Anime Japan

The Rise Of Cosplay In The West

Halloween is one of the best times to indulge in your deepest fantasies and dress up as whatever you want to be. Not so with the devotees of CosPlay. Dressing up is their hobby all year round and their costumes are more elaborate than most Halloween outfits.

Cosplay is a type of performance art that originated in Japan where people dress up as their favorite characters from Japanese manga, anime, graphic novels, video games and movies. Nowadays, there are quite a few places for cosplay fans to put on their costumes and meet fellow players. There are specific cosplay parties. They also meet at comic book/video game trade shows and at manga or anime festivals.

Even though cosplay was originally popular in Japan, it has spread to the West, mostly due to the increase in popularity of Japanese manga and animation. Anime festivals and conventions have become so popular that many countries hold them annually. These now compete with science fiction, comic and other historical enactments for attendance. Cosplay has now moved away from its original Japanese emphasis. It now embraces costumes from TV series and movies such as Star Trek and Lord of the Rings. You could even include people who participate in Renaissance Fayres and re-enactments of Civil War battles.

However, for the purists Cosplay will always mean dressing as a character from Japanese manga or anime. Some top anime characters include Naruto, Yu-gi-oh, Astro Boy, Goku and Speed Racer.

Many companies have realized the potential of cosplay and have manufactured ready made outfits which are relatively cheap as well as accessories such as wigs, jewelry and props. Many fans still prefer to be more creative and design their own costumes as the object of cosplay is to strictly adhere to the costumes worn by the character they are representing. Indeed it is not only important to meticulously copy the costume but to attempt to copy the mannerisms of the character.

If you fancy becoming a cosplayer or just want to wear something original for your Halloween party or event then take a look at our anime costumes website for some inspiration.

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