[Momonoka cosplay] Arknights: An Incoming Call from the Little Goldfish

This Momonoka cosplay styling referenced the original illustration version by the character designer, adopting an overall very warm honey tone.

Starting with the styling preparations: to recreate that fluffy, glowing texture from the original art, the wig was specially customized with an orange-red gradient, with its length and curls adjusted repeatedly, and the bangs curved to fit the face shape perfectly. The Elf ears prop used for the shoot also required special treatment, adjusting their angle to make them appear natural and lively. For makeup, to capture that doll-like appearance, I chose large-diameter contact lenses paired with dense long eyelashes and red lips, applying blush somewhat heavily to give a slightly tipsy, Vintage style aesthetic.

The choice of clothing also took considerable thought. The red-and-black checkered mini dress paired with that massive red bow on the chest creates strong visual impact. The outer brown striped blazer looks very textured; the two large brown ribbons on the head paired with the overall styling not only raised the crown height but also made the face look wonderfully petite. The black ruffled skirt hem on the lower half, combined with the gold chain belt, creates a distinctly layered and delicate feel. Furthermore, the dress felt slightly off in length during fitting, so I had a tailor shorten it slightly to reveal more leg line when seated, improving visual proportions.

The shoot scene was arranged like a vintage cafe. The vintage mint-green telephone had a distinct sense of era; holding it in hand had substantial weight, and the bouncy cord added lots of fun to the frame. The CD rack behind, holding vintage records and headphones, paired with fruits arranged on the table, created a leisurely afternoon life atmosphere.

During shooting, the photographer mainly utilized side-backlight and high-key soft light, which cast a beautiful halo along the hair edges. Since the clothing was in a warm brownish-red palette, the use of lighting was crucial to keep the skin translucent and fair within warm light without making the face look yellow or dull. In performance, I did my best to capture the character's quirky, playful, yet slightly lazy demeanor. In Photo 1, sitting on the chair holding the green phone, pretending to converse with the other end while keeping an attentive gaze toward the lens. In Photo 2, leaning on the tabletop, gently stirring that specially mixed milky-white drink, making the gestures look relaxed and cozy. When posing, I paid special attention to eye acting—looking directly into the lens immerses viewers more deeply, fully expressing that expectant expression of waiting for someone to answer the phone.

In post-processing, I preserved plenty of skin texture and details, mainly unifying the overall color tone of the environment, boosting the filmic grain, and cleaning up color noise in shadows to make the images look clean and warm.

This Arknights Momonoka cosplay work, from costume and prop prep to on-site shooting, took substantial effort. Collaborating with the photographer brought new inspiration each time, allowing timely adjustments to issues like phone placement, skirt folds, or even sitting angles. Sharing this work is mainly to document my journey with this character from sketches to reality. Polishing details along the way—such as bow stiffness, Elf ears angles, and choosing the container for that mock beverage—were all keys to elevating fidelity. The shooting experience was very comfortable, and I found my own performance rhythm amidst the warm lighting, hoping this carefully crafted Vintage style feel conveys the cute vibe I envisioned. During shooting, there was some worry about not perfectly capturing that distinct 2D charm, but through emotional expression and gaze captures, the final outcome was very satisfying. Completing every cosplay set deepens my understanding of the character, and I will continue experimenting with different approaches to portray my favorite characters in future shoots. The clear, flawless base makeup paired with vivid eyeshadow and blush made the gaze look exceptionally bright, harmonizing beautifully with the warm backdrop. While pursuing prop textures, we also kept the composition clean so attention naturally falls onto character expressions and styling.

Every shoot like this is also a process of self-reflection. Different characters demand different personality portrayals; this lively, playful, and lazy demeanor was distinctly different from previous styles. In distressing the vintage phone, we intentionally sprayed a bit of weathering paint to give it a richer vintage feel. Paired with penetrating light, that warm orange hue became even more translucent. This wholehearted portrayal serves as a summary of my recent photoshoot preferences.