In a stunningly realistic cosplay, Taiwanese politician and member of Parliament Lai Pin-yu breathes life into Berserk‘s Griffith. Griffith might the series’ ultimate villain, but it’s easy to forget that with a cosplay that looks as incredible as this one does.
The 30-year-old Lai, a lifelong fan of manga and anime, began experimenting with cosplay in high school. If cosplay formed part of her creative expression, political activism formed another part. As a college student studying law, she became a well-known activist against heavy-handed government treatment of the vulnerable. During her maturation as an activist, however, she never let it affect her cosplay outlet. In fact, she began to incorporate aspects of cosplay into her “political style”. This culminated in her 2020 election win over Taipei’s Deputy Mayor for a seat in the Taiwanese Parliament.
In a series of posts uploaded to her @souichi_lai Instagram account, cosplay artist Lai gets Griffith’s heroic side just right. In the manga, Griffith was said to have a hypnotic effect on others. People either loved him or hated him at first sight. He simply attracted attention. Those who loved him, gave in fully to his enchantment, while even those that disliked him nevertheless tended to respect him. Lai’s images clearly generate the same hypnotic effect.
Lai’s Cosplay is the Perfect Live-Action Recreation of Griffith
Whether sitting at a desk, reading a scroll, or standing in a doorway, Lai exudes the same power that makes Griffith so captivating. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the cosplay is how similar she looks to Griffith’s most iconic portrayal in Berserk, both physically and in terms of her costume. She really brings the character to life. Lai’s cosplay abilities are no fluke. She has been doing it for a while. Interestingly, Lai credits cosplay with sparking her interest in politics. As a high school student, the social networks that are the lifeblood of cosplay in Taiwan were dominated by political news, which she had to read through first to find any news or information about cosplay. It wasn’t long before she became quite well-informed in all things political.
In this stunning cosplay Lai perfectly captures the heroic “soft power” side of Berserk‘s Griffith. It’s the side that might not be as glorious as winning on the battlefield but is absolutely necessary to win on the battlefield, as capturing the hearts and minds of supporters, benefactors, and enemies are the bedrock of success. Lai Pin-yu, a politician herself, certainly understands the benefits of soft power and channels that into her cosplay of Berserk’s Griffith to awesome effect.
Sources: Souichi_lai, Vice