[Sakuya Izayoi cosplay] Touhou Project: Why Does My Expression Look So Fierce?

Many people's first reaction upon seeing this picture is, "Why do those eyes look so fierce?" Actually, this is to fit the aura of Sakuya Izayoi from Touhou Project, who can enter a combat state at any time. As the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the capable, composed, and meticulous coldness she exudes was the core essence I wanted to capture most during this shoot.

To recreate this character, I put a lot of effort into the makeup and styling. First is the white wig; Sakuya's hairstyle looks simple, but the blunt bangs in the front and the thin braided pigtails on both sides really test styling skills. To make the fluffiness on top look natural, I used hairspray bit by bit to create texture. The bangs shouldn't be too heavy; they must just cover the eyebrows, completely exposing the brow and eyes to show that sharp gaze. To match the character, I specially chose bright blue contact lenses. The eye makeup was slightly deepened and blended at the outer corners, with a bit of highlight added to the inner corners to enhance depth, complemented by a light pink lip gloss to balance the overall cool tones.

This classic maid outfit is also full of details. The inner white bubble-sleeve shirt has a subtle textured feel, and the cuffs are spliced with exquisite cutout lace trims. Layered outside is a dark blue vest-style waist-cinching dress. What satisfies me the most are the two green bows on the chest, inlaid with sapphire-textured brooches—this is definitely the finishing touch, giving the overall dark tone a visual focal point. To increase the three-dimensional feel, I adjusted the collar position in front of the mirror for a long time, and the ruffles and pleats of the skirt and apron were also neatened up by hand piece by piece to ensure the best layering in front of the lens.

The silver carved prop needles in my hand, which are Sakuya's throwing knives, are actually made very slender and painted with metal-textured glossy lacquer. When shooting, you have to find the right angle to hold them, exerting slight force with your fingers so that it neither looks too stiff nor loses the tension of being ready to throw at any moment. While taking this photo, the photographer told me to imagine fairies ahead that needed clearing, so I didn't need to force a smile—just maintain the head maid's perfect and dashing posture. I slightly raised my chin, pressed my gaze downward slightly, and locked onto the lens, resulting in the somewhat serious yet cool expression everyone sees.

The lighting this style adopts is also on the cold and hard side; the background is completely darkened, and the main light source hits from the front-left, illuminating the face and the lace texture of the clothes while leaving natural shadows around the neck and collarbone, better highlighting the character's three-dimensionality and costume details. Actually, I love to smile in private, but to maintain the head maid's air, I kept chanting in my heart throughout the shoot to stay aloof. Being able to interpret Sakuya Izayoi in this way has been a wonderful experience for me, and I hope everyone can feel this unique charm belonging to the head maid.