As a cosplayer portraying Ubume's Golden Crane Feathers skin, I'd like to share some details about this shoot. This skin is truly a beloved favorite among veteran Onmyoji players, powerfully evoking the nostalgic vibe of the game's launch days. To achieve the most faithful look to the game, we put extensive effort into the hair and makeup. The silver-white wig required pomade and styling spray to capture those smooth, flowing curves. The eye makeup used red smudging paired with red colored contacts to recreate the sharp, aloof gaze from the original illustration. The forehead marking was hand-painted, while the headpiece—consisting of feathers, golden leaves, and a red disc—was hand-secured with plenty of hot glue and wire, making it quite heavy when worn. The golden-green feathered leaves on the garment were thick and textured; pairing the semi-sheer white top with the red-and-white striped obi made the silhouette look very slender. The Black stockings on the legs paired with geta clogs are a classic combination for this look, making the legs look exceptionally long when seated, which the photographer emphasized using low-angle and side shots.
The prop red umbrella is the soul of this Japanese style cosplay—its ribs were specially crafted, giving it a heavy feel in hand. Posing required constantly adjusting how I held the umbrella; whether crouching low to drop my stance or spinning around to let the skirt hem and black feathers flutter, maintaining balance took considerable physical strength. Running and holding marks on a ground scattered with gravel and pebbles while wearing wooden geta was a serious test of toe grip. The set featured cyan-green walls complemented by a crane mural backdrop, enhanced by lit candles and a smoke machine. To bring out the rich texture of the gold leaves and black feathers, the lighting designer set up a warm yellow backlight against the intense cyan-green ambient light, creating a striking warm-and-cool contrast.
The highlight of the shoot was the seated pose: black feathers draped down along the thigh, combined with Black stockings to elongate body proportions beautifully, while the backlight contoured the face exquisitely. Although the process was tiring, seeing the rich layering of the umbrella sword and feathers in the final photos made everything worthwhile. This work is not just a photoshoot, but the embodiment of nostalgic sentiment—I hope that figure holding the red umbrella can still bring everyone the breathtaking wonder of our first encounter at the game's launch.