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Every cosplayer has that one creator they’d love to impress. For Final Fantasy fans, that person is usually Nobuo Uematsu. The legendary composer’s music has become the DNA of the series that is synonymous with the JRPG genre, so having him gush about your cosplay would be an absolute dream. For one Kefka cosplayer, that dream came true as he got up close and personal with Nobuo Uematsu.

Kefka is one of the most iconic Final Fantasy villains, having the dubious distinction of being the one who succeeded in defeating the heroes before eventually being beaten. Cosplayer and wrestler Leon Chiro brought Kefka to life at one of Nobuo Uematsu’s concerts in Rome. While he was getting ready in the backstage area, Uematsu came to see the cosplayer for a surprise visit.

“I turned around and there he was… the master himself: Nobuo Uematsu,” Leon Chiro wrote on social media. “My brain short-circuited. My soul ascended. That first handshake is now a core memory, forever burned into my heart.”

After a brief visit, Chiro eventually visited with Uematsu later on where the composer showed off his own wrestling skills. Alongside pictures that depicted him with his arms wrapped around Chiro, Uematsu wrote, “Who was the man who choked Kefka with the Cobra Twist?! It’s me, it’s me!”

It is a remarkably wholesome encounter that feels like both parties were just as excited to meet the other. Nobuo Uematsu clearly loved Chiro’s Kefka costume, which was remarkably detailed and intimidating. And Chiro got to shake the hand that wrote some of the most iconic video game music of all time. It is the kind of moment the Internet was made for.

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