[Saber cosplay] Britain's Ultimate Big Eater pulls off a Stargazy pie prank in Fate/Grand Order

As the quintessential big eater of Britain, what I'm serving up this time is a homemade Stargazy pie that I prepared myself.

The theme for this shoot is Saber from Fate/Grand Order, tailored around a comedic Chaldea Food festival scenario. The title 'Foodie King' is well known in the community, so I deliberately prepared this infamous dark-cuisine dish with fish heads poking outwards.

Crafting this prop was quite an ordeal. I tracked down several fake fish models—originally I planned to use real fish, but the pungent smell would have made the studio space completely unbearable, so I swapped everything for replicas. Holes were cut into the pie crust, each fish head was fitted and secured into place, and finally a coat of gloss was applied to simulate a fresh-baked pastry sheen, making it look astonishingly realistic.

In terms of wardrobe, the blue and white armor boasts substantial texture, and the fluffy white fur around the collar is nicely voluminous—great for warmth, though quite heavy to wear. In particular, the metallic components on the chest and shoulders required caution during poses to avoid chipping paint, while keeping an eye on specular highlights. The photographer continuously adjusted the lights to emphasize the armor's luster. The hair is a customized blonde wig styled into Saber's signature braided updo with the iconic ahoge and hair ribbon, with every single stray strand meticulously groomed.

The shooting process was a major test of facial expression control. Because the prop was ridiculously comical, holding the pan while looking at those staring fish heads made it hard not to burst out laughing. However, the character is a solemn, dignified knight, so in the frame I had to keep a straight face and stare intently at the pie, delivering a look that is both strictly disciplined and hilariously bewildered.

The shimmering golden motes floating in the background were added in post-production to cultivate a magical aura. Blended with the rich blue palette of the costume, the overall atmosphere retains the stately majesty of a Heroic Spirit, while creating a fierce visual contrast with the bizarre Stargazy pie in her hands.

This is one of the greatest joys of cosplay: beyond capturing a character's cool and heroic presence, official memes and quirky personality tropes make fantastic creative fodder. A lot of effort went into crafting the costume and props, especially holding up the heavy pan across multiple angles until my arms ached. Yet the result was thoroughly satisfying—the comedic impact of a deadpan, serious figure serving the most absurd dish is pure theatrical gold.

The silver portions of the armor needed frequent polishing, the fur trim had to be combed repeatedly to avoid looking messy, and the hair stylist spent over an hour perfecting the wig. These preparations made the entire session deeply fulfilling and memorable. Holding the skillet was exhausting since the pan was solid, and I had to take several breaks to keep my hands from visibly shaking. Huge thanks to my friends who helped adjust the positioning of the fish heads and the post-production team who cleaned up background clutter to bring this composition to life. Meticulously preparing every detail allowed us to portray this character in a completely different context through visual storytelling—this Food festival gag shoot was truly a unique experience.