Japanese pop culture such as anime and manga are very popular around the world today. The images, visuals and stories presented in manga and anime are very pleasing to the eye and exciting to follow. Therefore, many anime and manga fans want to portray the characters they like, so the term cosplay emerged. Speaking of cosplay, this time we will discuss the origin and history of Cosplay.
The cosplay phenomenon is not only popular in Japan and not just for hobbies. But this cosplay culture has been famous throughout the world and some can even make money from this cosplay.
Origin and History of Cosplay
Although the term Cosplay was coined in Japan, so it is associated as Japanese culture. But in fact cosplay was first done by Mr. and Mrs. William Fell, a Cincinnati, Ohio couple in 1908. At that time they attended a masquerade party, and the costumes they used depicted the characters Mr. Skygack and Miss Pickles in a comic released by the Chicago Day Book.
While the inspiration for the first cosplay came in 1939 that person was Myrtle Rebecca Douglas Smith Gray Nolan, known in science fiction history as Morojo. She is a science fiction fan and cosplay pioneer from Los Angeles.
The First Cosplay Term in Japan
Cosplay is a combination of Costume and Play, a term coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi of Studio Hard in 1984. After attending the World Science Fiction Convention, he was impressed that many people were wearing costumes.
Therefore, he thought of a new term that could describe the hobby and created Cosplay activities where cosplayers dress up and wear costumes resembling anime, manga or video game characters.
They often perform in Tokyo districts like Akihabara, Harajuku or at big events like Comiket and World Cosplay Summit. Since then, many people have taken up cosplay as a hobby and it has become a popular culture in Japan.
Not just a hobby, cosplay is now a big business, with many events and stores providing a variety of costumes. In addition to buying cosplay equipment, some cosplayers also make their own so that they can develop their creative side and can find friends with similar interests.
This is a discussion about the origin and history of Cosplay, a Japanese culture that is loved by many people. After reading this article, do you now know about the history of the origin of cosplay? Don’t forget to keep visiting Dafunda.
