[Altria cosplay] The King of Knights in Fate/Grand Order's Holy Grail War

When shooting this Altria look, a friend asked whether blue or black looked better. Personally, I would definitely still choose blue. The blue of this dress is distinct from casual or black versions; I specifically chose a blue jacquard fabric with subtle patterns that shows great texture under the lights. The combination of gold trim and the white lining makes it visually vibrant. Honestly, the black version is gorgeous too, but wearing this set during the shoot made me feel that blue is truly where her soul lies.

The first photo is a frontal standing pose holding the sword, which is also my favorite composition. The floor was very bright and reflective, just enough to give the blue flared skirt an expanded silhouette that felt very reminiscent of the imposing presence on a Holy Grail War battlefield. That classic question, 'Are you my Master?'—the atmosphere truly carried that feeling during the shoot. To recreate the character's essence, I specially prepared green contact lenses, which brought out the vibe completely alongside the wig and the iconic ahoge. The sword was quite heavy; holding it up continuously for shots truly tested my arm strength, especially in the over-the-shoulder look-back shot where I had to maintain balance with one hand. My hand was really aching, but I pushed myself to keep my expression from faltering.

The third and fourth photos are kneeling poses. Spreading the skirt out on the smooth floor brought a completely different feel than usual. The third photo, with a downward contemplative gaze, conveys a touch of melancholy and deep thought. The fourth photo, looking back into the lens while drawing the sword, delivers an entirely different imposing presence. Of course, kneeling on a cold reflective floor is quite chilly and can easily soil the dress. The skirt is massive, so putting it on, taking it off, and shaping it took some time; thanks to the photographer's patient guidance, the angles were adjusted wonderfully. During the shoot, we used a wide aperture to blur the ambient venue lighting and focus sharply on the character and the sword. The costume has plenty of fine details, such as the gold thread on the cuffs, openwork chest design, metallic buttons, and the sapphire ring on my finger. Although dressing up was cumbersome, the moment everything was on, it felt entirely worth it.

At conventions, seeing so many fellow enthusiasts striving for their beloved characters is wonderful. I believe the core of cosplay lies in facial expression and understanding the character's temperament rather than merely piling on garments. From standing to sitting poses, for such a heroic character, slightly tucking the chin and keeping the gaze focused is essential. Choosing to shoot in this reflective area was because the light was great and the floor reflection added spatial depth to the frame. Although not shot sweet and cutesy like usual, the slightly cool-toned atmosphere suited her much better. The overall experience was that despite being exhausting—especially since swinging the sword and kneeling drained a lot of stamina—seeing the finished photos made the effort feel worthwhile. This is my usual routine for outdoor/venue shoots, and I'll definitely shoot more FGO characters when opportunities arise.

Since I had nothing else to post recently, I'm just sharing these few photos while addressing that earlier question about blue vs. black. Regarding the matching sword, I found one with high accuracy—metallic lacquer finish and handle wrapping faithful to the original, with the blade gleaming under the lights. During shooting, I constantly monitored the blade's angle to avoid blinding glare. Green eyes don't stand out much in sunlight, so I deliberately added a touch of catchlight to make the gaze look more spirited. We also filmed some behind-the-scenes bloopers that weren't posted, such as accidentally bumping myself with the sword or passersby stepping on the oversized hem, which were quite funny. This time, I mainly wanted to show four different states of Altria: fighting, quietly contemplating, glancing back, and drawing the sword—each carrying a unique charm. The more classic a character is, the more dedicated you need to be in sculpting every detail. As for captioning, it's all about the mood; I was in good spirits today so I posted this set. While editing, I realized the blue dress pairs wonderfully with this cool-toned environment, making it a set I truly love. When I don't have new content in the future, I might just dig out old archived photos like this to post—after all, it's all about having fun.