The monstrous transformation of the self: translating Japanese cyberpunk and the posthuman into the living world

This essay offers an extended, tangential reading of the cyberpunk videogame, Final Fantasy VII. 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. The central philosophical questions that permeate the game will be examined in relation to one of the game’s characters, Vincent Valentine. I will then outline the processes involved in reproducing and embodying this character in the context of cosplay. 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. 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.