For this Blue Archive Iochi Mari Qipao-themed shoot, I was looking forward to how this look would appear under natural light even before the photos were finalized. The chosen modified white sleeveless short Qipao features light blue piping and a contrasting collar design. The tailoring from the chest to the waist fits the body closely, and the high slit design not only elongates the leg proportions but, when paired with over-the-knee pure white stockings, creates a very clean and refreshing overall visual effect.
To recreate the character's temperament, I wore an orange-pink long straight wig, with the blunt bangs and sideburns perfectly framing the face. The fluffy beast ear props on top served as a perfect finishing touch, while the white petals and blue tassel hair accessories on the side added a touch of girlish playfulness. The handheld bamboo branch round fan with its matching green tassel also played a significant role in this shoot, whether as an extension of hand movements or hanging by my side, perfectly fitting this modified national style look.
The shoot took place in a Jiangnan garden by the water, where the afternoon natural light became our best assistant. The photographer used backlighting and side-backlighting extensively, allowing light to penetrate the edges of hair strands and white fabric, making the tone of the entire image very soft and translucent. Especially next to the bamboo and wood pavilion by the water, sunlight sprinkled on the lake surface produced soft diffuse reflections, complementing the faintly visible halos in the frame to create a very dreamlike, tranquil atmosphere.
Due to the garment's tailoring, extra attention to details was needed during the shoot. For example, the camera angle where I sit on the stone railing looking back (Fig. 2) required maintaining core body balance while adjusting the height of the slit and the folds of the stockings to make the posture appear natural and relaxed. When leaning against the bamboo fence (Fig. 5, Fig. 6), how to place the round fan without looking stiff also needed repeated consideration. At the same time, to prevent the wig and beast ears from shifting during head turns, movements had to be made carefully.
For footwear, I chose grey-blue thick-heeled Mary Janes with heart-shaped metal buckle decorations, color-coordinated subtly with the Qipao's piping. We walked and stopped to shoot for several hours that day. Although the stone slab paths in the garden were not easy to walk on, and my eyes were slightly dazzled by the strong backlighting, seeing the texture of sunlight flowing through hair strands and skirt hems in the final photos made all the adjustments and sweat feel very worthwhile. This kind of outdoor real-scene light and shadow variation indeed offers many more unknown surprises than studio shoots, and better reflects the unique draping and translucency of lightweight fabric under natural light. I wanted to try my best to convey the lively yet gentle atmosphere of this character set in the game. I hope this real-scene photo set of the Qipao cat look allows everyone to feel the thoughtfulness put into this concept.