Have you ever come across people who look exactly like your favourite manga character? Welcome to the wonderful world of COSPLAYERS.
The world of cosplay
Cosplay, what is it?
The term cosplay is a portmanteau made of the English words "costume" and "play".
Considered a hobby, it consists of dressing up as a fictional character from a film, series, video game, comics or manga. The goal is to resemble the character as closely as possible, both physically (clothes, hairstyle, accessories...) and in attitude (expressions, poses...).
The people who practise Cosplay are called "Cosplayers".
The art of cosplay — really Japanese?
The art of cosplay — really Japanese?
It's not uncommon to think that cosplay originates in Japan. Although cosplay culture is very anchored there, the hobby was born... in the United States! According to Cosplayers de France, it was born in 1939 at the inauguration of WorldCon.
The art of cosplay only arrived in Japan in the 90s with "the wave of Super Sentai heroes". It was moreover at an American convention that a Japanese journalist, Nobuyuki Takahashi, coined the term "cosplay" — a contraction of the words "costume" and "playing". The phenomenon would then take on incredible scale in Asia.
Who are the cosplayers?
Who are the cosplayers?
Cosplayers, the people who practise cosplay, can be you, us, them: everyone! They're simply enthusiasts of the world of costume and the art of make-up.
Absolutely anyone can do cosplay.
The costumes are worn at large gatherings around the fantasy, science-fiction or manga universe, called 'conventions'. They can be worn outside conventions.
The world of cosplay is a very photogenic, even 'Instagrammable' world; many take photos of themselves in elaborate staging in order to become known on the internet and share their world.
At conventions, cosplayers often arouse the admiration of fans who recognise the characters they embody.
In this video from Japan Expo 2019, find various examples of cosplay — which is your favourite?
