[Zai Ji Cosplay] NARAKA: BLADEPOINT, Live Record from the Chengdu World Line Anime Convention

The convention photos from the Chengdu World Line Anime Convention in July are finally sorted out! This time, I cosplayed Zai Ji from NARAKA: BLADEPOINT. These live-light photos that everyone has been longing for have an irreplaceable sense of atmosphere compared to studio shoots. Since they were candidly captured right at the convention, I had to maintain the character's tension at all times, which was quite a test of physical endurance.

Regarding this outfit, the lightweight white veil-like dress is the most eye-catching part of the look. The material itself is somewhat translucent, reflecting a very soft sheen under the convention's overhead lighting combined with the photographer's fill light. The cut of the dress is asymmetrical, featuring hollow-out designs at the waist, which, adorned with thin gold chains and metal rings, nicely tightens the waistline and visually elongates the silhouette.

The accessories in this styling are also a major highlight. In addition to the gold chains on the outfit, I wore nude strappy high heels on my feet. This style of shoe beautifully flatters the leg shape and fits perfectly with the overall lightweight aesthetic. For my makeup, I went with a cooler-toned base and emphasized the depth of my eye makeup, which, paired with the long, straight white wig, recreates that cold and mysterious temperament as much as possible. The wig's texture is quite smooth, so it didn't tangle easily while running around the convention, making it relatively hassle-free to manage.

The props are the main event of this cosplay—that pair of red-and-black crescent blades and the connecting pink braided rope. This kind of softly connected prop is actually very easy to snag on passersby or trip over at a bustling convention. During the shoot, this thin pink rope proved to be quite a challenge, as it kept swinging around due to the large movements of my poses. To capture that fluid sense of the weapon blending with the body, I not only had to look at the lens while posing but also keep an eye on the direction of the rope. Fortunately, the photographer was amazing and captured shots so quickly, precisely grabbing the moments when the rope was suspended in mid-air or draping down naturally, which greatly reduced the rate of wasted shots.

Speaking of the camera angles for this shoot, the photographer—who absolutely channelled that 'Photography Evil Cultivator' style—used a wide-angle lens, shooting from low-angle or slightly tilted-up perspectives. This style of shooting actually demands a lot from the person's posture; if the angle isn't captured just right, it can easily make the head look disproportionately large. For the pose in Photo 1, I shifted my center of gravity slightly back and spread my legs; this bold, expansive movement stretched my leg lines under the wide-angle lens, creating a powerful visual impact when paired with the elegant high heels.

Photo 2 is one of my favorite poses: standing on one foot with the other leg raised, arms spread to both sides, and the dual blades connected by the pink rope, creating a sense of balance in motion. This posture requires excellent core control; otherwise, it's easy to wobble, so I had to rely on a sudden burst of core strength to hold still during the capture. Photo 3 is a half-body close-up where I brought the blade close to my head and intentionally sharpened my gaze to bring out that sense of distance and aggression. Normally, shooting close-ups under overhead lighting makes facial shadows look messy, but the combination of the venue's natural light and a bit of fill light actually made my facial features look very dimensional.

Honestly, it's hard for convention photos to have the flawless lighting of a studio shoot, but I personally love the authentic texture that this live environment brings. Behind me, there are other con-goers wandering around, black photography softboxes, and even the reflective floor. All these elements piece together to form a complete convention experience. Since it was shot at the Chengdu Convention and Exhibition Center, the venue was huge with airy, transparent lighting, so the overall tone of the final photos turned out very bright and clean. Every cosplay is a process of re-interpreting the character, as well as a tacit collaboration with the on-site photography team. Although the venue was crowded, as long as you put your heart into it, you can always capture some truly satisfying moments.