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<\/p>\nA woman who's raking in cash from her cosplay hobby says her bank balance is booming \u2013 however, it's not the same story for her love life, unfortunately.<\/p>\n
Lien Sue spends her days transforming herself into everything from warriors and mythical creatures to dragons and popular anime characters.<\/p>\n
And as well as satisfying her love of dressing up, it's also earning her around \u00a355,000 a month \u2013 or even more when she attends anime conventions.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: 'I came from nothing but now I earn thousands thanks to my racy cosplay vids'<\/b><\/p>\n
Check out more real life stories here<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Despite this though, the 26-year-old says her unique career is \u2018ruining' her dating life because men are \u2018intimidated\u2019 by her money.<\/p>\n
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The German native first began creating the looks when she was a student to make some extra money. But the venture soon took off, with the influencer now boasting 135,000 followers on Instagram (@liiensue ).<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a child, I used to play video games like Pok\u00e9mon, Zelda: Twilight Princess and watched a lot of anime,\u201d the model revealed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my hometown of Cologne, we celebrate \u2018Karneval\u2019 every February, where everyone dresses up in cheap costumes. One year I dressed as Midna, the Shadow Princess, and I loved it. I wanted to be her so badly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs an adult, I kept wanting to express my love for characters \u2013 and my personality \u2013 through cosplay. Then I saw another model, Jessica Nigri, doing it professionally and putting an erotic touch on it.<\/p>\n
\u201dShe was my biggest inspiration and when I started crafting more revealing cosplays and sharing them online.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe materials are expensive and, when I was a student, I didn\u2019t have money for cosplay so I opened a subscription service [Patreon] online to fund my passion."<\/p>\n
She added: "I never intended for cosplay to become the way I make my living. I dreamed of it but never allowed myself to think that it was truly possible for me \u2013 but here here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
While she is happy about her success, she claims men are \u201cintimidated\u201d by her success, adding: "There are always guys judging me before they get to know me. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s so much about the cosplay part of my job but about me being an erotic model.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome men don\u2019t like women who enjoy showing themselves off sexy and confident in public \u2013 they\u2019re probably intimidated by it and by the amount of money I earn because a lot of men have it in their mind that they need to be the providers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf my career is a problem, I wouldn\u2019t want to date them anyway. I\u2019m searching for someone who is confident and happy about themselves.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAnd even though I make a good living, I still like being spoiled with actions, kind words and thoughtful gifts, and spending time with the person I\u2019m with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Describing herself as a \u201cnerd\u201d, Lien, who is currently single, says the men she dates are often people she meets on the internet, such as fellow gamers and anime enthusiasts. But it\u2019s not a deal-breaker if her future partner doesn\u2019t like cosplay.<\/p>\n
The way to model\u2019s heart? Build a friendship first and go from there.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI tried dating apps while I was at university and it was just not right for me. I want some kind of friendship first, otherwise I don\u2019t feel comfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve dated other cosplayers and even though it's cool to have such a big passion in common, I like it when people can give me other views on topics and have their own life and their own passion.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for what she looks for in a man, there is one key trait that a budding partner must have: humour. She said: \u201cIt\u2019s my most favourite character trait. I fall for the character first, then the looks.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMy all-time-crush is Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu \u2013 yes, an anime-guy \u2013 because he still has his inner child.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like men who are kind and caring souls, do what they love and don\u2019t care about what others think. Basic hygiene and treating your body well and healthy is necessary, of course \u2013 so I prefer non-smokers.\u201d<\/p>\n
When dating someone, Lien says some men will ask her to dress up for them and she\u2019s happy to oblige, saying: \u201cIf I like their recommendations, I sometimes cosplay for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel cheeky doing it, knowing I'm making a wet dream come true for them. In bed, I think it's exciting to have some \u2018special role play\u2019 ongoing from time to time.\u201d<\/p>\n
While her love life might be taking a hit, being a cosplayer has other perks \u2013 such as allowing Lien to buy her own house in Germany for \u00a3728,000.<\/p>\n
Thankfully so, as the model\u2019s materials take up a lot of room. She explained: \u201cAll of my armours (made from foam!) take up a lot of room so I bought a house this year.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI have a huge crafting room, I bought a laser cutter and a 3D printer. It\u2019s my only luxury, everything goes into cosplay.\u201d<\/p>\n
The costumes can take Lien 60-70 hours to make, with more intricate pieces taking even longer, up to 400 hours.<\/p>\n
She spends around \u00a380-\u00a3400 on each design, though easily makes this back through sharing photos of herself wearing the outfits online.<\/p>\n
The model also attends popular conventions, showing off her costumes wherever possible, and sells calendars, prints, props and occasionally worn clothing.<\/p>\n
How much the model makes depends heavily on what type of event she attends \u2013 but she once pulled in \u00a312,000 in just three days (\u20ac14,000) selling photos, taking photos with fans and more. <\/p>\n
Lien would love to visit international conventions in the future, such as Comic Con in the US, saying: \u201cI would love to if I get invited. I\u2019ve never been to the US so it would be a great experience. Hopefully in 2024!\u201d<\/p>\n