[Shameimaru Aya Cosplay] Gensokyo's Fastest Journalist, Another Day of Chasing the News

Spending days as a journalist in Gensokyo from Touhou Project means having a sharp nose and fearless mobility. Putting on this costume with black wings and white pom-pom hair accessories, I quickly got into character and decided to go up to the roof to find today's front-page headline.

The design of the entire outfit blends Japanese and Chinese styles, with the black, white, and red colors being very vivid. The white cross-collar of the top looks clean and sharp, and the two sleeves are very wide, featuring delicate purplish-red lace trim along the edges with red lines adorning the seams. The black skirt hem on the lower body is paired with interlocking red and black waist straps and hanging tassels, which not only enhances the waistline but also heightens the dynamic movement between poses. The most eye-catching part is definitely the black wings prop on the back; after putting it on, it feels as if I could take flight at any moment.

This shoot chose ancient architecture roofs as the scene. The layers of blue-gray tiles, hidden beneath the red maple forest, add a touch of antiquity and mystery. To fit the character setting, I needed to stand on the roof, striving to maintain my balance on a single leg while waving the wide sleeves, trying to find that weightless feeling of riding the wind. Overcoming the tilting angle of the tiles while keeping a composed facial expression actually required much more core strength than imagined, but this turned out to be one of the greatest pleasures of the shoot.

In addition to the costume and movements, the enhancement of props was also indispensable. I held a red uchiwa fan in my hand, and sometimes a red notebook or a camera alongside it. Sitting on the edge of the roof, gesturing toward the camera with the camera prop, allowed my gaze to focus intently on capturing every detail. These props give the character's image a more vivid feel, making people feel that she is not just wandering through the forest, but truly conducting news-gathering work.

Throughout the entire shooting process, the best experience was the chemical reaction with the environment. The dense red maples brought autumn tones with a rich sense of layering, and this warm background perfectly set off the white and black clothing, forming a very comfortable visual contrast. The lighting this time was quite ideal—not overly harsh direct sunlight, but gentle patches of light filtering through the gaps in the red maple leaves. When I raised the red uchiwa fan in my hand or intentionally let the loose sleeves flutter in the wind, the light and shadow produced delicate variations on the white fabric.

In fact, managing to hold props, maintain a single-leg standing pose, and keep a composed facial expression simultaneously on the roof is a real test of on-the-spot performance. To ensure that each snapshot reflects the character's confidence, the photographer and I tested the extreme angles of the movements multiple times before starting the shoot. Because of the sleeve length and train of this outfit, it easily swept up dried leaves on the tiles during turning motions, so I had to clean it up slightly during every break in the shoot; these small episodes instead became precious memories of this red maple outdoor photoshoot. Although shooting on the roof in this outfit with flowing sleeves and wings was a bit clumsy, and walking required special care to avoid letting the long sleeves sweep against the moss, it is precisely these trivial details that make this set of cosplay photos closer to the true state of the character. I think that is the wonderful thing about portraying a character in cosplay photography.