Cosplay

Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure), a contraction (or portmanteau) of the English words "costume" and "play", is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, Japanese movies, or Japanese pop music bands. However, in some circles, "cosplay" has been expanded to mean simply wearing a costume.

Related Topics:
Portmanteau - Japanese - Subculture - Manga - Anime - Video games - Television - Movies - Japanese pop music

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In Japan, "cosplay" as a hobby is usually an end unto itself. Likeminded people gather to see other costumes, show off their own elaborate handmade creations, take lots of pictures, and possibly participate in best costume contests.

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The most specific anecdote about the origin of the word "cosplay" was that Nov Takahashi (from a Japanese studio called Studio Hard) coined the term "cosplay" as a contraction of the English-language words "costume play" while he was attending the 1984 Los Angeles Science Fiction Worldcon. He was so impressed by the hall and masquerade costuming there that he reported about it frequently in Japanese science fiction magazines. This ultimately triggered Japanese cosplay. This point is debatable, however, as the word fits in with the typical Japanese method of abbreviation: combining the first two syllables of one word with the first two syllables of a second word. Other examples of this include Pokemon (????, short for ?????????, or "pocket monster") and puroresu (????, short for ???????, or "professional wrestling.")

Related Topics:
Science Fiction - Worldcon - Abbreviation - Pokemon - Professional wrestling

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