Visiting the Shanghai Mengjie Azur Lane Doujin Only convention over these past few days left me with deep impressions, from all the pre-event preparations to the lively event venue. Let's first talk about today's featured look: light blue twintails paired with a red-and-white Lolita-style mini skirt, combined with white stockings and red high heels (a striking White stockings twintails styling), which turned plenty of heads on the convention floor (Azur Lane cosplay / Anime cosplay). The custom large golden staff in my hand was actually quite heavy; I spent quite a while finding my balance to capture that one-legged pose in the photos, but to perfectly convey the character's spirit, all these physical little struggles were totally worth it.
The event was hosted at Shangfang Horticulture · Menghuayuan in Minhang District, Shanghai (Shanghai Anime Convention). This venue is originally an exquisitely landscaped botanical garden, where the layout of lush greenery, ponds, pavilions, and bridges naturally harmonized with the summer pool party theme. Raw photos shot under the bright sunlight required little color grading, as the ambient light was already wonderfully clear and translucent. Of course, getting great Convention photos depends not only on the venue environment but also heavily on advance preparation for costume, makeup, and props. Just steaming wrinkles out of the dress, arranging accessories, and securing the wig styling took considerable time, but seeing the final photos made every tedious preparation turn into pure delight.
The event featured interactive sessions with 13 guest cosplayers, alongside fun activities like a summer water gun battle. Under the blazing summer sun, running around by the garden pool with water guns alongside fellow 2D anime fans, combined with on-site stamp rally check-ins and gacha card draws, created a relaxed and bustling atmosphere. Moving across different scenic backdrops with other guest cosplayers not only let me feel the deep immersion of Anime cosplay, but also released all the fatigue outside of work in this special social space.
For this look, I deliberately emphasized dimensionality and color harmony around the eye makeup, which, paired with the light-colored wig, achieved ideal texture reproduction under outdoor natural light. While maneuvering a long staff through crowds could be slightly cumbersome at times, it was precisely the authentic weight of this prop that helped me fully enter the character's state. Seeing this styling, many fellow fans actively approached me to ask about accessory crafting or inquire about wig styling techniques—these hobby-centered conversations are truly my favorite part of any convention. Everyone gathered together because of the same beloved title, sharing a natural bond and endless topics.
Beyond taking photos in the outdoor convention areas, the indoor booths also offered rich set installations and interactive zones. Prop setups in diverse styles provided plenty of creative freedom for composition, carrying both classical visual aesthetics and the lively energy unique to anime culture. The event organizers also provided generous merchandise rewards, such as UR-tier life-size dakimakura pillows and limited-edition SSR acrylic charms, all worthy collectibles for Commanders to unlock.
The scenery of Menghuayuan inherently carries a tranquil serenity away from urban bustle, blending garden aesthetics with the convention theme to form a unique, harmonious beauty. Throughout the event, I switched between different sets of accessories and styles, and the first few photos are just one part of this convention record. For instance, the look featuring purple patterned accessories was completed in a soft-lit studio environment, utilizing the color contrast between purple, white, and cyan-highlighted hair to visually evoke an airy, dreamy feel. Independent shoots in separate environments like this are also vital components of character expression.
Every time I participate in a Doujin Only event like this, beyond on-site interactions, it represents another opportunity to refine my craft in costume, makeup, and character interpretation. What looks like just a few frozen frames before the camera actually hides hours of effort dedicated to expression management and stance adjustments, all to capture that single moment closest to our vision. The cultural atmosphere at the Shanghai Anime Convention has always been vibrant and rich; gathering offline with so many fellow fans in the name of doujin works is deeply meaningful. While the event dates were set, the photos and memories captured on-site will remain a wonderful chapter of my summer.