LSA100: Rule Breaker Hakken is comfortable in their own skin, in cosplay and in life

One word – Hakken. 

Hakken is a six-letter word that is synonymous to cosplay royalty. Hakken is a name that ripples through the world of cosplaying, sending terrors through social media with a profound influence beyond words. Hakken is one person that has had millions screaming in adoration. Hakken is cosplay famous. 

But in their own words, Hakken is Hakken. It’s the same person.  

“I am a hundred per cent real, a hundred per cent me,” they assert. “I am clear of who I am and what I want to be. At the same time, I’m discovering what more I can do and what else I can explore with my artistry.”

The extremely popular cosplay artist has come so far. Hailing from Sarawak, the 24-year-old first set foot into the world of cosplay in 2010 as a young 12-year-old. “It began as a little hobby until 2016 when I started to receive invitations — that was when my career really kickstarted,” Hakken utters while reminiscing how much of an anime fan they were growing up. It was a cosplay video on YouTube that caught their attention. “I thought it was interesting and I told myself I want to do it.” 

“Haku from Spirited Away is probably one of the first anime characters that I really like as a kid,” Hakken recalls. 

(Disclaimer: the writer has never watched Spirited Away.) But upon researching this character, it is clear that both Haku and Hakken some things in common — they are both cool, calm, and collected — and transformative (literally). 

Just like Haku, Hakken speaks with a well-defined coolness and confidence. While both names somewhat rhymes, the name Hakken wasn’t coined from the Studio Ghibli character. 

“The name (Hakken) is very random. I needed a stage name and I was watching this anime called Hakkenden and thought it was a nice name. And the rest is history,” they share.

On their first cover shoot

Walking into the studio, Hakken brings a wisp of intensity. It is hard to have them break character — almost impossible to read. One look, all you get from Hakken is a faint smile and a gentle nod. Nervous? Probably not but on their first cover shoot, Hakken relishes in this new experience. “I’ve never have someone do my makeup and hair, and this is definitely not what I’m used to. It’s all new to me and I like it.”

Staring from afar — observing the minutest gestures — we notice Hakken quietly gazes into the mirror, checking out the look the makeup artist Bong and hairstylist Juno are putting on them. Hakken examines every angle and every stroke of the makeup closely. “I’m a perfectionist!” they exclaim. “I will not fail to notice even one fine strand of hair, especially when in cosplay.”

Hakken adds that in life, you have to trust the process. “But I still have to be in control — it’s very important,” they quip. “I like to take the driver’s seat while immersing myself in the process.”

And while on set, we sit back and watch Hakken come to life — as magic unfolds right in front of our eyes. On set, we witness the enigma Hakken brings to the screen — not as any character or persona — as the one and only Hakken, in the flesh. 

On going play-ces beyond cosplay

Having spent half their life as a cosplayer, it has definitely brought them to places. And it comes to no surprise that Hakken loves travelling. Putting two interests together, Hakken comes out with the perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone. 

“The best takeaway from being a cosplayer is definitely the experience of bringing characters to life. Taking that and my love for travelling, I put them both together.” 

That brings us straight to their proudest work thus far. Hakken points the attention to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part. 5, also known as the Golden Wind or Vento Aureo. Written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki, the Japanese manga series is set in Italy, traversing storied Italian cities including Naples, Venice, Sardinia, and Rome. 

“I actually flew there to put together photoshoots at these exact locations. Together with my team, we brought to life the mise en scene and the characters. It is about creating something that I visualise, taking something intangible like a vision and seeing it come to life — it is truly the most rewarding experience.”

However, Hakken doesn’t take achievements on paper as their biggest scores. “It has to be reflected on my work,” they stress. “It is about the projects that align with the expectations that I have with my own self.” 

One of Hakken’s finest works has to be the portrayal of Bruno Buccellati (from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part. 5) shot in Venice. Standing adroitly in the center of St. Mark’s Square, Hakken perfectly embodies the character. Every intricate detail and every line, the outfit and the styling, they are executed immaculately — and we are not even exaggerating. 

Black chin-length hair with straight-cut bangs, together with a braid going along the top of the head and a shell-like hair clip on each side of the bangs — nailed! An all-white suit festooned with small black spoon-like leitmotifs, exposing an open chest with a lace top — nailed! It is almost surreal having stared at two screens and trying to tell the difference; one of Hakken’s photographs on Instagram and the other, an illustration of the said deuteragonist in the series.

And with the influence of social media, Hakken opines that it has impacted their work tremendously. “Without social media, a lot of people wouldn’t be able to see my work and even know who I am. I believe it has helped propel and push my career to new horizons beyond what I have imagined for myself — enabling more opportunities in contexts beyond cosplay,” shares Hakken.

It is safe to say that when Hakken puts their mind onto something, they make it happen.

On being cool and going with the flow

Impartial by their popularity, Hakken is absolutely down to earth. Despite being described, in their own terms, as cosplay famous, Hakken doesn’t let fame come in the way between themselves and what they set to achieve in life. They expound: “I try my best to keep it cool and go with the flow.”

“From the start of my career, I know that this is something that I have to face inevitably. Fame comes with a lot of consequences. It is something that you need to be prepared with no matter good or bad,” they continue. “In that, you need to find the balance.”

As a person, Hakken is unfazed by the fame that their stage name entails. Personality wise, they aren’t overly excited or get overwhelmed by emotions so easily. They explain: “I’ve learned to control my feelings and have gotten used to this situation. In my mind, emotions don’t get in the way. I am very certain and see things through quite clearly. I know what I want, what I need to give up, and what I need to do. The goal is clear — you just have to go for it!”

It may be hard to break it down, but Hakken reiterates that they have been like that their entire life.

On breaking conventions

“Since young, I’ve always love to dress up but at some point of my life, I tell myself that I do not want to be labelled or limited,” expresses Hakken confidently. While the older generation has expectations on how one should be or supposed to be, Hakken has one thing to say: “I am not limited by conventions or gender norms. I just feel like I am me and I want to be myself.”

Oftentimes, they can be easily being misunderstood but Hakken is relieved and happy that their parents are open-minded people and accept the makings of ‘Hakken’. “Society sometimes doesn’t understand but I don’t think I can stop people from assuming or talking. I just do what I do and be true to myself.”

These misconstrued perceptions on cosplayers have been a lingering plague. Some may call it cross-dressing while others may not take them seriously. Most people may also say that cosplayers simply want to escape from reality. But where does the truth lie?

“For me, cosplaying is a form of art and expression for the characters I love and the artistic side that I want to portray,” says Hakken. 

As cosplayers, some of the biggest challenges include managing finances — Hakken advises fellow aspiring cosplayers to do what you can within your own means. But more importantly, it is about managing the expectations and perception of the society and their own family members. 

“Fundamentally, it is really crucial to get them to understand what cosplay is all about and why I love doing this. It is about allowing them into your world and prove to them that it is not a bad thing and what I am doing is not hurting me,” they expresses with both hands clasped. 

To her fans and other aspiring cosplayers in Malaysia, Hakken offers these words: “Stay true to yourself.”

On drawing out of the lines

Hakken confides that they look forward to further their career. “I don’t want to just limit myself to games or cosplay but more fashion and lifestyle, all while still stying true to my authentic self.”

They believe that stepping out from their comfort zone is important. “I wouldn’t know what works for me if I don’t try. Speaking from experience, realising (the characters in) Jojo is me going out of my comfort zone. My usual style is typically sleek and simple but with Jojo, it’s very extravagant — Jojo-style — but while doing the characters, it showed how much more I can achieve when I just push myself beyond my boundaries,” they confide.

Drawing the lines beyond boundaries, Hakken reveals her extroverted side as someone who gets their energy from ‘outside’. “And that’s why I love going outside — experiencing the surrounding, meeting people and just living in the moment. I thrive in the power of communication and sensory, the feel and the touch.”

Hakken is at the right place. They editorialise that very strength in being authentic to their creative expressions and the freedom to do what feels right. When it comes to the courage to be real, Hakken presses on the importance of being true to oneself. 

“It’s the way I live myself. This is the real me, there’s no two ways about it.”

LSA100: 100 Malaysians, 100 Milestones

Lifestyle Asia KL introduces LSA 100, an annual list that recognises Malaysia’s most influential names and celebrates their talents, contributions, successes and milestones. As the bellwether of style, travel, design, entertainment, business, sports, and more, these 100 Malaysians represent the next generation of go-getters who are paving the way for sharing their know-hows with the world through the power of digital media. LSA100 comprises five categories namely The Rule Breakers, The Joy Sparkers, The Dreamcatchers, The Rocketeers and The Explorers. Find out more about LSA100 Class of 2022, HERE. 

editor & creative direction MARTIN TEO | assisted by PUTERI YASMIN SURAYA & RONN TAN | production ERIC CHOW / BLINK STUDIO | makeup KF BONG | hair JUNO KO | stylist AZZA ARIF | wardrobe COACH