#nasotheserpent

[naso-cos]

Sanemi and Obanai, Always______

Sanemi and Obanai.

This is my favorite duo in Demon Slayer.

Why? Because even within the original story, these two say that they get along. They are the same age, both twenty-one. Both carry painful pasts, and yet both stand among the Hashira, the Wind Hashira and the Serpent Hashira.

The first three photos are a small piece of the life I always wanted to see for them.

A quiet moment between battles. A pause between missions. A little breath of ordinary time that may never have been shown, but that I wanted to believe still existed somewhere for them.

That is why I asked for these moments to be photographed.

Especially the third image. The season of cherry blossoms. I like to think that perhaps they once walked together beneath the spring trees, taking in the beauty of Japan in silence, without needing many words. Just two young men, both carrying so much, allowed one fleeting moment of peace.

And then there is the fourth image. The final battle against Muzan.

Sanemi survives. Obanai does not.

Even so, I want to believe that Obanai was happy. Or at least that, in the end, he fought as the person he wanted to be.

And I hold on to another wish too. That in the world after reincarnation, they are able to live ordinary lives like ordinary young men, free from the burdens they once carried. That somewhere beyond the battle, beyond loss, beyond duty, there is still a quiet future waiting for them.

That wish has always remained with me. And perhaps it always will.

Sanemi: アカネ屋

[naso-cos]

Wisteria Season, 2026

This year’s wisteria shoot has safely happened at last.

Around the world, and in Japan too, unstable weather and unusual seasonal shifts have made it harder and harder each year to plan location shoots around flowers and fleeting scenery. This spring was no exception.

The cherry blossoms bloomed earlier than expected across Tokyo and many other regions, which meant that scheduling for wisteria season became difficult as well. Trying to find the right date, the right weather, and the right moment when the flowers would still be at their best took a lot of adjustment this year.

But thanks to a beautiful location and a wonderful photographer, I was able to complete my 2026 wisteria garden shoot successfully. For that, I feel very grateful.

There is something about photographing Obanai beneath wisteria that always feels right to me. The color, the silence, the softness of the hanging flowers, and the slight sense of distance they create all seem to suit him naturally. This set became one of the moments this season that reminded me why I keep making the effort, even when the planning becomes complicated.

And actually, there will be one more wisteria shoot still to come. Just one more. So please look forward to it.

Also, to my wonderful friends who always leave kind comments on my Serpent Castle posts, thank you so much. I am sorry that I have not been able to reply properly lately.

The truth is that April and May are an incredibly busy season for Demon Slayer cosplayers. The blooming window for wisteria, like cherry blossoms, is very short. At the same time, official ufotable events continue one after another, and recently I have been juggling travel, shoots, event participation, and the making of new costumes, all while continuing my regular work as well.

Once things calm down, I will reply properly. So please visit the Serpent Castle again when you can.

Until then, thank you for your patience, and thank you for always being there.

[naso-cos]

Kimetsu Academy Obanai Iguro | Chemistry Teacher and the School’s Ghost Story.

What if the chemistry teacher of Kimetsu Academy had to face one of the school’s ghost stories?

This look was inspired by a Kimetsu Academy spin-off story in which Obanai Iguro, the chemistry teacher, challenges one of the school’s mysteries with a colleague, half seriously and half like he is already prepared for the worst.

The white coat, the rope, and the paper talismans were all part of that playful little setup. And yes, the talismans say “悪霊退散”, because this version of Obanai is fully prepared to deal with a bad spirit rather than a bad demon.

His “weapon” being a rope makes me laugh every time. It is such a strangely perfect choice for a teacher who still somehow feels severe, precise, and completely committed even in a ridiculous ghost-hunting situation.

A school mystery, a chemistry teacher, Kaburamaru, and a pile of anti-ghost charms. Honestly, this spin-off version of Obanai is too good not to bring to life.

[naso-cos]

China Mafia Obanai, Four Years Later.

Four years ago, I imagined an Obanai like this. A China Mafia interpretation that felt dangerous, elegant, and unexpectedly natural for him. At the time, it was simply a version I wanted to see.

Four years later, I had the chance to return to that vision and photograph it again. This time, it came back more fully realized, with sharper details, stronger atmosphere, and a deeper sense of who he could be in this world.

I’m especially happy that this interpretation has reached more people this time, and that it even inspired fanart. Some versions stay quietly with you for years, until they are finally ready to take shape.

Credit block only

Fanart by クロタ @ kurota_kmt Shared with permission. Please do not repost, reuse, or upload elsewhere.

Naso | Iguro Obanai Specialist / Serpent Hashira

[naso-cos]

The Day I Brought Obanai’s Ice Cream Cafe Look to Life.

When ufotable revealed the Ice Cream Cafe 2023 outfits, I knew immediately that I wanted to bring Obanai’s look into the real world as quickly and as faithfully as I could.

This was not a costume I wanted to postpone, simplify, or treat casually. It was one of those designs that struck me at once, the kind that makes you feel you have to start building before the excitement cools.

So I made it.

And not only the outfit itself. The oversized cookie and the Obanai-inspired ice cream props were also handmade, because I did not want the scene to stop at the clothes alone. If I was going to do this version of him, I wanted the whole atmosphere around him to feel believable.

That is why I chose to shoot in a special studio built around an American diner aesthetic. It was not cheap, but I did not want to compromise. This look needed bright colors, playful sweetness, and a slightly theatrical café world that could hold the costume properly.

What I love about this version of Obanai is the contrast. He is still unmistakably himself, still restrained and serious in expression, and yet everything around him is playful: ice cream, retro diner colors, desserts, oversized props, and this soft pastel uniform that feels almost too cute for him until it suddenly does not.

That tension is exactly why I love it.

This was one of those costumes I wanted to move on quickly, build quickly, and photograph properly, before the feeling faded. And because of that, it still carries the thrill of first impact for me. A new design, turned physical as fast as I could manage, and placed into a world that felt worthy of it.

#ObanaiIguro #ObanaiIguroCosplay #IceCreamCafe #Ufotable #HandmadeCostume #CosplayPhotography #SerpentHashira #KimetsuNoYaiba #DemonSlayer #NasoTheSerpent

[naso-cos]

SerpentNoir | Obanai in the City

This set is part of my SerpentNoir series, a modern AU interpretation of Obanai Iguro shaped by a darker, China mafia-inspired mood.

For this shoot, I photographed him in downtown Tokyo, surrounded by narrow streets, metal reflections, shadows, and the quiet pressure of the city. I wanted the atmosphere to feel restrained rather than loud. Not violence in motion, but danger held still.

That is what SerpentNoir means to me.

Not simply “mafia AU” as a costume label, but a way of reimagining Obanai through elegance, control, and silence. Black clothing, clean lines, a guarded posture, Kaburamaru always close, and the sense that everything important is happening just beneath the surface.

This version of him does not need spectacle. He does not announce himself. He does not rush. The mood comes from stillness, from the tension in the shoulders, from the distance in the eyes, from the way the city seems to close around him without ever quite touching him.

I especially liked photographing this series in a real downtown setting, because the ordinary textures of the place made the character feel more believable. Concrete, shuttered storefronts, railings, reflections, passing light. All of it helped build the feeling that SerpentNoir belongs to a living world rather than a stage set.

This is one piece of that world. Quiet, controlled, a little dangerous, and unmistakably Obanai.

[naso-cos]

Returning to Hachijo-jima Again | May 2026

During the long holiday in May 2026, I returned once again to Hachijo-jima for a location shoot.

For the past four years, I have been lucky enough to have opportunities like this, and every time I go back, I feel deeply grateful to the people who travel with me and help make these shoots possible. It has become a kind of return, a place I revisit not only for photography, but for memory.

The weather on Hachijo-jima is never simple. The conditions can change quickly, and Hachijojima Airport is known for difficult landings, with strong winds always in the back of your mind. Even this time, I felt nervous about whether we would be able to land and leave safely. So being able to make the trip again this year, and come home with these memories, made me genuinely happy.

One of the places that always welcomes me like home is Eirin, the Chinese restaurant that takes care of us so warmly every time we visit. During our stay, they treated us to lunch and dinner every single day. They even display my Serpent Hashira posters in the restaurant and continue to support me so kindly each time I return. Being able to take commemorative photos there again this year meant a great deal to me.

This set of photos holds two different sides of the trip for me.

One is the vast island landscape at Nanbara Senjojiki, where we photographed Obanai with Hachijo-kojima in the distance. The wind, the sea, the dark volcanic rock, and the open air made the island itself feel like part of the story.

The other is much more personal: standing in front of Eirin, and then inside surrounded by the posters they keep for me, taking photos that feel less like a shoot and more like proof that this place continues to welcome me back.

Every time I return to Hachijo-jima, I come away with more than just images. I come away with gratitude. For the island, for the people who help me get there, and for the places that remember me.

This year’s return trip became another unforgettable homecoming.

Optional credit lines Rengoku: [Omae-san] Obanai: Naso

[naso-cos]

Passing through the city in silence.

Obanai Iguro in a modern AU. A quiet walk through the city, wrapped in traces of the Serpent Hashira.