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Revision as of 21:51, 21 August 2003 by Mdchachi (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Cosplay is a Japanese subculture centered around dressing up as characters from manga, anime and video games, and less commonly live action television shows, movies or pop music bands.
The term is a Japanese contraction combining the words "costume" and "play" which accurately describes the hobby: dressing up as one's favorite characters and playing them out / bringing them to life at public events such as conventions.
It is different from costuming in the United States in that it specifically refers to dressing up as characters from Japanese animated films (Anime), Japanese comics (manga), or Japanese video games, as compared to dressing up as Star Trek characters or in Renaissance-era costumes.
Cosplay has spread across the world in recent years, joining with costuming at science fiction conventions in North America and Europe.