[Kumiko Omae Cosplay] Sound! Euphonium Mount Daikichi Anime Pilgrimage

Before planning this nocturnal trek up Mount Daikichi, I had already heard rumors about the trail conditions. At night, it was pitch-black with zero streetlights, and the path was littered with loose gravel that made walking precarious and uneven with every step. What astounded me most was that Reina Kousaka hiked all the way to the summit in heels—absolutely incredible! Even in flat sandals, I had to tread with extreme caution for fear of twisting an ankle. A friendly reminder to anyone embarking on an Anime pilgrimage: prioritize personal safety and always travel in a group.

Retouching these photos over the past few days felt like turning back the clock, transporting me right back to that September day in Uji. We were running around hauling brass instruments back then too, and a wonderfully kind passerby helped us carry the euphonium, which moved us to tears. During this shoot, we met equally fantastic fellow Sound! Euphonium fans who supported each other—Sound! fans are truly the warmest souls! Huge thanks to @ChuShenGuoEr for sharing this shoot with me, and to @TianChengJun for the night photography and lighting design.

To authentically capture the playing postures of the characters, we filmed dozens of takes. While trumpets and euphoniums are standard brass instruments, handling them for extended periods is a serious test of endurance. To freeze that serene, intensely focused musical concentration under the night sky, we repeatedly calibrated our breathing and embouchures. The sheer weight of the euphonium in the biting mountain breeze was an endurance test in itself. However, seeing the metallic luster of the brass gleam against the circular bokeh of the sprawling city lights below made all the fatigue evaporate.

Retouching 21 frames for the first time was quite a massive undertaking, and there are still several shots unreleased that I'll share later! Because we wanted to take in more of the panoramic scenery, we shot predominantly in landscape orientation; since full-screen posts only support vertical framing, I stitched several horizontal collages together, hehe. Reina portrayed by @ChuShenGuoEr, dressed in a yellow-and-white tee paired with denim shorts and red sneakers, perfectly radiated that energetic, slightly tsundere spirit. My white sundress paired with a violet shoulder bag aimed to recreate Kumiko's grounded everyday aesthetic. Although Mount Daikichi was freezing and arduous to climb in the dead of night, realizing a nightscape photoshoot like this made every step thoroughly worthwhile.