"This is my hobby, so I will carry on. It makes me happy and other people happy, too."
ADVERTISEMENTA Japanese man, who spent approximately two million yen (approx. €12,800) on his custom-made collie costume to transform himself into a dog, has shared a video of him taking a walk for the first time.
The man, identified only as Toco, wears a hyper-realistic suit in order to realize his lifelong dream of becoming a good boy. His YouTube channel, “I Want To Be An Animal”, has become an online sensation and shows videos of him in the dog costume, rolling on the floor, confusing other canines and just generally being man’s best friend.
His latest video of him stepping out in public for the first time in pooch form has garnered over six million views at the time of writing.
According to Toco, the video was filmed last year during an interview with German TV station RTL. "Thankfully, I received permission to use the videos, so I am releasing them to the public!" he wrote in the description of the video.
Toco hired a Japanese company called Zeppet last year – which is known for creating sculptures and models for movies – to make the costume. It took the company 40 days to create the costume.
“My favourite is quadrupedal animals, especially cute ones. Among them, I thought that a big animal close to me would be good, considering that it would be a realistic model, so I decided to make it a dog," he told Japanese outlet Mynavi.
“I remember writing in my grade school graduation book that I wanted to be a dog and walk outside.”
Predictably, Toco has received backlash for his efforts to look like a dog since his videos went viral on social media, with many telling him he should seek therapy and others referring to it as a fetish.
Responding to the comments, Toco has said that it’s not a fetish: "I'm just sad that people can think that. I love animals and enjoy play-acting like a collie."
"This is my hobby, so I will carry on. It makes me happy and other people happy, too."
A round of a-paws for not rolling over when faced with online trolls.
