A Japanese man who spent a staggering $23,000 on a giant wolf costume has declared that he is "not a monster".
While many of us choose to unwind after a long week at work by socializing at a bar, engineer Toru Ueda prefers to stay at home and entertain in his giant wolf costume worth a whopping three million yen - or $23,000 USD.
The 32-year-old completed his lifelong dream of resembling a wolf last summer after commissioning Zeppet - a specialist production and modeling company that supplies costumes and figures for the film and TV industries - to make him a realistic costume.
The range of the company's products includes everything from monstrous creatures, robots for science fiction, and horror films to cute animal suits for children's shows.
Check out Ueda in his wolf costume below:As Ueda wanted Zeppet to achieve the perfect ultra-realistic wolf costume, he reportedly exchanged more than 40 emails and had three face-to-face meetings with employees to discuss the design and specific details like the coat pattern and fur texture. This all took 50 days to complete.
To add to this, the Tokyo resident had strict requirements for his wolf suit, telling the workers that he wanted the human-sized suit to look as real as possible while allowing him to walk freely.
The meticulous conditions needed for the suit were all worth it for Ueda, who revealed to the Times that the ensemble now gives him a power that he doesn’t feel like he has in everyday life, explaining: "When I look in the mirror, I see a wolf, and that is very moving."
The man went on to point out that his life-like getup doesn't resemble a werewolf as "that's a kind of monster," before adding that he is "not a monster".
While you might think the engineer is ready to show off his costume in public, especially after spending so much on it, that isn’t the case as Ueda stated that he feels uncomfortable wearing it out and about around Tokyo.
Instead, he only sports the look when he invites friends over to his house for a get-together. Even though none of his buddies are into wearing costumes, they're happy for him to do his thing.
Elsewhere in the interview, the man spoke about how his animal obsession began, confessing that it stems from his desire to break free from the demands of human life.
"When I wear my costume, I feel I’m no longer human. I’m free of human relationships. All kinds of troubles, related to work and other things - I can forget about them," he said. "Because of my love for animals since childhood and some realistic animal suits appearing on TV, I dreamed of being one someday."
He voiced his amazement at his transformation in the mirror during the final fitting and expressed that it was a moment his "dream came true".
Filled with joy, Ueda expressed his utmost satisfaction with the final result of his order, showering praise on the specialized company for their exceptional craftsmanship.
"My order to 'look like a real wolf walking on hind legs' was difficult - to say the least - but the complete suit looked exactly like what I imagined," he said.
"Not only did the specs perfectly cover all of my preferences, but the ventilation slit for the wearer’s comfort and the devices that let the wearer put it on without help showed me that the designers paid close attention to the wearer’s comfort," the man concluded.
Ueda isn’t the only person to use Zeppet to help transform themselves into an animal alter ego. Last year, another Japanese man named Toco went viral after spending over three million Yen ($16,000) on a custom-made collie costume.
Toco has a YouTube channel - which goes by the handle @I_want_to_be_an_animal - where he shares daily videos of himself living out his paw-fect lifestyle such as learning how to eat, walk, play, and perform tricks.
Beyond these larger creations, the company also produces strikingly accurate replicas of people’s pets. Pricing varies based on the pet's size: a Chihuahua replica, for instance, would cost about $2,300, while a larger Great Dane replica would be closer to $3,500.
