Stepping into the Hypergryph Carnival venue, my first impression was how blastingly cold the air conditioning was—yet everyone's passion burned even hotter. For the Arknights: Endfield booth, I deliberately prepared several sets of gear; they carried serious physical weight, but walking through the halls and seeing fellow fans stop to take photos made every ounce of effort completely worthwhile. Constructing this red-and-black colorway cape and the tactical strapping around my waist took two full weeks, with the leather fasteners and metallic weathering painstakingly modified by hand bit by bit. During the shoot, my biggest concern was bumping into people in the dense crowds with that colossal prop weapon, but everyone was wonderfully considerate and accommodating.
Convention lighting is always a real endurance test for cosplayers: the color temperatures between the stage zones and exhibition booths diverged dramatically, easily resulting in color casts. I guided my photographer to scout several angles, leveraging the backboard LED strip lights built into the booths to function as crisp rim lighting. As a cosplayer who frequently attends conventions, embodying a character is never just about slipping into garments—it is about recreating the authentic atmospheric resonance of that fictional universe. This carnival featured numerous immersive setups that aligned seamlessly with the Arknights: Endfield theme, maxing out industrial aesthetics and wasteland motifs. Many photographers captured dynamic, striking frames as I wielded the heavy weapon into battle stances.
After touring the entire floor, I felt that everyone's dedication toward cosplay has grown increasingly earnest, with wardrobe, makeup, and props reaching astonishing levels of craftsmanship. By the end of the day, my legs were aching and the boots weren't the most forgiving on my feet, yet sitting by the hall perimeter reviewing the day's captures with my friends and debating which angles yielded the best shots brought a pure, unfiltered joy that everyday life rarely offers. Outside the venue, the long row of anime-wrapped itasha vehicles looked magnificent under the setting sun, exuding an incredible vibe. This year left me with countless precious memories and wonderful new friends. At next year's Hypergryph Carnival, I will definitely return with even better creative works.