[Nero Cosplay] Live from C107: Direct Shots of the Flower of Rome from Fate/Grand Order

Live at the C107 Japanese anime convention, posing right away for selfies. This time, I cosplayed Nero from Fate/Grand Order. To capture her flamboyant yet refined image, I put considerable effort into the hair and makeup. The blonde wig features straight, blunt bangs; to prevent it from clinging flat to my scalp, I inserted root-volumizing clips underneath. Paired with green contact lenses and reddish eyeshadow, the makeup held up strongly under the intense outdoor sunlight, making my eyes sparkle vividly. The red-and-white dress is the very soul of the outfit; the ruffled neckline and gold piping showed rich texture under the sun. The red chest bow had to be meticulously smoothed out, as excessive creases would ruin the screen accuracy.

Because the photos were shot from a high-angle selfie perspective with the upper body occupying most of the frame, arm positioning was crucial. Wearing long red gloves and holding the gold circular disc prop, I extended my arm slightly outward to leverage wide-angle perspective distortion. This slimmed down my face, balanced the proportions between my shoulders and arms, and subtly showcased the details of the dress.

Speaking of the atmosphere, foot traffic at C107 was even heavier than expected, with passersby glancing over constantly as I walked outside. Harsh sunlight comes with pros and cons: on the plus side, the red, white, and gold color scheme pops vibrantly; on the downside, harsh shadows easily form under the chin and chest, so I spent the entire shoot looking for reflective surfaces or slightly shaded spots. To maintain my condition, I carried three bottles of water and oil-blotting sheets, frequently heading to the restroom during breaks to adjust my collar and wig since heavy sweating made the fabric cling.

This Nero costume is quite demanding on body shape with its tightly cinched waist, and putting it on was far more tedious than anticipated, which drained a lot of stamina throughout the day. By the afternoon, however, once I adjusted to the physical load, my posing became much more relaxed. The character in Fate/Grand Order is inherently the passionate, exuberant Flower of Rome, so when facing the lens, I aimed for a confident yet playful gaze.

In the afternoon, I shot both indoors and outdoors. The outdoor concrete ground served as a clean background that made the character stand out, while indoors, despite the chaotic lighting, using the moving crowd for background bokeh produced an authentic, lively convention ambiance. Cosplaying such an intricate outfit in Japan for the first time fulfilled a little dream of mine. The journey was full of sweat, but equally packed with fulfillment, leaving me with rich and wonderful convention memories.