In China, a handsome male cosplayer sparked a massive online backlash after uploading a video described as “so shocking it would traumatize any woman.” For reasons unknown, he filmed and released footage showing the entire process of completely severing his own penis and playing with it.
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Cosplay expressions viewed as sensitive by Chinese authorities
There have been frequent reports in China of authorities and the general public reacting sensitively to cosplayers (known among enthusiasts as “cosers”). In August 2022, an incident occurred in a Japanese-style district of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, where a female cosplayer dressed in a yukata and portraying an anime character was detained by police for what was deemed “provocative behavior”; she was forced to delete her photos and had her costume confiscated, sparking widespread online criticism of the police response. The prevailing climate in China is such that Japanese-style attire and cosplay itself often draw heightened scrutiny from both the authorities and the public.
Furthermore, the Cyberspace Administration of China—the country’s internet regulatory body—regularly announces punitive measures, such as account closures or posting bans, against content and accounts deemed illegal or harmful across major social media and video platforms like Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Kuaishou, Douyin, and WeChat Channels; crackdowns on content viewed as inflammatory or sensational continue to be enforced. Consequently, there is an underlying structural risk that if extreme imagery posted by cosplayers goes viral, it could become a target of this surveillance and regulatory framework.
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