Discourse: 2 - Subcultures

The Subculture of Cosplay

Cosplay is a Japanese portmanteau of "costume play", and it is a form of performance art where it typically involves people dressing up in fashions and donning specific accessories and props that represent specific ideas, typically fictional characters from various media and series.

The term is coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi, when he attendedn the 1984 WorldCon in Los Angeles (YeinJee's Asian Blog, 2008). Technically, then, it is considered a relatively recent subculture that has popped up in recent times, although the practice of dressing up -- or costuming -- in the same fashion as fictional characters have been around in Western popular culture since the 1930s (Kyle, D., 2002). It is arguable that cosplay only started gaining a widespread attention in many countries in more recent times, especially when Japanese animation and games are now being distributed to different countries, as well as them being available through downloads, online, and through the sale and distribution of translated Japanese comics. Cosplay in Japan can be considered a very widespread subculture of its own; there are cosplay events and dedicated formalities regarding cosplay photography, and there are even cosplay cafes springing up not only in Japan, but also in other parts of the world where cosplay is fast gaining a following.

Much of cosplay depends greatly on the process of design -- cosplayers are made to play the role as designer, artist, tailor (if they make their own costumes) prop maker and performer (especially if they are involved in cosplay competitions). And if they happen to design their own cosplay cards, they also play the role of graphic designer as well! Therefore, it can be inferred that a lot of thought, effort and brainstorming comes into play in the process of creating a realistic, believable cosplay. It can be very time-consuming and also eats up a lot of costs, but in the end it is worth it to the cosplayer that enjoys what they do, hence why it is a hobby for many enthusiasts around the world.

It has become such a widespread subculture, especially during the recent times, that it now can be considered an art form. There are many tutorials and guides dedicated to help those who want to begin cosplaying, or need tips and tricks to make their cosplays better. Competitions are held every time an animation, comics and games (ACG) convention is held, receiving much positive response from the public. Once disregarded as a wasteful and negative hobby, now it is fast gaining following and support for the public.

In Malaysia, particularly, this seems to be very widespread. More cosplay competitions are being held year round, within ACG conventions and out, and are sponsored by big brands and companies as a way to attract youths to spend their time in a wise and fun manner.

Reference:

Dave Kyle. 2002. Caravan to the Stars. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.jophan.org/mimosa/m29/kyle.htm. [Accessed 15 December 14].

YeinJee's Asian Blog. 2008. Origin of the word cosplay. [ONLINE] Available at: http://yeinjee.com/tag/nobuyuki-nov-takahashi/. [Accessed 15 December 14].