Cosplay Subculture?

[Rose Prince]

I've heard mention of "the cosplay subculture". Exactly what is this in reference to? Do people dress up as anime characters and go grocery shopping? I thought cosplay was limited to maid/cosplay cafes, the Yoyogi[?] bridge, and of course anime cons/VK concerts...?

I really have no idea what this cosplay culture is or if it even exists...someone care to enlighten me? Thanks~

[John]

Without a contextual example of the use of the term "cosplay subculture" you're refering to, I can only guess that it's referring to the percentage of anime fans who cosplay. For example, I've been a hardcore anime fan for roughly 20 years, but I've never cosplayed and have no interest in doing so. So those who cosplay are a sub-community or sub-culture within anime fandom.

[Matsu'o Tsurayaba]

Well,i suppose some fans can take the idea of dressing as their favorite anime characters a bit too seriously.Its probibly refering to fans who are a bit more loyal or die hard.

[Rose Prince]

Without a contextual example of the use of the term "cosplay subculture" you're refering to, I can only guess that it's referring to the percentage of anime fans who cosplay.

I actually have no idea, how to be more specific, which is why I asked, haha! I just know that when I talk about Japanese fringe fashions, people like to mention this [potentially mythical] "cosplay subculture" in Japan. Maybe they really are just referring to the people who dress up on the weekends, but it doesn't seem any more special than the people here who dress up at conventions, so why is it a subculture there and just regular cosplay here? O.o; Huh.

[White hell]

Though I don't do cosplay, I fully support it, It looks fun.

[Suiko Eiji]

I actually have no idea, how to be more specific, which is why I asked, haha! I just know that when I talk about Japanese fringe fashions, people like to mention this [potentially mythical] "cosplay subculture" in Japan. Maybe they really are just referring to the people who dress up on the weekends, but it doesn't seem any more special than the people here who dress up at conventions, so why is it a subculture there and just regular cosplay here? O.o; Huh.

If I may jump in on this, I think there are two respectably different "cosplay subcultures" in the US and Japan.

If quoting a Japanese source, then it most likely is talking about the Yoyogi/Shubuya-ku Weekenders (as I call them), folks who dress up at Komiket, and possibly the Maid Cafe sort of folks. Now, I'm personally hesitant to consider the waitresses at Maid Cafes part of a subculture - after all, they may be interested in the costuming, but that is a paying job for them. The same could be said of those hot chicks at E3 or Tokyo Game Show who are dressed as Video Game characters. I would say that probably the real cosplay subculture folks who are at Maid Cafes are probably the patrons.

Also, from what I hear US cosplayers are that while the end goals may seem the same, the roots of their hobby compared with their Japanese counterparts differ greatly. The Japanese, for better or worse, look at cosplay as a type of modeling and in "public performances" look to take on the role of the character, as well as the look. The origin of the word is, after all, Costume Play. Hence why you hear young and eager fanboys foaming at the mouth about Japanese cosplay chicks and revile American counterparts who may not have that model-type of body.

Counter to that, American cosplay type of culture followed sci-fi and fantasy fandom, but as anime grew more into its own hobby out of those sci-fi/fantasy gatherings, it has really become more attached an identifiable with anime fandom - I think mostly becuase of more outrageous character designs and not being immediately identified to the uneducated specatator (you may not know what a Klingon is, but when you see one, you know to think "Trekkie").

Most American cosplayers are in it for the actual construction of the costumes. Think of people who like scale modeling but instead of gluing plastic resins together, they sew fabric. Personally, I'd rather do the model kit. As to why its people like doing it, I've got my theories, which if reduced to psychobabble could have reasons rooted in "attention ***** status" or "self-esteem issues", but that's not really fair to every individual cosplayer because I know a few who are reletively grounded people and I've seen/know a couple who are absolute lunatics. Like every sector of fandom, they have their good and bad apples.

As John (and others) have stated, they've been fans for a long time but haven't cosplayed. I've done it a couple of times in the past as for friends as a favor, but have never really sought after doing much with it beyond that. Cosplay is also something typically done within conventions, too; since people who cosplay are most likely anime fans to start with (or if cosplaying from Y, you're probably a fan of Y, where Y can equal anything), hence why it is considered a subculture.

[Rose Prince]

Oh, I wish I'd seen this a little sooner so as not to revive an old thread! Thanks for the very thorough response. I had heard this term in reference to the Japanese from American mouths. The only thing I could think of was the Yoyogi kids and maid cafes (I only recently discovered "Komiket"), so I thought there must be something more that I was missing, but apparently not.

I think some people here (in the country) think that cosplay in Japan is a type of fashion statement. I remember once I mentioned how Visual-kei artists sometimes had such elaborate outfits that they looked liked video game characters, and someone remarked, "Oh yeah, it's that cosplay subculture they have over there." (This was not the first time someone had made this remark to me, so that's why I got curious!)

Also, with Gothic/Lolita fashion becoming so popular, because girls go to Yoyogi bridge dressed up in it, everyone thinks it's only cosplay. Then someone tells them, no, that's actual fashion--then these people come to the conclusion that Oh! They have cosplay-fashion there! Heh, not quite....

I guess what it comes down to is that the people I heard the words "cosplay subculture" come from were all along just people who considered extravagant, impractical fashion "cosplay", even though it really wasn't. Heh, at least it all makes sense now!

Although, on the matter of WHY people cosplay...I can see how it has a sort of bad stigma because some might not understand the reasons behind it, but I always thought it was a fascinating concept. For as long as I can remember, I've loved both costuming and role playing. It's because of the thrill and fantasy of getting to wear some over-the-top piece of art and pretending you're someone else for a day. Cosplaying is just like Halloween, but without the candy!!

[SeannyB]

Now, I'm personally hesitant to consider the waitresses at Maid Cafes part of a subculture - after all, they may be interested in the costuming, but that is a paying job for them.
a rather hilarious article on the topic
http://www.hellodamage.com/tdr/archive/cosplay/cosplayclub.htm

[fujyoshi]

well I have to say just from watching Tenchi in tokyo again(haven't seen in a long time) and then watching FLCL from last week, now I just have like a burning desire to cosplay 0_0