[Castorice cosplay] Honkai: Star Rail – Life and Death Are Both Journeys, When the Butterfly Perches on the Branch

Stepping into the exhibition hall, I was immediately wrapped in the lively atmosphere of the Ringworld Anime Convention. This time I shot Castorice from Honkai: Star Rail, the character everyone is familiar with as "Butterfly." Actually, before deciding to do this costume, I thought repeatedly about many of the character's traits, wanting to find that sense of brokenness that carries a touch of cool detachment yet looks forward to rebirth.

Let's talk about the details of the makeup and styling this time. To recreate the light purple hair color, the wig was specially processed with gradient dyeing, as the sense of layering in the hair strands is highly important. For the headpiece section, besides the iconic dark branch horns, I deliberately added softly colored flowers and butterfly accessories at the top, so that combined with the white tulle behind, it could create a lightweight feeling of dreaminess. The makeup on the face didn't use particularly heavy eyeshadow and eyeliner, but rather utilized faint purple and nude pink to echo the colors of the hair and costume, carving out facial contours through the blending of blush and shadows while retaining the character's original crisp temperament.

Regarding this wedding-style dress, the most thought was spent on the material. The main body is multiple layers of sheer tulle alternating between white and light purple, with pearls and fine shimmer decorations sewn into the details of the neckline and waist. A few 3D flower and butterfly shapes were sewn onto the skirt hem to break the monotony of the pure tulle fabric. The lace of the gloves paired with the white roses of the bouquet increased the overall magnificence. Inside the pavilion, the lighting environment was highly complex, but the low-angle shot perspective was truly photogenic. Although the overhead lights at the convention venue easily overexposed the white clothing, finding the right light ratio allowed that translucent texture to be captured instead.

This time at the Ringworld Anime Convention, this character drew the lenses of many photographers, and I consequently experienced the feeling of being chased and photographed by a lot of people. During the movements of dynamic turning and tossing the skirt hem, the wedding veil and lightweight tulle skirt hem lifted with the actions; those moments of floating with the wind were, I think, the times that best fitted the character's ethereal aura. For post-processing, I specially requested the editor to preserve the on-site feel of the photos as much as possible, without excessively brightening or sharpening, just unifying the dark tones of the environment slightly to keep the frame clean and translucent.

The process of doing cosplay always has surprises as well as accidents. For instance, the skirt hem of this dress is very easy to step on, and one needs to constantly pay attention to lifting it up when walking in crowded places. However, everyone was very friendly, actively making way or helping to lift that long veil. This atmosphere where everyone shows mutual understanding and gathers together for the same passion is perhaps the most charming part of conventions. Portraying this Castorice, I hope to convey that sense of destiny and hope that "life and death are both journeys, and a new life will follow after withering." Every time doing cosplay, from preparation to shooting to final photos, feels like experiencing the growth of a character. The moment I put on the wig and this outfit, I also briefly became this character. Although the convention has ended, this memory is like the butterfly specimen in my hand, which will always be preserved vividly in my photo album.