Cosplay From A Psychological Point Of View
The Cosplay is a practice that is spreading more and more, especially during the last two decades. This form of expression originated in Japan with manga and anime.
The manga refers to short stories or comics created in the land of the rising sun for all types of audiences and with realistic arguments. The anime is an animated story, in the Japanese style. For its part, the cosplay is the fusion of two English words: suit or “disguise” and play or “game”.
Cosplay was born in the 80s, from the hand of “otaku” or fervent followers of manga-anime. This practice consists of creating a disguise, wearing it and assuming the identity of a fictional character. Those who do so create communities called fandom.
Cosplay and apprehensions
Even though, from a distance, cosplay can make us feel like a teenage practice, it should be noted that it arouses the interest of people of all ages. Without knowing it, many have labeled it as a waste of time or a trivial activity. However, it would appear that this is not the case.
Many experts agree that cosplay offers psychological benefits to those who practice it. As happens with any other activity, there are also people who take it to the extreme and turn it into an obsession.
The problem is not in cosplay as such, but in the fact that it can become a vehicle for expressing problematic realities that existed before practice. However, cosplay has a similar effect to theater and art in general: it can be a channel for sharing and lowering the tension coming from our concerns.
An identity vehicle
It seems paradoxical, but often taking on the identity of another is an excellent way to discover your own. There are specific ages, such as adolescence, where identity building is a central process. It permeates virtually everything.
With cosplay , an identification process takes place: someone assumes, up to a point, the identity of a fictional character. Either way, this one could be seen as an alter ego.
In this process of being like someone else, encounters and contrasts occur. These encounters allow you to explore parts of yourself that are inhibited. Thus, “Ana” may be timid in real life, but when she steps into the shoes of a superhero, she gains determination.
Contrasts also arise. Even if a fictional character performs certain actions or presents certain thoughts, these may not necessarily be adopted when someone takes ownership of their identity. Thus, in a playful context, cosplay makes it possible to play with identity, to explore it, to confront it, to know it.
The social benefits of cosplay
Many have cataloged cosplay as a “self-healing” practice for those with shyness issues or lacking social skills. In these cases, it is very common for people to have a hard time forgetting about themselves in their interpersonal relationships.
The most common is that they are observant and critical of themselves. They are extremely careful with what they say and do, and a severity prevails in their internal dialogue, which prevents them from being spontaneous.
It turns into a barrier for socialization. The immediate consequence is a difficulty in making friends or in making existing relationships deepen. The cosplay can remove that barrier. Even though this is not a full-fledged solution, it does contribute to this idea of ”coming out of yourself”.
When people take the place of a character, in a certain way, they are no longer themselves and, therefore, allow themselves to act in another way. They therefore feel protected in the face of critical judgment from others or from themselves.
Creativity and entertainment
The cosplay is an activity that can break the routine and give free rein to the imagination and creativity. We don’t just create a disguise: we also build an identity and a world.
In addition, cosplayers enter a playful world where they find new rules for reality. Play is a very healthy practice which also stimulates creativity. The most usual is that we study the characters before interpreting them. Also, disguises require time and work.
In the encounters between those who practice cosplay , imagination and fiction are the order of the day. They make interaction with others possible in a different way.
Thanks to this type of interaction, we express or manifest problems, but we also see solutions or alternatives appear that the person had not taken into account until then. Different ways of approaching a difficulty, which can be the key to overcoming it.
Our thoughts At the beginning, the term “alter ego” referred to those facets which remain hidden in us or which do not manifest themselves.
