[Tateyama Ayano cosplay] Kagerou Project Mekuaku Dan Summer Memories

Last year on August 15th, I decided to form this Mekuaku Dan group. As both the leader and Ayano's cosplayer, the very first step was gathering the complete roster, which was far harder than imagined. Everyone's costume sizes, wig colors, and props had to be checked and confirmed one by one. Cosplaying Ayano myself, the priority centered on the texture of the black dress and red scarf—the scarf couldn't be too thin and needed a natural fluttering flow. The wig was trimmed several times, and considerable care went into the eye makeup and blending the red eyeshadow.

Scouting locations was a massive endeavor: we scouted underpasses, pedestrian bridges, and reed fields to recreate the hazy, youthful atmosphere of the original work. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate; temperatures suddenly dropped on the day of the shoot, accompanied by harsh winds. When shooting against the light beneath the bridge, the red scarf blew wildly in the wind, forcing everyone to reposition repeatedly to find the best lighting angles. The ones who suffered most were the girls wearing Black stockings—standing in the biting wind left their legs numb with cold, yet they gritted their teeth to hold their poses.

During the rooftop shots of crouching poses and tossing the scarf, we meticulously aligned our positions. Those crouching around me had to stay completely still while I tossed the scarf in the center, taking multiple attempts to capture the optimal split-second frame. The puddle reflection shot was particularly exhausting: everyone crouched beside the puddle as freezing water soaked through our shoes and socks, all while maintaining neat leg postures—our legs were nearly cramping up by the time we finished that set. Finally, when lying on the concrete ground in a radial formation, our backs were pressed against the ice-cold stone; yet despite the freezing cold, chatting together while lying on the ground felt surprisingly relaxing.

As the group leader, beyond fulfilling my own role, I coordinated the photographer's framing, everyone's positioning, composition, and expression management, shooting continuously from morning until dusk for over seven hours. In post-production, we blended muted tones with vintage Japanese color grading, striving to evoke that bittersweet narrative resonance. Gathering everyone together and braving the bitter cold to complete such an ambitious group project had no motive other than sheer passion. Immense gratitude goes to these friends for coordinating with my direction and completing this work with utter professionalism. This summer will never truly end; what lingers in my memory isn't just the finished photos, but the warm moments on that freezing winter day when we encouraged each other to persevere.