Since 1970 the entertainment world has been fascinated with cosplay, that is, those who dress up as their favorite fictional character and exhibit at various conventions held in the country and around the world. Today cosplay is considered a subculture because its enthusiasts are different from most people because they have their own beliefs and customs. They seek to embody a fictional character, play a role or even represent an idea with the goal of communicating a message. There are also several cosplay websites that contain valuable information about this popular movement.

Anime cosplay is the most internationally recognized, although there are other types of cosplay. In this context many people wonder: "What benefits can cosplay bring to people??. The truth is that they cosplay because they enjoy it, have fun and love to share with others the passion they feel. However, cosplay activity is so wide around the world that there are several reasons why people cosplay.

Getting to know cosplay better

The word cosplay has its origin in the expression costume play, which indicates the playful intention of this subcultural movement. Cosplayers dress up as characters from anime, movies, comics, video games and even literature. They appear at various conventions to represent the fictional character they love in order to cause admiration among those who attend these events. In addition, this fanaticism is transferred to each of the social networks, especially Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook, where thousands of likes and comments of all kinds are generated around these events. Social media further popularizes this social phenomenon, inspiring more people to join this trend. Cosplayers are getting more creative and causing a sensation wherever they go.

Cosplayers constantly consult information sources to keep abreast of all the news about this subcultural movement. They need to be informed about all the events related to the cosplay world, as it represents an opportunity to dress up and show their love for their fictional character. Cosplayers invest money, time and effort in making the costumes they will wear at conventions such as Comic-Con, Japan Expo in France or the World Cosplay Summit in Tokyo. To that we must add the makeup, hairstyle and body expression that each character has. The truth is that the result is amazing, since the cosplayers impress by the perfection of their costumes. Anime characters cosplay is the most complex to represent, as it not only has aesthetic implications, but also various meanings and symbolisms that pertain to this genre. It is worth noting that despite the effort involved in cosplay, cosplayers love to play their favorite anime character for a while.

The art of playing an anime character

Anime cosplay is the most internationally recognized cosplay, because anime series, along with video games, arouse an intense fanaticism among cosplayers. They consult a chosen cosplay website to have references of the image, behavior and the different variants that an anime character can go through over time. Anime series enjoy an incredible success around the world because their characters communicate feelings and emotions in a masterful way, deeply impacting the audience that follows them. Cosplayers know how to transmit diverse sensations through the costumes they wear, achieving extremely realistic representations. Anime is not limited to the beauty of its drawings, but builds stories that include drama, mystery and romance that engage the audience.

People cosplay because some fictional character has impacted them deeply and they need to pay tribute to their favorite characters in some way. Costumes that represent an anime character feature numerous details that contain various symbolisms and meanings, which can only be understood by those who follow that character. Fans of an anime series share various codes that give identity to this subcultural movement. Cosplayers are a true community where everyone feels united by the love for certain characters. Today there are cosplayers of all ages: children, teenagers and adults who need to communicate the messages of their favorite characters. They recognize their fanaticism and are never offended if someone calls them freak. Every cosplay convention represents an opportunity to surround themselves with like-minded people and they feel deeply accompanied and understood. Fortunately, cosplay events take place on all five continents, just check a cosplay website to find out the dates and places where these conventions are held.

Inner liberation

People cosplay because they feel liberated when they portray their favorite character through an extraordinarily well-made costume. Anime cosplay depicts incredibly complex fictional characters that contain diverse edges that only fans understand. The truth is that each anime character communicates messages that cosplayers identify with. A cosplayer communicates through their favorite fictional character and feels liberated to convey their message. Maybe some cosplayers are shy during the course of their daily life, but at every cosplay convention they can express themselves as they want and their favorite character will be the key to their liberation. Some cosplayers feel more comfortable playing a character than being themselves in everyday life, obviously it is not the same for everyone. Every anime cosplay convention is a celebration of the anime genre that arouses passions around the globe.

People cosplay because it awakens their innate creativity and creativity is infinite, therefore cosplayers have no limits when it comes to making the most sophisticated costumes. They keep themselves informed through various websites and work hard on the details of their favorite character. There are also national and international contests that choose the best cosplayers, which adds to the adrenaline of the competition. The cosplay activity encompasses much more than just dressing up, as it involves a deep knowledge of each fictional character. Cosplayers share their secrets on how they make their costumes, they provide tips and tricks to create the best costume. Cosplayers learn a lot from each other, which strengthens the brotherhood that exists between them. Anime cosplay is the most challenging, as this genre contains complex codes, meanings and symbolism that need to be deciphered in order to be understood. However, cosplayers are not intimidated by the challenges, but love to evolve through them. It can be deduced that people cosplay for love, as they enjoy the creative process of the costume that represents their favorite fictional character.