Crossplay (cosplay)

Crossplay's origins lie in the anime convention circuit, though, like cosplay, it has not remained exclusive to the genre.

[1] In most countries that play host to hobbyists who would call themselves cosplayers, female-to-male crossplayers (females costumed as male characters, sometimes abbreviated "FtM") are far more common, due to a variety of social and cultural factors.

In Japan, female costumers tend to dominate (in numbers) the field of cosplay in general, often portraying a huge assortment of colorful characters regardless of gender.

[3] Male-to-female crossplayers (males costumed as female characters, sometimes abbreviated "MtF") are somewhat more common outside Japan.

Originally, in America, a popular anime series for MtF crossplayers was Sailor Moon, creating "humorous effect and social levity".