Ardilla (2022)

IDENTITY AND MOTIF OF COSPLAYERS SURABAYA
IN ‘MATSURI NO KAMI’ EVENT

Amoynindi Dewanti Ardilla, Nabila Hani Apriliana, Felicia Meila Harijanto, & Muizzu Nurhadi
Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya
email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
The cosplay phenomenon has become increasingly widespread and growing with
technological advances and people's thinking that is getting smarter in expressing
themselves. Cosplay usually describes dressing and acting as characters from manga,
anime, tokusatsu, video games, sci-fi and musical groups. Cosplay activities are unique
by doing role-plays or character roles. In Indonesia itself, cosplay can be found at various
cosplayer's events with the aim of appreciating their talents and hobbies. One of them is
at the Royal Plaza, Surabaya in the context of the "Matsuri no Kami" event. This study
uses a qualitative method by applying ethnography in which this research involves a
description of humans and the nature of phenomena. As in the cosplay cast and the motifs
of the cosplayers. This ethnographic research involves observation, interviews and data
collection from sources. The results of the study show an explanation of the identity,
motives, challenges to the benefits of cosplay for cosplayers.
Keywords: identity, motif, cosplay, cosplayer
1. INTRODUCTION
Cosplay is a phenomenon that occurs among fans of Japanese culture around the
community. This phenomenon is increasingly widespread and growing with
technological advances and people's thinking that is getting smarter in expressing
themselves. This of course is also supported by the development of the production of
various kinds of Japanese entertainment media such as anime, manga, movies, games and
others. Since the second half of the 1960s, science fiction convection has often been held
by fans of science fiction stories and films in the United States. In the convection, the
participants of the convection wear costumes like those worn by science fiction movie
characters. This is what started the costume show event in Japan in the 1970s decade.
Meanwhile, the first cosplay demonstration in Japan was held in 1978 in Ashinoko,
Kanagawa prefecture (province) in the form of a masquerade party at the 17th Nihon SF
Taikai science fiction convention.
Cosplay, etymologically, is an English word that comes from the combination of the
words "costume" and "play". This word was created by the Japanese and later
standardized in English dictionaries. In terms, cosplay is a name for an activity or hobby
of dressing, accessories and make-up like characters in anime, manga, manhwa, fairy
ARDILLA, APRILIANA, HARIJANTO, & NURHADI 112

ARDILLA, APRILIANA, HARIJANTO, & NURHADI | 113
tales, games, music groups, cartoons and idol tokusatsu. Someone who does this cosplay
can be called a “cosplayer”, but among fans, the term is usually shortened to “coser”.
In Indonesia itself, cosplay can be found at various cosplayer's events with the aim of
appreciating their talents and hobbies. The event usually contains a series of events such
as singing Japanese songs, Cosplay Street; walking and posing like a model by
demonstrating anime and also Cosplay Cabaret; demonstration of fighting scenes and
how to talk anime characters without using the voice actor but using the original voice
and music in the anime. This event is usually carried out by event organizations (Event
Organizing) and the cosplay community. The cosplay community in Indonesia is spread
across various regions such as Jakarta, Bandung, Malang, Jepara, Bojonegoro, Surabaya
and others. In Surabaya this can often be seen either in malls or other places with large
capacities such as hotel ballrooms or exhibition buildings. This is supported because
Surabaya is a city with all things modern and its pop culture is widespread. Not many
people make strange comments or prohibit activities such as cosplay events because
Surabaya has many different types of communities.
There are some layers of society who think that cosplayers tend to be irrational in doing
what they want and excessively in loving hobbies that do not belong to their own country.
This irrationality can be seen from their willingness to realize their fantasy in the form of
"craving" a cosplayer who plays the anime character they want. They will be happy when
they see a cosplayer cosplay their favorite character. Not only that, the lifestyle of a
cosplayer is also not cheap or you could say it requires a lot of funds. This is because
apart from cosplay, there is a kind of demand for a cosplayer or cosplay community to
improve their lifestyle to a higher standard, for example by buying or using branded
products. This demand is related to their assumption that the higher the quality of life, the
more superior they are to other cosplayers. So that indirectly causes the creation of a good
competition between cosplayers and one another.
For a cosplayer, playing an anime character they like is a matter of pride. Especially if
they can attend an event that is specifically for cosplayers and get a lot of attention there.
Fans of the character being played will compete to ask for a photo together. Another pride
can also be reflected in a cosplayer when the costumes used are more spectacular and
totaly compared to other cosplayers. The age range of cosplayers also varies, ranging
from those who are still in school or educated, some are already working and some are
married but are still active in cosplaying in the midst of their responsibilities to support
their family's needs. This makes us interested in conducting research that will discuss
about their identity behind cosplay, the background or motive for starting their hobby and
what they have been through while doing cosplay.
2. METHOD
This type of research is qualitative by applying ethnography in which this research
involves a description of humans and the nature of phenomena. As in the cosplay cast and
the motifs of the cosplayers. In this ethnographic research, it involves observation,
interviews and data collection from sources. The purpose of this study will be to discuss
the identity and motives of cosplay actors or cosplayers at Japanese events. The method
used in this research is observation, interviews and data collection from sources. The
informants selected were several cosplay actors or cosplayers at the 'Matsuri No Kami'
Event Surabaya.
© Copyright 2022 UNCOLLCS: Proceeding of Research on Literary, Linguistic, and Cultural Studies
114 | Identity and Motif of Cosplayers Surabaya In ‘Matsuri No Kami’ Event
3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

In the journal Winge (2006: 65) cosplayers spend time and money making and buying
costumes, learning the poses and dialogues of the characters they will portray and
appearing at cosplay events as they transform themselves from real identities into fictional
characters of their choosing. . Many cosplayers choose to stay in character throughout
their period of wearing a costume, which shows their effort in taking their character
literally in both personality and appearance.
Cosplay activities are unique by doing role-plays or character roles. Cosplay is
increasingly popular in Japan, especially among manga and anime lovers. Rahman, Wing-
sun and Cheung (2012) mention that cosplay in the context of modern sub- cultures is
often used to describe dressing and acting as characters from manga, anime, tokusatsu,
video games, sci-fi and musical groups. Categories in cosplay can be classified into
several genres, namely romance, horror, cuteness, gothic, sci-fi, fantasy and mythology.
Cosplay players called cosplayers usually have a community as their identity (Lotecki,
2006).
1. Cosplay Anime/Manga
Anime/manga themed cosplay is a cosplay that imitates and demonstrates fictional
characters from Japanese Anime and Manga, including various comics/cartoons
originating from America. In general, cosplayers wear costumes and dress up to resemble
the characters they choose. The makeup they use is also made as closely as possible to
the character, starting from the eye color (contact lens), hair model and color and other
things that support the cosplay character (Puspa, 2011). Popular anime and manga that
are often used as cosplay include Naruto, One Piece, Sword Art Online and Attack on
Titan.
2. Cosplay Game
Cosplay with this theme is identical to imitating characters taken from various types
of video game consoles such as PC, Gameboy, Playstation and other consoles. Video
games that are often used as inspiration for cosplayers, namely Final Fantasy, League of
Legend, Metal Gear, Mobile Legends, Street Fighter and several others are games that
are popular among gamers. In general, cosplayers will make costumes complete with
weapons that characterize the game's characters (Hitchens, 2008).
3. Cosplay Tokusatsu
Tokusatsu (special filming) is a Japanese term for a live-action film or television drama
that uses a lot of special effects. Tokusatsu entertainment is often associated with science
fiction, fantasy or horror films, but some films and television shows in other genres can
sometimes be called Tokusatsu as well. The most popular types of Tokusatsu include
kaiju monsters, TV superhero series and mecha dramas. Cosplay with this theme is
inspired by Tokusatsu movie characters. Cosplay Tokusatsu is identical to characters in
films such as Kamen Rider Decade, Spielvan, Jiban and many more. Cosplay Tokusatsu
is not much different from the Cosplay Game where cosplayers make costumes, armor
and weapons used by the characters in the film (Craig, 2000).
4. Cosplay Gothic
Gothic subculture and cosplay culture that meet gave rise to the term among cosplayers
as gothic cosplay. Gothic cosplay is synonymous with cosplayers who wear costumes in
all black shades with pale makeup. However, gothic cosplay is more often associated with
Lolita style, in the 18th century it was known as Rococo, which is the style of dress of the
nobility, especially among female cosplayers. The main characteristic of lolita style is a
skirt with a large volume, surrounded by lace and knick-knacks, a bodice accent at the
waist and elegant hair ornaments (Azani, 2012). In addition to having an all-dark
appearance, cosplay with the addition of Lolita nuances will add a 'cuteness' and elegant
impression to the performer.
5. Cosplay Original
Cosplay Original is a quite unique theme. In this cosplay theme, cosplayers are
required to create their own characters that have never existed in anime series, manga,
tokusatsu and the like. In other words, original cosplay is the result of thoughts in the
creation of certain characters that are realized in the form of costumes. Sometimes in
creating an original character, the cosplayer can't really get 100% originality of the
costume made because there might be something that inspired the cosplayer at the time
of making it. The factors that become important points in original cosplay are the clear
concept, totality, inspiration and characteristics of the costumes made.
In cosplayer events or events there are many things that can be done or provided by
the event party. Some of them are photography, exhibitions and competitions.In
photography, some cosplayers choose to have a cosplay photographer take high- quality
pictures of them in the costumes they are portraying the characters in. This is very possible
for the addition of other media such as supporting backdrops as well as supporting effects
settings. Cosplayers can showcase these photos through their social media accounts or
blogs. They can also sell the photo. In exhibition events, the most popular form to display
is to use it to meet fans at the event. These events can usually attract hundreds if not
thousands of fans to gather. Meanwhile, once the popularity of cosplay grew, many events
were held by holding cosplay competitions. They will perform cosplay and be given an
award. Participants can choose to conform to the script or just dance and move freely with
supporting audio. Often cosplayers will be interviewed by the MC and the audience is
given the opportunity to take photos of the cosplayers. In competitions, cosplayers can
compete individually or in groups.
Based on research that has been carried out on Sunday, June 26, 2022 at the Royal
Plaza location, Surabaya in the context of the "Matsuri no Kami" (God of Celebration)
event which is a cosplay event with competitions, fan-art, j-song, coswalk, and meet and
greet. You can find a number of sources as cosplayers who have been successfully
interviewed about the identity and motives of cosplay.
No. Name Character Motif

1. Key Marine Kitagawa Since elementary school, she has loved anime
and merchandise collection, parents are the
main factorbecause they also like anime.
2. Isa Kazuha She has been fond of anime for several years
and has entered the world of cosplay to
develop himself
3. Yogi Asta He really like anime and cosplay to

express him self on the sidelines ofbusy
work
4. Rere Gojo Satoru Love watching anime and want to feelhow to
be a favorite character
5. Kamila Eula Lawrence Starting from liking to collect anime

merchandise, playing games and developing
hobbies
It can be concluded from the interview above that the average cosplayer has a motive
or background for doing cosplay starting from a liking for anime and using cosplay as a
medium of self-expression and developing that passion.
Diversity of Identity in Cosplayers
Cosplayers come from a wide range of people, from children, teenagers, adults and
even parents. However, it can be said that cosplay connoisseurs and cosplayers on average
are in their teens to adults, more precisely around the age of 19-24 years, this is the period
when teenagers are active in doing their hobbies to the fullest. This is also related to being
too young, of course, hindered by parental permission and the availability of funds, while
if the age is above 30 years it may be caused by the busyness of respondents who have
entered the social world of society, such as work and also because they already have a
family.
From the research conducted, it can be seen that the average cosplayer is in the teens
to adults. Starting from those who are still active as junior high school, high school,
college students, and some are even working and married. All of these groups actively
participate in enlivening cosplay events in Surabaya with their cosplays. In addition to
cosplayers who are still undergoing formal education, there are also
cosplayers who are married, but are still active in cosplaying in the midst of their
responsibilities to support their family's needs. In addition, cosplay is not only followed
by cosplayers who present themselves according to their respective gender. In some of
the existing cosplay events, it can often be seen that there are men who do cosplay by
becoming female characters so that the identity displayed is contrary to their gender.
According to Rastati 2012, this phenomenon in the world of cosplay is called
crossdresser, which means dressing across genders. This phenomenon is also considered
as a form of resistance to conventional clothing and justifies all desired combinations of
clothing to show their identity. This shows that through cosplay, cosplayers can show
their identity in a fluid manner according to their desires and fantasies. This is not only a
form of their hobby or a way of showing their identity, but it can also be seen as a way of
fighting against the establishment in terms of dressing. The forms of clothing used in
cosplay are clothes that are not worn in society in general. In fact, if it is associated with
the crossdresser phenomenon, it further sharpens the form of resistance from cosplayers
to the establishment of clothing in society. When they are in the cosplay arena, either in
events or through the virtual world, cosplayers have the freedom to show their identity
through the clothes or costumes they wear.
In the study which took place at the Royal Plaza, the researcher also found several
cosplayers who did crossdressing, one of which was Isa, whom the researcher interviewed
by playing the character of Kazuha. He admits that playing a male figure has its own
difficulties, whether in costume or in the spirit of the character.We must implement or
use Indonesian in our daily lives as citizens who uphold the unity and integrity of the
Indonesian nation. Bahasa Indonesia has also been introduced from kindergarten to a
higher level, namely university level, in the use of good Indonesian, it is also used in
making important state documents, for example, only in a written statutory regulation in
the PU and also in state speeches which must use good and correct use of Bahasa
Indonesia, as well as at the university level, for example, Putera Batam University holds
a speech competition whose terms and conditions are separate (Sari, 2015) . Today, we
frequently see the development of globalization, which is becoming more prevalent; we
know for ourselves that the use of slang is more prevalent in the daily life of the nation's
next generation, both in formal situations while in college and in the world of play, such
as when talking to existing friends. On campus, the word I is replaced with the word I and
others to raise awareness of the importance of using good and correct Indonesian to
demonstrate love for the homeland (Nurhasanah, 2014) to complete their studies A
student must have proficiency and proficiency in using Indonesian in order to make their
studies easier on campus because they know how to speak good and correct Indonesian
(Kusmiatun, nd) .
The Motifs Being Cosplayer
The main motive of cosplay is usually based on anime, manga, manhwa, fairy tales,
games, music groups, cartoons and idol tokusatsu. This can also be seen from the results
of research which show that when they first started cosplaying, they were fond of
watching anime, manga and online games.
Japanese cartoons or usually called anime are very popular today. Anime is a typical
Japanese animation which is usually characterized by colorful pictures featuring
characters in various locations and stories, which are aimed at various types of audiences
(Aghnia, 2012). Anime is influenced by the style of manga drawings, typical Japanese
comics. Anime is one of the animated films that are favored by children, teenagers and
adults. Currently, anime has begun to develop in several parts of the world, including
Indonesia.
The entry of anime in Indonesia has led to the emergence of anime-loving
communities. The anime community makes it easy for anime lovers to find information
about the anime they like. It is also from this community that a cosplayer can be created,
this is due to the support of the surrounding environment that encourages him to play the
character he likes.
Challenge in Cosplay
1. Costume
In the world of cosplay, it costs quite a bit to fund costumes and various accessories
that will be used. This is a separate level for cosplayers. Cosplayers who have sufficient
funds will buy and even make costumes and
accessories that will be worn with quality materials, while those who have sufficient
funds will choose to rent to save costs or make them themselves but with mediocre funds.
This level gave birth to the concept of an artist in the world of cosplay. Cosplayers with
beautiful intentions and skills will be famous, they will be invited to various cosplay
events whether as hosts, judges or guest stars. At certain times, they can also hold meet
and greets which are usually filled with group photos, autographs or selling merchandise
to fans. This of course sets a price and the price that is set is quite fantastic for just getting
a photo session together.
2. Make-up & Hair
In cosplay, of course, facial makeup and hairdo are also the main points so that the
character can be more alive and total. This requires a high level of creativity and difficulty
to match the original character. The difficulty is how cosplayers can outsmart their
makeup so that the makeup they use doesn't fade or disappear when exposed to sweat,
considering that at a cosplay event, it will definitely be crowded and full of people.
Another challenge is that because of the high cost of the materials or tools required for
the make-up as well as the wigs or wigs required, cosplayers prefer to make make-up with
minimal make-up and prefer to rent wigs rather than buying them.
3. Equipment or Supporting Equipment
This is a problem that is often experienced by cosplayers. Of course the equipment
really supports the performance of the character being played, especially if the character
being played is a soldier or warrior who will require replica weapons and other
accessories. Usually cosplayers will save money by renting or making with materials that
can be found nearby.
4. Character Inspiration
Cosplayers will try to animate the character being played, for example someone in real
life is hyperactive and then plays the character as a cold and indifferent figure. Cosplayers
must be able to portray the character appropriately. Cosplay itself is a place for self-
expression, creativity and recreation as a change of character. According to Saraswati
2010, cosplay at a certain level not only gives satisfaction in dress or expression, but also
inspires the total character played.
Cosplay Benefits for Cosplayers
1. Become a Medium of Self-Expression
This is one of the benefits that many cosplayers feel when asked what the benefits of
cosplay are for them. They can express according to their hobbies and fantasies. In
cosplay they are also free to express across gender and feel different souls.
2. Easy to Socialize
Meeting lots of people makes socializing easier and broadening your horizons.
Sometimes it is not uncommon for relationships to emerge from the same passion.
3. Hone Courage and Confidence
Appearing in public and boldly exhibiting the work of the character's inspiration is a
progress that should be appreciated. This encourages cosplayers to be more confident and
dare to appear in front of the public.
4. Creativity Event
Cosplay also hones creativity, this can be seen from several cosplayers who intend to
create and design costumes and accessories needed for the characters they will play.
5. Self - Satisfaction
With cosplay, this also supports the hobby of anime, manga and so on fans to continue
doing their hobbies. This shows the existence of anime hobbies and preferences for other
people.
From the results of this study, it can be seen that the identities and motives of the
existence of cosplayers are very diverse and cover many aspects. This cosplay culture is
already popular among young people in spite of having to spend quite a lot of money to
make costumes. This cosplay can also be a competition for cosplayers to win awards and
positive values for the local community not to underestimate the cosplay culture. Cosplay
can be a place for a career for those who pursue it.
As citizens who uphold unity and integrity, we want all of us citizens to use our
national language, and for that, we must introduce and implement it in everyday life,
which we know is an ancestral cultural heritage. national culture since the proclamation
to the present (Berlianty & Balik, 2018) . Putera Batam University makes various efforts
regarding the use of good Indonesian, such as holding seminars and related presentations
on the interaction relationship between students and resource persons, both university
lecturers and speakers from outside the university who use good Indonesian. This is one
of the reasons for the existence and implementation of tertiary institutions in Batam. and
respectful, and its use conforms to the standards of good and accurate Indonesian spelling
(Barowi, 2015) and for the existence and role of lecturers or lecturers at the Putra batam
university, there is also a form of guidance for writing scientific papers both in writing
systematics and with the rules of writing and also in the system of writing scientific
papers, it is required not to engage in plagiarism activities where the plagiarism level is
only permitted to reach a maximum of 20 percent only to train later at the time of the
thesis, which from the campus only allows a maximum of 20 percent. The degree of
turnitin checking is limited to 20 percent, and a journal publication that uses good and
proper Indonesian is required to pass the thesis. Additionally, the level of turnitin must
be below 20 percent to avoid plagiarism (Singgih Prihadi, 2017) The role of educators is
the key to the advancement of the sons and daughters of the Indonesian nation in higher
education, despite the fact that it is essential for a lecturer to develop the talents and
interests of his or her students in both the academic and non-academic worlds, a fact that
is not forgotten by using the language of unity as the identity of a nation. The largest is
the nation of Indonesia (Bali, 2013).
4. CONCLUSION
Cosplay is a phenomenon that occurs among fans of Japanese culture around the
community. In Indonesia, cosplay can also be found in various areas, one of which is
Surabaya at the “Matsuri no Kami” event. Various age ranges of cosplayers can be found
in this event, ranging from those who are still in school or educated, some are already
working and some are even married but are still active in cosplaying in the midst of their
responsibilities to support their family's needs. In this study, it is known that the identity
of the cosplayers has a very wide variation ranging from age, gender, character to the
motives from when they started cosplaying.
Based on observations and interviews, it can be concluded that the average cosplayer's
identity is around the age of 19-24 years, namely teenagers to adults and their main motive
is because they like anime, manga and the like. The challenges they face start from
costumes, make-up and hair, equipment to character creation. There are many benefits that
they can take from this cosplay activity, one of which is as a form of self-expression and
a medium for channeling their creativity and hobbies.
REFERENCES
Naufal Adhi Pramana, Acmad Mujab Musykur. (2020). Cosplay Adalah "Jalan Ninjaku"
Sebuah Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Jurnal Empati, 169- 177.
Nurhayati, H. (2010). Analysis Of Cospure (cosplay), as part of Japanese popular culture.
lib.ui.ac.id, 99.
Pakusadewo, M. R. (2017). Cosplay dan Idola Remaja Medan (Studi Kajian Budaya
Tentang Mimikri). Aceh Antropological Journal, 86-103.
Ulfa Mirani, Yohanis Franz La'Kahija. (2018). The Experience of Being A COsplayer: An
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Approach. Jurnal Empati, 106-112.

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IDENTITY AND MOTIF OF COSPLAYERS SURABAYA

IN ‘MATSURI NO KAMI’ EVENT

Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya

ARDILLA, APRILIANA, HARIJANTO, & NURHADI 112

3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

No. Name Character Motif

3. Yogi Asta He really like anime and cosplay to

5. Kamila Eula Lawrence Starting from liking to collect anime

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