What is Cosplay? Check out the Full Explanation!

What is Cosplay? You may often hear the words "Cosplay", "Cosplayer", or "Crossplay".

Cosplay Culture in Indonesia has been quite ingrained from the past, especially for fans of Japanese culture.

Usually from the author's experience, you will find it very easy to find Cosplayers in various places events Japan which was held for example Animetoku which was held last January. 

There are people who think that if you wear a certain costume then it can be called Cosplay. 

But, there are also those who say that Cosplay is not that simple.

So what exactly is Cosplay? VCGamers this time will summarize the definition and what is Cosplay so that Vicigers don't need to be confused about what Cosplay, Crossplay, and so on are.

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What is Cosplay?

To answer what Cosplay is in a nutshell, it is a combination of the words "Costume" (costume) and "Play" (role art).

Cosplay is an art activity in which the participants or referred to as Cosplayers wear costumes, accessories, and items that are intended to be similar to certain characters.

This character is usually an interpretation of anime characters, cartoons, games, comics, manga/manhwa, and also movies or TV series.

So by dressing up like certain characters, you can answer the question what is Cosplay? Apparently not.

After the writer digs a bit, Cosplay is also related to acting on the character.

This means that cosplay is intended for people who besides wearing the costume of the character while playing the role play of the character.

But the difference with drama, Cosplay is more flexible where it can be done anywhere without having a special place other than the stage.

Cosplay itself is not like a drama stage that has a script or dialogue that must be used, but rather the gesture or style of the character.

A simple example that the writer found in several events attended were cosplayers who became characters from an anime, for example Levi from Shingeki no Kyojin or Attack on Titan (AoT).

Because for some common events Cosplay involves photography, the Cosplayer Levi will try to show off Levi's character in the photo.

However, there are times when Cosplay also involves appearances on stage which are usually performed by professional Cosplayers.

Usually at cultural events that are held, there are several special events featuring a small drama involving the stories of the characters.

Here, Cosplayers will try to follow the facial expressions, dialogues, ways of speaking, and everything related to the character.

However, the author feels that Cosplay is very broad and not limited by a specific provision, regardless of what Cosplay is.

For those of you who are interested and interested in doing Cosplay, learn the character you want to play as best you can and the most important thing is have fun or have fun while doing it.

After knowing what Cosplay is, the writer will also discuss another term, namely Crossplay.

Previously, it was also mentioned about Crossplay. Crossplay and Cosplay are the same definition.

It is just, Crossplay is when the Cosplayer plays the character with gender different.

For example, if the writer is a woman and wants to play a male character like DJ Alok from Free Fire, then the writer can say that she is doing crossplay.

This does not rule out the possibility for men to play female characters. 

Remember that regardless of what Cosplay is, the purpose of Cosplay can also be a hobby and have fun.

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History Begins Cosplay

After knowing what Cosplay is, the writer will also discuss a little about the history of Cosplay.

Cosplay first grew out of the practice of fan costumes at science fiction (Sci-Fi) conventions.

It began with a woman named Myrtle Douglas otherwise known as Morojo and her boyfriend Ackerman wearing costumes from Morojo's "futuristic costumes" for the 1st World Science Fiction Convention held in New York City in 1939. 

The Japanese term “cosplay” (コスプレ, kosupure) was coined in 1984 and has since grown into a hobby.

The rapid growth in the number of cosplayers as a hobby since the 1990s has made this phenomenon an important aspect of popular culture in Japan, as well as in other parts of East Asia and in the Western world. 

Cosplay events are a common feature of fan conventions, and there are currently many specialized conventions and competitions, as well as social networks, websites, and other forms of media centered on cosplay activities.

How to Get Started Doing Cosplay?

There is no real specific way to start Cosplay. Although what term is Cosplay enough rigid, you can freely start this Cosplay hobby.

You can start by getting to know the character you want to cosplay and preparing the costume you want to use.

For costumes, wigs, and other accessories, there are many choices that you can access to get them.

Now all Cosplay equipment can be found in various online stores or e-commerce.

You can start by doing photoshoot small or you can also take part in various conventions held at the domicile where you live.

Some Famous Professional Cosplayers

After knowing what Cosplay means, VCGamers will also introduce some well-known professional Cosplayers.

These cosplayers are very talented, starting out as people from Indonesia, Japan, and various other countries.

The author summarizes some of the cool Cosplayers who are among the author's favorites. The following are some famous Cosplayer names.

Punipun7

Clarissa Punipun or Punipun is a very popular cosplayer in Indonesia.

Cosplayer who is also the Brand Ambassador of ASUS ROG Has been in the world of Cosplay for a long time.

The author first met Punipun at the AFA (Anime Festival Asia) event several years ago and you could say he was very impressed.

Her face is beautiful, cute, and of course has a very friendly personality. 

This cosplayer, who already has 573 thousand followers, often plays various famous characters.

Punipun ever Cosplay to be WanWan and Layla from MLBB, Kitagawa Marin from My Dress Up Darling, as well Keqing and Ganyu from Genshin Impact.  

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Hakken Ryou

You could say this Cosplayer is currently popular, especially among female fans.

Hakken Ryou or usually known as Hakken is a Cosplayer or you can say Crossplayer from Malaysia who has got 1.5 million followers on Instagram.

Hakken was praised for his very good-looking visuals which are very supportive of the character he chooses to cosplay. 

Characters from famous anime such as Geto Suguru and Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen, Draken from Tokyo Revengers, Oikawa Tooru from Haikyuu, and many more look like they came out of the real world.

An interesting fact (which the author also just found out recently), is that a cosplayer who recently played Genshin Impact's newest character, Kamisato Ayato, turns out to be a woman.

His androgynous face (can look beautiful or handsome) really supports all the characters he plays.

Larrisa Rochefort

Cosplayer from Indonesia who is also very famous among Cosplay fans. 

Brand Ambassador of the team NXL E-Sports this has even penetrated into the international arena such as becoming the Tokyo Game Show Indonesia Representative in 2019.

Larissa is known for playing characters who are quite sexy or type oneesan. 

The characters that have been played are also very varied as they are Wraiths of Apex Legends, Yes Miko and Yelan from Genshin Impact, Nezuko Kamado from Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba), and many more.

Larisa is also issuing a Photobook for Genshin Impact Volume 3, so for those of you who want to buy, you can immediately follow the pre-order.