Matacot, Margaret E.

Cosplay: Is it a Form of Escapism?

~Escapism in Cosplay~

What is cosplay?
Cosplay or (kosupure) is a shortened word for costume play (costume + play/role-play). This
word was actually coined in 1984 by Takahashi Noboyuki or Nov Takahashi, founder and writer of
Studio Hard, which was an anime publishing company. Takahashi attended World Con, which was a
science fiction convention in Los Angeles, and was impressed with the costumed science fiction fans
masquerade that he wrote about what he experienced in the convention when he returned to Japan.
However, to him, the word masquerade did not quite fit, because it translates to an aristocratic costume
party. That led to him to use a different and more befitting phrase, which was costume play and the word
costume play was shortened to kosupure or cosplay (Winge 2006).
Cosplayers are particularly (but not exclusively) fans who wear costumes of a specific character to from
anime, manga, games, or even movies. Cosplay is not only wearing the costume of a character - it is also
about the embodiment of a character through assuming the way a particular character acts (Bainbridge et.
al 2013). Usually, these cosplayers choose characters that they like or feel attached to, and cosplay to
show appreciation and adoration to the character (Rosenberg et. al 2013). Purposes for cosplaying may
vary, but other purposes include enjoying attention or approval from audiences/peers, and experiencing
the creative process of the costume construction (Rosenberg et. al 2013). This is why cosplay is often
viewed as a subculture (Wang 2010) it is where passion for particular characters or icons arises from a
specific series; the initial interest is the series while the sub to the interest is shown through cosplaying.
Cosplay became a subculture which presents values that are different from the mainstream it is often

misunderstood, especially by authorities like elder people. It is also barely understood by the society, and
that is why it is negatively criticized by majority (Wang 2010).
The context of cosplay includes four things: the cosplayer, the social settings, the character and the roleplaying, and the dress or costume; these things facilitate interactions between people, environments, and
fantasy (Winge 2006). Cosplayers exist from various places based on their commitment, but nonetheless,
each cosplayer has a level of dedication and commitment in the depiction of a certain character, based on
individual reasons and objectives, usually: humor/fun, accuracy in depiction, and participation (Winge
2006). Social settings allow for cosplayers to gather to share, express, and communicate their passion to
other fans. The settings include a lot of gatherings such as conventions (are often the primary place where
cosplayers meet, gather, socialize with each other, and perform), masquerades, photograph sessions/photo
shoots, karaoke, themed parties, and club meetings (Winge 2006). Not only are conventions a highly
active form of involvement in the cosplay community, but also an inherently social activity allowing fans
to interact with each other (Casey 2010).
How and when did cosplay start to become a hit in the Philippines?
According to an article (which first appeared in Culture Crash Magazine issue #13, 2003) from
Cosplay.ph (a leading cosplay website and online community in the Philippines engaging in cosplay
events organizations), entitled Cosplay in the Philippines, the first known mini-cosplay event in the
Philippines was held as part of UP Dilimans Anime@Arkis 3rd Anniversary celebration in August 2000.
Then after a few months, what followed was AnimeXplosion 2000, the Philippines first full-blown
animation convention, an event held at the Mega Trade Hall in SM Megamall. Is was in this event that
the first appearances of noteworthy cosplayers were featured. There were more than 10,000 attendees
over the span of three days. For many people, the highlight of the event was the cosplay (Tan 2007). After
that event, various cosplay groups were created through online e-mailing lists and message boards, such
as Pinoy Cosplay, WeAreAnime Community, and Cosplayers World. Because of the fast development of
communication and media, the internet serves to connect people from around the world and thus, helped

in spreading the cosplay culture to a worldwide phenomenon (Wang 2010). These groups cultivated the
Philippine fandom on the internet. Over the years, more specialized conventions popped up, like video
games/comics/toys/J-pop/J-rock, etc. conventions. Philippine cosplay has come a long way from way
back in 2000 where anime conventions were scarce that it would be fortunate to have at least two
conventions to be held in a year (Tan 2007), to this present time, where cosplay-related events, big or
small, are held once or twice a month.
The cosplaying phenomenon in the Philippines started with the anime community, but the cosplaying
community soon branched off and became a community of their own (Tan 2007).
What is escapism?
Merriam-Webster defines escapism as an activity or form of entertainment that allows people to forget
about the real problems of life and fully defines it as a habitual diversion of the mind to purely
imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine. This word is usually thought
of as a negative term in todays society, mainly because it has this connotation that suggests that a person
is unable to face facts and the real world (Tuan 1998). The term becomes highly negative when it takes on
extreme forms of escape (Warmelink et. al 2009), like the case of a defense against reality itself
(Longeway 1990). An example would be a sick person forgetting about his sickness and neglecting intake
of his medicine - cases like these are generally regarded as irrational forms of escapism (Longeway
1990). It becomes unhealthy when one stops "taking care of business" or doing priorities and turns the
personal fantasy world into self-delusion (Warmelink et. al 2009). However, as much as escapism is
connoted negatively, surely, it is something that all of us do on a regular basis it could also be in a
positive way, like taking off our mind out of things or problems or keeping ourselves entertained
(Warmelink et. al 2009).
Escapism, when looked at in a simpler sense, is focused on the assumed existence of two contexts for
activities: the "daily life," which comprises of work, studies and chores, and the "activities" that are

performed to escape the "daily life," like watching television, reading a book, or playing a computer game
(Warmelink et. al 2009). Escape could mean both literal flight and steps taken to change or mask an
unsatisfactory condition (Tuan 1998).
Escapism in Cosplay
During my research, I was able to ask Filipino cosplayers about their cosplay lives. I asked them about
these few things: how long were they cosplaying, their reasons for cosplaying, and if cosplay was
somehow a way for them to escape the daily life or realities of life. Out of the 17 cosplayers that I was
able to have a short chat with, 14 replied with a yes, and only 3 cosplayers replied to me with a no.
The next parts of this paper would focus on the third question that I asked, which was: Is cosplay
somehow a way for you to escape the daily life or realities of life?
Escape from Problems
"It's an escape on how just for a day or two, one won't think of their problems and have fun portraying
their favorite characters. Like, they can just enjoy the time with their friends, having their self-esteem and
stuff and just distract them for the time being." Aria, cosplayer (1 year)
"Because the way I see it, bullying and discrimination are really rampant nowadays. Now, when normal
people, like me, cosplay, it's like all that hate towards you vanishes, because you're a completely different
person. A fictional person that you have brought to life." Mitchie, cosplayer (1 year)
Uhm, yeah in real life some people don't really like me. I get depressed and such but cosplay made my
life fun. Apple, cosplayer (2 years)
With reality, there are problems and people that judge you for who you are and what you do, but when
I'm already cosplaying I can see the people like me and I get to be myself without hearing any negative
things. VanillaFairy, cosplayer (8 years)

A person may feel all sorts of unwanted feelings that is usually guilt, anxiety, shame, anger, a sense of
helplessness, and other various emotions (Longeway 1990) that are caused by different reasons like real
life problems or self-issues. Longeway further describes escapism as a way to keep unwanted beliefs and
feelings out of one's consciousness, and as one becomes conscious, it distracts those beliefs away from
them. Cosplay then, is a way of cheering up, to not look at ones problems for a short while and just
enjoy and have fun in what one is doing. The escape taken could change or mask an unsatisfactory
condition (Tuan 1998) and can temporarily avoid the unpleasant truths that one lives with (Longeway
1990). Through cosplay, one can find a way that they can enjoy a life style they dreamed of, escape from
the real world's pressure, and thus, reduce negative emotions (Wang 2010).
Escape from Stress
"It is somehow my stress reliever for some reason, because this is the only day or event that I can hang
out with my friends plus meet new people. Sylvetterianne, cosplayer (1 year)
Yeah, being my favorite character de-stresses me." Faye, cosplayer (4 years)
It's more of a way for me to relieve stress from what's happening in reality. KuroniChii, cosplayer (5
years)
It's a hobby, I guess it aids me to take things off my shoulders for a while. Seijin, cosplayer (3 years)
In a much simpler way, escapism can be defined as a stress-reliever to break the dull and ordinary life
(Warmelink et. al 2009). Cosplay is considered as a hobby and leisure leisure activities permit a
sanctioned detachment from the constraints of the "serious world" (Fine 1983).
Escape from Work
It (cosplay) sort of becomes a remedy through a stressful and energy-draining day at university, an
escape from the introvert life." Seijin, cosplayer (3 years)
Just like any hobby, it gives me a break from all the work I need to do. Lenra, cosplayer (5 years)

From this response, cosplay becomes not only a stress relief form of escape, it also becomes an escape
from work related things, like what Seijin said, an energy-draining day at university, and what Lenra
said, that cosplay gives me a break from all the work I need to do. For example, an office worker is
tired of the hassles and problems in his job. This office worker then mentions that he would go and take a
short break or a vacation in the beach. The beach, in this case, would be his place of escape. Other things
could be substituted to the beach, like watching a movie, reading a good book, visiting an amusement
park, taking a trip to the mall to a short stay in a fancy hotel (Tuan 1998). Other societies from the
different times might have escaped to a place of a storytellers world, a communal feast, a village fair, a
ritual and such (Tuan 1998). With this, cosplay-related events such as conventions and photo shoots are
considered as place of escape for cosplayers.
Escape to Role-play
Yes, because its like role-playing. Han, cosplayer (1 year)
Digital games such as Fantasy Role-Playing Games (FRPGs) and cosplay share similarities, in a way that
FRPG players (or game players in general) have this opportunity to escape reality as they engage in
playing the fantasy RPG through entering the fantasy cyber world. Role-playing then becomes a unique
mode of self-transformation and symbolic replication (Rahman et. al 2012). One also wishes to become
someone unique and special, and cosplay is a way to achieve this (Wang 2010).
Escape from the Self to Transform
You're a completely different person. A fictional person that you have brought to life." Michelle,
cosplayer (1 year)
When you cosplay you are expected to act like how the character you are cosplaying act. Of course
there are many exceptions to that... And I always shift back to the real me once I'm out of the costume,
just like real acting I guess..." Lenra, cosplayer (5 years)

"While in costume, other people think of me as the character in which makes them happy and in turn
makes me happy too." K, cosplayer (4 years)
Yeah, you can change who you are by cosplaying but you really can't. If you remove your cosplay stuff
you're back to your old self again." Apple, cosplayer (2 years)
"Cosplay for me is a hobby where you wanted to be that one person in a day." CK, cosplayer (4 years)
People play personae or character by transforming their real selves (Fine 1983) into the character they
want to be. There is a temporary escape from oneself upon donning the costume, because when a person
cosplays, he or she takes the identity of the character being portrayed, through assuming the way a
particular character acts (Bainbridge et. al 2013). Escape is provided by assuming a character's identity
(Casey 2010). Cosplay provides people the opportunity to become someone they want to be (Wang 2010),
even if it is just for a short period of time. Cosplay becomes 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 (Rahman et. al 2012).
However, these are the responses of the other 4 cosplayers that disagreed with the question Is
cosplay somehow a way for you to escape the daily life or realities of life?
Hmm... Not really. For me, it's still a part of the realities of my life - it's just that it makes me
happy. Toni, cosplayer (4 years)
No. Actually, I use it as for fun, not for escaping reality. BLu Rock Shooter, cosplayer (2
years)
No. I entered the cosplay community to express my love for anime. Paula, cosplayer (2
years)

A minority of the Filipino cosplayers that I elicited responses from do not consider cosplay as a
way of escape from the daily life. Instead of it being a way of escape, it is a form of fun,
entertainment and love for the fandom.

Concluding Thoughts
Cosplay can be considered a form of escapism. Escapism through cosplay, based on the responses of
various Filipino cosplayers (majority that responded with a yes), can be categorized in 5 ways: escape
from problems, escape from stress, escape from work, escape to role-play, and escape from the self (in a
way of transforming the real self to the fantasy self or the character portrayed). Based on the majority,
dressing up as a cosplayer is an experience where a person is able to represent different kinds of
motivations such as reaffirmation of identity and the escape from a known reality (Peirson-Smith 2013).
Imagination through cosplaying allows them to transform themselves and escape from reality (Rahman et.
al 2012).
However, there were also those who did not agree. Not all of them think that cosplay is a way to escape
reality. There is co-existence of different responses, interpretations, and connotations of escapism from
the cosplayers and therefore, there may be other ways on how cosplay can be or cannot be considered as
an escapism. Escapism may be a hard topic to research, since it can be quite subjective even though
there is the majority that think of something (in this case, cosplay) as an escape, it does not apply to
everyone else. Interpretations of the performance art of cosplay differ from one person to another.

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