Cosplay, an amalgamation of the words, "costume"
and "play," originated in Japan and has become an
international subculture in recent years. Cosplayers typically
dress up as characters from animated films (anime), comics
(manga) or video games and attend role-playing parties to
enjoy themselves and elicit admiration for their outfits.
It bears many similarities to the costuming for science fiction
conventions or Renaissance fairs popular in North America
and Europe.
