Cosplay is an abbreviation of "costume-play". The term refers to dressing up as an anime/manga/game character.
Cosplay is a popular hobby of teen-aged girls in Japan, and is also prominent amongst anime fans worldwide. Sometimes, cosplays can be very good; with a well-crafted, well-fitting costume that looks like its original reference. Such cosplays often require hours of hard work, and considerable seing talent.
Other times, cosplays can be horrendous; especially when fat, balding, middle-aged men decide to cosplay as Sailor Moon, or when a costume really doesn't fit the wearer.

Literally "Costume Play." Dressing up and pretending to be a fictional character (usually a sci-fi, comic book, or anime character).

Cosplay:
It is a word that has it's root in costume play. It is both a noun and a verb. Cosplay can mean the actual costume, as well as the action of wearing it
Contrary to popular belief, many cosplayers (well over 98%) do not believe they are the characters they are "cosplaying" as. Cosplays are typically worn to anime conventions. Cosplays are made for the following reasons..
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1.) To recreate a 2 dimensional art form into 3-D.
2.) To challenge one's self to create a cosplay. Many of which dont seem possible to physically create, but somehow are.
3.) To show appreciation and/or interest in a certain anime/manga/videogame.
4.) To take pride in a cosplay that looks well done.
5.) Because normal cloth that is shitted out for everyone via mass factories and little kids in china are dull. Cosplays are much more interesting to wear. And each cosplay is one of a kind unique considering the wearer most likely made it him/herself.
6.)It's a Hobby
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Reasons why cosplays are worn:
1.) To take pride in ones own creation
2.) To wear something out of the ordinary (societies restrictions on what is allowable to be worn everyday is bland)
3.) To show support and/or interest in an anime/manga/videogame
4.) Self expression. Often the character that is choosen to be cosplayed mirrors the actual person wearing the cosplay. The person's personality is like the character Not the other way around (t...

Cosplay-

The act of gathering raw and ready made materials to create a 3D object from a 2Dreference.

Cosplay are referenced from not just Japanese anime or manga but from video games and even american comics.

Cosplay can be anything from weapons to clothes to even automotives or animals.

The skills required to complete a finished "Cosplay" include anything from: sewing, woodcraft, knitting, sculpting, metal working, painting, fabric dying, hair styling etc.

A large component of cosplay is the understanding of composition and proportion so that the costume will look correct on yourself as it does the character you are trying to emulate.

kos-pley

n. The habitual act of dressing up like comic book or cartoon characters favored by enthusiasts, nerds, and batshit weirdos with a loose grip on reality.

Abbreviated for Costume Play

Mostly used for Anime and Comic fans that like to dress up as their favorite characters and go to conventions or other themed events. The costumes are usually home made and will include all the accessories the characters has (weapons, luggage, pets, etc) . Strangely, it’s not uncommon to see Males dress up as female characters and Females dress up like Male characters.

Sadly, 90% of them look like big fucking dorks, mostly because THEY ARE big fucking dorks, meanwhile the other 10% who are always female look pretty hot in an almost fetish manner.

Cosplay is a portmanteau of the words costume and roleplay. Generally, depressed lifeless Japanese wannabees tend to dress up in shoddy costumes ordered on the internet, before running to their towns dressed in a white wig, claiming to be the ultimate bishie (Sephiroth), and stealing the pudding from the town.