[Tushan Susu Cosplay] The Little Fox Spirit Working Hard to Tie Red Strings Under Cherry Blossoms

When shooting this Tushan Susu set, it happened to coincide with when these cherry blossoms were in full bloom. The pink sea of flowers extended upward, forming a natural canopy that perfectly fit the fairytale-like atmosphere of Fox Spirit Matchmaker. I remember there were actually quite a lot of people on set back then, so we specifically picked a cherry blossom grove where the trunks were painted white and chose a path with a low concrete wall, so that when framing shots, the background could avoid messy crowds, leaving only the flowers and trees.

Playing Tushan Susu this time, the core point was actually restoring that clumsy yet earnest sense of vivacity. Although Susu is always a bit clueless when it comes to matchmaker duties, her sincere effort to help others tie the red string is precisely the character's cute charm. To capture this feeling, I didn't deliberately strike elegant traditional-style poses; instead, I added many energetic movements that weren't necessarily "graceful", such as placing both hands over my forehead to look into the distance, or playful poses standing on one leg with hands pressed together in prayer. Combined with the prop prepared this time—that oversized colorful lollipop—it had a touch of a little fairy from a fairytale book.

This outfit had a lot of thought put into modifying its design. It features a classic crossed collar and wide sleeve structure with a soft and sweet color palette, dominated by light pink on the outer layer paired with light purple lining and light teal trim at the collar, creating rich layering. The red knotted sash at the waist is the visual center, serving to brighten the overall light tone. The best part is the lower hem design: white geometric cloud patterns are outlined on the deep crimson outer skirt, and a fringe of golden tassels accents the hem edge. It was slightly breezy on shooting day; when standing still, the tassels hung down, but when walking slightly or when the wind blew, those golden tassels would gently sway with my footsteps and body movements, making dynamic snapshot shots turn out exceptionally well.

Photographer Heimao captured snapshots meticulously this time. We didn't even prepare complex lighting equipment, relying entirely on the great natural daylight that day. Because sunlight filtered through gaps in the flower clusters, the facial lighting was actually a bit dappled, but through some angle adjustments, we preserved the color saturation of the cherry blossoms while making the skin tone look translucent. Especially those light green contact lenses, which had wonderful luster under natural light; paired with wide blushes under the eyes and on both cheeks, they brought out Susu's slightly dorky yet tsundere animal-like expression.

There were also many unexpected fun moments during the shoot. Because some actions needed to be done standing on the low wall, to meet the need of showing leg lines in full-body shots, I stepped directly barefoot onto the stone platform later on. Although the stone surface was warmed by the sun and felt a bit rough underfoot, going barefoot actually added a wild, unworldly feel of a fox fairy paired with that deep crimson long skirt. In addition, I tried switching to transparent high-heeled slippers to shoot; the cover shot where I raised one leg, wearing shoes paired with a playful pose, stretched my body lines very long and slender, giving a wonderfully light and airy feel of a fox spirit.

To be honest, when I got the final photos, I felt the compatibility between the cherry blossom background and the character was truly off the charts. The collision of pinks and light tones didn't require too much intentional color post-processing; it naturally carried a soft halo feel. This time, I worked hard to integrate Tushan Susu's hardworking, dorky, yet always hopeful personality into my movements and expressions. For me, being able to leave my favorite character under the cherry blossom trees in this way during cherry blossom season is a truly ceremonial experience.