[Raiden Shogun Cosplay] Holding a Tachi, the Gaze Needs to Be Aloof Enough

This set of Raiden Shogun photos was actually shot a long time ago and has been sitting in my hard drive, which is what people often call "reheating old rice" (reposting old content). Although it's called old content, to be honest, the shooting process and preparation back then were not sloppy at all. From early preparation to the final output, every step was quite meticulous.
Let's talk about the details of this costume first. For the wig, I chose a deep blue-purple shade. This color presents a premium texture under lighting, and combined with the straight bangs design, it shapes the face and features very well. The choker with a red rope knot on the neck is the soul of the whole outfit, breaking up the plainness of the light purple upper body. The material of the clothes uses light purple and white patchwork fabric with hidden patterns, paired with translucent dark oversleeves, making it look both lightweight and layered in terms of visual presentation. The waistband with a metal ring and long tassels gives a flowing effect when moving around.
In terms of props, the most head-aching part was that large tachi. It looks gorgeous, but it's a real heavyweight contender. In pictures one and five, the action of holding up the sword looks steady, but in fact, I was desperately using my core strength to balance it, terrified that a hand tremor would chip the sword on the ground. In contrast, the shooting process for picture three holding a book and picture four holding an umbrella was much easier.
During the shoot, to fit the character's aloof and elegant temperament, the photographer specially arranged a Japanese-style set. The floor was covered with tatami, and there were paper lanterns and a low table. The warm yellow light of the paper lanterns clashed with the cool-toned costume, instantly bringing out the atmospheric feel of the scene.
Many people think cosplay is just about putting on clothes, but actually, for this kind of predominantly static shoot, capturing the right emotion is crucial. For the posture in picture two, resting my chin on one hand, the gaze needs to look lazy yet carrying a hint of scrutiny; I practiced in front of the mirror many times before finding that sense of relaxation. When shooting picture four with the umbrella, to make the image more dynamic, the photographer also added some falling fake petals into the frame, giving the whole picture a sense of living, breathing motion.
Of course, there were also fun things during this shoot. While shooting, my expression had to be held tight, looking like "do not approach," but in reality, as soon as the photographer shouted "click," I would instantly break character and burst out laughing. This contrast between being aloof and goofy is also a very fun part of the cosplay process.
Although maybe not many people will watch these finished photos once posted, since there are too many excellent works online, every character prepared with heart is a special commemoration for myself. Editing these backlogged photos this time can be considered as putting a full stop to my previous hard work. Sometimes sitting down quietly to look at these photos and recalling the fun anecdotes of the shoot is exactly the happiness that cosplay brings to me.