Man who spent £12,000 becoming human Collie now wants to find a Lassie to love
A man who spent over £12,000 becoming a real-life dog is now on the lookout for a Lassie to love.
Toco took the internet by storm when he was seen prowling the streets of Tokyo draped in his ultra-realistic Collie costume. The pooch-wannabe said it took a while, but he has now gained the confidence to venture out in public on all fours. The next step for the canine fanatic is to find himself a girlfriend and go into cinemas.
His dating pool is relatively small, as he's searching for another "therian" - someone born as a human but who identifies as non-human. He plans to attend some therian gatherings in the hopes of finding a lover.
He said: “I think it would be great if something like that existed. I would like to meet them.”
Toco is now seeking a fellow "therian" - someone who identifies as a non-human (FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Toco's confidence has risen so far that he's even considering becoming a movie star. Barking, he said: "I think it would be great if I were able to use my skills and get the opportunity to appear as a dog in a movie."
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The young man said he wanted to live as a Collie because he had raised them in his human form and enjoyed their temperament. But it was also for practical reasons.
He told the New York Post: "If it wasn’t a naturally large size breed, it wouldn’t look unnaturally disproportionate when worn by someone as a costume.” The Collie is a naturally long-haired breed, which helped to conceal Toco's "human form" so he can pass as a "realistic dog".
He added: "There are restrictions, but you can move in it. However, if you move too much, it will not look like a dog. Rather than being tough or physically uncomfortable, the feelings of excitement and fun I receive from this experience are stronger."
It was his childhood dream to be an animal, he told his YouTube followers (Youtube/I want to be an animal)The outfit, which has been praised online for how realistic it is, was created by a specialist movie and TV costume maker. After getting it made, Toco started sharing his canine journey on YouTube last year.
In the following months, he's collected 50,000 followers. He told his fans: "I became a collie because I wanted to be an animal". Toco's life as a pooch doesn't stop with his walks through Tokyo. When he gets home, he has a full-sized dog cage which he sleeps in.
Footage of his first ever walk in public showed him performing tricks and being led up and down a road on a lead being controlled by a young woman. He interacted with real-life hounds before admitting he "did not expect such a big response" about his choice to be an actual dog. His family has accepted the "surprising" change to their son, but "received it favourably", with Toco saying: “I am very happy that they accepted it."
In a recent video on his channel, he was seen playing in his back garden, performing tricks in exchange for food.
The outfit has been praised online for how realistic it is (動物になりたい(I want to be an animal)/Youtube)Sharing the news with his fans, he wrote: "This time, I finally get to fulfil a dream I've had since I was a little child: turning into a dog and going for a walk outside!" And in the video, he did just that, as he can be seen on a leash, sniffing other dogs in the park before rolling around on the floor.
Toco's antics were well-received in the video by dogs and passers-by, who were intrigued by him - but previously, he was worried about what people would think of him, admitting he was "very nervous" to go outside. Toco told the Mirror: "I rarely tell my friends because I am afraid they will think I am weird. My friends and family seemed very surprised to learn I became an animal."
"Since childhood, I have had this unspecific fantasy of becoming an animal. I wonder whether it was a desire for transformation," Toco explained. In his latest video, he likened his journey to wanting to be a "hero or a wizard or a dog" as he thought it was impossible to be any of those things. But he's now fulfilled his dream and others on his YouTube channel shower him with support.
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"Don't be nervous about people seeing you! You're just a guy with a quirky hobby. There's nothing wrong with that!", someone reassured him. "Showed this to my bf and he was totally unsuspecting!", another reassured. "He thought you were just a super cute doggie with some trouble walking. We absolutely would've walked up to pet you and been none the wiser!!"
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