Love-struck netizens across China, Taiwan and Japan have been voicing their disappointment after finding out that the exceptionally cute girl pictured above is actually an exceptionally cute boy. This isn’t the first time this kind of switcheroo has happened (it’s quite common actually) but netizens seem to be especially upset this time around. Maybe it’s this young man’s choice of outfit (characters from the light novel The “Hentai” Prince and the Stony Cat.) or maybe it’s just how different his before and after photos are, but one things for sure: this cosplayer is a total hottie.

Update: In its original form, this story alluded to online rumors and supposed “proof” that cosplayer AHO is in fact male. As many of our readers have pointed out, that information appears to be false, and the cosplayer has been plagued by this rumor for some time. AHO is indeed every bit as female as she looks, and we apologize for unintentionally perpetuating this untruth. The fact of the matter is, as we acknowledged in our original article, whether man or woman the cosplaying skills displayed in AHO’s photographs are stunning, and we invite you to view more on her Facebook fan page here.

I would also like to personally apologize for the sloppy journalism displayed on my part. There were several factual errors in the article and I regret perpetuating rumors and false information found online, regardless of the number of times we have met with cases of stunning female cosplayers who turned out to be male all along.

Going by the name “AHO,” the beauty above resides in China and keeps up an active Facebook account filled with enough costumed poses to give you inspiration for your own photo shoot. Here she is in action:

Source and photos: Mokyu Soku, Gamme News