[Space Ereshkigal Cosplay] That Cool, Ethereal Ice Blue in Fate/Grand Order

Ever since I got this 1st Ascension Gothic dress for Space Ereshkigal, I had been thinking about how to capture that cold and magnificent feeling of outer space. When initially finalizing the look, the wig chosen was this ice blue with a touch of transparency—not a bright fluorescent blue, but like light radiating from a deep-space nebula, giving off a self-illuminated effect when hit by cool lighting to perfect the blue hair twin tails styling. The tailoring of the outfit is actually quite demanding on the figure. The black bodice on the upper body uses rigid fabric, and combined with the black feathers and plush splicing at the shoulders and neck, it supports the entire silhouette of the shoulders while retaining the off-shoulder design, preventing it from looking too heavy visually. The black puff sleeves are made of thick satin with a subtle matte texture, which, paired with the long leather gloves, gives the entire look a dark aristocratic temperament.

I picked the studio set myself, and that huge blue rose window was the soul of this set of photos. Seeing this layout at the beginning made me feel it was a perfect match—the geometric patterns on the window and the cool blue translucent light exactly corresponded to the character's divine yet detached aura. The surroundings were decorated with white sculptures, crystal chandeliers, and metal birdcages, plus a massive amount of blue silk flowers and light blue tulle draped on the floor, turning the entire space into a Gothic cathedral floating in the depths of the universe. This kind of layout places high demands on the photographer because the light sources are quite cluttered; it requires preserving the translucency of the window surface while allowing the main light to cast a clean line of light and shadow on the character, all while avoiding miscellaneous color reflections from the metal chandeliers in the background. Fortunately, the highlights and shadows in the final shot were controlled beautifully clean, preventing the frame from looking too messy.

My personal favorites are the few shots sitting on the high stool, because that multi-layered black fluffy skirt naturally spreads out upon sitting down, revealing the white inner pleated trim, while completely exposing the leg lines. Black stockings paired with high heels visually elongate the proportions of the lower body. The microphone prop held in hand is actually a little Easter egg, originally meant to complement the character's "idol" or "diva" style aura; although she doesn't actually need to sing, standing in front of a magnificent stage backdrop with a microphone gives the entire set an extra layer of theatrical feel. The other poses holding the blue rose and the long staff lean more toward a static elegance, especially the close-up holding the flower, where the gaze is slightly drifted, cooperating with the side-lighting hitting the hair strands and the rose to look exceptionally soft and beautiful.

For the makeup, I specially expanded the blending area of the eyeshadow, using a bit of pearlescent blue at the inner corners of the eyes to brighten them up, and the lip color chose a cool-toned rose, allowing the overall skin tone to better integrate with the blue hues of the wig without appearing abrupt. Since this entire cosplay outfit is almost completely black and cool-toned, if the makeup were too warm or heavy, it would disconnect from the scene, so the eyeliner was drawn relatively slender and long, emphasizing a cool and sharp gaze. During the shooting process, we also attempted different angles, including low-angle shots to magnify the fluffiness of the skirt, and medium close-ups to highlight the designs of the headpiece and choker. The blue bow on the headpiece and the black spike styling extending backward are truly heavy-crafted; they need to be securely fixed on the head, otherwise it easily tilts whenever I turn my head.

This set of photos took about half a day from early preparation to the end of shooting, with the lighting scheme changed several times in between. Because the brightness of the rose window was too high, if the front light on the character was too bright, it would wash out the wig's color. Therefore, a compromise was struck by using side-backlighting complemented by a softbox to fill the face, giving a ring of blue rim light around the edges of the hair, making me look as if standing under the moonlight. In post-processing, I didn't apply overly exaggerated filters; I merely adjusted the color temperature and contrast slightly, preserving the original cool tones to make the pleated layers of the black dress richer. Overall, it was a highly dedicated cosplay photography session—from costume styling to scene construction and light control, every step recreated the imagination of this character in my heart as much as possible. I hope this set of photos lets you feel that unique temperament drifting between the starry sky and the cathedral.