Putting on this Youmu Konpaku outfit, I went straight to the hall to take these Convention photo shots. As Lady Yuyuko's gardener in Touhou Project, this costume visually blends Japanese swordsman elements with sweet lace girl aesthetics, making it quite a bit more complex to wear than imagined.
First, let's talk about the layering of this outfit. The outer dark green Japanese-style jacket uses a fabric with a good weight and subtle patterns, offering a nice drape, while white lace trimming softens the originally sharp tailoring. Underneath is a pure white loose blouse featuring multi-layered ruffles and stacked lace at the collar and cuffs. On top of this, a wide black leather belt is cinched; its metal eyelets and crisscross lacing design perfectly highlight the waistline. Paired with the large black-and-white bow on the head, the overall style strikes a balance between delicate softness and sharp efficiency.
Next are the props. The black-sheathed katana is the character's iconic accessory, adorned with cherry blossom patterns along the handle wrap and sheath surface. Spinning it or drawing the blade requires good coordination because the sword's center of gravity is somewhat far from the hilt; holding it one-handed for extended periods is actually tiring, especially at a crowded anime convention where you have to avoid poking passersby. For this Convention photo session, I tried seated horizontal holds, dynamic slashes, and standing displays. The photographer captured light effectively: under the cool industrial overhead lighting of the convention center, complemented by gray reflections off the floor, the overall texture really popped.
This time, I wore glossy black platform leather shoes paired with white ruffled socks. This combination fits the character's style—blending a casual everyday feel with combat-ready traits—and effectively elongates the leg lines. Although platform shoes add height, walking on the smooth venue floor requires constant balance control, but the result on camera makes it completely worth it. The wig is a short, straight silver-white hair piece with blunt bangs; adding the large black hair bow visually raised the crown height nicely.
Regarding the difference between unedited Convention photo shots and fully retouched images, I personally really enjoy this raw photo feel. Venue lighting is complex and not every shot has perfect top lighting; convention photos are more about capturing the immediate state and the overall convention atmosphere. Working with my photographer partner was seamless; they understood my desired execution of combining coolness with languor. Many cosplayers might feel that shooting inside exhibition halls is limiting, but by making good use of the venue's cool overhead light, high-angle lookdowns, or low-angle lookups, and making slight adjustments to positioning and background blur, you can get very clean compositions and naturally gorgeous photos without heavy post-editing.
Overall, cosplaying Youmu Konpaku this time was a wonderful experience, especially regarding detail management—from the lace trim on the hem to the eyelet lacing on the corset, every seam was made to faithfully capture the character's design. Characters from Touhou Project offer immense creative room in outfit styling, preserving traditional elements while embracing modern anime aesthetics, which is why so many people still love doing Touhou Project cosplay after all these years. For me as a cosplayer of this character, putting on this costume and experiencing the feel of swinging a sword in the convention hall was a thoroughly exhilarating endeavor.