Beyond Escapism: The Positive Role of Cosplay in Gender Expression, Mental Health, and Cultural Consumption in Japan

With the promotion and development of anime, manga, and video games in Japan and beyond, a substantial number of fans have been attracted. These people began to dress up as their favorite characters. Cosplay has found applications in different fields. This essay argues that cosplay has played a positive role in promoting gender expression, enhancing mental health, and fostering cultural consumption that transcends mere escapism. Cosplay provides a safe environment for gender expression, challenging traditional gender norms, embracing diversity of gender expression, and allowing cosplayers to showcase their gender identities. Cosplay helps cosplayers not only overcome mental pressure in real life by enabling them to play superheroes and build their resilience, but also brings them a sense of achievement and cultivates their problem-solving abilities through the creation of costumes. Cosplayers utilize these characters for cultural consumption, promoting the cosplay-related economic industry in Japan. Cosplayers, audiences, and organizers of anime conventions form a sustainable consumption cycle by making or purchasing costumes, spending money on merchandise, and organizing comic conventions. Cosplay has driven economic benefits in the catering, photography, and venue rental industries by incorporating anime themes and catering to the demands of three major consumer groups.