On the open-air plaza of Xiamen Ring World, as soon as I changed into this ice-crystal-themed outfit and the unshielded sunlight fell upon me, the very first thought popping into my head was "the baka is taking off!" This newly completed shoot was conducted right on this sun-baked, scalding ground. For this outfit, I specially custom-ordered a full set of props, especially those iridescent Ice crystal props with white plush edges—though a bit heavy to wear on my back, when light passes through those faceted surfaces, it truly creates a dreamy refraction.
Before shooting, I was eagerly looking forward to how the outfit would look. The fluffy animal-ear decorations on my head are quite large, framing my face to look very petite. That giant red bow tie at the neck serves as the visual focus for the entire styling, paired with intricate white and light blue multi-layered skirts, conveying an innate playfulness. During the shoot, three distinct action poses were chosen: the first was jumping mid-air to fully unleash the character's sense of lightness; the second was standing quietly while holding the crystal props with both hands, focusing on displaying the necktie and hand details; the third was a lively pose with one leg raised and the other supporting my weight.
In the actual shooting process, I must admit the weather was the single biggest challenge. To fit this light and nimble style, the skirt was layered extensively, paired with white tights. Outdoor temperatures in Xiamen during July and August are extremely high; walking around the plaza at Xiamen Ring World in this gear made my forehead sweat within ten minutes. Photographer @R-Bing-Sharpen-Not-Enough was constantly beside me adjusting angles and lighting. The shiny crystal sheets in the props reflected intensely under harsh outdoor light, requiring continuous angle adjustments to avoid strange blown-out highlights. We had to touch up makeup almost every few poses because sweat would quickly melt the base makeup.
Choosing to shoot in the D2 ring area of Xiamen Ring World was because the large glass curtain walls and linear architectural structures offered a wonderful complement to the sweetness of this Touhou Project costume. Huge exterior glass walls reflected part of the sunlight down onto the crystal props and plush ear accessories, making the edge rim-lighting exceptionally soft and giving the visuals a brighter ACG color tone. Standing under the sun all afternoon, the exhaustion of nearly melting persisted until wrapping up, but seeing the final images inside the camera made all the effort feel completely worthwhile during this Summer anime convention season.
For those who truly love this costume, ACG character outfit design always carries a romanticism unique to parallel worlds. When dyeing hair light blue, donning ear accessories, and picking up those Ice crystal props glowing with futuristic sheen, briefly detaching from real life to have such a fleeting magical experience in the hot summer heat is perhaps what one might call "magic in reality." I don't really like posting heavily or exaggeratedly color-graded photos on social media platforms, because the real light during shooting better restores the texture of this outfit in the physical world. My initial impression of this look was light and clean, so during post-processing, I deliberately preserved that original clarity under the sunlight for this Cirno cosplay.