Selling Otaku? Mapping the Relationship between Industry and Fandom in the Australian Cosplay Scene

Abstract

The Japanese term cosplay is a contraction of the English words 'costume' and 'play' and refers to the taking on of a particular character from manga (comic), anime (animation), movie, game or (less frequently) other media from Japan.[1] In its purest form cosplay is akin to performance art, taking on the habitus of a particular character through costume, accessories, gesture and attitude; it is therefore not simply 'dressing up' but rather inhabiting the role of a character both physically and mentally. Crucial to this idea is the notion of 'play,' a play with age, race and gender, which we will return to below.