Opening island chests made me feel utterly nauseated; the sheer volume of activities on the islands this time was simply absurd. While running across the map, I kept muttering to myself: 'Thank you so much, miHoYo designers—even Muzan couldn't construct an Infinity Castle like you do.' Because I truly couldn't endure this high-intensity treasure hunting anymore, I decided to do a Grass-type loli Yaoyao cosplay to rediscover some fun in the game, especially since she's a character I've been looking forward to for ages.
Although it sounds straightforward to cosplay her, the preparation work was genuinely exhausting. To accurately recreate Yaoyao's signature twin buns and delicate braids, I spent two full hours just styling the wig. Every strand of hair had to be secured meticulously, or the buns would lose their neat, rounded shape with the slightest movement. The two large bell props on top of my head look delightfully cute, but their actual weight is quite overwhelming. Wearing them out while pulling off various cute head-tilting poses left my neck terribly stiff and sore. The outfit itself is also richly layered: a white shirt underneath, a light green vest layered over it, accented by dark brown ruffled trim, and that massive cord knot on the chest was another challenge—it took forever to pin securely in place for fear of it shifting. The most troublesome piece was the bamboo basket; while it delivers the highest level of screen accuracy, the straps dug painfully into my shoulders, and running around the park wearing it felt like weighted endurance training.
The first few photos were casual selfies taken in the car while waiting for a friend right after finishing makeup. I was so exhausted at the time that my facial expressions were a bit stiff; to make myself look cuter, I turned on beauty camera AR filters with animal ears, blush, and hearts, snapping photos against the light reflection of the windshield to lift my spirits. The light inside the car was dim, but with the filters, I did look like a proper Grass-type loli. The next two photos were the actual shots taken after arriving at the park—turning off the filters, the clean feel of raw, unedited camera shots made a striking difference immediately. I specifically found a rock covered in lush greenery as a backdrop; under the sunlight, the yellow-green dress paired with the plants looked full of vitality.
However, the shooting process was filled with sweat and tears. The park was swarming with mosquitoes, and we squatted on that rock for nearly half an hour just to find an angle with great lighting. Especially for that last photo, holding up that big white fluffy plush ball mid-air with both hands made my arms shake from exhaustion, but to capture that sweetest split second, I didn't dare lower it. Taking advantage of hunting for angles outdoors, my friend and I endured the blazing sun while complaining endlessly about the island chests—we were honestly so sick of opening them. That overly convoluted map design, where chests clearly visible right in front of you require taking a massive detour to reach, was utterly maddening.
Yet thinking about the upcoming new Genshin Impact version—Sumeru, the Nation of Dendro—I was instantly revitalized. I really want to see a Grass-type loli running freely through the rainforests of Sumeru. Cosplaying Yaoyao this time was a way to satisfy my craving early; the Grass-type loli character design is simply irresistible, and her soft, sweet voice combined with those adorable moves fills me with great anticipation for the future of the element. I hope Sumeru arrives soon so I can dive back in. Although outdoor shoots are tiring, seeing how well the photos turned out makes all the hard work worthwhile. I hope I can always hold onto this passion for cosplay. Even though this outfit was hot and heavy, I adore how the photos turned out, and I'll definitely wear it for another spin at an anime convention next time.