Cosplay: Imaginative self and performing identity

Abstract

This study examines the emerging cosplay subculture in Hong Kong. A quasi-ethnographic approach including participation, observation, photography, and in-depth interviews was employed to understand the underlying motives and experiences of those engaged in cosplay activities. Authenticity, affective attachment, the extended self, and the negotiation of boundaries are also discussed in this article. From this study, it is evident that cosplay can give participants pleasurable experiences, meaningful memories, self-gratification, and personal fulfillment. Through this participatory activity, cosplayers can momentarily escape from reality and enter into their imaginative world. It is a form of role/identity-transformation from an “ordinary person” to a “super hero,” from a “game player” to a “performer,” and from “adulthood” to “childhood.”</p