[Ayanami cosplay] Azur Lane Birthday Celebration: After the party, let's do our best together with the Commander

For this birthday project, I chose Ayanami from Azur Lane, and to be honest, the pressure was quite high. Preparations had been ongoing for a long time to try and faithfully restore this gown. Two wigs were ordered for comparison, and ultimately the one with fuller hair volume was chosen, trimming the blunt bangs and sideburns on both sides. Pink hair easily looks dark under outdoor light, so both the base makeup and body tone-up cream were applied quite solidly, and the eye makeup intentionally chose a reddish tone to echo the red sharp horns on the headpiece.

The dark blue silk slip dress makes skin look very fair visually, but the fabric has severe light reflection, and slightly incorrect shooting angles make it look flat. We searched for angles on the terrace sofa for a long time, and finally decided to use side-backlighting to give the character's edges a natural rim light while making the white stockings and dark dress form a strong contrast of light and shadow. The black high heels on my feet didn't really fit well, so after shooting a few sitting poses, I simply kicked them off to the side and stepped barefoot on the sofa. This actually gave it even more of a post-party exhaustion and relaxed vibe.

The glass cup held in hand is a very interesting small prop. Originally it was empty, but I imagined it filled with iced drinks, keeping the finger posture natural around the cup body. The yacht marina in the background is real, and the evening breeze brought a slight chill, forming a stark contrast with the warm and bright tone in the photos.

Matching the line in the post, 'Is Laffey already asleep?' To be honest, Ayanami is also half uneasy and half sleepy, wanting to quickly return to the room and lie down. This is actually a true portrayal of the second half of my shoot for this set. Standing outdoors in high heels for several hours made my waist and back protest, and the only thought in my mind was to finish shooting quickly and lie back in bed. But when the photographer said to change poses and shoot another set on the sofa, looking at the carefully prepared outfit on myself, I felt it would be too much of a pity to give up like that.

So that line, 'Although I don't quite understand what the point of this is, I'm a bit happy,' is something I deeply empathize with. Perhaps in many people's eyes, spending so much time, energy, and money to prepare a cosplay outfit just to take a few photos is a bit hard to understand. But as a coser, from selecting fabrics, test makeup, adjusting the wig, to fully immersing oneself into the character in front of the lens, the hardship of the entire process is directly proportional to the final result. Even if the sea breeze makes my head hurt and the high heels hurt my feet, seeing that Ayanami in the final photos with pink long hair and a slightly dazed look makes all these efforts worthwhile.

When communicating with the photographer Teacher Xiong Du Xiashan, we agreed that we didn't want any overly deliberate posing, but rather a casual, slightly fatigued sense of relaxation. The blue water and white boats in the background naturally carry a resort-like leisure, so the more relaxed the character's state, the stronger the narrative sense of the frame. To match this temperament, I specially chose these white stockings; the matte texture looks higher-end than glossy ones and can also neutralize the dullness brought by the dark blue slip dress. The cross thin straps and lace splicing at the neck are the details of this outfit. During the shoot, I intentionally turned sideways to better showcase the shoulder and neck lines and the shadows of the collarbone. Sometimes to get a leg extension angle right, the center of gravity had to be adjusted repeatedly, and the connection between the white stockings and skin in the lens also needed careful arrangement.

Taking the opportunity of my birthday, posting a set of my favorite character is probably the best gift I can give to myself for working hard and cosplaying hard over the past half year. Without so many complicated purposes, it's purely just feeling happy to wear my favorite clothes and record these moments on this special day.