當今全球化與先進科技使地方社群身受多元文化輸入。人們借此擺脫在地文化形式窠臼，投身踐行所謂的次文化。本文主要探討日本角色扮演如何從外來文化發展為馬來西亞次文化，乃至最終組成馬來西亞主流文化的部分。全文內容分劃有二。其一為各類次文化概念述評，例如定義為社會邊緣群體或弱勢群體的生活文化，抑或認為是主流文化的衍生品。隨後則探討日本角色扮演流傳至他國如澳洲及北美地區的過程。其二則對馬來西亞角色扮演社群論壇的貼文進行文本分析，闡明日本角色扮演如何融合為馬來西亞文化。當中的探討有早期馬來西亞角色扮演社群的組成和學生及工商界從中扮演的角色，同時也論及他們的參與背景和參與目的。綜上所述，可見角色扮演並不是主流文化的抗衡者，反之更彰顯他們為主流文化的體現。

Globalization and advances in technology have aided the transmission of culture to local communities as to provide these communities different cultural options. They can thus break away from the lifestyle established through the norms of local society and involve themselves in what has become known as subculture. This article considers how one foreign culture, Japanese cosplay became a part of Malaysian subculture and ultimately came to be considered as part of mainstream Malaysian culture. This article is divided into two parts. The first part reviews the various concepts of subculture, such as it being mainly practiced by those who are marginalized in society or those who lack social standing. These interpretations are rejected in favor of a concept of subculture as constituting a different part of main culture. Then the diffusion process of Japanese cosplay into other countries such as Australia and North America is discussed. The second part consists of an elucidation of how Japanese cosplay became a part of Malaysian culture by a textual analysis of Malaysia's cosplay community forum. It will consider the early formation of Malaysia's cosplay community and the role students and industry played in this formation. Also the background of the participants and the reasons for their participation in these cosplay activities are analyzed. It is concluded from this that their participation constituted not some kind of resistance to mainstream culture but in fact is a part of this mainstream culture.