[Yunli Cosplay] Honkai: Star Rail — Visiting the CP30 Anime Convention with Berrypheasant Skewers

On the second day of the recent CP30 anime convention, I completed this set of convention photos as Yunli from Honkai: Star Rail. From preparation to execution, this outfit and makeup styling took quite a bit of time, especially the custom details like the metal ring on the chest with black beads and red-green gems, as well as the bells hanging at the waist. To fit the character design, I specifically painted the black-and-teal diamond tattoo on my stomach using body paint. The biggest challenge of cosplaying at such conventions was that this outfit has many cutout designs, requiring a great physical state to pull off the overall look.

For hair styling, I worked on this dark blue short wig for a long time to achieve a slightly fluffy, layered look, paired with the gold crown featuring gradient blue-green gems and the flame-like hairpiece on the side. Regarding makeup, to make my eyes match the character better, I wore amber contact lenses with gold-brown eyeshadow and blended a touch of reddish-brown at the outer corners, creating a cool yet lively and expressive gaze. Inside the CP30 venue, lighting was ample—the natural diffuse light spilling from above was perfect for Anime cosplay portrait photography, capturing great skin texture without needing excessive fill light.

During the shoot, my main prop was that vibrant red bunch of Berrypheasant Skewers. Though a replica prop, its reflective texture looked great under this lighting, serving as a key medium for interacting with photographers. Before shooting, I communicated my composition preferences with the two photographers in advance, favoring dynamic snapshots. Photos P1 to P4 were taken by photographer Maozi, capturing moments of me handing the candied skewers toward the lens or looking naturally to the side. Photos P5 to P8 were taken by photographer meameame, focusing on half-body compositions with subtle environmental backgrounds, which nicely created an immersive convention atmosphere paired with blurred crowds in the distance.

Honestly, I felt a bit anxious when cosplaying Yunli because every cosplayer understands character demeanors differently, so I included an "apologies for being OOC" note in my post. But once I put on the outfit and walked into the venue, that authentic character feeling surfaced naturally. Seeing the outfit and Berrypheasant Skewers in my hand, many passersby smiled and called out "Yunli Kitty!" Being recognized and receiving instant positive feedback on site felt truly amazing.

Because CP30 had huge crowds, we constantly had to seek out spots with softer light or fewer people to prevent the background from being cluttered with heads and debris. Luckily, the venue was spacious and orderly, allowing us to find several ideal spots to finish the shoot smoothly. The post-processing didn't involve drastic alterations—mainly making skin tones clearer and restoring the original metallic luster of the costume to preserve the natural clarity captured on location. Looking back at these photos, every pose with the skewers—whether holding it out with one hand, cradling it with both, or posing with a hand on my hip—feels like freezing a vivid little moment from that day's convention, making it a thoroughly fulfilling cosplay experience.