[Sakiko Toyokawa cosplay] BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!: Recreating the Afternoon of Giving Up Music on the Streets of Ikebukuro

Putting on the light blue long straight wig and slipping into this white shirt with a bow tie and gray plaid pleated skirt, I stood on the streets of Ikebukuro. The May sunlight was slightly dazzling, spilling onto the ground through the gaps between layered buildings. The goal of this cosplay was very clear: to portray Sakiko Toyokawa from BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!, the character with a complex inner world in the narrative of "that's why I gave up music."

I have always wanted to present a subtle sense of silence rather than being flamboyant, so before the shoot started, I specifically communicated with the photographer about wanting bokeh spots and backlit hair strands. As a sacred site for an Anime pilgrimage, Ikebukuro has a natural Japanese street style, where both the pedestrian bridge and the roadside railings become part of the supporting narrative for the character. At the core of Sakiko's character lies a sense of unwillingness, and today, as a cosplayer, my job wasn't to play out this frustration hysterically, but to use negative space and my gaze to convey a sense of daily life that is both resolute and hesitant.

This also meant my gait and posture had to be completely relaxed, as if I were truly just passing by and frozen by the click of the shutter. What satisfied me the most during the shoot was the sidelight and backlight effects under the sun—specifically, the translucent texture of the hair strands dyed by the light. Paired with the white headband I specially chose, it perfectly brought out the girlhood of the character, who still retains a touch of innocence. Although there are bitter parts in the character's past, in this second of light and shadow, I feel her soft and beautiful side has been perfectly recorded.

This kind of everyday JK daily life outfit actually tests the details of matching; the curve of the wig's bangs, the proportion of the bow tie, and the drape of the skirt's hem were all repeatedly adjusted before going out. Although Sakiko in the anime has already made her choice, as an enthusiast immersed in the emotional core of this work, I am glad to use these real-scene photos to re-examine her state of mind from an observer's perspective. Today, there are no noisy train sounds, only the afternoon wind and shadows in the streets, as if time has also slowed down, giving me ample space to get closer to this character. A great set of works is often a process where the photographer and the cosplayer trust each other and capture inspirations together. I'm very glad to preserve this moment in Ikebukuro so completely in these photos.