Collective Creation of Intimacy: Exploring the Cosplay Commission Practice within the Otome Game Community in China

2024-12-01

arXiv.org

AI Summary

This study examines cosplay commissioning—an emergent, commodified, performative, and intimate emotional practice—in China’s otome game community. Through in-depth interviews with 28 commissioners and performers, complemented by thematic analysis, we identify it as a “hybrid intimate interaction” characterized by dual dynamics: on one hand, it facilitates self-exploration and affective repair via three mechanisms—co-constructed character embodiment, reciprocal emotional feedback, and safe interpersonal experimentation; on the other, it risks boundary ambiguity, attachment entanglement, and post-commission “affective withdrawal.” Our work offers the first systematic articulation of the affective logic and vulnerability architecture underpinning this practice. Critically, we argue that contemporary digital platforms, while enabling such connections, lack built-in affective safety infrastructures. Accordingly, we propose platform design principles centered on affective safety—emphasizing consent scaffolding, boundary calibration tools, and post-interaction emotional support—to mitigate relational fragility in digitally mediated intimacy.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Affective Computing
• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science
• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Economics and fairness of platforms and recommendation systems
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy

Abstract

Cosplay commission is a newly emergent form of commodified intimacy within the Otome game community in China. This paper presents an interview-based study to explore the motivations, practices, perceived benefits, and challenges experienced by participants in cosplay commissions. Our analysis reveals that these intimate interactions enable participants to co-create personalized support, functioning as mechanisms for self-exploration and emotional restoration. However, we also identify several notable challenges, including emotional vulnerability, dependence, and the blurring of boundaries between performative roles and genuine emotional connections. While digital platforms facilitate hybrid communication in cosplay commissions, they often lack adequate safeguards to ensure secure and meaningful engagement. This preliminary work provides insights into the dynamics of hybrid intimate interactions and their potential to foster personalized, meaningful experiences.

Problem

• Exploring motivations and challenges in cosplay commission practice
• Investigating hybrid intimacy formation and emotional recovery pathways
• Examining digital platform risks in commodified romantic companionship

Innovation

• Semi-structured interviews explore cos-commission dynamics
• Digital platforms facilitate hybrid intimate relationships
• Identifies privacy and security challenges in cosplay