I tried out this classic look of Kanna-chan from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, booking a studio session with my photographer for a Guangzhou photography booking to recreate scenes brimming with schoolyard charm and playful childlike innocence.
Since the concept played on "Going to school! Or getting on top of the desk?!", we ran with that idea during the shoot. For "going to school," Kanna-chan carrying her yellow duck crossbody bag or red randoseru backpack genuinely looks like an obedient kindergarten kid heading to class. But when it comes to "getting on top of the desk," that's truly the soul of this whole photo set—sitting right atop the desk with an uninhibited, totally natural attitude perfectly captures her adorable, unpredictable personality.
As for the gear this time, I chose a short, light purple gradient wig, manually fluffing the ends so the bangs could naturally cover the forehead with soft subtle curls, giving the head silhouette a full, rounded shape. For contacts, I wore crystal-clear bright blue lenses, making the gaze look exceptionally pure and innocent. The black bow headband and white curved horns are the very essence of this look; although the plastic horns look lightweight, wearing them for a long time puts a bit of pressure on the forehead, but for accurate character recreation, there is no compromising on such details.
Clothing-wise, this light blue doll-collar blouse is truly ideal for a school theme—the fabric is soft and the cut is relaxed and loose. Paired with a white pleated skirt and fully opaque white pantyhose for this white tights cosplay, it captured that delicate balance between child and young girl perfectly. The white Mary Jane shoes with red toe caps were another finishing touch, evoking that quintessential Japanese primary schooler vibe. During the shoot, to naturally showcase the white tights and leg lines, I put considerable thought into my sitting poses. For example, in the third photo, resting my chin lightly on my hand with one foot lightly placed on the other leg made the leg composition and lines look elongated and elegant rather than overly truncated or childish—a balance cosplayers often need to master when portraying petite characters.
Regarding props, the hand-crocheted yellow duck bag was a delightful highlight of this cosplay, worn in front to break up the monotony of the large expanse of light blue. We also prepared a red backpack and several Japanese manga books. The chalk drawing on the blackboard was sketched beforehand by the photographer, depicting Kanna's anime avatar alongside doodles of graduation caps and clouds, making the classroom ambiance feel even more genuine.
During shooting, pose directing was crucial. To keep the frames lively, we tried various poses: the first involved proactively reaching out to wave at the camera with a smile for great interactivity, while the second—crouching on the desktop to tie a shoe—felt wonderfully casual and relaxed. The weather in Guangzhou has been rather humid and hot lately, but the studio was air-conditioned with fantastic lighting, so our shooting energy remained high throughout.
Cosplaying such an endearing and childlike character is challenging because one must preserve the character's core traits while infusing engaging visual expression. I believe lighthearted expression control and natural body language are key—there's no need to force cuteness, just flow freely with the scene. Overall, I really love this set. Even though thick white tights aren't the most comfortable choice in summer, it was all worth it for the fidelity of the look. Being able to suit up and capture a satisfying set of photos made for a wonderful cosplay experience.