• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.109-123
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• 2006

Cosplay is compound of 'costume' and 'play' and teenagerses disguise equally with populace star or cartoon master who like and it is typical culture of character generation as play that imitate to dress and hair style, gestures. Type of cosplay costume get devided as following according to cosplay object. Animation cosplay costume represent person who appear in cartoon and animation equally. Fan cosplay costume imitates entertainer or celebrity. Game cosplay costume represent character of internet on-line Same. Movie cosplay costume is more realistic than animation or game Character as that imitate moviestar. Character cosplay costume is used by commerce purpose brand or event. Characteristics that appeared commonly in types of cosplay costume are as following. First, cosplay costume is consisted of peculiar mechanism that cosplayer perform series progress such as work selection, design development, manufacture, production, acting alone in aspect of Performance costume. Second, according to cosplay object, degree of representation became different. Character is stronger, because the characteristic is emphasized, tendency that degree of reproduction becomes low showed. Third, cosplayer's distiction appeared according to material selection, design development method and analysis.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.470-478
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• 2017

Costume play is an act of imitating the appearance or behavior of characters in digital games, cartoons or animations. In recent years, cosplay culture has become popular in China as the digital game is made into a movie. The number of cosers has also increased. Especially, Qiwei Zoe has been very popular among cosers because her cosplay photography reflects the understanding of the cosplay culture. A number of cosers admit that her work shows a commercial and artistic potential of cosplay photography. This paper analyzed how she maintains the contents of the original but creatively reimplementing them. She shoots the fantastic image of the character like it really exists in reality so that she can avoid excessive editing work. She emphasizes the character's action that symbolizes its personality and utilizes a variety of outdoor shooting locations similar to the original scenes. We also discussed how cosplay photographers can create cosplay photography by maintaining its artistic features.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.41
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• pp.487-510
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• 2015

In recently, thanks to the development of computer and internet, and reinforcement of digital media literacy of ordinary people, many users of comics and animations recombine contents into various ways, including UCCs. In a glance, it seems these outputs violates the copyrights of contents. But in reality, they helps the growth of the ecosystem of contents market, with increase of contents users. The reason of these reproductions inclines the characteristics of animation media. Animation, which are constituted by plastic symbols, auditory symbols, and narrative symbols, and Comic, which supports stories of Animations, affects as 'Imaginary signifier'. These signifiers helps users of contents to dismantle and reassemble stories. These aspects are seen in doujin culture, animation soundtrack fandom, and voice actor fandom. But In this article, we will concentrate into cosplay culture. Cosplay culture shows more active appearances than another fandoms. In especially, cosplay stage and daily cafe show more active reproductions of characters and communications. However, they are done by youth fans, which has not enough financial abilities: therefore, events are not sustainable and discontinued. And they have another limits, like lack of opportunity of performance. In the reality of Korean society, which needs of community making by community member, and hybrid culture, comics and animation productions in Korea are in need of access positively and encourage reproductions of active receivers of animations.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.42
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• pp.263-291
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• 2016

Recently, by growing of Korean comics/animation markets and number of consumers, the more people have been reproducing culture contents into derived contents. However, user experience of active users who enjoy these cultures have not been accepted well like other local culture festivals in South Korea, though there are high potentials of vitalization comics/animation festivals using the active users. In this study, the experiences of participants of BICOF (Bucheon International Comics Festival) from 2013 to 2014 researched using the method of ethnography, especially using (group) interviews and participant observations. The result from the research indicates that cosplayers have limited range of participation inside of festival. And they have negative experiences during their participation into festivals. Therefore, this study suggests necessity of methodology of continuous reflecting of the user experiences of active users into festival, for the solution of the successful festival, who was objectified in the festival.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2006

This study examines the social meaning of the CosPlay, the growth potential of CosPlay culture and its effect on the related industry through the perspectives and language of the youths who enjoy CosPlay, based on the ethnographic research. Also, this study presents a comparative description of Korea and Japan CosPlay culture by the ethnographic methodology whose purpose is to define relationship of cause and effect with phenomenon. For further step, this study plans to emphasize the need to link culture, clothes and related industry in order to create a cultural environment where diversity co-exists. CosPlay is the mania culture of Japan that emulated the Halloween party of the West and that developed the party into a unique form. In Korea, this practice was accepted for the first time among a handful of youths, starting from the 1990s, after which, it was introduced to the masses while holding CosPlay related events. While CosPlay is succeeded as an industry in Japan, CosPlay in Korea is considered childish play due to the Korean culture of considering cartoon as a childish and low class genre which is enjoyed by youths. CosPlay in Korea faces the following changes: aging of the members who comprised the CosPlay culture at the initial stage; population increase, centered on middle and high school students; interest of the government and the businesses that wish to produce economic wealth by organizing CosPlay events into events for youths; and changes in the environment that comprised the surrounding of the CosPlay culture. CosPlay is an honest play that demonstrates one's effort on the stage through performance. Moreover, most of the middle and high school students who comprise the CosPlay culture demonstrate similar characteristics as mania type of people when it came to the reason that they enjoy CosPlay. However, they did not consider CosPlay culture as an important aspect of their lives. Instead, most of them said that they participate to relieve stress. Thus, they have the potential to move onto another form of youth culture that may appear more attractive to them. To them, it is not the CosPlay culture that is important, but the fact that CosPlay provides a forum where they can freely engage in play.