[Yazawa Nico Cosplay] Finding That Sparkling Self From Ten Years Ago

When I pulled out this set of photos, I suddenly felt a bit sentimental. Swiping left to compare it with the anime convention photos from ten years ago, you can really see a lot of changes. Ten years ago, Love Live! was at the peak of its popularity; the streets were filled with discussions about it. As a small character fan back then, being able to wear this event card costume to wander around the convention brought a type of happiness that carries a halo even when looking back now.

Back then, this costume was custom-tailored on Taobao, costing a full 400+ yuan. For a little kid who had no independent financial source and played cosplay by saving up pocket money and New Year's red packet money, this was absolutely a massive fortune. The moment I received the courier box, my hands were shaking with excitement. Today, ten years later, although the price of buying a decent cosplay outfit has long exceeded this figure, that raw drive to spend all of one's savings without hesitation for the sake of passion seems genuinely hard to replicate.

The details of this outfit still have a lot of flavor when looking at them now: the iconic striped color-blocked wide-brimmed hat, the cascading layers of ruffles on the chest, paired with that short-style top, as well as the black star skirt and asymmetric red-and-white striped thigh-high socks. The overall design is highly lively, carrying a bit of a playful magical girl vibe. To replicate the card art effect initially, I specifically paired it with thick-soled black leather shoes. Although I wore it to a few conventions later and even shot some main sets, those stockpiled photos disappeared with one generation of phones after another, and I've long since lost track of where they went. Fortunately, this current studio set left behind can still prove that I did indeed love this character properly.

Comparing Figure 2 with the convention photos from ten years ago, I was still slightly green back then, standing beside my friends while flashing a V-sign at the lens, surrounded by the colorful convention carpets and red lanterns. Now with this studio shoot, I can finally face the lens with more composure, interpreting the character's agility more naturally. Over the past ten years, the mentality towards playing cosplay has also gone through many changes. Previously, I cared more about outward accuracy, but now I value whether I can display the character's core personality instead.

The theme of this studio shoot is a Christmas vibe; the deep red velvet curtain gives the entire frame a strong sense of a stage. Snowflake decorations float overhead, and flocked Christmas trees are arranged in a well-scattered manner around me, alongside a white rabbit plush toy wearing a red scarf and various Christmas gift boxes. During the shoot, I specifically experimented with some different actions, like that jumping moment of throwing a gift with one hand in Figure 3. Although a few frames were wasted during snapshotting, this final picture is exceptionally full of vitality. There's also that stance in Figure 4 of slightly leaning forward and handing out a small gift with both hands, maxing out the sweet and cute feel of this outfit.

A decade of time can change many things; perhaps the companions I used to chase and watch anime with have already gone their separate ways, and perhaps that innocent, green courage has long since faded. However, being able to walk down this cosplay path for ten years and leave behind so many photos serves as a highly fulfilling wrap-up for both my current self and my past self. This event card outfit of Yazawa Nico is not just a piece of clothing; it acts more like a memento of those youthful years of mine. I don't know if I will shoot new photo sets in the future, but this memory will definitely stay in my heart forever through this piece of Cosplay sharing and Christmas themed photoshoot.