‘Creativity saved me from darkness’: Tiktok’s Kudasai Girl, Devin Halbal, on how social media changed her life
- Social media star Devin Halbal from New York talks about connecting with her followers at meet and greets around the world, including, recently, Hong Kong
- Halbal, who coined the term ‘Met Gala behaviour’ for wearing an outfit that makes you feel beautiful, says creativity has increased her self-esteem

Social media star Devin Halbal has a charisma that can only be described as magnetic.
As soon as she covers her mouth and lets out a giggle, you cannot help but be overcome by an urge to sit down and share a bubble tea with her, maybe even paint your nails with her.
Halbal burst into the worldwide consciousness in January 2024 with a simple TikTok video of her in Japan saying mizu, gohan and ocha – water, rice and green tea in Japanese – all followed by the word kudasai, the word for please, in her trademark singsong voice.
It has become something of a phenomenon, with the video garnering over 14.5 million views on TikTok alone.
Even before the viral clip, Halbal was already well known in her hometown, New York. It was there that she coined the term Met Gala behaviour, which she defines as the feeling of wearing an outfit that makes you feel beautiful. The term became a hashtag on TikTok and has appeared in over 150 million posts on the social media platform.