This time, in order to shoot the character Maomao well, I put a lot of thought into the makeup, styling, and costume preparation. Maomao's most distinct feature is her dark green hair and complex hair bun structure. To perfectly recreate it, I custom-made this wig. The towering bun on top of the head required a large amount of hairspray and clips to secure, and the stray hairs and bangs on both sides had to be combed very neatly to present that unique hairstyle that has both an ancient feel and a touch of 2D anime attributes. For the hair accessories, I selected silver and transparent twig-shaped and flower-shaped hairpins to embellish the bun, increasing a sense of clarity and lightness. The two thin braided pigtails in front of the chest were also secured with green bead hair ties; these small details were all aimed at staying as close to the character's design as possible.
In terms of makeup, to highlight Maomao's delicate yet somewhat aloof temperament, I specially wore ice-blue contact lenses. The eye makeup was a focal point, using red-pink eyeshadow blended around the eye area to make the gaze look deeper. The base makeup pursued a fair and translucent texture, while the lip color was chosen in a natural shade. The overall makeup has both 2D anime characteristics and retains the natural feel of a real person.
The layering of the clothing is also very important. The outfit worn this time is a multi-layered ancient-style design with a right-overlapping collar, featuring colors primarily in gray-green, grass-green, dark green, and gray-blue. The outermost gray wide sleeves feature pleats and lettuce hem designs, creating a very flowing feel when walking. The inner layer is grass-green with exquisite light-colored patterned embroidery on the chest. The dark spliced edges of the collar add a three-dimensional sense to the clothes. The waist accessories are extremely eye-catching: a huge peacock-blue sapphire waist buckle is fixed on the wide belt, with red ribbons hanging below, swaying with movements as you walk. On my neck, I also paired it with an ethnic-style silver metal necklace draped with small green beads, enriching the details of the upper body.
The environment on the day of the shoot was fantastic; we selected locations in an outdoor long corridor with reddish-brown wooden railings. Sunlight streamed down through the gaps in the leaves, forming very beautiful mottled light and shadow. Natural light came from the back-side, outlining nice rim lighting on the edges of the hair and clothes, making the entire frame look translucent and three-dimensional. In terms of props, I prepared a pure black folding fan. During the shoot, I tried opening the folding fan halfway to block my right cheek; this semi-covering posture added a sense of mystery, which, combined with the action of my left hand resting gently on the railing, better created a quiet and slightly detached atmosphere.
The entire shooting process was actually quite interesting. To catch those few beams of perfect backlight, we kept adjusting our positions in the corridor and had to maintain the posture of holding the fan up the whole time. Although it was a bit sore, the moment I saw the raw photos, I felt everything was worth it. The texture of light and shadow falling on the clothing wrinkles and hair strands truly needs to be experienced slowly on site; every shutter click is a deepening of the understanding of the character, and I also hope everyone can feel Maomao's unique charm from this set of photos.
The initial intention of shooting this set of photos, besides wanting to recreate the character's appearance, was more to capture Maomao's calm, intelligent, and slightly mysterious inner temperament. Therefore, in adjusting my actions and expressions, I deliberately reduced exaggerated expressions and used my gaze more to convey emotions. When looking through the edge of the fan, matched with the surrounding quiet garden environment, it felt like being truly immersed in that story world full of mysteries. From the preliminary custom-making of clothes and selecting wigs, to the meticulous foundation and makeup on the day, to the continuous communication and adjustment with the photographer on-site, every link poured love into this character. Looking at the final presented effect, it has both a real, three-dimensional texture and retains a bit of the fantasy color unique to 2D characters. As a cosplay attempt, I am personally quite satisfied. I hope this set of pictures brings everyone a different visual experience.