K/601/8327 -1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2; Audience Research

Cosplaying has grown drastically as a pastime in recent years.

Since the early 90s, Cosplay has gathered momentum in popular culture, though the phrase ‘Cosplay’ was coined in 1983 in Japan. It is a combination of two words, namely ‘costume’ and ‘play’ and is a hobby in which the Cosplayer wears fashion and accessories to replicate the image of a specific character from sources such as Manga, Anime, Comic Books and Video Games. Most ‘Cosplayers’ will engage in some form of role-play, re-enacting their idolised character’s persona and activities.

It is unclear as to when the practice originated, but to dress up in costume related it has been in existence for numerous years. In more recent years its following has increased substantially. For the first time at an American convention, ticket sales have had to be capped due to the ever-heightening numbers inside the convention halls. From experience, it could well be not too long before we see the same occurring in the UK and at other worldwide cons.

Manufacturers have, for some time, offered elements towards full costumes for sale, such as replica swords, wigs and defining features, but with this cult gaining more momentum by the day, more and more are offering full costumes for sale in the states, and gradually more so in the UK. Many individuals also custom-make their gear so as to accurately recreate what they see on-screen (after all, not all commercially available inventory is 100% accurate.) It is an activity spread widely across the demographics; from old, retiring gentlemen to young wannabe princesses, from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich, its appeal is unlimited.

But why does it appeal so greatly to so many?

What does ‘Cosplaying’ have to offer the ‘Cosplayer’?

I know several people that fall into this grouping, but have never delved much deeper than asking what it is all about. To help my understanding, I created an on-line survey, which I sent out to those I knew, who then sent it on to those they knew, asking questions which, I hoped, would answer some of my own questions, as well shedding light on the hobby to those who are still none-the-wiser.

The link below links to the survey that I created and circulated amongst the ‘Cosplayers.’

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2K8TTPL

Some of my results have been shown in a previous post. However, I was not expecting some of the results that I received.

I shall start by analysing the responses to question 2. I know that some features, or entire ‘Cosplays,’ can cost well into hundreds of pounds, sometimes even thousands. It comes as quite a shock that only 2 of my responders have spent more than £140, with the majority spending between £70 and £90 on their gear. It could be that these are ‘novices’ so to say, and still finding their feet in the field, or indeed that they have come into the hobby at a time when people are being more careful with money. However, given how much may be required to build a full Cosplay, this is still a surprisingly low amount.

That said, looking at the answers to question 1, ‘How Many Cosplays Do You Own,’ the figures soon add up. 1 person owns just 1 Cosplay, another owns 2. But spending smaller works to your benefit - those who spend £70-90 own in excess of 5 Cosplays! This is, again, the complete opposite of what I was expecting, all relating back to my impressions of the cost of costumes. I had believed that being expensive, fewer Cosplays would be owned. Quite obviously, what we are witnessing is the complete opposite.That said, looking at the answers to question 1, ‘How Many Cosplays Do You Own,’ the figures soon add up. 1 person owns just 1 Cosplay, another owns 2. But spending smaller works to your benefit - those who spend £70-90 own in excess of 5 Cosplays! This is, again, the complete opposite of what I was expecting, all relating back to my impressions of the cost of costumes. I had believed that being expensive, fewer Cosplays would be owned. Quite obviously, what we are witnessing is the complete opposite.

Supporting my assumption that the Cosplay following here in the UK is only just starting to grow, the majority of those who took my survey responded to question 5 by answering that they purchase most of their Cosplays and features not only from online sources, but import them from online non-UK stores. This doesn't come as a surprise to me, as, to the best of my knowledge, there are very few stores that supply even some features for Cosplays, the only one I am consciously aware of being ‘Tokyo Toys’ in London’s Piccadilly Circus. This could, perhaps, account for the few responses that selected the ‘buy in store’ choice.
Whilst import seems to be the most used purchase method, there are almost as many who opt to hand-make their Cosplay, tailoring it to fit their exact body shape and including the features where and how they feel that they ought to be so.

One query I wanted to answer was how often people wore their Cosplays. I knew that it was common practice to wear them at conventions, but were they worn at any other times?

44% of my respondents replied that they do only wear them at conventions, such as MCM and Hyper Japan. However, much to my interest, several people wore them once or twice a month, whilst one chose to wear theirs at least once a week. Perhaps my favourite response is that which reads ‘whenever I want to.’ It becomes clear that this is not just a thing done when en-mass, but continued in an individual’s own free time too.

My final question asked why people who Cosplay do so. I had to leave this as an open questions, as there were too many variables, but I was confident that there would be similar themes in the answers. And indeed there were.

Through various words, the general consensus is that Cosplaying allows you to be your ideal person. You can ‘embody characters that you otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to be,’ pretending to have ‘awesome powers’ and ‘mess with the public’s heads.’

There is a freedom that comes with Cosplaying that people wouldn't normally be able to experience, because you can be who you want to be without any constraints; it is a way of expressing your individuality. There is also a major social aspect to it – the numbers that attend conventions and external meetings in their costumes, it becomes one big family. It can well be said that the conventions can feel almost party-like at times+, with music, dancing and socialising all occurring.