[Tushan Susu Cosplay] Western China International Expo City & World Line Anime Convention: Recording the Playful Moments of Fox Spirit Matchmaker

This set of Tushan Susu photos was taken during the previous World Line Anime Convention and Western China International Expo City Anime Convention. I was running back and forth between venues to shoot two different styles back then, so today I'm sorting out and sharing this Susu photo set first.

The weather on the day of the shoot was amazing, hitting the golden hour right before sunset perfectly. As everyone knows, outdoor Cosplay photography relies heavily on natural light, and this warm-toned evening sunlight makes for great photos. To find a suitable shooting spot, we intentionally sought out a corner with a wooden bench around the convention perimeter, backed by lush green plants and distant hills. The rim light from the setting sun hit the edges of my wig perfectly, creating a halo around the character without being blinding, effectively separating me from the background. We used a large-aperture lens for the shoot, blurring out the distant hills and greenery to prevent chaotic lines from interfering with the main subject. Paired with a timed shutter to avoid camera shake, it perfectly captured the dynamic movement of the wind rustling through my hair, resulting in an exceptionally natural look.

Speaking of Susu's outfit, it actually has quite a lot of details. The costume features a typical modified Japanese style, with wide and lightweight pink-and-white flowing sleeves that drift elegantly as I move. In the middle, there is an obi belt decorated in an orange-and-cyan color scheme, with a long purple ribbon hanging beneath it that has golden cloud patterns as metallic accents, making the bells jingle with every step. These little metal bells are not only attached to the ribbon; I also specifically wore a matching bell anklet on my ankle. Paired with these clear block-heel sandals, it beautifully elongates the leg lines and keeps the outfit looking light even when paired with a long skirt hem. The shoe size also needed to account for the combination of socks and the ankle bells during the shoot; the clear high heels show the instep while securely fixing the bells at the ankle so they wouldn't loosen or slip off due to walking.

In terms of makeup and hair, I chose a light blonde hair color, paired with the classic fox ears hair accessory and pink flowers. The pink tassel-braided pigtails on both sides really match Susu's youthful charm. I chose light green colored contacts, which, paired with clear, translucent base makeup and soft eyeshadow, aimed to stay as close as possible to the character's naturally innocent, pure, and slightly clumsy temperament. I should mention that Susu's fox ears are actually quite heavy; securing them required a double combination of hair clips and glue. After shooting for a long time, the weight on the top of my head felt a bit pressing, causing me to lower my head slightly. Therefore, during breaks in the shoot, I had to look up or turn my neck as much as possible to relax, otherwise my expression could easily look tired—and fatigue is very hard to cover up completely with editing.

To get good angles, the photographer used a slightly low-angle perspective. This actually places relatively high demands on the jawline and expression management, because a low angle can easily reveal extra chin fat. Before shooting, I drank some water to reduce swelling, and then tried my best to control my posture by keeping my head up and chest out to make up for the distortion brought by lens perspective. The sitting posture also required some careful thought; it needed to look relaxed and natural while fully displaying the structure of the costume—like how to place the wide flowing sleeves and long ribbons so they wouldn't crumple into a mess. This relied on back-and-forth communication on-site with the photographer, and we shot quite a few frames from different angles before picking these with the most comfortable composition.

The foot traffic at Western China International Expo City was massive on the day of the event, so finding a relatively quiet shooting spot was not easy. As a cosplayer who frequently attends conventions, searching for these quiet little scenes amidst the roaring crowds can actually result in photos with a greater sense of atmosphere. After finishing the Susu shoot, I changed outfits to try another look, but that set is still being edited, so I'm releasing Susu's today, as this set feels more relaxed and playful. The post-processing mainly restored the color atmosphere of that moment without any exaggerated liquefying or reshaping, preserving some of the skin's original texture so it looks like a living person rather than a fake doll as polished as a figure. Many cosplayers edit their photos incredibly heavily in post, but I personally prefer this sense of reality where you can see pores and sweat.

Looking back at the shoot that day, the golden light, the wooden texture, along with the embellishments of the bells and garments, made the entire image rich in color yet not cluttered. For me, cosplay is not just about recreating a certain character, but also an opportunity to step out of daily life and experience another personality and story. Susu's innocent and romantic energy truly made me feel pure joy during the shooting process. Sharing these photos counts as a record of my anime convention journey. Although the clothes look beautiful when worn, the material is relatively heavy, and I was covered in sweat after the shoot, but seeing the final results makes me feel that all the effort was worth it.