They dress up to portray characters from a film, cartoon or comic, such as Japanese “anime” and “manga”, and even a video game. And on average they spend between 113 and 600 euros on their costumes. They’re cosplays. Italian boys and girls are among the world’s leaders in this “art”, which sometimes worries parents due to the strong involvement of their children. But mothers and fathers “can rest easy. They are boys and girls who cultivate a passion and, in the process of resembling their favorite characters, develop new friendships and become more self-confident,” explains the psychoanalyst Adelia Lucattini a few weeks after important national events – Romics in Rome, Lucca Comics in Tuscany – “natural “ Stage for these disguises.
“Many children who are considered shy and reserved,” he continues, “over time have released their blocks because wearing a costume helps overcome their shyness as it allows them to tap into an inner confidence to have access to what they didn’t know they had. In addition, they have learned from frequent stay in this environment.” They find the energy to build their customs, the strength to leave the protective shell of their home or their close circle of friends, to expand their social network, to build new relationships. Sharing the same passion brings people together and brings them together, giving them feelings as if they were part of a lively group that, through a very serious role-playing game, ward off sadness and loneliness and give moments of intense happiness.”
“Dressing up and being someone else,” adds Lucattini, “has ancient origins. Like theater, cosplay is also a means of expression that allows you to play creatively with your own identity. There is no doubt that cosplay offers psychological benefits to those who practice. However, like any activity, in some more fragile adolescents or young people it can be taken to the extreme and become an obsession that does not allow one to break away from character. For many, it represents a way to face up to some negative or sad aspects of one’s life and share them with friends with whom one shares the same passion. In every person it promotes belonging to a group and to something larger, permanent, stable and organized. It is an inner and outer place, a transitional space in which one can make memories present, bring one’s dreams to life, discover personal abilities and revive desires.
You choose a character to play who may have character affinities with your own personality and similar aspirin levels to you. “This aspect is strongly felt by young people,” Lucattini continues. “It is well known that adolescence is an age in which emotions emerge and creativity acquires its vital autonomy, in which the construction of identity is a central process. Cosplay allows you to play with the facets of your own identity: to explore it, to compare it with others, to get to know it better.
With a clear majority of women (83.3%) and an average age of 24 years and 8 months, Italian cosplayers are present throughout the national territory, with the concentration predominating in the north. They take part in an average of 5 events per year (mainly events such as Romics in Rome, Lucca Comics and Comicoon in Naples) and spend an average of 113 euros making their costume, but in some cases they also incur expenses of more than 600 Euro Euro for the single dress.