[Kochiya Sanae Cosplay] The Collision of an Itasha in the Rain and Chinese-Style Styling

It has been a while since this Sanae "car girl" setting was shot, and I only recently dragged myself to edit the accumulated photos. On that day, it was actually the Fu T event, and it was raining heavily with the ground being all wet. But since the itasha was in place and we were all ready, I really didn't want to waste such exquisite car decals and costumes. The car owner @soyoli did an incredibly detailed wrap on his ride; from the main cyan-green color scheme of the car body to the streamlined gradient texture and star decorations, it paired beautifully with my Chinese-style improved blue and white outfit, looking highly unified visually. The large area of itasha stickers on the side of the car was not only designed with great care but also echoed the colors perfectly.

The most unexpected harvest that day was actually the few photos taken after sitting in the car at the end. The entire shooting process was actually a bit frantic; we had to avoid the rain while constantly being careful not to let the skirt hem and props get mud or water on them, and the long wig was also most prone to getting frizzy in the humidity. However, the final output effect was quite surprising. This outfit was designed and made by @明明还行, and the control over details was extremely meticulous. The white outer garment used a structured fabric, with its edges patched with deep cyan, and the exquisite part of the neckline featured golden Chinese frog buttons. The cyan pleated skirt at the lower hem, paired with golden flying bird embroidery and three-dimensional small white flower decorations, possessed highly rich visual layers. There was a minimalist white tie-band at the waist, and with the long pole prop and empty board held in my hand, as well as the 3D white flower hair accessory on my head, the overall details and texture were completely in place.

Of course, this green big-eyed small plush doll held in my arms during the shoot was also an indispensable prop. In that scene inside the car, giving a one-handed salute while hugging the soft doll instantly made the atmosphere light and lively. Although the overall light leaned soft because we had to hold umbrellas due to the rain, it indeed made the imagery's mood quieter and more natural. While shooting, I kept thinking that the combination of itasha culture and cosplay is truly a wonderful visual expression. Usually, everyone might see character stylings more at conventions or in studio shoots, but bringing a 2D character directly next to a car in a real-world setting yields a reality breaking through the screen that is deeply moving during this Itasha photography experience.

I particularly adore that cover photo featuring a close-up inside the car; the slightly lowered eyelashes and smile, combined with that small plush doll, feel like they beautifully captured the character's gentle yet slightly playful traits. Although the rainy day added some uncontrollable difficulties to the shoot—mud, raindrops, and lens fogging all needed constant handling—it was precisely because of the soft light diffuse reflection generated by natural light passing through the glass that gave this set of photos a unique warmth. During the shoot, I also specially tried a combination of dynamic and static interactions, featuring both a wide shot standing in front of the car to display the costume and a perspective sitting inside the car to showcase a daily feel. Thank you so much to the car owner for providing such a handsome itasha as the shooting vehicle, and thanks for the dedication to costume design and preparation, which made the entire creative process full of fun. I really like this experience, which stands out from conventional studio shoots—bringing a character into a real and themed environment makes the frozen moments exceptionally vivid during this rainy day outdoor location session.