[Yakumo Chen Cosplay] Searching for the Nekomata Lost Under the Night Lamps of a Japanese-style Garden

After putting out many sets of cosplay, I often stop to look into my own state. That previous urge to present a character out of pure, full-hearted love sometimes unconsciously transforms into a relatively realistic drive: the design of this outfit really hits me, the colors and tailoring are beautiful, so I want to put it on and shoot a set of photos.

Every preparation for final cuts feels like fighting a tough battle, to be honest. Selecting an outdoor location alone consumes several hours, pulling back and forth between several alternative spots. Once determined, I have to plan the travel method and calculate the commute time; when writing the photo proposal, I need to consider light, camera angles, and composition. Amidst these seemingly trivial yet extremely energy-consuming rushings, we frequently lament that during the two days of shooting, more than half of the time is spent on the road.

This shoot chose a location inside a highly atmospheric Japanese-style garden. The wooden-structured porches, stone lanterns on the ground, moss and withered wood, along with those maple tree branches scattered in the corners, all carry an inherent sense of tranquility away from the city's hustle and bustle. When dusk arrived, the warm yellow garden lamps lit up, enveloping the entire scene in a mild and somewhat mysterious orange tone. This made for an incredible Japanese-style photography experience.

Putting on this red-and-white dress, the texture is exceptionally thick, and the ruffle details at the neckline and cuffs are highly rich. Tying up the white socks, sliding into the black leather shoes, and holding that orb with a bell, I tried to completely substitute myself into that quiet yet slightly eerie night of Gensokyo. Sitting cross-legged on the wooden steps or leaning against the stone pillar while lifting a leg, those seemingly relaxed freeze-frame movements actually required repeating many times to find the most natural state, but amidst this light and shadow, it never felt tedious during this Touhou Project cosplay session.

When I saw the final frozen images on the camera screen, it truly brought a highly wonderful sense of fulfillment. The exhaustion brought by the previous rushing seemed to vanish into thin air at this instant. It was as if this character truly walked right through this outfit and this piece of scenery, stepping from that world full of monsters and magic yet incomparably peaceful, straight into real life, standing right in front of the wooden door. That materialization crossing dimensions is exactly where the meaning of all that rushing lies.

Special thanks must go to that photographer who was willing to travel across mountains and rivers with me. Whether it was carrying gear around looking for camera angles or constantly adjusting lighting and parameters at night, he provided immense patience. More importantly, he always supported my fragmented and imaginative ideas, trying his best to turn the pictures in my mind into reality.

Before shooting this set of cuts, my heart actually held some hesitation, but the light and shadow texture of the final cuts allowed me to find that initial touch of emotion. This attempt made me feel that style and the clothing itself might also be a form of expression, and our love for a certain worldview doesn't fade just because it's separated by a screen. Dedicated to that Gensokyo of Touhou Project that I deeply love.