[Kasumizawa Miyu Cosplay] Blue Archive: The Gap Moe of the Blue Sailor Uniform and a Trash Can

I got hold of a blue trash can lid at the convention venue to use as a prop and took two photos with a strong sense of contrast. This time I'm portraying Kasumizawa Miyu from Blue Archive. The overall color scheme of the costume is a refreshing blue and white, which, combined with the light green bowtie at the neckline and the inherently cute rabbit-ear headpiece, felt very lightweight and suitable for an outdoor shoot when I tried it on. To shoot this set of photos, we specifically found a relatively quiet spot with dark overhead lighting in the convention hall. Thanks to the on-site lighting, the textures of the white stockings and the blue sailor uniform are quite distinct.

In the first picture, I'm sitting obediently with my hands cupping my face, looking directly into the camera, trying hard to create that innocent and slightly airheaded cuteness of an Anime girl. Combined with the meme of the trash can, the gap moe is instantly pushed to the max. The second picture shows me holding the trash can lid over my head like a parasol or a little hat, looking a bit more lively and relaxed. Honestly, taking photos with such strong prop interaction at an anime convention really tests your chemistry with the photographer, because the environment is very noisy and the lighting isn't fully controllable, but the final results met expectations perfectly.

I edited the photos myself, focusing on adjusting the saturation of the blue to make the character's costume and props stand out more against the dark background, while also preserving the translucent feel of the white stockings to avoid a flat, dead white. For the hair color, I specifically chose these light purple strands, which give off a bit of a sheen under the overhead light; paired with slightly reddish eye makeup, this allows the face to retain more of its natural color without looking pale.

There are actually a lot of details in this outfit; for example, the sleeves of the sailor uniform are quite loose, so when taking photos, I can either curl them up to flatter my figure or spread them out like in the second image to add a sense of dynamism. Speaking of which, whenever I cosplay a character with special props, the biggest headache is bringing too many things, but the idea of the blue trash can lid was just too hilarious and instantly became the highlight of the shoot. While shooting, quite a few people gathered around to watch, and it was captured by the lenses of many photographers during this session of convention photography.

For the final selection, I chose these two photos—one is the obedient version and the other is the dynamic version, showcasing different facets of the character. Being able to take a satisfying photoshoot in such a relaxed setting with the lighting, angles, makeup, and hair all coordinating beautifully makes it highly meaningful as a record of the convention. Speaking of this styling, trimming the wig also took quite a bit of effort; this design with blunt bangs heavily tests the layering of the sidelocks, and after putting on the rabbit ears, I had to ensure the whole look didn't appear bulky. Fortunately, in the final results, the visual center of gravity of the head and the proportion of the body's blue and white color scheme are very well-coordinated. In a fast-paced environment like an anime convention, being able to leave behind these highly polished photos in a limited time means the preparation process wasn't in vain.