Cosplay Culture from a Photographer's Perspective

2018/02/01

"Cosplay" refers to the act of dressing up as characters from manga, anime, games, and other media.

This "cosplay" is closely related to "photography." People who cosplay are called "cosplayers," but a cosplayer's activities are basically only complete once they have dressed as a character and captured that appearance in a photograph. Cosplay photography is the proof of their activities. Today, I would like to write about the "cosplay culture" that I have perceived through photography as someone who has photographed cosplayers.

Cosplayers are often surprisingly ordinary people in general society. Most of them are students or office workers and do not particularly stand out.

However, they are different people when they are active as cosplayers. They sometimes strike bold poses or demonstrate lively communication skills to the point where you stare in wonder, asking where such power was hidden in that quiet person.

When I ask them, they say, "I can become a different version of myself when I cosplay." Of course, there is the fun of fully becoming a character, but many people seem to find pleasure in the sensation that heavy makeup, colored contact lenses, wigs, and costumes make them a completely different person. People with a strong "desire for transformation" tend to become more deeply involved in the world of cosplay.

Now, I would like to return to a photographic perspective and consider cosplay. As I mentioned earlier, cosplay is not just about "doing" it; it is completed by "taking photos." Whether they post the photos on social media or just enjoy them privately varies from person to person, but almost all cosplayers share the commonality of having someone else take photos of them.

Since cosplay photos feature people, they are undoubtedly a genre of portraiture. However, in cosplay photography, images that bring the subject's humanity to the forefront are not preferred. Unrealistic photos that look like CG are overwhelmingly favored. They are characterized by meticulously chosen locations, dramatic lighting using multiple strobes, and smooth skin created through retouching. For me, as someone who thought portraits should capture a person's true self, the emergence of cosplay photography was shocking. However, it makes sense when I recall their words: "I can become a different version of myself when I cosplay." I believe they are seeking a sense of unreality in the photography as well.

Consequently, it is a natural progression that photographers who can take such photos are highly valued. The place where photographers and cosplayers interact is basically at cosplay event venues. The most famous event is "Comic Market" (commonly known as Comiket). Comiket itself is a doujinshi sales event, but it has become a standard ritual for photographers to take pictures of cosplayers in the venue's open spaces. In these squares, photographers surround the cosplayers and snap photos. The more famous a cosplayer is, the larger the crowd that gathers around them. Later, the photographer gives the photos to the cosplayer via social media or other means. Since cosplayers are always looking for photographers who take photos to their liking, photographers who can take "preferred cosplay photos" quickly gain recognition from cosplayers and earn respect from other photographers, becoming privileged figures at the shooting venues. Conversely, unrecognized photographers may not be able to shoot as they wish or may face unfavorable treatment. I believe this pyramid structure of photographers is a major characteristic of cosplay culture.

Some cosplayers team up with photographers who take their favorite photos to form "doujin circles." A doujin circle is a group aimed at creative works such as photo books or CD-ROMs containing cosplay photos. They sell the photo books and CD-ROMs they produce at Comiket and other cosplay-related events. Many high-quality works are found among circle productions. There are many new shooting techniques and pieces of equipment born from cosplay photography, and "cosplay shooting" has become an entity that cannot be ignored in the development of the photography industry.

While some photographers shoot cosplayers to improve their photography skills or out of simple fan sentiment, I think most photographers desire to be "recognized by cosplayers." Since there are many cases where photographers date or marry cosplayers as a result of being recognized, they seem to hold a greater or lesser degree of longing for that. Similar to the psychology of the cosplayers mentioned earlier, perhaps photographers also imagine that "I can become a different version of myself when I photograph cosplay."

The above is the "cosplay culture" that I have perceived through photography. I believe "cosplay" is something that transforms both the cosplayer and the photographer into a different version of themselves.