[Tewi Inaba cosplay] Touhou Project: The Lucky White Rabbit

Planning and preparing for this Tewi Inaba project took about a month from start to finish. For the costume, I chose a pink-and-white checkered Lolita dress with remarkably intricate details. The lace around the neckline, the ruffles along the hem, and the red ribbons at the waist layered together to create wonderful depth in the overall styling. To match the character, I specially prepared white plush bunny ears and a shoulder-length black bob wig. The wig was carefully trimmed to frame the face with neat bangs. For makeup, to complement the crimson pupils, I selected highly pigmented red contact lenses and applied blush slightly high and outward beneath the eyes to impart a youthful, innocent look, accentuating that cunning yet adorable charm. The most essential prop was the giant plush carrot cushion; filled generously with plush stuffing, it had substantial weight and volume, perfectly capturing the core motif of the character.

The shoot was split across two days. The first day took place in an indoor greenhouse garden setting. The vintage golden mirror frame made for stunning photos, and I tried both seated and standing poses. When sitting inside, using flowers and lush greenery as the foreground created a beautiful sense of depth and spatial layering. The photographer guided me to shoot with a wide aperture to blur the background, letting soft bokeh cascade over the skirt and sheer sleeves for a delicate touch. For the standing shots, I held the carrot with hands lifted slightly, striving to keep my movements natural rather than stiff. The indoor lighting was quite complex, so we tested numerous angles to avoid harsh overhead shadows and keep the facial exposure balanced.

On the second day, we headed to an outdoor staircase and rooftop. The outdoor daylight was strong, so I deliberately scheduled the shoot for late afternoon, utilizing side-backlighting to trace the contour of the hair. Standing on the stairs for high-angle and eye-level shots, combined with the white stockings and Mary Jane shoes, visually elongated the legs. The tulle lining and lace trim beneath the skirt offered a lovely fluttering effect whenever a gentle breeze swept through. Finding the alpaca plushie backdrop on the rooftop was a serendipitous discovery, bringing out a wonderfully whimsical contrast. However, shooting in an outdoor public space meant overcoming social anxiety and calmly striking poses. Because there were plenty of insects on the grass, we went through lots of bug spray.

Regarding facial expressions, to stay true to the character's personality, I tried many variations in front of the camera—such as tilting my head slightly, gazing straight into the lens, or offering a subtle, mischievous smirk. During the shoot, that giant carrot prop kept sliding down, requiring continuous posture adjustments to keep it steady, which left my arms aching after holding it for so long. The photographer and assistant helped tidy up my skirt and wig throughout, and while it was physically tiring, the atmosphere remained incredibly fun.

The overall color palette of this set is a dreamy blend of pink, white, and green. In post-processing, we preserved the clean, luminous feel without relying on exaggerated filters. The editing focused mainly on skin texture and the color saturation of the flowers, making the scene look fresh and sweet. I truly love how these photos turned out—the combination of plush elements and botanical blooms felt so harmonious. When packing up the props, the massive carrot barely fit into the car, so we ended up strapping it into the passenger seat. This shoot was such an entertaining experience and gave me even more insight into mastering costumes and props.