This is Ladybeard. Cosplayer, pin-up model, wrestler, and a heavy metal singer. Oh, and sometimes, a movie reviewer.
The bearded idol has been perfecting this look for years now, telling GirlsWalker that he first wore his sister's school uniform to a costume party when he was 14 years old, which got a good reaction. Since then, he's enjoyed wearing women's clothing.
Back in 2009, Ladybeard started wrestling in Hong Kong while wearing dresses, and since then, the bearded one has improved both those necessary wrestling and dress-wearing skills. Ladybeard has paid those dues!
While Ladybeard might seem gimmicky, there's a bit more going on than just a bearded guy in a dress, and he's doing a good job of cleverly remixing otaku motifs.
Also, there's something interesting about a Westerner playing on the same Japanese notions of cute and heavy metal that, say, Baby Metal does, and presenting that in a way Japanese subculture responds to.
For example, his debut pin-up DVD, which is out this month, was partly filmed at the country's most infamous swimming pool.
There's a sense of playfulness about Ladybeard.
You can follow Ladybeard on Twitter, if you like. There's more info (and photos) in the links below.
Ladybeard [Facebook]
Ladybeard [Official Site]
Photos: Ladybeard@Twitter/Ladybeard@Facebook
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.
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