[Platelet cosplay] First Anime convention Experience: Wearing Only the Cap Led to an Unexpectedly Rewarding Harvest

The Platelet cap was the only prop that successfully made it on camera—due to poor time management, all the other accessories were left at home. Failing to pull off the fully planned look made me somewhat nervous, feeling like a clueless newbie entering the venue. Unexpectedly, this simple combination of a Sailor suit and cap, styled with Twintails and White stockings, turned out to be quite popular.

Not long after wandering around, I bumped into photographer @Zhiyu, who asked if he could take a few shots of me. I felt a bit self-conscious at first due to my incomplete gear, but the angles and lighting he scouted were extraordinary. The first three photos turned out stunning with beautiful framing and crisp post-processing—I was thrilled with them. He coached me on interacting with the lens: slightly tucking my chin when glancing down into the camera, or angling my torso for an over-the-shoulder look to appear slimmer and more natural. He also color-graded the photos for me, retaining authentic image texture so nothing looked overly filtered.

Later, after meeting up with my friends, I took the remaining photos myself. By then, I was utterly devoid of energy to edit photos and just wanted to post them casually. Looking at myself in the raw shots, simple felt quite nice too. Photo retouching is genuinely exhausting work, especially tweaking colors bit by bit in front of a computer screen. The first three shots were crafted by the photographer using professional software; editing the rest on my phone afterward strained my eyes so much that I opted to simply post the unedited raw images directly.

My condition the entire time was pure excitement—my throat was nearly hoarse from squealing, literally skipping and shrieking along the way. This immersive Anime convention atmosphere was infinitely better than I'd imagined. Everyone was seeking out like-minded creators within their own fandom circles, sharing outfit ideas, and raving over beloved characters. It was a wonderful feeling that effortlessly banished any real-world social anxiety.

I ran into several deeply memorable cosplayers. The girl cosplaying Hatsune Miku had such elegance, with exceptional height proportions and a look recreated so successfully that I stood beside her completely mesmerized. There was also a Ningguang cosplayer whose waist-to-hip ratio was stunning; the tailoring of her dress was immaculate, and walking with commanding presence, I must admit I was completely blown away. I quickly gathered them for photos, and looking through those shots still brings me so much joy.

You could sense tons of Genshin Impact players on-site—shouted catchphrases, in-game poses, and merchandise were everywhere, creating massive community energy. Whether waiting in queues or resting in quiet corners, fully geared-up cosplayers were visible at every turn.

Since I missed bringing most props, this turned into a minimalist convention run. In the future, I must plan ample time to prepare all my gear and savor the full joy of an Anime convention. Beyond taking photos, the infectious warmth of fellow enthusiasts gathering offline truly touched me. Looking at it from another perspective, this slightly flawed adventure actually makes the memory even more unforgettable.