, a
contraction of the words
costume play, is a
performance art in which participants called
cosplayers wear
costumes and
fashion accessories to represent a specific
character. Cosplayers often interact to create a
subculture and a broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed
role-playing in venues apart from the stage. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject and it is not unusual to see
genders switched. Favorite sources include
manga and
anime, comic books and cartoons, video games, and live-action films and television series.