[Ebihara Minase cosplay] The Energetic Kohai from Brass Love! ~Kono Melody o, Kimi to~, Grabbing My Trumpet to Head to Yuzufes

Entering the old era of YUZU SOFT-ism with full devotion. I've finally arranged this "shrimp" kohai look. During the prep stage, I kept thinking about how to precisely capture the most energetic and lively moment of the brass band club, so the overall tone of this shoot is dedicated to recreating a relaxed, daily, yet wonderfully blissful Campus style ambiance.

Let's talk about the visual shaping first. The wig was one of the critical make-or-break points. This vibrant orange-red shade, paired with the iconic twin tails and those two slim blue hairpins on the side—once the details clicked, it instantly locked into the character's wavelength. To keep it looking natural, the wig shouldn't be styled too close to the scalp; it needs a certain amount of fluffiness to manifest her energetic personality. The outfit utilizes a classic ensemble: a white turn-down collar shirt with blue trim, a long red tie, and a loose, warm pale yellow knit cardigan layered over it. This layering feels heavily Japanese and aligns flawlessly with typical Galgame protagonist team designs. Paired with the dark red plaid short skirt, the dark long coat draped over it, white mid-calf socks, and red-and-white canvas shoes, the entire combination radiates that vivid sensation of "walking around campus after school."

The shooting environment was chosen inside a campus sports equipment room. That row of grey metal lockers behind me, dotted with various knick-knacks and labels, alongside the stacked blue-and-white volleyballs and an oversized blue yoga ball, allowed the shoot to skip tedious staging hassles. I could immediately immerse myself into the story space belonging to the brass band club. Of course, the most essential prop was that gleaming golden trumpet. Since her character setting is the ace member of the brass band club, it absolutely couldn't serve as a mere placeholder. I specifically coordinated with the photographer's requests, adjusting my grip on the trumpet, my finger posture on the valves, and the tilt angle of my shoulders and body when blowing. Though that brass trumpet carried a decent amount of weight in my hands during the actual handling, maintaining a relaxed, effortless smile while holding the instrument made it a painfully happy experience. Especially for the shot where I'm playing with my eyes closed—maintaining a relatively stable yet breathing posture while managing both facial expression and studio lighting was a genuine test of expressiveness.

Many people commented that my prints look like "a super cute shrimp who knows exactly how to act spoiled," an assessment I personally agree with completely. Because that's exactly where her charm lies; she isn't the type to exude a cold, detached aura, but rather a "kohai" who snuggles up beside you, eager to share the fruits of her trumpet practice. Throughout the process, the photographer continuously guided me to capture that slightly clumsy yet charmingly tsundere state. For instance, sitting on a wooden storage box with my legs slightly tilted to one side, or letting the coat casually drape half-off my shoulders—these subtle movements captured in the photos truly infuse the frame with an indescribable sense of intimacy.

Lastly, there's a massive expectation brewing in my heart—I'm heading to Yuzufes very soon! For those who have long loved YUZU SOFT works, offline events are truly an unparalleled experience. To enter the character's universe beforehand through cosplay and then carry these memories to experience the venue firsthand—this convergence of "virtual" and "reality" is one of the most intriguing aspects of cosplay to me. This set of photos records not just a character's appearance, but acts as a heartfelt tribute from an enthusiast to the time spent with this piece. I hope the sunlight, the trumpet, the volleyballs, and the lockers in these photos bring everyone a breath of that fresh summer campus breeze.