[Hiyoribou cosplay] The Energetic Little Sun in the Sea of sunflowers

To bring Hiyoribou from Onmyoji to life, I began preparations half a month in advance. Portraying this 'little sun' had always been a personal dream of mine; when discussing location ideas with my photographer Luoluo, our minds almost instantaneously converged on a Sea of sunflowers. To coincide with peak bloom, we deliberately scheduled the session on an afternoon brimming with brilliant sunshine.

The wardrobe is remarkably dense with detail. The base consists of a white sleeveless top beneath an oversized indigo kimono-style coat patterned with auspicious white clouds, spliced with vibrant yellow and black accents along the lapels and cuffs. The most demanding components were unquestionably the shimenawa rope cinch at the waist and that gigantic teru teru bouzu prop. To honor the canonical character art, I handcrafted the mechanical gear halo headpiece myself; although wearing it over long takes left my neck a bit stiff, seeing the final captures proved every ounce of effort worthwhile. For the blue fabric, I deliberately chose textiles with fluid drape so that every fold settled organically while walking and posing.

My cosmetics were done by Zuilan. To channel the character's luminous, bright persona, I opted for yellow-green contact lenses, keeping the eye makeup sheer and dewy without heavy contouring so that facial features remained organic under harsh natural daylight. Sculpting and trimming the wig demanded considerable patience; since it gathered into low twin tails, feathering the wisps along the temples and tips was essential. Even under the blazing sun, standing enveloped in that golden sea instantly lifted my spirits.

The actual shooting proved considerably more strenuous than anticipated. Sunflower fields offer zero shade, and the direct glare made keeping eyes open a genuine challenge. To dial in breathtaking illumination, photographer Luoluo explored numerous backlit angles. Navigating the narrow crop ridges while shouldering that massive white plush prop required immense care not to crush any flower stems. Our assistant Qianqian stayed right by my side the entire time, smoothing the prop and holding back towering leaves—I am endlessly grateful for her help. The plush prop itself carries noticeable heft; keeping it upright required continually re-centering my core balance. In the shots where I crouch or extend an arm upward among dense stalks, sustaining that poised balance tested core endurance; the breezy ease viewers see in the frames was bought through endless fine-tuning of angles by the photographer and crew.

In post-production, retoucher Anang wonderfully preserved the warm tonality and organic radiance I envisioned, steering clear of artificial skin smoothing to keep skin textures crisp and translucent under the sun. The final atmosphere is wonderfully restorative—feeling as if the pure, sun-kissed warmth from Onmyoji and Onmyoji Arena had stepped directly into reality. Donning this attire amidst an endless bloom beneath pure blue skies and white clouds imparted an undeniable sense of uplift. I hope everyone who views these frames feels that same luminous cheer. The weather was sweltering, but this brilliant slice of summer has been captured to perfection.