Why some Japanese look like Cyclops (10 photos)

Who loved or loves to read the myths of Ancient Greece? Or maybe you dreamed of being like Odysseus and fighting mythical creatures? At the very least, you may not be the most ardent fan of ancient Greek myths, but you may know the most famous characters.





Such famous creatures include the Cyclops - a monster with one eye.



Cyclops, illustration

Do you think such people exist in our world? No, these are myths, made-up stories, but such things don’t happen, you say. And now it’s time to be surprised: Cyclops can be found in the modern world, in Japan. And they are very real.



Tanganmen

And the young artist Ozawa Dango, about whom little is known, helped give birth to this Japanese trend. But in one of the closed interviews with the artist, they found out that the first mask was drawn in 2012 for personal use. And this is not just a mask, but a whole outfit that allows each person to be different.



Tanganmen

The image consists of a painted one-eyed fabric mask covering the neck and a wig. This miracle is called tanganmen. Teenagers of both sexes really liked these masks, as they allow them to become different people, to feel protected and more confident. And no one is embarrassed that in a mask you take on a feminine, sweet, charming image.



Tanganmen

No, of course, male one-eyed masks also exist, but they don’t seem so cute. But maybe popularity will come to them. Suddenly girls want to try on the image of a boy. More like a computer game than real life. It’s also surprising that you can’t buy one-eyed masks in bulk in a store; the artist draws them individually for everyone. That is, this is a whole work of art.



Tanganmen

It would seem that it would be difficult to draw one eye, even on fabric and choose a wig? But it turned out that there are a lot of details in this matter and each customer wants to add something of their own, their own flavor. For this purpose, a platform was developed that allows you to select the desired shapes and colors. The main thing to remember is that every seemingly insignificant detail affects your character. Do you remember the Sims game and the character creation phase? But when realizing all your desires, do not forget about the cost of the mask, which can reach $1,500.



Tanganmen

A significant contribution to the promotion of Cyclops masks was made by Irving Wong, who published a book-photo album with various cosplays and subcultures found in Japan. Thanks to him, the number of tanganmen orders has increased significantly. Young people actively use one-eyed masks on their social networks. And if they rarely go out into the street in this form, then avatars or photos on the page can be seen very often.



Tanganmen

But what does everyone like so much? You can't say that Cyclops are cute. It turned out that it is this huge eye that occupies the entire face that makes you cute, bringing joy and a portion of tenderness from those around you, as a means of getting rid of the gloomy atmosphere around.



Tanganmen

People all over the world are discussing a new trend. Can you imagine if everyone wore one-eyed masks? How to breathe in them? Is this really convenient? However, the demand for one-eyed masks is growing every day. Does this shock you more or would you like to create your own individual image of a cute Cyclops?



Tanganmen