[Little Mermaid cosplay] Goddess of Victory: NIKKE's Little Mermaid

Cosplaying Siren from Goddess of Victory: NIKKE—also known as Little Mermaid—was honestly quite a challenge for me. After all, she is characterized as a mute character who rarely speaks, whereas I'm a total chatterbox. On the day of our group shoot, I couldn't stop chatting with the photographer and my cosplay partners, which resulted in me looking all animated and giggly in several shots, completely clashing with her character demeanor. Eventually, I had to force myself into silence, working hard to channel that quiet, slightly melancholic, and mysterious aura; holding back from talking for even a second was sheer torture!

For the costume, I chose this design infused with Maid outfit elements: white lace frills paired with a soft blue-and-pink striped bow tie, giving off a very fresh look. The headdress is a white Katyusha headband trimmed with black lace, and to capture that anime aesthetic, I added a touch of glitter throughout the hair. To support the garment's silhouette, I fine-tuned the boned corset carefully—lacing a corset too tightly in a crowded convention venue can genuinely leave you gasping for air. For the wig, I went with long straight dark teal hair; cutting and styling took quite a bit of effort, especially layering the bangs and side locks to keep them looking natural.

As for the makeup, to harmonize with the contact lenses, the eye makeup used a warm reddish-brown base, extending slightly at the outer corners with a subtle red blend to evoke an innocent yet aloof presence. I wore amber contact lenses, which delivered a striking visual impact. The mesh gloves were the finishing touch of the ensemble; putting them on emphasized the details of my fingers, so even a slight tilt of the wrist during a shutter press brought out sharp, elegant lines. Because I naturally have prominent, bold facial features, I intentionally dialed back the foundation, emphasizing the eye contours so that under the ambient venue lighting, the translucent amber eyes truly popped.

During the shoot, the venue's lighting was fairly chaotic, and there were crowds in the background, so most of the time was spent finding angles and utilizing self-portraits or wide apertures to blur the backdrop. Looking back at this group shoot from half a month ago, it was truly exhausting yet exhilarating—rehearsing poses and geeking out over costumes with fellow cosplayers was so rewarding. The best part of cosplay is definitely collaborating on these creative adventures with like-minded friends: helping each other fix wigs, touching up makeup in the rest area, and chatting about recent convention schedules. That vibe is something you rarely experience in daily life.

NIKKE's character designs are exceptionally intricate, with instantly recognizable tailoring and detailed accessories. In preparation for this shoot, I practiced expression control in the mirror at home for a long time. Even though my chatty nature almost broke through on set, I'm genuinely delighted with the final shots. These photos document more than just a character's shell—they freeze our genuine emotions and energy from that day. From the first fitting and adjusting costume nuances according to her personality, to discussing composition and lighting with the photographer on location, every step was elaborate, but seeing the final Convention photos made every moment totally worth it.