What is the origin and exact meaning of cosplay?

As the name implies, COSPLAY is the abbreviation of English COStume drama, the verb is cos, and people who play COSPLAY are generally called COSPLAYER. Generally speaking, the earliest Chinese translation of COSPLAY came from Taiwan Province Province, which means role-playing. But because this translation is the same as the role-playing game (RPG) in the game, in order to avoid the similarity, the author prefers another translation-dressing up. As far as today's COSPLAY is concerned, its form and content generally refer to the use of clothing, trinkets, props and makeup to play ACG (animation, comics, games) or some roles in Japanese Vision Rock and movies. Thus, COSPLAY contains a vast space for its positioning. It can even be said that as long as there is COSPLAYER, this field is definitely the mainstream of teen pop culture today.

COSPLAY origin

Speaking of the original origin of COSPLAY, it is generally believed that the birthplace of COSPLAY is in Japan. Of course, if it is based on the concept of COSPLAY in today's era, this can be said. But in a broad sense, the real birthplace of animated COSPLAY is definitely the United States in the western hemisphere, and even if we really want to discuss the original form of COSPLAY, the author can tell you without hesitation that COSPLAY first appeared in the centuries before the first year of AD! Because both the costumes of Greek sacrifices that existed around 1000 BC and the bard who co-authored two great Greek epics "Iliad" and "Odyssey" in the 8th century BC are actually playing the role of others. The former became the prophet and prophet of later generations, and successfully cosplayed the existence of the apostles, while the latter, like the originator of today's stage plays, cosplayed the deeds of those epic heroes. In fact, the meaning of COSPLAY's inclusion and dressing up is not only an external visualization, but more importantly, it should go deep into the hearts of COSPLAY people. Okay, let's get down to business. Next, let's talk about the real birthplace of COSPLAY-the United States.

Can American COSPLAY be molded?

Since the Jesuit priest athanasius kircher invented the "magic slide" in17th century, the appearance of animation has become a necessity. In the following century, this kind of "magic slide" became popular in Europe until the end of 19, when Walter? Only after the appearance of Disney's "Charming Mouse" did the American animation style have a clear definition, and it was during this period that the first real COSPLAY with animated characters began to be staged. Yes, there is no doubt that the cute and funny Mickey Mouse is popular all over the United States and even the world. Walter. Disney seized the opportunity to create the world's first Disneyland in 1955. At the same time, in order to promote the product itself and attract tourists better, Walter? Disney also specially invited employees to wear Mickey Mouse costumes for tourists to enjoy or take photos as a souvenir. Therefore, it can be said that this group of unknown "Mickey Mouse" players are the true ancestors of COSPLAYER all over the world in today's era. From this, we can also know that the original purpose of COSPLAY is still a commercial form, rather than popular consumption as it is now. There is actually a very important basis for taking the United States, or more accurately, Disney as the real birthplace of COSPLAY, that is, the professional production of COSPLAY clothes worn by Disney dressers at that time. Although in the current COSPLAY clothing, many of them are sewn by the dressers themselves. However, as the origin of COSPLAY, a standardized and systematic clothing production organization is needed.

At first, it was Walter who made role-playing costumes for Disney characters in Disneyland, such as Mickey Mouse, Brutu, Gu Fei, Donald Duck and others. Disney's early prop department. Shortly after the park was officially established, Walter? Disney has expanded the scale of its prop department. In addition to making props for film and television works, he is also responsible for all COSPLAY costumes needed for the work in the park. Of course, these early so-called COSPLAY clothes are just a "big paper bag" with a fixed shape, which has no aesthetic feeling at all, and the finished products are relatively rough. It is easy to make the dresser breathe poorly after wearing this kind of clothes. But in any case, compared with that time, Disney's COSPLAY clothing production at this time has already had a certain scale.

Is Japan the founder of COSPLAY in the true sense today?

At the moment, Japan has set off a new cartoon craze in Japan because 1947 Osamu Tezuka, the god of comics, adapted the red book cartoon "New Treasure Island" from Sakai Seven Horses. As a result, the whole ACG (animation, comics, games) market in Japan is booming, thus laying a solid foundation for truly establishing ACG's position in Japan. At this time, Disney's COSPLAY was introduced to Japan and imitated by ACG circles. As a result, this has become a trend and a normal activity in Japanese ACG circles. The earliest Japanese COSPLAY appeared in the 30th year of Showa (AD 1955). At that time, the so-called COSPLAY was just a costume for children's playroom. The year I remember happened to be the year when Masked Moonlight and Young Jeter were broadcast in Japan, so many children were the protagonists of these two works at that time. COSPLAY at this time is purely a toy between children, but it is still very particular about clothing, of course, the premise is to have money. At that time, there was no special COSPLAY clothing store in Japan. If a child wants to have the same clothes as the protagonist in the animation, he must first ask someone to draw the design, and then go to the department store to ask someone to sew it. Koji Hiroi, a famous game producer today, asked a geisha in a geisha street near his home to draw the costume design of COSPLAY as a child. This relatively rough situation lasted for nearly twenty years. It was not until 1970s and early 1980s that ACG in Japan experienced a period of exploration and growth, and COSPLAY, as a subsidiary culture of ACG, gradually got real development. It can be said that the concept of COSPLAY today is completely inherited from Japan at that time.

However, in 1980s, although Japanese COSPLAY developed in a higher age group and more groups, there was still no real pure COSPLAY activity. At this time, COSPLAY is more attached to another peripheral culture brought by ACG-fan club (its works are called fan records). The word "Fanshi" originated in Japan and originally meant "a group of like-minded people jointly create their own literary works, which is called Fanshi". In other words, as long as like-minded friends combine their published literary works into a book, they will not be published by commercial publishing houses, but will be printed at their own expense and circulated among fellow friends, which can be called "Fan Zhi". Due to the prevalence of Japanese animation and video game culture at that time, many good popular works were very popular among fellow friends, and "adapting commercial works and writing comic fan stories in the form of rumor" gradually became the mainstream of the fan community. As a result, a large number of fan clubs have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and in order to recruit members and promote themselves (the first fan club started in197565438+February, when it was just a small fan club with 32 organizations and more than 600 participants, it became a super-large fan club two or three times a year in the 1980s). As a result, this trend, like an explosion, quickly caused a trend among fellow friends, and the number of people joining the COSPLAY ranks increased rapidly. Later, the popularity was even comparable to the instant sales meeting of fans.

After the naivety in the 1960s and 1970s and the start-up in the 1980s, COSPLAY in the 1990s began to get on the right track and became a subsidiary culture of the ACG industry in Japan with the rapid maturity of the game industry (the most typical one is the next-generation mode dispute between Nintendo, Sega and Sony) and the endless emergence of visual orchestras. In 1990s, ACG industry in Japan successfully held a large number of animation exhibitions and game exhibitions. At this time, in order to promote their products, Japanese cartoonists and video game companies found some men and women to COSPLAY as ACG characters at these game exhibitions and comic festivals to attract exhibitors. This move is exactly like Walter, right? When Disney opened Disneyland, it was exactly the same. It can be seen that the key to the formation and development of COSPLAY lies in the commercialization of ACG itself. It can be said that only by taking COSPLAY as a means of commercial promotion can COSPLAY itself be greatly developed and recognized.

How about COSPLAY in Chinese mainland, Taiwan Province and Hongkong?

COSPLAY was introduced to China late. The earliest recorded COSPLAY in Taiwan Province Province was on1August 27th, 995, located on the first floor of Saga World in Kaohsiung. However, it was reported that the scale was not large at that time, and most of the characters were in video games. After that, in June 1996 65438+ 10/3, Taipei Baby Bear Restaurant held an autumn party by "Super Orange Group". Although widely publicized before the meeting, many people know it, but the scale is still very small. This situation lasted until mid-February, 1997, and three events were held in succession, and the number of COSPLAY people began to increase, thus forming the characteristics of COSPLAY circles in Taiwan Province Province. Since then, the number of COSPLAY activities in Taiwan Province Province has increased year by year, and the venue has also developed from the north to the south-central. This shows the popularity of COSPLAY activities in Taiwan Province Province.

COSPLAY appeared in Hongkong before Taiwan Province Province. It is said that Hong Kong had its own COSPLAY as early as 1993. At that time, there were no fan clubs in Hong Kong. Generally speaking, fans will exhibit and sell through the venue of the annual art festival held in Hong Kong at that time. It was in that year (1993) that a fan organization named "400 feet" appeared in the venue wearing the uniform of the allied forces in Legend of the Galaxy, and they became the earliest COSPLAY in Hong Kong. In the same venue next year, they also played the role of allies, but this time they also brought another group of fan clubs called "UVRZ" for role-playing. The female members of "UVRZ" put on Japanese witch costumes and prayed for visitors with witch sticks. 1995, "400 feet" played the role of "mobile policeman", while "UVRZ" began to play some famous ACG roles in that year, such as You Jing in "Jumping Horse 1/2" or Berudandi in "My Love". Since 1996, the "400ft" club has withdrawn from any COSPLAY, but at the same time, other fan clubs have begun to change their clothes one after another, which makes the number of COSPLAY circles in Hong Kong keep rising. Shortly after this, the first fan story charity sale in Hong Kong was jointly held by "UVRZ", "Comic Baby" and "Fire Dog Workshop" (but it was also the only time, and there was no such performance in Hong Kong since then), which of course expanded COSPLAY's influence in Hong Kong again.

Because of its increasing influence year by year, the Hong Kong Comic Association began to hold the first comic exhibition which really belongs to comic fans from July 30th to August 3rd, 1998. At that time, the admission fee was 25 Hong Kong dollars. It is said that COSPLAY in this exhibition is the most popular one in history, and many people have played roles in battle games, such as Ba Shen and Cao. At that time, the winner of the first COSPLAY competition in Hong Kong-"Fun Fun Costume Competition" was a girl dressed as Dhritarastra in The Legend of Gods. Afterwards, SE Corporation, TG Workshop and Hong Kong Art Supplies Professional Center held the first indoor sports cartoon world in Macpherson, Mong Kok on August 30th, 1998. For the first time, a "dressing photography area" was divided in the venue to facilitate participants to take photos as a souvenir. Surprisingly, at that time, someone had already started Inuyasha! ? In the following years, exhibitions among university communities gradually began to emerge, becoming another active venue in the COSPLAY community in Hong Kong.

In contrast, COSPLAY appeared late in Chinese mainland. Until 1998, there were some sporadic and spontaneous individual COSPLAY shows in China, and before that, there was no instant sales meeting for fans of a certain scale. So even if there is COSPLAY, the number is extremely rare. However, due to the maturity of COSPLAY in Japan, Taiwan Province Province and Hongkong, COSPLAY in Chinese mainland developed rapidly and steadily, and the first COSPLAY Competition in Chinese mainland was successfully held in August 2000. The following year, Huayi Company started the "200 1 Best Stone Tool COSPLAY Competition" under the name of its main product "Stone Age" by virtue of its great influence on online games. At the same time, comic book exhibitions and fan exhibitions have been held frequently in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing in recent years, which has made Chinese mainland's COSPLAY have a certain scale.