[Max Immelmann cosplay] Azur Lane BW 2026 Shanghai Anime Convention On-Site Photos

The convention photos from Day 1 of BW 2026 are finally retouched! This time at the Azur Lane booth, I cosplayed Max Immelmann. For this look, I started resizing the costume two weeks before heading out. The moment that glossy black corset was laced tight, my breathing rate dropped by half. Even though the venue air conditioning was decent, wearing this airtight leather combined with semi-sheer mesh, topped off with that heavy white feather stole in hand, made the perceived temperature several degrees hotter than outside.

For the makeup, I intentionally intensified the reddish-pink blending beneath the eyes and dotted on the beauty mark. To match the setting of elf ears and horns, the makeup needed to emphasize a sharper eye contour than usual. The dark grey horn props on my head were cast in resin and had noticeable heft; anchored to the wig with U-pins and hairnets, my scalp felt completely numb by the end of the day. The tips of the elf ears were blended with an orange gradient, and blending their edges smoothly into my natural skin tone took considerable time. The wig was long, straight pink-purple hair, which easily tangled whenever drafts blew through the hall; during every break, I had to gently comb it out with anti-static spray.

Navigating the expo floor in this ensemble was an absolute test of stamina. The feather stole was plush and looked stunning under the lights, but squeezing through dense crowds made shedding a major issue. That day I was essentially a walking dandelion—not only was my black leather suit covered in fine white fluff, but I left traces across other creators' booths as well. Whenever I bumped into acquaintances, their first sentence was always: "Don't move, let me pick the feathers off you."

Standing before the Azur Lane booth, whenever players recognized the character, they would call out her iconic voice lines. At first I felt a bit shy, but soon I fully leaned into it—whenever someone shouted, I responded with the curled-finger gesture and replied, "Loyalty!" The clatter of shutters intertwining with the red and amber stage lighting maxed out the atmosphere. What tests you most with convention photos is maintaining your physical energy, especially in massive exhibition halls with complex lighting and huge foot traffic, where eyes easily tear up from the relentless flashes. To help photographers snag great angles, I had to continuously micro-adjust my chin angle and shoulder tilt.

Many friends asked if this outfit was stifling—it definitely was, but it looked breathtaking. The combination of black lace mesh and glossy leather carries immense visual tension on its own, and juxtaposed with the white plush stole, the color blocking created sharp contrast. Every Shanghai Anime Convention is truly a dual test of stamina and patience: from morning entry until dusk, wigs turn frizzy and makeup can get slightly patchy from perspiration. Yet the moment you step before the lens and hear the shutter click, all exhaustion vanishes, instantly replaced by the character's signature cold, aloof, and subtly wicked demeanor. Back at the hotel removing my makeup, looking at the red marks left on my cheeks by the pulling tape, I felt that this is precisely the tangible reality unique to offline conventions. Today's Max Immelmann cosplay was deeply satisfying.