What comes to your mind when you hear the word COSPLAY?

             They usually want to know about what people do in cosplay costumes.

     Cosplay is the short word for "costume play".It is an art or practice of wearing costumes to portray characters from films, video games, anime, comics and manga.It is a very unique form of performance art and a time-treasured hobby that is gaining popularity.

     "Costume play" did not start in Japan and it is not an original concept of the Japanese.However, the word "cosplay" was coined by a Japanese reporter.That is the extent of Japanese involvement in the creation of the hobby.In 1984, Nobuyuki Takahashi, President of Japan's Studio Hard coined the word "cosplay" to describe what he saw at the World Science Fiction Convention.He was inspired by the people wearing costumes in the halls and masquerade ball at Los Angeles Science Fiction Worlcon.His enthusiastic reports in Japanese Science Fiction magazines sparked the Japanese cosplay movement.

    Traditionally, the costumes displayed in cosplay are based on Japanese culture.Cosplayers take inspiration from anime, manga, movies, and video games.Today, however, cosplay has extended from Japanese inspiration to all sorts of cult fantasy realms.The great thing about this setting is the merging of cultures.

     Anime fans, sometimes called "otaku", are the most prevalent participants in cosplay events.They like to don costumes and go to events.Sometimes they create their own costumes and accessories.Cosplayers like to meet outdoors on weekends to pose for pictures, and check out each others elaborate creations.They hangout with people with similar interests.

     The popularity of cosplay in Japan encourage the miconception that cosplay is specifically a Japanese or Asian hobby.The term "cosplay" is Japanese in origin, but costume play was originally a hobby from the United States.The hobby was then later picked up by the Japanese and reinvented by Americans.For many years, costuming had a widespread following and continues to experience growing popularity in North America and Europe, and has more recently spread throughout South America and Australia.Western cosplay's origins are based primarily in science fiction and historical fantasy fandoms.

     The increasing popularity of Japanese animation outside of Asia during the late 1990s has led to an increase in American and other Western cosplayers who portray Japanese characters in anime conventions have become more numerous in the West in the previous decade, now they are conferences with science fiction, comic book and historical cosplayers in attendance.At these gatherings, cosplayers, like their Japanese counterparts, show off their work, take photos, and compete in costume contest.Convention attendees are mostly seen dressed up as Japanese animated characters, or as a characters from movies and video games.Differences in taste still exist across cultures.

     Since then, cosplay has spread to countries across the globe.The Japanese have taken cosplay to a new level.They've managed to turn it into an art form, inspiring fellow cosplayers worldwide.No wonder most cosplayers have acquired celebrity status for their creations.
     
     Well, that's it!If you're new to cosplay then I hope this short article answered the question of "what is cosplay?" for you.I hope you were able to get something out of this too.