Inspired by the success of high fantasy contemporaries – games such as Dragon Quest (Enix), Ultima (Origin Systems)and Wizardry (Sir-Tech Software Inc.)- the world of Final Fantasy was originally conceived as a light interpretation of the Tolkienist tradition. One of the most striking features of Final Fantasy VII is how far removed it is from the thematic roots of its predecessors. Vincent Valentine is a player avatar who exemplifies the ontological problems and existential anxieties associated with the posthuman. It is still considered the quintessential example of the Final Fantasy series and the archetypical cinematic videogame. At the time of its release, in 1997, Final Fantasy VII presented gamers with a unique entry point into the insular realms of both East Asian RPGs and Japanese cyberpunk.
The textual analysis of Final Fantasy’s VII’s mythos, plot and Vincent Valentine’s character represent an integral part of the process involved in the conception, creation and construction of my cosplay performance.īoth the game and the character were chosen on the merit of their relevance to the cyberpunk genre and the cosplay community, as well as their narrative and artistic potential. The essay is structured to partially mimic a line of thought commonly observed within creative fandom, where the dissection of the media text serves to inform artistic practice. I will then outline the processes involved in reproducing and embodying this character in the context of cosplay. The central philosophical questions that permeate the game will be examined in relation to one of the game’s characters, Vincent Valentine. I will examine itsliterary and visual motifs, patterns and codes, putting these in dialogue with a participant study on cosplay and transformative fandom related to the game. This essay offers an extended, tangential reading of the cyberpunk videogame, Final Fantasy VII. The Monstrous Transformation of the Self: Translating Japanese Cyberpunk and the Posthuman into the Living World Issue 6: Translating Japanese Cyberpunk into the Living World
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