Why Chinese Women Are Paying Female Cosplayers To Be Their Ideal Boyfriends – News18

In a fascinating blend of fantasy and reality, young Chinese women are using female cosplayers to bring their dream male heroes to life through ‘cos commissioning’ — a trend that began with Chinse teenager Xu Yunting’s unique venture to increase her income. This trend allows women to immerse themselves in their favourite video game or anime characters, transforming their fantasies into real-life experiences. What started as a personal experiment for the Chinese teenager — who turned herself into male video game avatars and began dating their female admirers — has now sparked a sweeping cultural sensation.

According to AFP, cos-commissioning has surged in popularity in China, especially among women who prefer fictional characters over real-life relationships. This trend has been further fuelled by social media, where posts about cos-commissioning have garnered millions of views.

The rise of this trend reflects a broader societal change, where empowered young women are using their earnings to fulfill personal aspirations previously unattainable.

Cosplay has become a creative avenue for these young women to earn money, with one Shanghainese woman, Xu, dressing as a male video game character and becoming many people’s paid fantasy boyfriend.

Xu first encountered this opportunity during high school, according to AFP, and has since become one of the most popular cosplayers. Her most famous role is Jesse from the mobile romance game Light and Night, developed by Tencent, which offers players a chance to experience a “highly immersed love.”

The publication notes that women who form strong emotional connections with characters from games like Light and Night are often referred to as “dream girls.”

For instance, Feng Xinyu, a 19-year-old who has no interest in “3D men,” has frequently commissioned Xu, spending around $70 per date. Feng becomes so emotionally attached to the character that she has even spent $2,800 on a multi-day experience with another Jesse cosplayer. However, she continues to return to Xu for subsequent dates due to the exceptional realism with which Xu portrays the character.

“She’s just like the character from the game, it feels like we were meant to be together,” Feng told the publication.

Specialists interviewed by AFP suggest that this phenomenon enables young women to enact the perfect heteronormative relationship. Choosing to collaborate with a female cosplayer not only addresses safety concerns but also ensures a level of equality and understanding that is often lacking in real-life relationships.

Fudan University’s Tian Qian told AFP, “I don’t think it’s important what gender the person being commissioned is. What is important is that (the cosplayer) is a vessel, because the client needs a vehicle for their emotions.”