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Essay on Cosplay

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Cosplay Subculture
Rachael Driver
Bowling Green Technical College

Abstract This paper will be discussing the cosplay, or costume play, subculture. In this paper, it will also go over who makes up this particular subculture, what it takes to be a cosplayer, what this subculture does for society, how society sees those who participate in it, how and when it came to be, most famous cosplay costumes, and what this subculture provides for those who take part in it. Keywords: Cosplay, Costume Play, Sociology, Subculture, Japanese cosplay, costumes, cosplay conventions

Cosplay, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which the …show more content…

The first is to show adoration for a character, or they pick one that they have matching personalities with, hoping to become that character or at least close to it. A few major characteristics of this type of cosplayer may be an enthusiastic attitude and the tendency to pay less attention to detail and quality. Such cosplayers are also known to criticize other cosplayers for not having a full knowledge of their character, or not also adopting character personality. This can cause a lot of conflict between cosplayers. (Cosplay, 2012) The second is those people who enjoy the attention that cosplaying a certain character brings. They have to dress as the most popular character so they can have the most attention. Within the cultures of anime and manga specifically, there is a certain level of dishonor that is attached to cosplayers with this type of attitude. Such cosplayers are usually characterized by paying close attention to detail in their garments and their choice of popular characters. They are also noted by participation in cosplay competitions. (Cosplay, 2012) The third category is those who enjoy the creative process, and the sense of personal achievement upon completion of the costume and character details. Such people are more likely to have a greater budget dedicated to the costumes, more complicated and better quality outfits with access to more materials. They are also more

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