In the ruins of Hualong Village, the photoshoot that stretched from dawn to dusk has finally come to an end. While organizing the teaser photos, I wanted to share some behind-the-scenes details and genuine impressions of today's Hoshimi Miyabi cosplay shoot. Wearing and adjusting this Tactical style outfit is far more complex than it looks, but the final outcome definitely made every moment of morning frustration worthwhile.
First up is the Cosplay makeup. To match the character's disposition, I deliberately defined the angles of the eyebrows and eyes without using overly blended colors, instead using earth tones to deepen the eye sockets, making the gaze appear sharper and cooler. For the lips, I selected a cool-toned matte red, which brightened the complexion while establishing a subtle balance with the overall black, white, and orange color scheme. As for the wig, it was a bit frizzy before putting it on this morning; I had to meticulously comb and spray it before putting it on. The black beast ears have internal support so they don't collapse on the head, and under overhead lighting, the golden halo shining through the fuzzy edges looked remarkably natural.
In terms of clothing details, layering is the core of this Tactical style outfit. The base layer is a staple white shirt tied with a crisp black tie, topped with a dark blue techwear jacket. The jacket is packed with details, such as shoulder paneling and structured pockets. A tactical strap hangs across the chest, securing an ID badge marked "H·A·N·D". The long orange neck scarf is the most eye-catching feature of the upper body; draping down from the neck with kanji and star emblems, it nicely breaks the monotony of the black-and-white tones. The weapon prop held in hand was also custom-made—a polearm design predominantly in black and gray, accented with orange clasps. It carried tangible weight, which helped immensely with posing, as real heft makes arm muscles engage naturally.
The shooting location was set in an abandoned factory in Hualong Village. The setting is thoroughly desolate, with exposed concrete walls and sprawling piles of rubble. Most captivating was the natural light; sunlight beaming through broken windows was intensely bright, creating stark light-and-dark contrast. We employed two distinct lighting approaches during the shoot. One set followed a low-key aesthetic with overhead lighting, cloaking most of the face in shadow while highlighting only the animal ears and shoulders to evoke a cold, mysterious aura. The other set leveraged backlighting from the window openings, where the photographer captured the Tyndall effect through airborne dust particles, greatly amplifying the visual impact of Wasteland-style photography.
For posing, we experimented with numerous setups: from upright alert stances holding the weapon to the one-knee crouch on the rubble shown in the lower-left image. The crouching pose in particular—with a lowered center of gravity, gaze turned upward, weapon slung across the torso, and paired with tactical boots and the jacket hem—looked visually sharp and powerful. In reality, such movements pull heavily on the fabric; to keep creases clean, I had to readjust the collar and cuffs every time we shifted poses.
Looking back at this morning's preparation, it was truly chaotic. Waking up early for skincare and makeup was followed by the toughest part: getting dressed. Putting on this outfit is remarkably intricate, with all kinds of buckles, straps, hooks, and accessories interlocking together. Struggling in front of the mirror alone for nearly an hour, with a few stubborn buckles refusing to latch, was honestly nerve-wracking. Yet it was precisely this intense preparation that fostered a strong character connection when I finally put on the wig and met my own gaze in the mirror. A passing little girl who saw me fully equipped even gasped, "OMG, it's Miss Hoshimi Miyabi!" In that instant, the joy and sense of accomplishment made every single frustrating minute completely worthwhile.
This photoshoot was once again captured by Uncle Zhong, a photographer I trust deeply. Uncle Zhong's mastery over light and shadow is top-tier; he excels at utilizing subtle light patches and strong rim lighting in ruin environments to sculpt character emotion. During the shoot, he doesn't rigidly demand specific poses, but communicates the intended mood for each frame—whether defensive, indifferent, or poised for an assault. This guidance makes it effortless to immerse into character, naturally infusing the photos with narrative depth. Uncle Zhong paid special attention to light reflections; during backlit shots, he adjusted camera angles so natural light formed tiny catchlights in my pupils. Combined with slight head tilts or a forward gaze, that cool and focused intensity in the eyes emerged immediately.
The hardest part of doing cosplay is often those few hours before leaving in the morning. But once you push through that wearing and adjusting hurdle and stand in the designed setting wearing this gear, all prior exhaustion transforms into pure passion for the character. The combination of ruins, tactical gear, and a cool female character is naturally striking. I am thoroughly pleased with these teaser photos—not only do the costume and prop details shine, but the overall visual tone is also cohesive. Retouching for the full set is ongoing, so I wanted to share this joy of recreation and photoshoot satisfaction through these teaser snapshots first. I hope they give everyone a sneak peek into the style of this upcoming full set.