Run for your lives! Shizuo Heiwajima’s coming through with a massive, life-sized street sign.
Shizuo Heiwajima has a reputation for being the strongest man in Ikebukuro – that’s according to Durarara!!, the anime and light novel series he stars in.
The tall and lanky blonde-haired character is known for having a hot-headed temper, which causes him to fly into a rage that sees him throwing around enormously heavy objects like drink machines, vehicles and, more often than not, metal-poled street signs.
For an introduction to Shizuo and his superhuman strength, check out the clip below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIcBNb_CHiU
One Japanese cosplayer recently revealed his talent for bringing the character to life, with a series of photos showing him dressed up in Shizuo’s signature waistcoat-and-bow-tie outfit, while sporting a spiky blonde hairstyle and oozing an air of cool aloofness.
What sets this guy apart from many other cosplayers we’ve seen, however, is his impressive prop, which he deftly wields without even having to drop his cigarette.
Not only does the prop help to create a number of impressive, powerful-looking poses…
…it also helps to draw a huge crowd due to its head-turning size.
The weighty-looking pole he has slung over his shoulder, which he displayed at a cosplay event held in Ikebukuro’s busy Sunshine Street shopping district recently, is modelled after a local road sign usually seen towering over traffic in the area.
The massive creation has been designed to look like it’s just been ripped up from the side of a nearby road.
This photo gives us a better idea of the full scale of the ambitious design, which the creative cosplayer made entirely from scratch. Unlike the anime character, however, no superhuman brawn was required to lift the realistic-looking street sign, thanks to the materials used in its design.
The pole was constructed from a series of lightweight foam pieces, carefully carved into cylindrical shapes and connected with long metal rods in the centre.
The scale of the project was so large it ended up dominating the cosplayer’s living space, with two rooms needed to complete the project.
This was no simple creation either – plans were drawn up to scale in order to enhance the realism of the final product.
A steady hand and some neat lettering was required to give the prop its final finishing touches.
The final product was so impressive that it even got the thumbs up from Celty Sturluson, the mysterious, helmet-wearing “Black Rider” from the series who rides around Ikebukuro looking for her stolen head.
Given that Shizuo has been known to reach for other large objects when his anger rises, we can’t wait to see what other new props we might see on the streets of Tokyo when this creative cosplayer next makes an appearance. Let’s just hope he never meets up with this guy in a cramped room, or else there won’t be any room for either of them to strut their stuff!
Source: Kinisoku
Images: Imgur