[Yatadera Narumi cosplay] The Niche Practitioner in Touhou Project, Today's Photoshoot

This set of photos captures my Yatadera Narumi cosplay from Touhou Project. Actually, there are many charming characters in the Touhou series, and Narumi's setting is very special. As the chief priest responsible for taking care of yōkai at Myouren Temple, her peaceful and tolerant temperament is perfect for showcasing with this kind of outfit that carries a touch of Zen and folk style. The Touhou series has numerous works, and while the main cast is indeed highly famous, I've always felt that those lesser-known niche characters, as long as you interpret them with heart, can equally convey the unique charm of the Touhou world.

When I decided to cosplay this character, I wanted to bring out that cold yet gentle feeling. In terms of preparing the clothing, this grey-and-red color-schemed outfit really tested my grasp of materials. For the grey outer garment, I chose a jacquard fabric with subtle floral patterns, trying my best to restore that slightly glossy yet not overly magnificent feel from the original character art. The red shawl on the shoulders is a major focus; the lace trim and embroidered patterns on it required finding the right accessories to match, and the frog buttons at the neckline were also hand-woven using reddish-colored beads—I spent a lot of time on this tiny detail. The red waist wrap on the lower body, along with the tassel pendant, needed to echo the upper body in both drape and color. A cream-white ruffled edge was sewn around the rim of that woven bamboo conical hat; holding it in hand after it was finished instantly brought out the flavor of a practitioner on a journey. The prop staff was assembled and painted by buying parts myself; with a red handle and golden top, its ringed structure is quite complex, and I tried my best to recreate that look. This can basically be considered the most thoughtful prop preparation I've done since I started cosplaying.

In terms of hair and makeup, Narumi's features are very distinct, namely the straight bangs and the side-braided pigtail. This time, the wig used high-simulation hair strands to create a very smooth and straight hair effect, and the red colored contact lenses were the crowning touch, making the gaze across the entire face look gentler yet with a slight touch of ethereal alienness. The eye makeup wasn't drawn too heavily, mainly emphasizing the eye shape, paired with a faint color on the lips, hoping to present Narumi's intellectual yet somewhat otherworldly temperament. Aside from keeping the eye makeup as clean as possible, the overall makeup concept was to go in a natural and translucent direction, which, combined with her unique styling, properly captured that relatively tranquil feeling.

The shooting location was chosen next to a Japanese-style residence, where a large patch of hydrangeas happened to be in full bloom. The blue-purple flower clusters perfectly matched the quiet and peaceful atmosphere she projects. The light was great during the shoot, with soft natural light hitting the textures of the conical hat and clothing, showing off an excellent texture. During this shoot, I also tried to recreate some of Narumi's typical actions, such as a prayer pose with hands pressed together, and standing quietly holding the staff. Although the character isn't a huge hit, it is precisely because of the care put into these details that the photos don't look dull. Many passersby might not be familiar with Narumi, but through serious location selection and grasping the character's temperament, I tried my best to ground that unhurried traveler image into reality. During the shoot, I also joked with the photographer that if I really stood like this in the hydrangea bushes, I might be mistaken by tourists for some kind of immersive street performance, but in the eyes of true cosplayers, this integration into natural scenery is the core essence.

Overall, for this photoshoot, from the costumes to the scenes, and then to the post-processing color grading, I hoped to preserve an environment that is natural, translucent, and like a yōkai practitioner living in the present world. I communicated many angles with the photographer, trying my best to avoid that conventional studio feel, hoping to merge the outdoor natural light with the character's temperament. Some interesting little interludes also occurred during the shoot; for example, when the wind blew the conical hat, I occasionally needed to readjust the angle to secure the styling. However, Narumi's setting is on the calmer side, so when posing, I intentionally avoided overly flamboyant physical movements, keeping the overall emotion controlled in a calm and resolute state. For dedicated fans of the Touhou series, being able to bring a niche character they love into reality is a very fulfilling thing in itself. I hope this set of photos can showcase that unique, slightly primitive, and serene aesthetic peculiar to Touhou.