[Saiba Midori cosplay] Blue Archive: Everyday Life of the Cat-Eared E-sports Girl

Digging out this set of photos from my archives to share around my birthday. This was a duo cosplay project featuring Momoi and Midori, which we had planned for a long time before finally bringing it to life. I've always had a special affection for Saiba Midori in Blue Archive—her gamer-geek vibe and unique cat-ear design really resonate with me, so I put a lot of thought into preparing the props and costumes.

For this shoot, we arranged two completely different looks to capture the character design. The first is a uniform with a casual combat feel: white with blue trim and fluorescent green accent lines, perfectly fitting the vibe of a casual E-sports girl. Paired with a vibrant bright blue tie, it softens what might otherwise be a rigid uniform look, making it playful and crisp. In terms of key details, the cat-ear headpiece and the floating ring halo behind are the soul of the look; we deliberately adjusted the headpiece's center of gravity so it wouldn't shift even after a full day of wear. The wig styling was also meticulously handled—the butter-blonde color was layered with gradient undertones, giving the twin-tails a fluffy, natural, and airy look.

The other look is the widely praised blue-and-white maid outfit. This set offers a great gap-moe charm: navy long sleeves paired with an adorable large white apron and extensive layered ruffles, radiating maximum 2D sweetness at first glance. To enhance the character's lively feel, we added a plush black cat tail with a white tip at the waist, which, together with the styled blonde twin-tails, achieved a remarkably high level of fidelity. For the fabric, I specifically chose material with some weight and structural support so that when lifting the skirt hem at the convention venue, it formed a perfect arc that looked fantastic on camera.

Of course, Saiba Midori's character is inseparable from gaming consoles, so the Nintendo Switch served as a central prop throughout. Whether holding it to pose playing at the pink gaming desk or hanging it at my waist as an accessory, it instantly dialed up the gamer girl vibe. In the five indoor photos, the photographer cleverly used light and shadow cast through window blinds, complemented by pink shelves, a gaming desk, and plushies, creating visuals blending slice-of-life charm with a cyber feel. Meanwhile, over-the-knee socks and the maid dress's white tights made alternating appearances in a white thigh-highs outfit paired with different shoes, beautifully accentuating leg lines while retaining the character's youthful innocence and a touch of delicate allure.

The candid shot taken at the convention is one of my personal favorites. Under the intense, bright overhead lighting of the hall, a cosplayer's dynamic expression is truly put to the test. I was just taking a step forward while lightly lifting my skirt hem, and the camera captured that exact split-second. This kind of spontaneous moment often holds far more vibrant vitality than studio shots.

Looking back at the entire prep process—coordinating poses with my duo partner, playing on the console, and actually playing games on the Switch during breaks on set—these natural interactions made the photos feel organic and lively rather than stiff, staged poses. Reviewing this archive set still brings great satisfaction. I hope to have more opportunities to showcase more details and special versions of these two characters in the future. Every heartfelt recreation of a character is a meaningful record of my cosplay journey.