Just in time for the special date of September 12, I'm sharing a completed Iochi Mari cosplay photoshoot from Blue Archive as a Character birthday blessing for this adorable character.
For this shoot, I wanted to break away from traditional flat compositions, so we custom-ordered a huge vintage gold picture frame for the set and prepared a framed character illustration, experimenting with a "picture-in-picture" concept that echoes the "Mari Lisa's Smile" motif.
To faithfully recreate Iochi Mari, considerable effort went into customizing the costume. The core piece is a long black-and-white Nun cosplay habit. The tailoring of such nun habits demands great posture—especially where the contrasting black and white panels meet, which can easily look visually bulky, so I went through several fitting rounds with the tailor. For the blue tie, I deliberately selected high-density fabric with a subtle sheen to catch the light beautifully, which, along with the gold circular brooch in the center, instantly brought the 2D character traits to life. The golden totem appliques wrapping around the sleeve edges and arms were also hand-crafted piece by piece against the original references.
The black veil with cat ears and white floral ornaments on the head form the soul of this styling. The white flowers were slightly repositioned to rest snugly along the sideburns, accenting the orange hair without looking cluttered. For this Orange hair cosplay, the wig features long straight orange hair seamlessly blended into lighter ends, with an airy, voluminous crown. Paired with straight blunt bangs and blue-eyed makeup, it framed that lively "orange cat" spirit perfectly.
For makeup, the base was kept matte to prevent excessive shine under strong studio lights. The eye makeup emphasized enlarged blue pupils through colored contacts and finely drawn eyeliner, giving the gaze a pure, innocent, and adorably candid look.
In the first half-body composition, I deliberately imitated the poised sitting posture of a classical portrait subject, resting my hands naturally on my lap to convey the character's modest reserve even without a smile. In the second close-up holding the frame, I was more playful, obscuring the lower half of my face with the frame to reveal only my eyes, creating a whimsical moment of interaction and harmony between the original illustration and real life.
Costumes with such distinct iconic elements can easily suffer from missed details, so everything from wig trimming to accessory anchoring was confirmed repeatedly before shooting. Because the character combines mysterious gentleness with the affectionate liveliness of an "orange cat," I continually adjusted my gaze and subtle micro-expressions to harmonize elegance with cuteness.
Visuals and props aside, releasing this full shoot on September 12 added a special sense of ceremonial celebration for her Character birthday. Although shooting was tiring and the abundant lighting bordered on slight overexposure, we gently lowered the highlights in post-production to preserve the overall soft atmosphere, and I'm very pleased with the final result.
We chose an indoor set by the window, blending natural window light with illumination on the golden frame to give the complexion a soft, porcelain look. The indoor space perfectly showcased the voluminous skirt of the Nun cosplay habit and the texture of the black veil. With the blue tie as the visual anchor alongside all the hand-crafted details, this was truly a time-intensive project.
I hope this recreation of Iochi Mari comes as close as possible to the image in everyone's hearts. Though the shooting and editing process brought challenges, bringing a beloved character from Blue Archive into reality is inherently pure joy.