[Chongyun Cosplay] Exorcising Evil and Banishing Demons, Wishing Peace Year After Year: The Demon-Slaying Exorcist in the Study

Exorcising evil, banishing demons, and wishing peace year after year—this time I tried using the camera to capture Chongyun across two distinct settings.

First, regarding makeup and styling: To recreate the character's cold yet youthful temperament, I chose a light blue wig, trimming and sculpting it with hair wax to achieve a messy yet layered textured look, while intentionally keeping that ahoge on top. For eye makeup, I spread light blue eyeshadow along the lower lash line and paired it with blue contact lenses to present the Cryo exorcist's clear gaze before the lens. My base makeup was specifically rendered in a cold pale tone to neutralize yellow undertones, giving an ethereal, otherworldly feel.

The costume features rich paneling elements. I wore a Chinese-style shirt with a white base and blue trim, featuring traditional frog-button closures at the front and deep navy blue fabric paneled under both sleeves. The arm guards and gloves were separate, with greyish-white wraps around the back of the hand—offering both martial arts agility and convenience for holding talismans. The black wide sash at the waist was tied snugly, adorned on the outside with a metallic buckle featuring a patina finish, which truly elevated the costume's layered structure.

The shoot spanned two themes. The first was combat state—although the massive ice crystal sword in the photo looks awesome, the physical prop was extremely heavy, putting immense strain on my shoulder when held single-handed. To convey the special effect of shattering ice, the photographer had me swing the sword diagonally backwards and hold the posture for a few seconds, which, combined with floating ice shards in the background, finally brought out that sense of power.

The other theme fit the study concept centered around exorcism and peace. The Selfie studio set design was meticulously crafted for this scene, featuring multiple calligraphy scrolls hanging on the wall, brass teapots, cups, and a retro balance scale lined up on the desk, alongside a lit vintage floor lamp that created a quiet, tranquil atmosphere. Holding pre-prepared talisman cards alongside ancient books and scrolls, I attempted to portray Chongyun's peaceful moments of reading and self-cultivation between demon-slaying duties.

Speaking of props in the study, I brought the heavy ancient book myself, with inner pages specifically made to look aged and yellowed. While holding the scroll, I lowered my eyes intentionally to soften the gaze, wanting to project a serene focus while calculating hexagrams. The overhead camera angle filled the scene with scholarly elegance, while softening the blue piping of the outfit under warm light.

The greatest challenge in interpreting Chongyun isn't styling, but demeanor. Despite possessing a Congenital Positivity body, he constantly restrains himself; thus, in expression management, one must retain youthful curiosity and vitality without appearing overly boisterous, adding a layer of an exorcist's composure. During the photoshoot, I repeatedly adjusted my center of gravity and hand movements to avoid stiff poses, and fortunately, these Shanghai photoshoot booking customer photos turned out very natural.

The ultimate core of this photo set remains that wish: exorcising evil, banishing demons, and wishing peace year after year. I hope this demon-slaying exorcist recreated in the Selfie studio, while flipping through ancient texts in the study, can also gather a sense of peace for the days ahead.