Blog 4

In my research project, my topic is about the Hong Kong teenage consumer cosplay culture. So in this research not just focus on the “cosplay”, I want to know the main point is about the subcultures affect. In my topic I must discern what is “cosplay” and “subcultures”, and then I found some information on the "cosplay" and "subcultures" on the internet.

Why I need to do the topic of Japanese subcultures?

First, the title name is “Japan now has a chaos of subcultures!?” it has a part of that is to talk about the Japanese subcultures. Now, more and more people go to Japan is explore Japanese subcultures. Why do people so concerned about Japanese subcultures? It is because in Europe and the United States, the word "subculture" is used as opposed to mainstream culture, but in japan, "subculture" has a different meaning, it is refer to the polar opposite of the so-called refined or high culture of intellectual, highly educated people, as represented by learning, literature, art, music and drama. In modern times, "subculture" covers manga, anime, computer games, figurines and idol culture.

In some Hong Kong Japanese subcultures event, such as C3HK, Comic World HK, Creative Paradise and Rainbow Gala, you can find many cosplayers in there. Those cosplayers a lot of their cos target is Japanese manga, anime or computer games character, that's mean many cosplayers in Hong Kong have effect on Japanese subcultures, so I need to prove this hypothesis in my research project.

What is the cosplay and what relevance of subculture?

In second article, the title is “An Overview of Cosplay: Exploring the Subculture”. In this article, I have a lot of information about the cosplay and subculture. It has six main parts of articles:

First is introduction, ask the questions to bring out articles.

Second part is “The History of Cosplay”, this part can make me know more about the cosplay. For example, where are cosplay come from, how the cosplay choose in North America to Japan.

Third is “Why People Participate”, this part have the reason of people participate the cosplay, it writing the reason is about subculture.

Fourth part is “Monetization”, it narrate about the pecuniary difficulties with cosplayer life.

Fifth part is “What Makes a Good Cosplay?” from the three-scenario analysis on how to become a good cosplay

And the last, “The Risks of Cosplay” describes some of the risks will encounter when cosplay, these parts make me more insight into what is cosplay, so this article is a good reference to me

Name: Leung Yu Hin

HKU SPACE Student Number: 10641734