When it's finally time for the shoot to begin, Hakken brings the same concentration and quiet intensity, impressing the photographer with their awareness of facial expressions and body position. Their open communication ensures the best on-camera results.

Where did this relentless work ethic and self-imposed high standards come from? "I only realised that I could pursue cosplaying seriously and make a living for myself when I was around 18 or 19. I've always been a perfectionist but when it became my profession, there was a lot more motivation to do better," reflects Hakken. 

"And with all the support I was receiving from fans, I gained a lot of confidence to go after quality and challenge myself in my projects. I'm so grateful to have the ability to reinvest what I earn back into my art to improve."     

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One could also credit Hakken's tireless approach to their mother, who accompanies the cosplayer on engagements and shoots around the world. Between takes, she shares an anecdote from Hakken's childhood with a laugh: "I didn't support (cosplay) at the beginning. But the first costume... it was too ugly so I stepped in to help! As a tailor, I couldn’t stand the poor workmanship."

Today, she is one of their biggest supporters and remains an integral part of their creative team in conceptualising and creating their costumes.

While Hakken's mother was quick to come around to the idea of cosplaying in the early days, this was not the case for the rest of their community. "When I first started, there was basically no cosplay community in Malaysia; it was maybe starting out in Kuala Lumpur but definitely not in Miri. There was only one to two people in my school who knew about it. Everyone else would make fun of me and call me weird," Hakken reveals.

"But I just continued on because I really wanted to do it. I didn't care about what they said." 

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Years into their journey as a cosplayer, Hakken went on their first photoshoot in Italy to portray their all-time favourite character, Bruno Bucciarati, the deuteragonist from Hirohiko Araki's manga-turned-anime series, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5. They were pleasantly surprised to be welcomed with open arms by the public.

"I felt the freedom to do whatever I want. Italy will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first time I was able to take a character back home. The vibe was amazing; passers-by were cheering me on and giving me genuine compliments when I was shooting in Rome and Venice. It's not something you see everyday.

"Bruno Bucciarati is the cosplay I'm most proud of in my career. Nothing feels better than the feeling of accomplishment after everything is done and I finally get the results I've been working towards—especially if I travelled overseas," they add. 

Hakken reflects on how travel became a turning point in their career, allowing them to level up in their cosplay game in creating phenomenal visuals. "If there are references to real places, I will always try to fly to that exact location," they share, reminiscing on their projects portraying Howl's Moving Castle's Howl Pendragon in Colmar, France, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba's Tomioka Giyuu in Japan.

There is also a sense that exploring new places is huge source of inspiration for the world renowned cosplayer.

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Travel has also allowed Hakken to connect with fellow cosplayers and fans around the world beyond social media—one of their favourite parts of the job. "I'm a natural extrovert, I love going out and connecting with people," says Hakken, quipping that being grounded by the recent pandemic was more draining than any engagement or event they have done. 

Perhaps that is why they are unfazed with their newfound fame, even the heightened scrutiny on everything they do and the comments that come with it. "It helps that my personal and professional life blend seamlessly," they say, while discussing their recent involvement in the fashion world and appointment as Tokyo Tourism's ambassador earlier this year, prompting chatter that Hakken may be planning on transitioning into a lifestyle influencer.

At the end of the day, their biggest passion is cosplay: "Cosplay is in my blood, it's my lifestyle, it’s carved into me. It's blended into everything that I do so I don’t really stress out about managing my image in that way.”

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However, they admit that their busier schedule can make it difficult to chase inspiration in the same way as before. “During busy months, everything piles up. I still have lots of ideas and inspiration but I sometimes have to put personal shoots on pause until I’m done with work. I struggle with that because if you hold off too long, inspiration can fizzle out—and I don’t want to keep my followers waiting for creative content.”

In 2023, Hakken resolves to make time for their passion projects. "I have a lot of plans to revisit classics such as Final Fantasy, Naruto, and Hunter x Hunter, and go for characters I haven't done before. I've wanted to do them for such a long time but I hesitate when comes to characters that I really like because I want it to be perfect." 

"This year, I finally have the confidence to go after these characters and I'm going to accomplish them one by one," they declare. 

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Hakken also leaves a few words of advice for aspiring cosplayers and young people. “I hate generic advice like ‘chase your dreams’, ‘break boundaries’, ‘ignore the haters’ or ‘just do it’ because it’s stupid! Reality is much harsher than that and when it hits, it can be unbearable," they exclaim. 

Instead, they suggest: "If you love something and really want to pursue it, do it as much as you can, when you can, when you’re confident enough, when life allows you to do it, as long as you can manage it. And most importantly, never put your dream ahead of your health and life.”

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