【Feature】The history of Cosplay

Origin of cosplay

In the United States which has traditionally costumes in Halloween since ancient times, in the events such as SF convention since the latter half of the 1960s, he was performing a costume (masquerade) of a person appearing in SF works such as "Star Trek".


It was already adopted in the program as a costume show already in the 1960s and 1970s at the Japan SF Convention which was strongly influenced by the World Confederation World Con to be held mainly in the United States in the United States.


The cosplay in the Japan SF competition is said to have taken hold since the following year, after the show was done from the Kyoto convention in 1974. At the fancy party of the 17th Japan SF Convention held in Lake Ashino in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1978, the fantasy circle "Loreleius" composed of SF critic SF critic who was one of the fans at that time, including Reiko Hikawa and others Participated in a cover imitated by Edgar Rice Burroughs's "A Fighting Man of Mars" (original SF bunko) cover illustration (by Takeobu Honichiro). Other participants watched the appearance and animation "

Triton of the sea ", and since he himself did not strongly deny himself, Triton is supposed to be said to be the first cosplay in Japan unquestionably. A cosplay contest was also held at the Japan SF Convention.


The act of "to impersonate a fictitious person" was a unique existence at the time when SF fans in typography occupied a lot, and it is regarded as a heresy otherwise it is a heresy, and defines a line with "SF fans" It was a limited preference of. However, it is difficult to participate in the science fiction unless it has some insight on the science fiction, and in the SF community which was high in hurdle, the light SF layer which simply "I wanted to participate" also looks like "costume" in an easy-to-understand manner It will be possible to join those who only had "peeping" until then.


Cosplay is also done at doujinshi, etc. of doujinshi, and it came to call costumem play to dress up cartoon and animation as doujinshi immediate sale comic market (Yoshihiro Yonezawa representative of comic market) He was a central member. Yonezawa says that those who were dressed as girls' comic artists and fans dressed as comic festivals for festivals, who appeared as characters of animation appeared, gradually increased. A manga artist who became a pioneer existence of cosplay idol · Ban Ippongi made his own costumes of "Urusei Yatsura" Lum (Rum) from around 1980 before pro debut, attracted attention by making cosplay at Comiket venue . In comikes before animation and manga cosplay appeared, it was also done to wear locking costumes that I love, but in 1977 it became an animated cartoon "
Triton of the sea "girl appeared and attracted attention, and in the next round"
Gatchaman "cosplay appeared, gradually spreading.


In Japanese media, animation magazines etc. started taking up cosplay little by little in relation to doujinshi spot sale, but in particular it was dealt with largely in the August 1980 issue of LaPort (first issue) issued by LaPort, the same magazine Twisted the bamboo shoots that had been sweeping at Harajuku at that time, and posted "Feature articles" that cosplay group "Tominoko Mob" appeared in Harajuku. "Tominoko" comes from the director Yoshiyuki Tomino of "Mobile Suit Gundam", the article was featured in "Mobile Suit Gundam" characters and pictures of people dressed as people who disguised Mobile Suit Gundam. In fact, there were no such customs at the time, this was a movie propaganda project that adopted the style of the press article. However, following the "Anime New Century Declaration" (sponsored by Sunrise.Shinjuku Station East Exit Plaza) which was held before the movie version on February 22, 1981, Gundam Fan gathered more than 10,000 people on February 22, 1981, Some fans called voluntarily produced character's costumes and participated (also participated by Masanori Kano).


In 1985, TBS interviewed Comike on TV programs and interviewed many cosplayers. On television in 1989, the TV program "Hanakin Data Land" (TV Asahi, 1989 - 1995) had announced the cosplay ranking when they performed the animation ranking feature.


By around 1985, the cosplay of "Denjin magazine" popular "Captain Tsubasa" expands from the ease of just ordering to T shirt remodeling and uniform shop. From 1986 it is said that the cosplay done by the group occurred, and at the same time people are said to be amateur Camera Boys shooting cosplay.


Meanwhile, since around 1988, cosplay at doujinshi sale was increasing due to problems such as congestion, manners, and excessive exposure, events prohibited.


In the United States, cosplay became popular due to the popularity of science fiction movie "Star Wars" in the late 1970s, and in the events such as animation convention which became to be performed all over the United States due to popularity of Japanese animation, it is dressed as a character of Japanese cartoon and animation The sight is to be seen. There, it is called by the name of Cosplay (Costume-Play) derived from Japanese English, not Masquerade.




The development of cosplay in the 1990's

In the 1990s, the population of cosplay grew, while Comike's cosplayers counted about 200 in 1991, about 6000 in 1994, about 8000 in 1997.


Subculture became attracting attention in the epidemic of animation "Neon Genesis Evangelion" etc., and the term · act of cosplay became popular. In the live of X JAPAN which is a fire of visual band boom in the early 1990 's, fancy cosplay was performed, which was seen in a small number even after the resurrection in 2007.


From that time on, commercial capital came to focus on cosplay as well. Traditionally, there were only cosplay costumes made by homemade cosplayers, but a trader "Costume Paradise" (now · Cospa), who produces and sells them as ready-made garments, appeared. It is popular because it kept the quality of a certain level or more against homemade things where creator's technology can be influenced by the technology of the producer, and has established a brand. Since the success of COSPA, the number of such cosplay costume workers has increased and the market has expanded.


Events also cosplay alone events have also been held from the state that had been incidentally done in the doujinshi sale, including the comic market and the wonder festival, the Japan SF convention and so on until then. As a format, there are cosplay and dance to dance music and animation song "Cosplay dance party and photography society that cosplayers shoot and shoot each other, provide amateur photographer (Camera Boys) shooting place and so on.


Various exhibition venues such as Tokyo Fashion Town (TFT Hall) and Ota Ward Industrial Plaza (Pio) will be used as the event venue, but in the dance party format, discos and clubs are sometimes used. Cosplay events started by Korakuen Yuenchi (now Tokyo Dome City Attractions) as a Halloween costume event triggered events to be held at various amusement parks and theme parks as well. Apart from this, various events such as "Tokyo game show", "character festival", "DreamParty" and other cosplayable exhibitions are also being held. Doujinshi souvenir specialized for uniform uniform called "costume cafe" · Cosplay events and events limited to cosplay of a specific genre are also held.



Doujinshi sale and information magazines collecting information on cosplay events were released as doujinshi, and information sites appeared after the spread of the Internet. Cosplay specialized mugs and magazines are also issued [20], as of 2007 there are many such as "COSMODE" (Inforrest), "Dengeki Layers" (Media Works), "CosCure" (livedoor Cure · Futabasha).




Widespread cosplay

After the end of the 1990s, adult videos etc. in which actresses appeared wearing costumes of animation and game characters appeared, as well as cosplay type eating places and cocktail shops where service staff wear cosplay costumes to provide services, selling also , Maids and Pitgirls and other uniform costumes are now wearing Catfight DVDs as well.

From the end of the 1990s to the 2000s and onwards, with the spread of the Internet, each cosplayer came to create a website and began to include net idle elements. Furthermore, cosplayers and photographers who create cosplay photo albums and CD-ROM photo albums at the independent production level and distribute it directly as doujinshi and doujin software at comic markets, etc., or through doujinshi specialty stores have come out.

Not only various events but also photo shooting sessions are held in the form of contracts with cosplayer by individual photography society, event company and model office sponsored voluntarily by cosplayer and photographer. There are cases to shoot clerks and cosplayers who are promoting cosplay restaurants and games etc. in pedestrian zone in Akihabara.
Some examples of appealing popular cosplayers as "official cosplayers" as an advertising staff of animation and games, and others who raised their name recognition by becoming official cosplayers, even if they are not originally known. As an official HP content, there are examples of introducing cosplay costumes and linking to mail order.

Some of them belong to the entertainment office and are active as talents and actors (Japanese Porn Stars), event companion, Pit Girls (Grid Girls), campaign girls, model business, including fashion models, voice actors, There are also cases where idols, talent, Voice Actress etc. cosplay on events, promotion, gravure photographs, there are also professors who declare cosplay as a hobby.

Since 2003, TV Aichi (TV Tokyo based) has hosted the Nagoya City venue, inviting prominent cosplayers from around the world to Japan and hosting the "World Cosplay Summit". The Cosplay Summit was held not only in Nagoya but also at the Aichi Expo site in 2005, with the cooperation of Livedoor (with the umbrella of the world's largest cosplay community site "Cure") in the Net, and in 2006 It was held at the Osu Natsu Festival and gained sponsorship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In 2005, there are six countries in Europe, the United States and China, and in 2006 the qualifying is also done in Thailand and Brazil.


In August 2007, costume production companies announced that they will officially launch an association within the year after recruiting participating companies, establishing a preparatory committee for the establishment of the non-profit corporation "Japan Costume Association". The association aims to enlighten Japan and promote healthy development, providing periodic events and contests, providing cosplayers and cosplayers' information exchange places through SNS sites, maintaining the quality of costume products · Establishment of consumer protection system · Market statistics survey, PR activities · Cognitive activities etc are going to be carried out.


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