"This work of anthropological field research uses interviews and participant observation to explore a contemporary subculture that has some features of a new religious movement: cosplay, the wearing of costumes at public events to identify with iconic characters from popular culture mythologies. Indeed, the first chapter suggests that traditional religions like Zen Buddhism and Christianity are sacred simply because they are old traditions, while very recent mythologies such as those in Japanese manga (graphic novels) and anime (movies and video games) also deserve respect for their transcendence of mundane existence. Some readers may criticize this book for being subjective, given that the author's personal experiences are paramount, yet perhaps this is a good time in the history of social science for a revival of phenomenology, ethnomethodology, or other forms of participant observation that take the viewpoint of the individual very seriously.".