[Kiryuu Kikyou cosplay] Blue Archive Japanese-style studio shoot Cat's cradle record

This studio photoset for Blue Archive's Kiryuu Kikyou is finally released. When I got the raw photos, I told the photographer that it hardly needs any editing; the straight-out-of-camera raw images are already satisfying enough.

To restore the character's traits, quite a lot of effort went into the makeup and styling this time. Black neat-bangs short hair is paired with a pair of black cat ears, and the blue-black halo on top of the head is custom-made; once worn, the overall atmosphere immediately pops out. The outfit chose a classic blue-and-white sailor uniform, paired with a bright blue large bow in the front. The stripe details on the collar and cuffs also align with the original design, and the bow tie was adjusted several times to ensure a three-dimensional feel in front of the lens. The black fluffy long tail behind, highlighted with bright blue at the end, looks particularly agile when moving. Paired with white stockings, the completion level of the overall styling shines through.

The studio scene is decorated with tatami mats and cherry blossom tree setups, with Japanese umbrellas, fox masks, and wine utensils scattered around. This time Teacher Jiang taught me a few tricks of Cat's cradle; the thin blue string wound around in my hands, sometimes tied to my legs, sometimes winding around the tail, playing with it endlessly. There's a candid shot where I accidentally tripped and lay prone on the mat; everyone said it was very cute, so we kept it. When communicating with the photographer, we tried various compositions—lying prone, kneeling, and lying sideways—just to showcase the details of this styling from all angles.

The Fujifilm camera used this time features warm-toned direct-out colors, with a beautiful contrast between pink and blue, presenting that translucent feel typical of Japanese sweet portraits. To highlight the white stockings and leg lines, we spent a long time adjusting the poses, because the matte material of white stockings can easily lack depth under specific light. Therefore, the thin blue string on the tatami and the fluffy tail behind were coordinated to keep the frame from looking monotonous. That blue halo is not only a prop but also a visual focus; I was worried it might fall off before, but it turned out very stable, maintaining a perfect levitating feel under various movements. The length of the tail is also just right, acting as a visual guide line in various poses, and paired with the strongly Japanese-styled background, the presented light and shadow texture pleasantly surprised me.

Looking at the entire photoset, the most satisfying part is still that candid angle of playing Cat's cradle, with the crisscrossing thin blue string in hand, matched with pure white over-the-knee socks. That everyday yet slightly playful feeling is just right. The whole shooting process was very relaxed, and everyone cooperated with great tacit understanding, successfully presenting the desired style.