[Medicine Melancholy cosplay] Tiny Sweet Poison: The Poison Doll in Red and Black Lolita

This time, I'm cosplaying Medicine Melancholy from Touhou Project. From deciding on the character to preparing the outfit, a lot of thought was put into it. The red-and-black multi-layered Lolita dress is the core of the entire outfit; the red-and-black alternating ruffles on the skirt hem along with black lace trim present a dark style infused with the texture of a doll. For the headdress, I chose a bright red pleated bow paired with a blonde bob wig, striving to recreate the doll's exquisiteness as much as possible.

Since I didn't book a photographer, this set of photos was taken indoors facing a full-length mirror. Taking a handheld Mirror selfie with a phone is actually quite challenging: one hand has to steadily hold the phone to find angles, while the other hand must hold that bunch of white lily of the valley props, and the body needs to tilt slightly so that the multi-layered skirt can fully spread out. The blue beaded pendant on the chest was something I found on the spot, and its color happens to add a vibrant pop against the overall color palette. To support this dress, I wore a sizable petticoat underneath; it's actually quite heavy, but the undulating motion of the skirt hem when walking is exceptionally gorgeous.

For footwear, I paired white lace-trimmed ankle socks with wine-red Mary Jane shoes, a combination that brings the overall look closer to the atmosphere of a classical doll. The background consists of an ordinary home display cabinet and door panels, with the cabinet filled with various pink and blue plush toys I usually collect. The biggest challenge during the shoot was that the phone tended to block my face, so I had to repeatedly adjust the height at which I held the phone to ensure the wig and hair ornaments were fully visible. Regarding lighting, no complicated lighting setup was used—simply natural indoor light combined with overhead lighting, aiming to showcase the original fabric texture of the costume.

When contemplating the character of Medicine Melancholy, I thought a lot about her story of gaining life after being abandoned. Although she is a poison doll carrying a dangerous aura all over, beneath this red-and-black dress actually lies an underlying longing for warmth and companionship. The overall cut of this outfit, combined with the white lace and red rose at the collar, softens the oppressive feel of the black, presenting a contradictory temperament that is both dangerous and sweet.

When organizing these photos, looking at the layers upon layers of the skirt hem in the frames, I felt that all the hard work spent adjusting the petticoat and props bit by bit was well worth it. I hope everyone can feel the detailed design of the costume through this set of Mirror selfie shots.