[Castorice Cosplay] First Encounter with "Ochma" and That Complex Butterfly Dress

"Welcome to Ochma, I am Castorice. My apologies, keeping a certain distance from others is a habit of mine... If you wish, I can certainly step a bit closer."

Actually, before shooting this set of photos, I repeatedly pondered this line for a long time. There is a gentleness with a sense of distance about Castorice; she won't proactively get close to others, yet she drops her guard when the other party is willing to approach. Therefore, for this release, I deliberately avoided those particularly grand or wide-open poses, trying my best to preserve the character's own restrained elegance.

Let's talk about the costume first. When I got it, I was truly shocked by the details. The design of the skirt hem and shawl is extremely complex, especially those purple-and-white butterfly elements on the waist and arms. The giant outer butterfly-wing skirt hem actually has quite some weight. During the shoot, I had to lift it with my hand to let the fabric and the multi-layered pleated petticoat inside drape naturally. Coupled with the overall purple tone, it creates a very cool and flowing texture under the lights. For a coser like me who loves big skirt effects, this sense of layering is truly a massive plus. The thorn and flower headpiece on the head is also full of details, and slightly adjusting the angle can create different dreamy vibes for this fantasy style cosplay.

The wig is a very light pastel purple. To match the character's ethereal, floating feel, the hair ends were styled into a fluffy curve, and two small three-strand braids were woven on the side. With the addition of elf ears, the atmosphere was instantly maxed out. In terms of props, that long-handled scythe really helped a lot during the shoot. The actual item was lighter than I expected, making it very comfortable to hold with one hand or shoulder. The metallic blue-and-white color scheme painting reflected the light wonderfully under the hall's exhibition lighting.

Among this set of three photos, I am personally most satisfied with the cover one (the picture standing while lifting the skirt hem). At that time, the photography teacher asked me to lift the skirt hem slightly to the side, which revealed the overlapping lines of the over-the-knee socks and the skirt. This movement naturally showcased the lightness of Castorice's figure, while simultaneously capturing the waist cut-outs, the chest bow, the arm sleeves, and the leg details all in one frame. Since it was shot live at the convention venue, the ceiling spotlights created a beautiful blurred bokeh, perfectly framing the character into the visual focus of the picture.

In fact, during the live shoot, my whole body had to maintain a relatively elegant and upright posture without slacking. Because the outfit's silhouette and tailoring are highly flattering, as long as I stood straight, the two draped satin ribbons on both sides of the butterfly wings would naturally fall to knee level. Once the overall styling stands up, the character's charm comes through. However, this cool-toned, purple-and-white interwoven butterfly-inspired outfit was actually quite eye-catching in the noisy convention. Passersby often stopped or photographers proactively took snapshots. But since the character itself is set to have a slightly distant personality, I also tried my best to maintain this cool and quiet state at the con. I didn't wander around aimlessly, spending most of the time standing quietly in relatively open spaces to cooperate with the convention photography.

Regarding makeup, this time I chose a softer purple-pink eyeshadow to echo the colors of the clothes. I didn't use sharp eyeliner to emphasize aggressiveness, but rather used eyelashes and the under-eye rolls to amplify the gentleness of the eyes, which, paired with the colored contacts, gave off a slightly mysterious vibe.

After finishing this set of photos, as I sat resting in a corner of the venue, I thought to myself that every time I put my heart into preparing a character's makeup and costume, leading up to finally getting satisfying convention photos back, that sense of accomplishment is truly irreplaceable. Although a sense of distance is maintained in the pictures, if we happen to cross paths at a convention, as long as you are willing, I am naturally willing to stand a bit closer. After all, bringing a beloved character to life with the right styling and posture is the ultimate meaning of cosplay.