I never expected all of this. I was just a weeb (a person who is fascinated with Japanese culture) who wanted to dress up as my favourite anime characters,” laughs Hakken Ryou.
Their cosplay journey began at age 12 in their hometown of Miri, Sarawak, after watching videos of Naruto cosplayers on YouTube. “My parents were into anime and manga, especially Slam Dunk, so I grew up with them but cosplay was something I had never seen before and I wanted to try it,” they share.
More than a decade later, Hakken is one of the most successful cosplayers in Asia with more than 3.8 million followers on Instagram and 900,000 followers on Twitter. They are known for their meticulous attention to detail when cosplaying characters from cult-favourite anime and manga series, such as Howl’s Moving Castle, Jujutsu Kaisen, and their personal favourite, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Hakken's online popularity translates into real life. Their loyal fanbase often shows up in droves to in-person appearances around the world, eager to catch a glimpse of the charismatic 25-year-old—both in and out of costume.
Cosplay culture is catching on around the world, appealing to the youth by providing entertainment, escapism or a sense of identity, belonging and community. However, for professional cosplayers including Hakken, it is also a craft to be perfected.
"The way I work is very spontaneous. Inspiration can come very suddenly, whether I'm just watching my favourite series or I see something cool in my daily life. But I make sure to prepare, whether it's talking to my team to create accurate costumes and accessories, or researching the character and location. It may take two days or two years; when I do something, I want to do it properly," they say with conviction.
See also: Why female gamers are fed up with being male fantasies
That much is clear when they are on the set of Tatler Malaysia's digital cover shoot at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Reshuffling the furniture in the bathroom, they set up a makeshift station with optimal natural light to do their own make-up. A beauty kit, comprising of YSL Beauty's Instant Moisture Glow Primer, All Hours Foundation and Slim Velvet Radical Lipstick in shade #302, is laid out for easy reach. Tuning out the chatter of the crew, Hakken zeros in on creating their signature look, applying every shade and contour with laser precision.
Full Article:https://www.tatlerasia.com/style/beauty/hakken?fbclid=IwAR1HE0AyJVpC13jCe4FXjl04-IVDx7v-U9fFWt1zeYq7Argd8EYC2PJDSP0