On the second day of the Guangzhou Firefly ACG Expo, this Tushan Honghong battle attire finally came together completely and met everyone in front of the lens. Although I had done many makeup trials indoors beforehand, walking into the outdoor convention scene embraced by sunlight and a gentle breeze made the character truly come alive. The costume chosen this time is the classic red-and-white style: a red sleeveless short outer coat on the outside paired with an inner white cross-collar shirt with a pale purple collar trim, as well as very wide sleeves. This multi-layered structure creates a lovely flowing sense when walking, but it also places high demands on keeping the fabric smooth. Especially in crowded areas of the convention, it easily gets crumpled, so I had to constantly pay attention to tidying up the waist belt knots and skirt pleats while waiting.
A lot of effort went into restoring the wig as well. The hair color, blending light golden yellow and peach, along with the iconic curried ahoge sticking up on the forehead, looked very textured under natural outdoor light. The pair of fluffy, color-matched big fox ears on top of the head is the soul of the entire look. To fix them securely, I spent a lot of time beforehand reinforcing the wig net and base to ensure they wouldn't shift or droop during fast walks or sharp turns. Since outdoor shooting environments change at any moment, once the ears go crooked, the character's energy drops significantly. For makeup, I specifically emphasized combining green contact lenses with pink blush, striving for a contrasting beauty visually balanced between an innocent young girl and the powerful presence of a fox spirit. Photographer NightDiva also gave me many suggestions during candid shooting, such as hands-on-hips, poking cheeks, and making heart gestures—all to stay as close as possible to the character's aura of 'protecting Tushan' while retaining a touch of playful charm unique to a fox spirit.
The convention was bustling with crowds. Many passing friends stopped to capture moments upon seeing this red-and-white color scheme and fox ears look. Wearing such thick clothing in Guangzhou's hot July heat and enduring hours under the sun to shoot photos was indeed a dual test of physical stamina and professionalism. Many people might call it unbearable in hot weather, but I believe as long as makeup and styling are complete and emotions are in place, sweat actually serves as proof of character immersion. During the shoot, I was personally quite satisfied with the posture standing with hands on hips and feet slightly apart, which, paired with the golden anklets on my feet, visually elongated lower body proportions while externalizing Tushan Honghong's supreme confidence in her own power. Although I wore no shoes or socks due to the character design, walking barefoot on the flat yet hard outdoor paved ground left my feet a bit sore after a while; however, this is part of the character setting that helped me sensory-immerse into the role.
Looking back at the photos taken today brings deep emotion. As a classic Chinese anime cosplay subject, reinterpreting Fox Spirit Matchmaker's classic character through the convention was a meaningful experience. When expressing that domineering stance of 'Dry bones of Shu, how dare you face our Tushan,' beyond relying on the photographer's guidance for posture, what matters most is an inner conviction. I am extremely grateful to NightDiva for accurately freezing these moments for me in the changing light and shadow of the outdoor environment. Whether it was the gentleness when looking down to make a heart gesture or the sharpness when domineeringly protective, everything was captured wonderfully by the camera. Spending this full day at the outdoor convention interacting with people about this outfit left a very fulfilling memory for this Firefly trip.