An Overview of Cosplay1: Exploring the Subculture角色扮演亞文化縱覽

王海燕

To some， cosplaying is a hobby. To others， cosplaying is a lifestyle. Whether you have participated in cosplay or not， cosplay has become prevalent in todays society. Ample time and labour is spent on creating these costumes， in order for individuals to participate in events that allow them to embody their favourite characters. To the uninformed， cosplay is the same as dressing up as a witch for Halloween. But for those who practice the art， cosplay is more than just dressing up—it is fully immersing oneself as a character and performing in front of hundreds of fans.

How did this phenomenon start？ When did cosplay grow from being ‘dress up for adults into something which has been accepted as a subculture and a representation of ones fandom？

The history of cosplay

Initially dubbed as ‘costuming， cosplay began in the late 1930s in North America. Back then， cosplay did not require participants to mimic a characters appearance. Rather， they simply needed to dress appropriately for the genre， which is what Forrest J. Ackerman did in his futuristic costume when he attended a sci-fi convention. He was the first attendee to show up in costume， so in the following years， conventions began to look like masquerade balls， and prizes were given to whoever had the ‘best costume.

In Japan， the manga series， Urusei Yatsura， and television series Mobile Suit Gundam， helped launch the movement， as Japanese college students eagerly dressed as their favourite characters for conventions. Borrowing the practice of masquerading from North America， fans would re-enact their favourite scenes， which added to the excitement， as they were able to display their adoration for the series.

It was not until 1984 that the term ‘cosplay was invented， combining the words ‘costume and ‘play. This was coined by the Japanese reporter， Nobuyuki Takahashi， after he attended Worldcon in Los Angeles. When translating the word ‘masquerade to the Japanese audience， he thought that the word sounded ‘too old-fashioned and used ‘cosplay to describe the concept2.

Fast forward to today， a time when cosplay has created a subculture of its own. In North America， it is no longer odd to see people donned in costume at conventions. Cosplay is no longer limited to just sci-fi or anime， but has branched into other categories， such as superheroes， cartoon characters， video game characters， and more. Similarly， Japan has embodied cosplay as part of their pop culture， especially in districts such as Harajuku and Shibuya. Cosplayers3 in these areas dress up on a daily basis， so it is not odd to see someone stand out amongst all the civilians.

What makes a good cosplay？

On August 2015， The BuzzFeeds The Try Guys4 released a four-part series exploring the world of cosplay. In this series， the Try Guys learned how much effort goes into a costume before a convention.

1. Attention to detail

When preparing for a cosplay convention， it is important to plan ahead and take ones time with the costume. Although on-lookers may not be able to tell the difference between two fabrics or wigs， they will notice if a costume does not look good. Avid fans will also notice if details are missing （such as a wristband）， hence multiple photos should be analyzed before making the costume. However， what catches the eye more than anything else is how the costume fits on the person. Therefore， cosplayers should tailor the costume so that it fits their body proportions， regardless if they have the same body type as the character.

Cosplay is also about the overall appearance. Makeup can help accentuate the look， especially if a character has special features， such as whiskers， elf ears， etc.

2. Creativity

As long as the character can be recognized， fans have creative freedom with their costumes. One of the most popular ways to change a characters design is to do a gender swap. A gender swap changes the gender of the character and modifies the costume accordingly.

Another popular choice is to modify the costume to fit a different theme， such as steampunk5， Victorian6， lolita7， etc. This not only exudes creativity， but requires imagination， as there might not be a photo to use as reference. However， too many modifications risk onlookers not recognize the character， and it can be tiring to endlessly answer the question： “Who are you supposed to be？”

3. Confidence

Confidence helps a person stand out amongst those with the same costume. The way a person poses and interacts effects the experience， although it may initially feel awkward for first-time cosplayers. But confidence can be built， as long as the person is willing to put themselves out in public.

There is an abundance of support in the community for those who want to get into cosplay. People can take photos of their progress and ask for advice on how to construct a certain item / piece of clothing. There are fans who encourage other cosplayers and comment on their social media to appreciate their work. However， with any art form， there is always a risk， as others may not see the beauty or find it confusing. But because cosplay is a physical art form， there are more risks than onlookers simply not understanding the cosplayers costume.

—Sexual harassment

Unfortunately， some characters are designed to be provocative， and have spandex body suits or high school uniforms with short skirts. As a result， fans forget that there are individuals inside those costumes， as they are swept up in the fantasy that their favourite character has come to life. Many sexual harassment cases have been reported by cosplayers who are trying to enjoy the conventions. Women have been groped， and men have been put down for not fitting a certain costume. Thus， organizers are bringing awareness to this issue by implementing anti-harassment policies. In New Yorks Comic Con8， attendees can see a large sign that says ‘Cosplay is Not Consent， and that everyone should be treated with respect.

Remember： cosplaying a character is not an invitation for lewd comments or sexual harassment. It should be practiced freely， without participants worrying about the risk of harassment.

—Judgement

As previously stated， there are some fans that are caught up on how a character should look like if they appear in real-life. As a result， judgement is passed onto cosplayers who do not look the part， which is incorrect practice of this art form. People come in different shapes and sizes， and should not be body-shamed if they do not match the characters body structure.

Cosplay should be an enjoyable experience for everyone. Although there are some negative aspects within the community， there are also ample amounts of positivity. Hence， people should not be discouraged to cosplay as their favourite character. Cosplaying is an opportunity to bond with those who have similar interests， and a chance to be someone else for the day. It is an opportunity to represent ones fandom， and get to know others with the same hobbies.

Cosplay has evolved from masquerading into an art form. Although it can be considered as mimicry， there are individuals who put their own creative twist into their costumes and overall appearance. What once was a hobby has allowed participants to make careers out of cosplaying， which demonstrates the prevalence of cosplay in society. It has become part of subculture， and can no longer be considered ‘dress up for adults.

Cosplay is considered an art form， because its an artistic expression that empowers individuals as they transform into different characters. And just like all art forms， cosplay starts with a passion， and turns into something tangible the moment an individual decides to make it come to life.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ■

角色扮演對一些人而言是一種業(yè)余愛好，對另一些人則是一種生活方式。無論你是否參與其中，角色扮演已盛行于當今社會。角色扮演服飾制作耗費大量時間和精力，目的是讓人參加活動還原他們最喜愛的角色。不了解角色扮演的人會認為它就像在萬圣節(jié)扮成女巫一樣，但對于從事這門藝術的人來說，角色扮演不單是喬裝打扮，而是完全沉浸于角色，在成百上千的粉絲面前表演。

這一現(xiàn)象是如何開始的？角色扮演是什么時候從“成人裝扮活動”逐漸被接納為一種亞文化，并成為一個人所屬粉絲圈子的體現(xiàn)？

來龍去脈

角色扮演始于1930年代晚期的北美地區(qū)，最初被稱為costuming（服飾裝扮），當時并不要求參與者模仿角色的外形，只要著裝符合該角色所屬的類型即可。福里斯特·J.阿克曼當年正是穿著具有未來感的服裝參加科幻大會的。他是第一位裝扮登場的參會者，在那之后舉辦的展會越來越像化裝舞會，而且“最佳著裝”者還會獲得獎勵。

在日本，漫畫系列《福星小子》和動畫劇集《機動戰(zhàn)士高達》推動了這股潮流的興起，因為日本大學生熱衷于裝扮成他們最喜愛的角色參加漫展。粉絲們效仿北美化裝舞會的做法，再現(xiàn)自己最愛的劇情，使得興奮之情更加強烈，因為他們能夠借此展示自己對這些動漫作品的熱愛。

直到1984年，cosplay這個組合了costume（服裝）和play（扮演）的詞語才產生。該詞由日本記者高橋伸之參加洛杉磯世界科幻大會后提出。他在給日本讀者翻譯masquerade（化裝舞會）時，覺得這個詞聽起來“太過時”，便用角色扮演來描述這個概念。

快進至今日，角色扮演已經形成了自己的亞文化。在北美地區(qū)，在漫展上看到他人扮裝不再令人詫異;角色扮演不再僅限于科幻或動漫，而且還拓展到超級英雄、卡通人物和電游角色等其他類別。同樣，日本已將角色扮演納入其流行文化，尤其在原宿和澀谷等地。在這些地方，角色扮演成為生活日常，因而看到人群中有人與眾不同便不足為奇了。

精彩的角色扮演具備哪些因素？

2015年8月，嗡嗡喂網站的探奇兄弟發(fā)布了一個四集系列節(jié)目，探索了角色扮演世界。在這個系列節(jié)目中，探奇兄弟了解到參加漫展前縫制一套服飾要下多少功夫。

1. 注重細節(jié)

為參加角色扮演展會做準備時，重要的是提前計劃、從容制作服飾。旁觀者也許無法看出兩塊布料或兩頂假發(fā)之間的差別，但他們會察覺到服裝好看與否;熱情的粉絲也會注意到是否有細節(jié)遺漏（例如少戴一條腕帶），所以縫制服飾前應分析多張相片。但是，最醒目的是人和服裝搭不搭。因此，角色扮演者應量體裁衣，使服裝合身，無論他們的體型與角色的是否一致。

角色扮演也涉及整體造型?；瘖y有助于突出外觀，尤其是角色有胡須、精靈耳朵等明顯特征的時候。

2. 別出心裁

只要角色能被識別，粉絲在設計服飾時是可以自由發(fā)揮創(chuàng)意的。改變角色設計最受歡迎的一種方式是性別反串。角色性別改變的同時，其服飾也相應地改變。

還有一種流行做法是修改服飾以符合不同主題，如蒸汽朋克、維多利亞、洛麗塔等。這不僅充分展現(xiàn)創(chuàng)造力，還需要想象力，因為可能沒有相片作為參照。然而，過多修改的風險是旁觀者可能難以識別所扮角色，而且要無休止地回答“你扮演的是哪個角色”會費力勞神。

3. 胸懷信心

多名扮裝者著裝相同時，助其脫穎而出的是信心。扮裝者擺個姿勢、做個互動都會給人留下印象，盡管對新手而言最初可能會感到尷尬。然而，只要愿意在公眾面前亮相，信心是可以培養(yǎng)的。

想要加入角色扮演行列的人可以從界內獲得大量支持。他們可以用相機拍下自己的進展，就如何制作某件道具或服裝征求建議。有些粉絲會鼓勵其他角色扮演者，會在他們的社交媒體上留言，對其作品表示贊賞。然而，任何一種藝術形式都有風險，因為別人也許看不到它的美或覺得它莫名其妙。但由于角色扮演是一種肢體動作藝術，除了旁觀者看不懂角色扮演者的著裝以外，還存在其他種種風險。

——性騷擾

不幸的是，有些角色人設火辣性感，身穿氨綸緊身衣或短裙中學校服，粉絲們陶醉于幻想，以為他們最愛的角色活了起來，卻忘了穿著角色服飾的是一個個真人。已有不少角色扮演者舉報遭受性騷擾。角色扮演者意欲盡情享受參會的樂趣，但他們當中卻有女性遭猥褻、男性因服裝不合身遭奚落。因此，主辦方正通過實施反騷擾政策來提高人們對該問題的意識。在紐約漫展上，參會者可以看到一個大大的公示牌，上面寫著“角色扮演‘賣藝非‘賣身”，規(guī)定每個人都應受到尊重。

切記：角色扮演并不是鼓動別人進行淫穢評論或性騷擾。參與者應當可以自由地扮演角色，而不用擔心面臨騷擾的風險。

——評頭論足

如前所述，有些粉絲對角色在現(xiàn)實生活中的形象有既定看法，結果就會對扮相不像的角色扮演者評頭論足，如此對待這種藝術形式有失正確。每個人高矮胖瘦不一，不應該因身材與角色身體結構不符而蒙羞。

角色扮演應當是人人享受的體驗。界內雖有一些消極面，但也有諸多積極因素，所以不應阻攔人們裝扮他們最愛的角色。進行角色扮演是與興趣相投者建立友誼的機會，是在一天內當一回別人的機會，也是展現(xiàn)自己所屬粉絲圈子、認識其他同好者的機會。

角色扮演已從化裝舞會演變成一種藝術形式。雖然可以視之為角色模仿，但有些人卻在服飾和整體造型上別出心裁。角色扮演一度只是興趣愛好，現(xiàn)在卻讓一些參與者能以此為業(yè)，這證明它在社會上廣受歡迎。它已經成為一種亞文化，不能再被視為“成人裝扮活動”。

角色扮演被看作一種藝術形式，因為它是一種藝術表達，賦予參與者變身不同角色的能力。而且正如所有藝術形式一樣，角色扮演始于一腔熱情，而一旦參與者決定投入表演，它就被賦予了生命。? ? ? ? ? ? □

（譯者單位：北京第二外國語學院英語學院）