Cosplay? Nah, That's Just My Plural Persona – A Socio-Scientific Otaku Retrospective
What is cosplay, from a socio-scientific retrospective on the definitions and classifications of otaku? Roughly speaking, it's the act of overlaying a fictional character onto oneself. In a way, it's like "acting" in a public space outside a film set, without a script, relying solely on character traits. Fundamentally, both are about imitating someone else who's not you. But I was the sole exception to this rule. Why? Because... I'm not singular! The original owner of this body, Seol Yuna, and the one who's seized control of it, Seol Yujin. I possess both their memories simultaneously... so the entity that makes up "me" consists of two individuals. Therefore, I am plural!
So, when I don the "lab coat" and "fashion glasses" to imitate "Seol Yujin," it's no cosplay or acting! It's simply revealing another of my "personas"! In terms of Anonymous Wholesome Game B, it'd be "Seol Yuna (Doctor)." In Anonymous Classic Lit Bus Game L, "Super-Genius Doctor Persona Seol Yuna." In Anonymous Historical Moe Game F, "Seol Yuna Alter." Just like alters are several times stronger than the original, I'm at least twice as powerful as my former self.
"Heh, hehehe..." An omnipotent sensation bubbling up from the depths of my heart. The exhilarating rush made laughter spill from my lips. It felt like I held the entire world in my grasp. For someone like me, tidying up these two beasts in my line of sight was... a piece of cake.
I gazed at the two sub-master beasts. Savage auras on full alert, wary of me. As they say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I decided to handle the easier one first. With a smooth step, I positioned myself before the wuxia girl, then—snap!—assumed the fist salute, showing respect to my senior of higher standing.
"Park Yul-gong! This humble disciple of the Huashan Sect, Seol Yuna, shall aid you!"
At the same time, I struck a stance and unleashed a sharp aura at the chuuni girl.
Their reactions split in two. "Oho...! Yuna-gong! With your aid, we shall vanquish this demon of the Demonic Cult, the Blood Ghost!" One was ecstatic. "Minion! You dare betray this body?!" The other, furious.
Joy and rage divided. But my cold blade-tip never lost its target. "Come at me, filthy Blood Ghost! The Third Elder of Huashan, Akainu Sakazuki, will bore a hole through your heart!"
"Wha...?!"
Hot flames surged through the circle in my heart. This was "gathering qi in stillness" via circle rotation... Feeling the fiery mana heat my entire body, I formed a spell at my fingertips and fired it at the chuuni girl. A mighty 8th-circle fire spell!
"Take this! Fire Arrow! Fire Spear!"
"Wh-what the—?!?"
The Blood Ghost effortlessly dodged the racing flames! As expected of the successor to the Heavenly Demon "Michael Jackson's" footwork, the "Heavenly Demon Moon Step"! But my manual isn't limited to this "8th-circle fire magic." Didn't this body absorb the supreme elixir that sprouts only in molten granite lava over 1200°C and bears fruit once every millennium—the "Magma-Magma Fruit"?! Receiving the power of Huashan's Third Elder, no less—Akainu—was no mere coincidence.
"Take this! Magma-Magma Pistol! Magma-Magma Bazooka! Magma-Magma Blow!!"
"Wh-what are you even saying, Yuna-gong?!"
Urgh...! As expected of the Blood Ghost...! Unlike mere fire, my lava can't establish superiority? Even unleashing this body's full power won't cut it?! But my strength isn't just my own! My life's path is littered with bonds and connections! Warriors of the martial world! Lend me your inner energy!
"Raaagh—! Take this! Super-Ultra-Finisher! Gum-Gum Blossom!"
"Gaaah—!!! This isn't wuxiaaaa!!!"
Park Yul spat blood and dropped to her knees from my Gum-Gum Blossom assault. Of course—that was the plan. I never intended to target the chuuni girl from the start. My real mark was this wuxia girl... no! This wu-tuldak! Park Yul being a wu-tuldak was something I clocked early from her Cheongpung Sword Technique and her talk of righting wrongs. If she followed modern wuxia trends, "Heavenly Demon Death Beam" should've come before some absurd "Cheongpung Sword Technique"!
"Outdated relic, fallen behind the times... rest now."
"Y-you bastard...! Have you no fear of heaven...!"
"No one's ever stood in heaven from the start. I'll be the one... to stand there."
"Foolish..."
Park Yul uttered her last words and collapsed. I looked down at her corpse (not dead) with utter contempt. Ha, this level? I hadn't even unleashed my super-super-finisher, "Please use the kiosk during gathering qi time."
With the wuxia girl down, the chuuni girl beamed at me in praise, oblivious that she was next. "Splendid! My minion! Was this all part of the plan?"
"Indeed, my lord! What shall we do with this pathetic martial artist?"
"Hmph! Very well! This rightful ruler of darkness and despair, Adeliane de Lorraine, commands it! This martial artist..."
"Pardon? A-del-line, not Adelaine?"
"A-a slip of the tongue! Adelaine de Lorraine commands! This martial artist...!"
Found it—her slip-up! I cut in on the chuuni girl's fumble. "Ahh...! Adelaine-nim! Are you going to absorb this martial artist?!?"
"Uh, y-yeah...?"
"As expected! Black-black humans take double damage from physical attacks! You're absorbing this martial-martial human to gain a tougher body resistant to shocks!!!"
(Footnote: "Black-black human" does not refer to race.)
"Y-yes!"
"Urgh! This minion is moved to tears! Black-black fruit! Tremble-tremble fruit! Now even martial-martial fruit!! No one will dare challenge 'Adelaine. D. Lorraine' now!"
"Heh, heh...! Is that so?!?"
"Th-then, please command us! Now, shall we go claim it?!? The legendary imperial treasury?!?"
I gazed at her with sparkling, emotional eyes. "...Y-yes! We'll seize it! And claim it!"
And so the chuuni girl... no, the Four Emperors' "Black Lightning," boldly declared a massive rebellion no one would ignore. She and I shouted in unison.
"“Let's go claim it!!!”"
The name of the imperial treasury!!!
"“The essence of evil!!!”"
"One P... huh?"
I shot her a bewildered glare, and shame flushed her face beet red, unable to respond. "......" "......" "......"
My face crumpled in an instant, my eyes laced with disdain. This expression matched the store manager's, who'd been watching our antics with amusement. "...Hey, you haven't seen Anonymous Famous Shonen Manga O, have you."
"N-no! I have!"
She flushed, scrambling to defend herself, but I cut her off. No point hearing more drivel. Plus, I'd already sized her up. "Aah... I get it now, your level. You're a fashion otaku."
"What...?"
Her being a "fashion otaku." What a tragic, lamentable sight. "Fashion otaku" was the fourth of modern society's great tragedies, following stolen poverty, stolen solo status, and stolen asocial life. The social elite bragging "I'm an otaku~" after watching one anime. Mass-produced fake-enthusiasm, malicious bullying, imperialistic exploitation. In other words... utterly unforgivable! Especially for those in the VTuber trade!
She stared at me, shocked. "N-no, that's not it?!? I watch a ton of anime?"
Outraged, she tried proving her true otaku creds, but I had the perfect counter. "Then name your top 3 favorite anime! And if you're you, you'll say Anonymous Domain Expansion Anime J, Anonymous Oni Hunter Anime G, Anonymous Chainsaw Anime C..."
"Anonymous Domain Expansion Anime J, Anonymous Oni Hunter Anime G, Anonymous Chainsaw Anime C... Gasp!"
The chuuni girl's face twisted in horror! But my rebuttal didn't stop there! "If you still won't admit it, answer this! Who's Denji's true heroine? Reze? Makima?!?"
"Re-Reze!"
"You idiot!!! A true otaku would've said 'Pochita'!!!"
"Wh-what...?!?"
Two consecutive strikes left her critically wounded, groggy! I followed up with the kill shot! "Figured it out now, fashion otaku? The moment you subscribed to Anonymous Famous OTT Platform N to watch anime, you became a trend-chasing fake!"
To prove you're a multi-genre otaku, you should've at least subbed to Anonymous Anime Streaming Platform L!! To prove you're a recent convert, you should've known Denji's true heroine! The author of Anonymous Chainsaw Manga C! Why Anonymous Chainsaw Manga Author T runs a fake little-sister SNS concept!
Splat—! Her identity shattered; she collapsed to the floor! K.O.!
In a flash, this Doctor Seol Yuna crushed the sub-master beasts with "overwhelming" DPS! But my assault didn't end there... This pathetic chuuni girl stole my precious mask, yanked off my hood, exposed my shameful portrait (rights) to the world! Her name's already in my book of grudges! Time to pay up!
"Stand straight, Lee Seoyun! Why haven't you read Anonymous Famous Shonen Manga O!"
"B-but... Anonymous Famous Shonen Manga O started serializing before I was born...! And it has a stupid number of chapters...!"
"You fashion otakus always got excuses! This is cheese-it territory! Only the 'real ones' survive! Don't you get that lazy bums like you can never brew proper broth?!?"
"Gaaah—!!"
I launched into a full discourse on genuine otaku theory. Remember this, 'fashion otaku': True otakus cry over Anonymous Heart-Piercing Drill Anime G and Anonymous Flower-Naming Anime A, hone creation skills for endless parodies, and above all, look like a total weeb! Because hot people are always "cool folks with healthy hobbies," no matter what. Of course, I'm the exception. Got a problem? Possess a cute girl yourself. Pax.