those who photograph players are called cameko, short for "Camera Kozo" or "Camera Boy". The cameko give prints of their photos to the players as gifts. Tensions between players and cameko have increased due to perceived stalker-like behavior among some obsessive males who push female cosplayers to exchange personal email addresses or do private photo sessions. One result of this has been a tightening of restrictions on photography at events such as Comiket.

While cosplay at fan events in Japan is thought to have originated in 1978, one should not be confused with the idea that cosplay is considered typical behavior in Japan. While some do attend cosplay functions that are held in districts such as Akihabara, most Japanese people find cosplay to be rather silly.

Cosplay costumes

Cosplay costumes are radically different from typical Halloween costumes. Because the object of cosplay is to literally to become one's character, the intricate details of the costume's construction are critical. Costumes must meticulously adhere to the designs of the characters' attire, and even more generic costumes are often elaborately artistic. Rigorous attention to detail may include ensuring the seams are aligned properly and finished, thread colors are appropriate, and fabric colors precisely match the character and their attire. Some cosplayers will buy their costumes from talented artists, while others may spend months creating the perfect cosplay outfit.

Because the costumes are so elaborate, like-minded people gather to see others' costumes, show off their own elaborate handmade creations, take lots of pictures, and possibly participate in best costume contests at different cosplay events. Countless tutorials have also been created all over the internet by cosplayers to aid members of the community.

Cosplay trends

A recent trend at Japanese cosplay events is an increase in the popularity of non-Japanese fantasy and science fiction movie characters, perhaps due to the international success of such films as The Matrix, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Characters from the Harry Potter films have a particularly high number of female fans in Japan, with female cosplayers playing either male or female characters, Draco Malfoy being an extremely popular choice.

Cosplaying as characters of the opposite sex is called "crossplay", and cosplaying as characters who dress as the opposite sex is called "cross-dressing". The main reason that people do "crossplay" or "cross-dressing" is because in anime there is an abundance of bishounen (beautiful youths), who are very attractive and feminine-looking male characters. Therefore, in the reality, females can often act as these characters better than the males. "Crossplay" and "cross-dressing" often coincide, but since some Japanese characters cross-dress to start with, it is possible to do one without the other.

For example, a female cosplayer cosplaying as a male character would be cross-dressing and crossplaying. However, a female cosplayer dressing as someone like Mana (male artist from the Visual Kei band Malice Mizer known for dressing in female clothes) would be crossplaying, but not cross-dressing; and a male cosplayer also cosplaying as Mana would be cross-dressing, but not crossplaying.

A small niche group in the crossplaying field are dollers, a subset of kigurumi cosplayers; usually male, they wear bodysuits and masks to transform fully into female characters.

By the late 1980s, rather than cosplay being a chance to roleplay as a favourite character, it was a chance to be seen. A new kind of cosplayer emerged - a cosplayer who attended events not to participate, but to be photographed. Also, photographers came to take photographs of the cosplayers, several of those photographers were from adult magazines.

International cosplay

Cosplay in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom differs from Japanese cosplay culture in some ways. Cosplay concerning Star Trek, Star Wars, other science fiction worlds, Renaissance-era characters, and historical re-enactments (e.g. Civil War battles), especially at science fiction conventions, are far more popular in America than they are in Japan. Alternatively, some costumes that might be seen as in bad taste elsewhere (such as Nazi uniforms from certain comics or games) may be seen at events in Japan.

For almost fifty years, costume fandom has had a consistent and widespread following with costumers in the West; from the first Worldcon onward, with the influx of anime costumes, the word cosplay is becoming a more and more commonly used term to describe costumes of specifically Japanese media origins.

An issue with cosplaying anime and manga characters is that these characters generally do not have bodily proportions that can easily be mimicked by many typical cosplayers (e.g. incredibly long legs, huge muscles or giant breasts), and there is debate among fans about how important this element is when cosplaying.

In Mexico, cosplay is commonly seen inside conventions that can be video game-, science fiction- or anime-themed. It is common that cosplayers will also organize their own reunions which can be themed or free for the sake of taking pictures together. Cosplay in Mexico is competitive in a healthy level, with well-established representatives. This phenomenon also can be viewed in other Latin American countries, like Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

In Australia, the trend mirrors the American in that the subject costumes may be selected from sources other than manga or anime. Sources include American comics, computer games, science fiction/fantasy movies and TV shows, animation shorts or features, period drama, novels?any source that provides vivid and graphic inspiration of a character and their costume. Usually the term cosplay is not used to cover historical recreation as the focus is on representational accuracy, not historical accuracy. In general, Australian cosplay is most commonly seen in the larger population centers such as the capital cities and major regional centers, as these have the population base to support the diversity among fringe interests. The display of the costumes is not limited to conventions, although it is not unusual for dedicated cosplayers to travel extensively throughout Australia following the convention trail during the year. In addition to the social convening at conventions, many smaller social groupings exist, hosting their own local events.

In France, cosplay is a widespread activity in anime and manga conventions. Large conventions like Japan Expo can attract more than 500 cosplayers. While the majority of French cosplayers choose anime and manga for inspiration, many people like to dress like movie characters, famous singers or even television actors even if it is not directly related to the theme of the convention. Unlike the Japanese, French cosplayers use almost exclusively hand-made costumes which are often used only once. Buying or reusing costumes is seen as unfair competition (in some contests, they can not compete). French cosplayers are mainly focused on cosplay contests, which take place in nearly all manga, science fiction, fantasy or role-playing game conventions. They are not really competitive; they are more of an occasion to show off the costume and appear as good as possible instead (e.g. scene, lighting, soundtrack, etc.). Acting and singing skills are highly valued in contests, and some groups reenact fighting or musical comedy scenes also. For example, being able to do a cartwheel stunt in costume is part of the Japan Expo tradition and one of the most valued figures in the contest.
In Belgium, cosplay plays an increasingly important role in the F.A.C.T.S. convention, with hundreds of people dressed up in costume from different anime series - though there is an equally large group of cosplays inspired by Western fandoms such as Star Wars, Stargate, Harry Potter, Marvel or DC comics, Disney and much more.

Also, B.I.F.F.F., Asianim and even Hypercon are organizing competitions as it gives conventions a unique additional value.

Cosplay is rapidly entering the mainstream in the Philippines, where cosplay events are often held within an anime, manga, gaming, or sci-fi convention. More often than not, these conventions and events are sponsored, and debates have raged on whether or not judges' perspectives are influenced by the organizers of a cosplay event. Also, Filipino cosplay rules overlook and allow professional fully commissioned costumes to participate in competitions.

Cosplay also has followers in other parts of Asia such as South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. As well as attending comic festivals and events, cosplayers there also frequent districts popular with teenagers.
Besides pictorial artworks, there is another form of cosplay, which is taking a source from something in the real world being unique and dramatic and then changing its appearance and spirit as the anthropomorphic form for the convenience and vividness of a human cosplaying it: for example, "Princess SP1900" the anthropomorphic form of electric multiple unit rolling-stock SP1900 of Kowloon-Canton Railway in Hong Kong .

Cosplay in North America

Anime convention activity in the United States and Canada has become a much larger and much more popular trend in the 2000s. With the added public attention coming from such popular animated series imported from Japan (see anime) including Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, Death Note, Inuyasha and Bleach, cosplayers and the anime world have peeked their heads into the world of mainstream pop culture, on at least a relatively underground scale. More and more convention-goers cosplay as their favorite characters from their favorite anime, and thus, the cosplay and anime subcultures have been able to have enough influence to further the creation of anime conventions to accommodate for the increasing number of cosplayers.

Conventions in America often include both cosplay and costume contests. The cosplay, or "masque", (masquerade) is a skit contest done in cosplay costume. The costume contest is often a test of skill, design, and audience reaction. The contestants are judged either beforehand or on stage and then walk across said stage while the audience cheers (or not, depending on the etiquette of the venue). The increased popularity of convention costuming has led to the addition of several relatively new cosplay-based events, adding to the traditional masquerade and hall costume contests. Such events include the Anime Dating Game and Cosplay Human Chess, where participating cosplayers act out their characters' role in the game accordingly.

Competition has led to the development of many cosplay groups that plan for conventions months in advance. Non-competitive cosplay can often be seen at opening nights for science-fiction and fantasy movies, especially those with an established following. Even in small towns, some cosplayers wait in line for hours before showings of movies in franchises like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Even cult hits like Serenity have drawn opening night cosplay.

In the UK, US and elsewhere, fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show attend screenings of the cult film in the costumes of its characters. This tradition began soon after the film's release in 1975.

The annual Bay to Breakers footrace in San Francisco has been a favorite cosplay venue for decades. A large number of cosplayers run or walk in their favorite costumes amongst serious competitive runners.[citation needed] In the CBS hit show CSI: NY, one of the victims that was found dead on the episode "Down the Rabbit Hole" was cosplaying as her avatar, as was the victim's killer.

Starting on July 4th, 2008, a limited number of cosplay j-pop influenced dance parties have been springing up in the city of Chicago after a recent Wizard World Convention well it is bit long to explain about the "cosplay" but, hope it help you.

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