[Hu Tao Cosplay] Studio Daily of a Japanese-Style Girl in NARAKA: BLADEPOINT

This time I shot this Japanese-style look for NARAKA: BLADEPOINT's Kurumi (Hu Tao cosplay), and since the photos just came out, I wanted to quickly organize and share these sets. The overall ensemble follows a light and bright Japanese style. The upper body features an off-the-shoulder cropped outerwear made of white lace, paired with an inner white base layer, creating rich visual layering. A rigid gold collar with a central red rope knot adorns the neckline, giving a striking visual focal point against the dominant white palette. The sleeves feature a detached design that exposes shoulder lines, while the arms are fitted with gray semi-transparent mesh arm guards, adding a cool, sleek edge. The hairstyle keeps the straight black hair with blunt bangs, tied into low pigtails on both sides with a pair of fluffy gray animal ears, significantly boosting the cuteness factor of the look.

As the highlight of this look, the large, fluffy tail with a gray-to-white gradient behind me has a massive presence. Although it is quite heavy and can easily be crushed or get in the way during shooting if you're not careful, it looks undeniably fantastic on camera. Sitting on the tatami or leaning against the shoji doors while letting the tail fan out naturally effectively fills the empty space in the lower half of the frame. To vary the props, I used two items this time: a red Japanese-style paper umbrella with pink floral and vine patterns, and a black-and-white ink-wash folding fan. Holding the red umbrella evokes a more elegant and soft feel, while posing with the folding fan allowed for a cleaner standing posture, conveying a different emotional atmosphere.

The lower body ensemble is also a special highlight of this outfit. White over-the-knee socks paired with red ribbon thigh straps and geta not only accentuates leg lines but also echoes the red elements of the upper body perfectly. The geta straps feature a red background with white flower patterns, creating an authentic sense of immersion when in contact with wooden floors and woven tatami. The shooting location for these photos was specially chosen as a full Japanese-style realistic studio, complete with raw wood shoji doors, tatami mat surfaces, classic crane fan murals, and decorated with numerous pink cherry blossom branches and paper lanterns. The overall space features soft lighting that perfectly aligns with the tone of this costume.

During the actual shoot, to achieve a natural and comfortable state, I experimented with relaxed postures like sitting and side-lying as if at home, as well as a slightly more formal standing pose holding the umbrella. Studio photography tests balance control the most, especially when posing in geta on slippery wooden boards where body angles need continuous adjustment. It's also important to avoid tugging too hard on the sleeves or stepping on the tail, though that's part of the unique fun of shooting this kind of look. Regarding lighting, we tested both bright, translucent front lighting and warm yellow ambient light in post-processing like in Photo 4. The transparency of the lace and texture of the white tights under different lighting conditions were quite pleasant surprises. This shoot did its best to capture the character's agility and the exquisite costume details; although the tail and shoes presented some minor challenges during shooting, I am very satisfied with the final photos' color tones and sense of space.