Guise on a grand scale

Cosplay (jap. コスプレ kosupure) is an originally japanese trend of costuming which spread in Europe and the USA since the 90s of the 20th century due to an increasing  Manga- and Anime-Hype.

Origin of the name

"Cosplay" is the abbrevation for the English term costume play and was stamped by Nobuyuki Takahashi, the founder of the japanese publishing company Studio Hard. He first used the term in June 1983 in an article for the magazine „My Anime“.

Sense

The so called cosplayers simulate a character as close to the original as possible through the costume and imitating behaviour. The caracters are usually from Mangas, Animes, videogames or movies. These costumes mostly are of high quality. The average cosplayer age is between 15 and 25 years, but many younger and far older people align themselves with those; often family members; and sometimes a whole family is involved in the production of the costumes.

Cosplay primarily is for personal enjoyment. Some finance the expensive effort by selling photos of the self-sewn costumes, win awards at conventions or reproduce costumes for giving other fans who aren't that talented in this metier a chance to wear and showcase them. There are only a few who cosplay for money.

All in all it's an instructive and entertaining hobby with which you can find friends and like-minded people.

Sources: Wikipedia, my own knowledgde

retrieved 09.09.2011

Being a "real whizz kid", in the end I can't back off from this art movement either.

The first series I decided to dedicate to is the videogame-series "Legend of Zelda"(but meanwhile I've expanded, much to my chagrin ^^; ).

More info on those games, caracters, places, aso:

www.zeldawiki.org is a very helpful place...

Well then, -