FINAL FANTASY

With the cosplay world conquered, Hakken charts a new course and takes fans along for the ride.

- Brandon Chia

Dressed in all black, sporting a glossy Prada shirt no less, 25-year-old Hakken arrived early on set to get a head start to get their makeup done. Despite a long night out the day before as a special guest at our Harper’s BAZAAR NewGen Award runway finale followed by karaoke and a hotpot supper, the cosplay star greeted us enthusiastically without missing a beat as they (that’s how the star would like to be addressed) brushed on dark eyeshadow. Watching Hakken’s process in-person evoked an otherworldly feeling.

While they are widely known on social media for their dashingly androgynous portrayal of anime, manga and game characters, few would expect their online and offline personas to share so many similarities from the chiselled bone structure to the suave sense of style.

“I used to do more animated looks but my perspective of cosplay changed during the pandemic and I wanted it to become more natural. The characters I like and choose to cosplay happen to be very similar to my personal style,” says Hakken.

The professional cosplayer has certainly nailed down their swoonworthy aesthetic that has amassed nearly four million followers on Instagram, but fame comes at a price.

With so many fans hanging onto every post, Hakken, a perfectionist, feels the pressure to maintain the high standards and deliver the best content. Yet at the same time, the desire and freedom to venture beyond the cosplay universe is ever present.

It has been seven years since Hakken turned cosplay from a mere hobby into a full-time gig, and with that came jobs and travel opportunities to international conventions. It was a dream come true but it also left them with little to no time to explore other interests.