[Aozaki Aoko cosplay] Fate/Grand Order 10th Anniversary CE Showa retro Magical Girl

This shoot can be said to be a completely from-scratch endeavor. Since I couldn't find a studio that fit the unique atmosphere of Aoko's 10th anniversary CE, I simply took matters into my own hands and built a magical world belonging to her. Since I decided to shoot the 10th anniversary Aoko CE, I set a tone in my heart: the girlish feeling of the late Showa to early Heisei era, combined with Magical Girl elements, and infused with a bit of retro fashion sense from fashion magazines.

First of all is the choice of background. I used a large area of bright yellow as the main tone. This high-saturation warm color can instantly pull back the retro pictorial feel of that era. Then came piling up details inside: blue-based magical elements, stars of varying sizes, folded paper airplanes, as well as various records and miscellaneous small items. To prevent the frame from appearing too cluttered, I deliberately paid attention to a staggered sense of layering during placement, allowing these props to have a stacked feel in front of the lens without losing balance, hoping to construct an orderly chaotic fantasy feel.

On the clothing side, the design of this Aoko CE itself has a lot of flavor. The white high-neck puff-sleeve shirt paired with a dark blue corset dress, the black lace at the neckline and chest, the golden double-ring metal accessories, and the black-and-gold waist belt at the waist—every detail emphasizes the combination of retro and gorgeousness. To increase the layering of the styling, the lower body was matched with translucent white long stockings featuring geometric lines, coupled with that exaggerated dark blue wide-brimmed hat on top of the head, making the overall styling look both playful like a Magical Girl and elegant like a fashion lady.

The state on the day of the shoot was actually quite relaxed. Although @Medicis and I are already 10th-anniversary veterans, every cooperation still sparks different creative fires. From light testing to the start of shooting, this set of photos went surprisingly smoothly, basically completely achieving straight-out-of-camera raw photos. This is not only thanks to the photographer's precise control over light and shadow, but also attributed to the immersion brought by the on-site self-built set. Surrounded by those records, disco balls, and clocks, holding a prop long pole, wearing headphones, or hugging a doll, it was especially easy for me to immerse myself in that fantastic yet retro scene.

We tried many different interactive ways on site. Sometimes casually sitting on the ground playing with the vinyl records at hand, sometimes holding cards to show the camera, or playing with the mini doll in hand. To make the physical performance more natural, I also used many props to enrich the movements, such as fiddling with the disco ball, where the reflective material and the yellow background formed an exquisite echo, making the color layers of the entire picture richer. This kind of improvisation built on thorough preparation often captures the truest and most vivid moments best.

Regarding the matter of building the set myself, although the process required a lot of thought to conceive and move things around, the moment I saw the finished photos, everything was worth it. Because only I know best what the picture I want to present actually looks like, and the presented effect completely met my expectation of a Showa retro Magical Girl in my heart. Without too much post-processing retouching, this color tone with a film texture can already well convey that Aoko of mine who transcends eras in my heart.