[Nozomi Kasaki cosplay] Summer Melody of Liz and the Blue Bird

This finished Liz and the Blue Bird set was a project we planned for a very long time. This summer, my partner and I finally brought Nozomi Kasaki and Mizore Yoroizuka to life.

Nozomi Kasaki is a deeply compelling and challenging character for me. While cheerful on the surface, her inner world holds incredibly nuanced emotions. To honor the role, I prepared the classic summer sailor uniform and her signature red digital watch. For locations, we scouted school buildings, stairwells, and rooftops rich in campus nostalgia. The lighting that day was gorgeous; using natural sunlight streaming through massive glass panes, we captured organic interplays of light and shadow. The musical instruments and goldfish featured in the photos served as essential narrative props. To ensure our handling of the flute and clarinet looked authentic, we consulted musician friends and practiced basic fingerings so our hands would never look stiff on camera. The goldfish shown in the shots were picked up from a local market, swimming inside clear plastic bags and a fishbowl—the sun rays refracting through the water brought vibrant vitality and rich texture to the frame. In one shot where we sit side-by-side on the steps gazing down at the little blue bird plush in hand, we felt genuinely immersed in Nozomi and Mizore's emotional bond.

The shoot days were intensely hot. Wearing short-sleeved school uniforms while running back and forth between outdoor areas and corridors left us drenched in sweat. In particular, for the outdoor staircase scene playing our instruments under direct sun, harsh lens flares were strong, and we took dozens of takes just to capture the organic moment when a breeze lifted our hair, skirts, and Stockings. For the shots holding a retro camera amidst floating bubbles, we operated a bubble machine on set to evoke that dreamlike summer nostalgia. In post-production grading, we deliberately leaned toward clear, cyan-blue tones, aiming to replicate that tender yet subtly melancholic mood from the anime.

Creating this cosplay set was not only about honoring beloved characters from Sound! Euphonium, but also about leaving ourselves a special keepsake of that summer. Running through campus hallways and zoning out beside the fishbowl in the quiet classroom with my partner—these fleeting moments crystallized into our unique summer memories. Pushing together for something we love made the entire journey deeply meaningful.