[Rumia cosplay] Touhou Project Dark Gothic Style Photo Set

For this official Touhou Project Rumia photo set, the main goal was to present a dark Gothic visual aesthetic intertwined with black, red, and white. In terms of costume, I chose a white blouse with ruffles and puff sleeves as the base, layered with a tailored black vest, a red ribbon tie at the chest, and an oversized red bow on the back. The bottom features a multi-tiered black lace skirt paired with white stockings tights and black platform Mary Jane shoes. This ensemble not only embodies the character's signature look but also accommodated wide, dynamic poses throughout the shoot.

During pre-shoot discussions with photographer Chunqiufen, we decided to build the scene using abundant red roses, red spider lilies, skull props, and chains. To align with the man-eating youkai lore reminiscent of the Scarlet Devil Mansion era, we infused plenty of dangerous tension into the pose design. For instance, lying flat with hands crossed over the chest with closed eyes was intended to convey an eerie stillness; while lying down looking directly into the lens with a shushing finger gesture, captured from a top-down high angle, amplified the oppressive intensity of locked eye contact, allowing viewers to visually experience that dangerous yet enchanting contrast.

In addition, for the set of shots holding the golden picture frame, I tried framing myself inside the composition to create the illusion of a portrait subject breaking the fourth wall. The close-up featuring the blade was primarily aimed at expressing the coexistence of innocent naivety and lethal danger—the prop blade was safely prepped for the shoot and merely held near the lips for posing. The white stockings in this look were another key visual anchor; paired with the black platform shoes against a floor strewn with red petals, they accentuated the leg lines cleanly.

The shooting process was definitely an endurance test, especially holding poses while lying on the floor, which required engaging my core to keep the body posture looking relaxed and natural rather than stiff. The studio set at Manke Shiguang was remarkably thoughtful; the combination of red-and-black drapes, iron chains, and stained-glass windows saved us immense effort in post-compositing. In post-processing, Wo Ai Chi Huo Ji Mian helped deepen and ground the saturation of the reds to give the frames a richer, heavier mood, which, paired with the red contact lenses and blonde hair, brought the entire atmospheric aura to life. From prepping the costume and coordinating props to polishing poses alongside the photographer, every step took genuine dedication, and the final photos achieved the exact vision I held in my heart.