Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure), short for costume play, is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers
wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character or idea that is
usually identified with a unique name. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered on role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to
any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the
cultural context.
Favorite sources include manga
and anime, comic books and cartoons, video games, and live-action
films. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up
as a subject. Inanimate objects are given anthropomorphic forms and it is not unusual to see genders switched, with women playing male roles and vice
versa. There is also a subset of cosplay culture centered on sex appeal, with cosplayers specifically choosing characters
that are known for their attractiveness or revealing costumes.
There are social networks and websites centered on cosplay activities, while Internet forums allow cosplayers to share stories,
photographs, news, and general information. The rapid growth in the number of
people cosplaying as a hobby since 1990 has made the phenomenon a significant
aspect of popular culture. This is
particularly the case in Asia, where cosplay influences Japanese street fashion.
