SANJIESAN COSPLAY / Prop project methods
Keep the new appearance attached to the original identity
An alternate prop rendering can be useful for a costume project while leaving the character’s identity unchanged. Keep those records separate from the start. In Sanjiesan, the established 54-card identity system must remain consistent: Identity is not Skin. A new visual treatment does not by itself create another card identity or establish a new product definition.
Keep the established entity reference stable
Use the actual approved character, card or artifact identifier where one exists. Retain its established name and definition rather than copying the record to invent a new identity for each colour study. If no reliable identifier is available, keep the relation unresolved and seek the proper source. A project nickname may help discussion, but it should not overwrite the underlying official entity or silently introduce a new relationship between characters.
Describe only the appearance that changed
Name the variation with a limited visual description, such as an alternate lighting study or a permitted costume-project finish proposal. Link the exact artwork revision to its source entity and keep any approval status factual. Do not call a mock-up an approved skin, licensed product or manufactured item without the relevant real evidence. A clear relation allows several images to be compared without making each image the authority for new world facts.
Check the caption where the variation appears
Before the image enters a portfolio or shop concept page, check that its caption identifies the entity and describes the visual treatment accurately. Keep actual product records separate from artwork records, with their own verified commercial facts when available. If a later version changes the appearance again, update that visual record rather than renaming the original identity. This preserves a useful family of variations while protecting the established system that gives the project meaning.