Man who lives as border collie reveals his family’s reaction
The Japanese man who spent a fortune on a realistic dog suit so he could be a border collie has revealed his family’s response to his unusual life choice.
Lifestyle
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The Japanese man who went viral after posting a video of himself wearing a hyper-realistic rough collie costume in public howled that people and news outlets were “misinformed” about the idea that he wants to live like a dog.
“My desire to be an animal is like a desire to transform … a desire to be something that I am not,” Toco told the New York Post, adding that he wears the costume maybe once a week, mostly at home.
The wannabe Lassie, who was catapulted to international stardom last month after posting a video of himself waddling around Tokyo in the $US14,000 ($22,000) suit — and interacting with strangers and real-life pups — admitted he “did not expect such a big response” about his life as a dog.
His family, meanwhile, didn’t put him in the doghouse over his unusual hobby.
“The family was surprised, but received it favourably,” Toco said. “I am very happy that they accepted it.”
In addition to the viral clip, he’s so far has amassed 19.5 million views on his YouTube channel “I Want To Be an Animal,” where he shares snippets of his dog days, including wolfing down fake dog treats, scuttling into a wire cage, and rolling over.
Toco declined to share how much money he’s made from his YouTube account, where his subscriber base has skyrocketed to 51,000 subscribers.
The lifelike costume cost a staggering two million yen ($22,000) and was custom-made by Zeppet, a company that produces costumes for TV commercials and shows.
It took 40 days and multiple revisions to make the final suit, although American Kennel Club judges barked that the impersonations could use some improvement.
The part-time herding dog, however, didn’t run with his tail between his legs after trolls trashed his canine cosplay as a bizarre fetish.
“I’m just sad that people can think that,” Toco said. “I love animals and enjoy play-acting like a collie.”
He added, “This is my hobby, so I will carry on. It makes me happy and other people happy, too.”
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission
Originally published as Man who lives as border collie reveals his family’s reaction
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