Cosplay, or costume roleplay, is a hobby that involves dressing up as a character from a movie, TV show, video game, or another source of entertainment. Some people primarily cosplay for fun, and others do it to gain attention and appreciation from their peers in the cosplay community.
The history of cosplay
Cosplay is a term used to describe dressing up as a character from a movie, video game, or other fictional work. Cosplayers are sometimes called “cosplayers,” “costumers,” or simply “costumers.” The history of cosplay can be traced back to Japan, where costumed characters are, known as “Karakuri,” were popularized in the 17th century. These elaborately costumed figures were performed by puppeteers and often portrayed scenes from classical Japanese literature or poetry. In 1837, an amateur theatrical group in Tokyo staged the first performance of a samurai play with live actors. The play was so successful that it was re-staged several times over the next few years.
The modern roots of cosplay date back to the early 1970s when manga (Japanese comics) fan clubs began dressing up as their favorite characters and performing skits at conventions around Japan. Then, in 1978, anime fans in America started organizing costume contests at science fiction and comic book conventions; these contests eventually became popular enough that they started being held annually. It wasn’t until 1995, however, that cosplaying became widely known outside of Japan, thanks to an episode of Nickelodeon’s animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. During this episode, Aang (the protagonist) donned a costume made by his friends for a spirit dance competition they were participating in; this costume quickly went viral online and caught the attention of cosplayer communities all over the world.
Since then, cosplay has continued to grow in popularity both inside and outside of Japan; today, it is one of the most widespread forms of entertainment on the internet. There are dozens if not hundreds of different cosplay subcultures scattered throughout every country on Earth, each with its own set of rules and customs. While there is no single definitive way to do cosplay right – everyone has their unique style – there are some general guidelines that almost everyone follows regardless of their preferred genre or theme.