[Futaba Sakura cosplay] Persona 5 Summer by the Beach, Feeling the Sea Breeze with Futaba

This time, I'm bringing a set of Futaba Sakura cosplay in a swimsuit, with the shooting location chosen at this lakeside beach surrounded by mountains and water. Honestly, when I first got this two-piece ruffled swimsuit, I felt it was particularly suitable for Futaba's slightly nerdy yet lively personality—the light yellow base fabric paired with small strawberry patterns, combined with wide ruffles and a waist-baring design, perfectly retains her iconic black-rimmed glasses and long orange hair while completely fitting the refreshing feel of a Summer swimsuit.

The weather on the day of the shoot was exceptionally supportive; the sunlight was so intense that it was hard to keep one's eyes open, but it was precisely this hard light that captured the clean texture I wanted. The out-of-focus bokeh on the water surface was a filter gifted by nature, undulating with the waves. The photographer captured many frames, and out of the final selections, my personal favorite is the one where I'm sitting on a transparent inflatable ring (which is the cover image). This is because my whole body relaxed, with the straw hat resting on my lap and being barefoot in wedge sandals; that lazy vacation atmosphere feels incredibly authentic, and the leg lines look very comfortable under natural light.

The shooting process was actually quite tough; the sand was scorching hot, and the reflection on the water surface was blinding, but to find the best angles, we repeatedly adjusted our positioning and movements. For example, the shot where I'm holding the glasses with both hands was meant to simulate her usual slightly tsundere yet clever expression; the two shots with open arms were intended to showcase the cheerful side of her personality. In terms of props, we brought the straw hat and inflatable ring ourselves, and the wooden lounge chair was a natural prop found on-site, which paired together to create a strong sense of daily life.

This shoot didn’t deliberately chase any complex blockbuster feel; instead, I felt that this loose, relaxed moment, just like actually vacationing by the sea, fits the character of Futaba Sakura best—though she is a genius hacker, in private, she is also just an ordinary girl who loves enjoying the summer sunshine. In post-processing, I only slightly adjusted the color temperature and contrast, retaining the original skin texture and clothing weaves without excessive retouching. I believe the charm of cosplay lies exactly in bringing anime characters into real-life three-dimensional scenes, making them appear authentic and tangible.

From the wig trimming to the curvature of the glasses, this look tried its best to restore the character settings. Although the swimsuit isn't her original battle suit from the game, as a special summer project, I find this kind of derivative styling highly interesting. During shooting breaks, I also took some behind-the-scenes clips with my phone, which I can organize and share next time. In short, being able to be that orange-haired girl with black-rimmed glasses in front of the lens while wearing clothes I love in such beautiful weather is a very happy thing in itself. If you also like this summer style with a hint of freshness, I hope these photos can let you feel a little bit of the sea breeze's coolness.