Amber Petersen

Engl. 2710

Stephenson

The Otaku Cosplayer

What is an otaku cosplayer and what does it have to do with folklore? Well if your

thinking something related to Japan you wouldnt be too far off. The term otaku means and avid

collector or enthusiast; one who is obsessed with a anime and/or manga, and rarely leaves the

house. The term means different things depending on where you hear it from.

In eastern culture, mainly Japan is where the term first appeared in the 1970s and was

often referring to a subculture fan. Japanese otaku was thought of as a person who is overly

obsessed with a specific hobby and it wasnt a term just for fans of anime or manga, it could be

anything and sometimes could be considered disturbing. Their version was basically what the

west often called a nerd. However, in the western culture otaku was a term only used by other

otakus and it always revolved around anime and manga. This included spending large amounts

of money on anime DVDs, Manga (Japanese comics), and other products revolving around

otaku culture.

Anime first came to the US in the 1960s and became a big hit with titles including Astro

Boy and Speed Racer being among them. However, it came to a standstill due to two main

reasons. One being hentai which is basically animated pornography which caused the uprising of

several cult groups that acted out the violence that was portrayed in these types of videos. The
second was that both Japan and the US where drifting apart. The US wanted cartoons to be

censored and more appropriate for children rather than adults or young adults. Eventually by the

1980s anime made a came back to the US and has been a significant part of western nerd culture

ever since.

Otaku groups started to spring up mostly in colleges and eventually high schools. Around

1995 anime had a moderately large otaku fan base. Some of the anime that had a big influence

was Pokmon, Dragonball Z, and Yu-gi-oh. Anime became one of the biggest known subculture

folkloric groups known in America.

Anime has had a large influence on young adults and some anime shows helped teach

individuals about Japanese folklore culture. Some aspects of Japanese culture are not as obvious

in anime, except in situations revolving around school or the workplace. These situations are

probably why some anime shows like Naruto, Bleach, or Blue Exorcist often depict a

delinquent type of character often seen as rebellious or unwanted in such settings as school or

work. Some anime like Attack on Titan, Psycho Pass, Code Geass, and Death Note portray

characters with a superiority complex which appeal to several otakus. By watching anime many

otaku fans can reflect their own culture in a removed way.

Anime often portrays Japanese culture through depicting things like table manners, Bath

houses, festivals/events, crime in japan, and social issues like sex and marriage. In these ways,

western culture is exposed to eastern culture; mainly Japanese culture. Now how does all this

influence otaku cosplay folklore especially here in the US? All of it is a big part of what being

an otaku is and how it brings down barriers like social hierarchy and prejudice. When a group of

otakus get together either at a small caf shop or at a convention it seems that most individuals

can relax and feel a part of something bigger and they dont have to feel as if they are being
judged or othered. Otakus often feel more accepted by their folkloric group regardless of sex,

race, disability, or color.

Barriers seem to fall the most when it involves cosplay. Cosplay is term used to describe

someone who is an otaku that enjoys wearing costumes and participating in costume play.

Cosplay mostly showed up in the 90s and is the tradition of portraying a fictional character

mostly revolving around anime and manga but, has reached out to American science fiction,

American comics, and even video games. Otakus who participate in this cosplay often at times

completely identifying as the character that they are portraying. By doing this these individuals,

especially those in groups that are all a part of the same anime or manga get caught up in the

collective effervescence. In a sense, they lose themselves into the characters they portray.

Cosplay allows all barriers to disappear and allows one to become a part of a collective

unit. Cosplay is more than just wearing a costume is sometimes seen as a unique form of a

performance art. Otakus don costumes for many reasons, from wanting to show of sewing skill,

love of a character that inspires them, for attention from other peers, or just wanting to wear an

elaborate outfit. Most cosplay because it brings the otaku extreme joy and a heightened sense of

communitas.

Conventions are the gateway to this collective effervescence as well as to the feeling of

communitas among all those who attend. Roughly 189,000 individuals attend the top Anime

Conventions in the US alone not including local conventions in smaller cities. Making Anime the

second biggest nerd related convention in the US. Cosplaying is often stereotyped as weird or

abnormal when not involved with things like conventions because it is seen outside the normal

social culture. Conventions are one of the rare opportunities that allow an individual to freely

express themselves and their interest without feeling persecuted for being different from the
normal social expectations. A convention is like walking into another world full of fictional

characters and having a sense of belonging regardless of social constructs.

Conventions consist of events that go in-depth about what ever topic it is revolved

around. In an anime convention, much of the events show things like anime music videos that

otaku individuals created, in-depth talks and panels about current anime shows or mangas as

well as Japanese culture, costume contests, shops selling merchandise that involves anime,

dancing, as well as LARPing the form of live action role playing the characters they portray. The

costume contest is one of the biggest events at these conventions and some of the rules require

that you make your own outfit which take a significant amount of time to create. Some

cosplayers even go to conventions with more than one costume.

LARPing is another way in which social barriers and hierarchy are overcome because

individuals act out and convincingly portray the characters they choose to become. This is a form

of performance for the audience to reenact a scene from an episode or participate in a skit. This

event not only bring down barriers but brings a sense of collectiveness and acceptance to the

culture group. Some individuals stay in character throughout the convention even if they change

characters they play. By doing this they have a more authentic experience. LARPing and cosplay

sometimes is used by the otaku to overcome social boundaries or barriers and feel good about

who they are as a person and feel accepted by a group often othered by the rest of society.

As for being an otaku, many individuals say Otaku is acceptance of irregular passion

and personality (Church), or as another pointed out that Its a part of my individuality. It helps

me accept certain things in my life (Lister). In many ways, most individuals have said that they

felt they could be themselves completely without judgment. Others claim that being an otaku

helped them overcome major barriers that may seem small to the average person. One said I
usually dont talk to random people I have never met before, being an otaku and going to

conventions helped me overcome that and made me more open to starting a conversation

(Whitmer).

However, there were a few that still like anime but, felt that being called Otaku was a bad

thing to be referred to when it came to this pop culture. One individual felt that being otaku

meant someone who is fat, lazy, and basically never left home unless necessary. Another said I

called myself otaku until I learned that there was a negative connotation behind it. Fanatics that

obsess over anime to an unhealthy degree. (Dimalanta). Whatever the reasons that one would

feel good or bad in being referenced to as an otaku; the culture of being otaku doesnt show any

signs of slowing down or vanishing completely from our modern American culture.

In conclusion anime and otaku culture in America has shown to bring many vast and

different people together in a strong communitas regardless of ones origins disputed the short

time since it's entry into western culture. The conventions and the Japanese culture have been a

strong influence on western culture and the acceptance of those individuals that stand outside the

norms of social hierarchy, prejudice, and constructs as we know them today. From personal

experience, I have often felt that I didnt belong and being an otaku and lover of Japanese culture

has opened a door to a culture of strong communitas and the wonderful feeling of effervescence I

never thought I could experience. So I end this paper asking What does otaku mean to you and

how does that express you as a person? (Petersen)

 Works Cited

Chambers, Samantha Nicole Inz. "Anime: From Cult Following to Pop Culture
Phenomenon." The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications 3.2 (2012): 94-
101. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
Chen, Jin-Shiow . "A Study of Fan Culture: Adolescent Experiences with Anim/manga
Doujinshi and Cosplay in Taiwan." Visual Arts Research 33.1 (2007): 14-24. : Published by
University of Illinois Press; http://www.jstor.org/stable/20715430. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
Church, Abby, Adio Gomez, Amy Lister, Hayden Laver, Claudine Dimalanta, and Daniel
Whitmer. "What does otaku mean to you?" E-mail interview. 23 Apr. 2017.
Ellis, Gale. "A Parent's Guide to Anime Conventions." AnimeCons.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
25 Apr. 2017.
Jordan. What the West Learned About Japanese Culture from Anime. The Artifice. N.p.,
14 Dec. 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2017. https://the-artifice.com/japanese-culture-anime-west-learn/
Maestas , Sara. "A Portrait of Live Action Role Players (LARPers) ." Thesis. Salt Lake
Community College, 2010. Print

Matsuo, Alex. "The World's 20 Biggest Geek Conventions." TheRichest. N.p., 20 Jan.
2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2017

McIssac, Molly. "What IS Cosplay and Why Do People Do It?" IFanboy. N.p., 6 Dec.
2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. <http://ifanboy.com/articles/what-is-cosplay-and-why-do-people-do-
it/>.
Newitz, Annalee. "Magical Girls and Atomic Bomb Sperm: Japanese Animation in
America." Film Quarterly 49.1 (1995): 2-15. : Published by University of California Press;
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1213488. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.