Amid wigs, costumes and fantasy characters, a mother's support for her daughter becomes a bridge between parents and children.

Four years ago, Jiang Fuchun rarely wore makeup. Today, in her Shanghai photo studio, she stands beside a vintage piano in a pink wig and Rococo-style dress, her eyes framed by glittering makeup and layers of lace cascading from her skirt.

The look is inspired by Identity V, a popular game by China's NetEase Games — one of many anime and video game characters Jiang has learned to recreate since stepping into the world of cosplay.

Jiang, 49, is the owner of Mofa Riji, or Magical Diary, a cosplay-themed photo studio. Over the past four years, the studio has attracted an online following of nearly 1.1 million.

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Her transformation began with a simple request from her daughter.

"At the end of 2021, my daughter had just started middle school and was going through some emotional struggles," Jiang recalled.

The teenager showed little interest in many things but was drawn to fashion inspired by ACG (anime, comics, and games) culture. Then, one day, her daughter brought up an idea that would change the family's course: opening a photo studio devoted to cosplay.

"I just wanted to support her," Jiang said. "At that time, her happiness was the most important thing for our family."

After discussing it with her husband, Jiang decided to give it a try. With a background in IT and later experience in insurance sales, she admitted she knew little about cosplay at the time. But her daughter, then 14, helped choose locations, design interiors, source props, and plan nearly every photo shoot.

"She understood this world much better than I did," Jiang said. "I was just trying to keep up with her ideas."

What began as a family project gradually opened a new stage for Jiang herself. Mofa Riji has since expanded from a single space in Shanghai to a second location in Chengdu, Sichuan province. It has welcomed nearly 30,000 visitors, about 80 percent of them under 30, with middle school students forming the largest group.

Where generations meet

Over time, Jiang began to see the studio as more than a place for costumes and photographs. It had become a space where parents and children found new ways to connect.

One encounter stayed with her. A mother brought her 10-year-old daughter to the studio for a birthday photo shoot. The girl wanted to dress as a cute zombie character, but her mother strongly objected, saying it was unlucky to dress like a zombie on her birthday. Instead, she insisted on a bright red outfit, which she felt was more festive. The disagreement lasted throughout the session, and the shoot did not go smoothly.

To Jiang's surprise, the girl returned a year later. This time, her mother had already prepared her favorite outfits and wigs and accompanied her to another session.

"Seeing that change — from rejection to active support — moved me deeply. It showed me that parents can learn to understand, too," Jiang said.

Stories like this unfold frequently at Jiang's studio. She has come to see her role as more than running a business. She often takes time to speak with parents, helping them see cosplay from their children's point of view.

Some parents, for example, are initially unsettled by the pale makeup. Jiang explains that once the makeup, wig, and costume come together, the overall look becomes much more beautiful and natural.

"Cosplay allows young people to fully inhabit a character and gain joy and confidence through that process," she often tells parents.

But Jiang also draws on her own perspective as a mother. On one occasion, when a mother objected to her 11-year-old daughter wearing colored contact lenses, Jiang supported the decision, knowing that the girl was still too young to wear them safely.

"At the same time, I made sure the mother understood that the hobby itself wasn't wrong," Jiang said. "Even if families only spend a few hours here, I hope parents leave feeling a little closer to their children."

What has surprised Jiang most is how many parents are now willing to step into their children's world.

Some mothers even join cosplay sessions with their daughters, letting the children choose their characters for them.

"They may not know much about the culture, but they are willing to try," Jiang said.

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Today, Jiang's daughter is an adult with other interests and only occasionally helps out at the studio. Jiang, however, continues to run the business — no longer as a mother nervously entering an unfamiliar world for her child, but as someone who has found her own sense of purpose and fulfillment in that creative space.

Online, fans affectionately call her "Auntie Jiang". Many young followers share similar stories with her: "My parents didn't understand my cosplay hobby at first, but after watching your videos, they finally got it."

"When I read comments like that, I feel the studio carries something many young people are looking for — the chance to be understood by their parents," Jiang said.

Contact the writers at mengwenjie@i21st.cn