Cosplay has long been a major part of the video game fan community, and the internet has only made it easier for fans to share their best video game-inspired looks with the rest of the world. For some, it’s about creating the perfect costume design, but for others, it’s a way to bring these characters to life. Yuan Herong has been known as the “Chun-Li of bodybuilding,” which inspired her to cosplay as the popular Street Fighter character. On Instagram, Herong posted a number of pictures of herself in poses inspired by the game, and the images quickly went viral.
Herong is a competitive bodybuilder in China, where she recently came in second place in a competition held by the Chinese Bodybuilding Association. Impressively enough, the bodybuilder started training just two years ago, after an encounter with fellow bodybuilder Zhang Wei. At this time, Herong only does bodybuilding as a hobby, though she trains four to five days a week. When she isn’t training, modeling or cosplaying, Herong is also a physician in the city Qingdao.
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First debuting in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior in 1991, Chun-Li quickly became one of the most recognized characters in Capcom’s fighting franchise and, arguably, one of the most recognized video game characters throughout the world. As the first playable female character to appear in a fighting game, Chun-Li has made a number of appearances outside the games, including cartoons, two live action films and a plethora of merchandise. Like Herong, the character hails from China. While Herong does not yet have the same martial arts skills Chun-Li has, that could very well change in the near future. In an interview with Yahoo, Herong said that martial arts has always been a passion for her, and she is determined to pursue it when she can.
“After I make some money, I will use it to hire a master and learn martial arts.”
Somehow, it seems very believable that someone as determined to succeed as Herong is will have no difficulty succeeding in that quest.
What do you think of Yuan Herong’s Chun-Li cosplay? Who are some of your favorite video game cosplayers? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
