Toco the Human Dog — Japanese Man Has Life-Like Collie Costume Made to Transform Himself
Rebecca West
Just when you think you've seen or heard it all you can bet you haven't. That's the general feeling you walk away with after reading about and seeing the "I want to be an animal" channel on YouTube. Created by a Japanese man named Toco, it's filled with videos of him in a pricey collie costume that is quite likely custom-made and disconcertingly eerie.
Canine Costumes
In case you missed it, earlier this year Toco revealed his expensive canine suit to the world, which set him back two million Yen (roughly $15,000). The YouTuber explained to the MailOnline that he's always wanted to be an animal ever since he was a tot.
Lassie, Come Home!
While he keeps his followers updated on the animal antics of his alter ego, he has yet to show his face in any of his videos for fear his friends might think he's a kook and take a step back from their relationships with him. We can't see this as being a complete dealbreaker, but it could definitely put a new spin on the dynamics of your crew.
My Secret Life as a Collie
His channel, @I_want_to_be_an_animal, may only have 11.5K subscribers but his videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of views — some of them in the millions. He says he only wears the costume on special occasions, but he has more than 20 videos posted. Perhaps they're all milestone moments.
Zeppet
Toco purchased his rough collie costume from a Japanese company called Zeppet, which creates sculptures and models for movies. A rep from the business explained: "The point is that the skeleton of a dog can be reproduced on the skeleton of a human. Since the structure of the skeleton is very different, we spent a lot of time studying how to make it look like a dog. In addition, we collect photographs taken from various angles so that the beautiful coat of the collie can be reproduced and devised so that the coat will flow naturally."
Human-Animal Transformations
They've done a great job replicating the overall look of a rough collie, to be sure. At first glance, he could easily pass as real. But there is still a stuffed-animal dullness to "the dog" when examined more closely, and Toco hasn't yet mastered the gait of a canine in his quest for realism. Check out the videos for yourself and see what you think.
https://youtu.be/8CiHY845YZs
