For this cosplay, I wanted to bring Mary Saotome from Kakegurui to life in a way that feels bold, playful and just a little bit dangerous — exactly like her energy in the anime. Mary is such a fun character because she is confident, competitive and never boring. Her design may look like a classic school uniform at first, but with her attitude and the whole gambling theme around her, it immediately becomes much more intense.
The base of the blazer was bought, but I altered and adjusted many parts of the costume to make it feel closer to the anime version. I worked on the black details, the fit, the buttons and the overall shape so the uniform would look sharper and more recognizable. The wig was also a big part of the cosplay, especially because Mary’s blonde twin tails are one of her most iconic features. Styling them so they looked playful but still controlled took some patience.
I worked on this cosplay over a few weeks, mostly in smaller steps, fixing details until the whole outfit felt right. For the shooting, we really wanted to capture the casino-like atmosphere of Kakegurui. The playing cards, the red lighting and the pose were chosen to create that dramatic, risky feeling that fits Mary so well.
I had a lot of fun with this cosplay because it allowed me to show a more confident and mischievous side. Mary is chaotic in the best way, and that made her incredibly fun to portray.