[Miyazono Kaori cosplay] Your Lie in April, A Restoration Record in Spring Cherry Blossom Colors

Regarding this photo set, it was shot in late March, when the cherry blossoms were actually still in their initial blooming stage—a reserved pinkish-white when viewed from afar, rather than the intense, thick grandeur when fully open. Choosing this timing was actually hoping to bring more fresh vitality into the frame while reducing artificially enhanced saturation in post-processing. From completion of the shoot to the final fine retouching, a near month passed in between. Seeing that April is almost over, it's finally released without dragging into May, which can be considered catching the last train of spring.

In fact, for shooting scenes dominated by school uniform cosplay and natural light, early preparations require meticulous care. That blue school uniform suit needed to be ironed flat in advance to prevent wrinkles from looking cheap on camera. Managing the blonde wig was also a key focus; it not only had to be trimmed into natural layers to fit the face shape, but also had to maintain transparency without reflecting glare under outdoor light. Though the violin was a prop, in close-ups like Figure 6, the glossy texture of its lacquer finish and the details of the strings would become visual focal points. Therefore, I specially checked the position of the bridge and the condition of the bow beforehand, striving to withstand the lens's scrutiny in every detail for this violin cosplay.

The shooting process was actually very fast-paced. In that scene beneath the bridge in Figure 5, the lighting was quite harsh at the time, and the photographer needed to repeatedly adjust the camera position to capture that sense of silhouette under backlighting. The shot in Figure 4, sitting back-to-back on the stone steps, is my personal favorite in this entire set. Without deliberately striking exaggerated movements, just leaning there quietly with the red violin and blue bag placed aside, combined with the fallen petals on the ground, naturally conveys the bond between characters.

As for the frame lying on the grass in Figure 3, it wasn't a deliberately designed pose, but rather a spontaneous snapshot when everyone felt the atmosphere was just right during a shooting break. The grass in April had just sprouted, and to be honest, lying on it was a bit prickly. But to capture that natural and completely defenseless sense of relaxation, this tiny difficulty was nothing. In the frame, the sheet music is casually flipped open, and the violin is placed within arm's reach; paired with the expression on my face, it just happened to restore that state of being slightly lazy yet tinged with a sliver of melancholy.
\ Throughout the post-processing phase, I specifically requested the photographer to preserve the texture of the raw images without over-smoothing the skin or applying heavy color grading, hoping the overall piece could maintain a clean, refreshing spring film feel. In the final version of the close-up in Figure 6, I am personally satisfied with the focus of the gaze—there was no need for forced emotional performance; just bringing a slight understanding of the character at the moment the shutter was pressed could convey that interweave of peace and complexity. Overall, being able to complete this record of work in this spring, though it took a long time to meet everyone, feels deeply worth it and beautifully encapsulates the spirit of Anime-style photography.