Whimsical creativity was on show in the Germany city of Leipzig where hundreds of fans dressed up at a convention for manga comics.

The cosplay event celebrating Japanese comic books and graphic novels was part of the Leipzig International Book Fair and saw aliens turn out alongside princesses and dozens of versions of characters from popular manga and anime titles including Sailor Moon and One Piece.

The term cosplay is taken from the words costume and play, with many of the unique outfits on show made by the fans themselves in days of painstaking work.

Germany Book Fair Manga
(Jens Meyer/AP)
Germany Book Fair Manga
(Jens Meyer/AP)
Germany Book Fair Manga
(Jens Meyer/AP)
Germany Book Fair Manga
(Jens Meyer/AP)
Germany Book Fair Manga
(Jens Meyer/AP)
Germany Book Fair Manga
(Jens Meyer/AP)
Germany Book Fair Manga
(Jens Meyer/AP)
Germany Book Fair Manga
(Jens Meyer/AP)