Shion Nikaidou

Shion Nikaidou is introduced as a magical girl rival character to the protagonist of "Flower Princess Blaze!!".

She is admired in-universe by fans and especially by Marin Kitagawa, who affectionately calls her "Shion-tan."

Shion has a sharp tongue and a bratty, uncooperative personality.

She behaves coldly toward almost everyone except her older sister, Neon Nikaidou, to whom she is deeply attached.

She secretly has a one-sided crush on Sakuya, her sister’s childhood friend, which further complicates her emotions.

Her characterization mixes tsundere-like aloofness with a vulnerable side revealed through her feelings for him.

Shion is always accompanied by a chibi-style, foul-mouthed "flower pet," a small mascot-like creature with a deformed, cute design.

This flower pet constantly talks back and adds comic relief, and in the anime adaptation is voiced by Kokoro Kikuchi.

Within "Flower Princess Blaze!!," Shion initially appears as the magical girl Princess Lily.

In this form, she is set up as a rival character to the series protagonist, Mirai Tengeiji, who transforms into Princess Daisy.

Shion and Mirai clash as classic magical girl rivals, with Shion positioned as the cool, aloof counterpart to the optimistic heroine.

Their conflict is originally on the same "heroic" side, driven by personality differences and narrative tension.

The turning point in Shion’s story comes when she learns that her beloved sister, Neon Nikaidou (who later becomes Black Lobelia), belongs to an enemy faction.

This revelation shakes Shion’s world and drives her into despair and anger.

As a result of this emotional collapse, Shion undergoes a dark transformation.

She abandons her Princess Lily identity and becomes Black Lily, aligning herself with the powers of darkness.

After becoming Black Lily, Shion stands in direct opposition to Mirai / Princess Daisy.

From that point on, she is treated as an antagonist and a key "fallen" magical girl in the story.

Her fall from heroine to dark rival is one of the big emotional hooks of "Flower Princess Blaze!!".

It gives her a tragic appeal that resonates strongly with fans, including characters inside "My Dress-Up Darling."

Shion is proud, temperamental, and not very cooperative with others.

She rarely shows kindness or openness to people outside her small inner circle.

The person she cares about the most is her older sister, Neon Nikaidou.

Shion’s loyalty to Neon is so strong that discovering Neon’s alignment with the enemy forces pushes her into darkness.

She also harbors an unrequited crush on Sakuya, Neon’s childhood friend.

This crush emphasizes Shion’s more fragile emotional side beneath her rude and aloof exterior.

Her interactions with others are usually curt and unfriendly, especially when she feels vulnerable.

The only ones who see her softer side are Neon and, indirectly, Sakuya.

The foul-mouthed flower pet that follows her around mirrors her attitude.

Together, they create a rough, sharp-tongued duo that still manages to be oddly cute.

Black Lily is the corrupted, dark magical girl form of Shion Nikaidou.

This form appears in the latter part of "Flower Princess Blaze!!" after her emotional breakdown.

As Black Lily, Shion’s appearance shifts to a darker, more gothic style.

Her design emphasizes contrast with her past as Princess Lily and with Mirai’s brighter Princess Daisy form.

Her powers and visual motifs are still flower-themed but twisted in a darker direction.

This "fallen flower princess" concept is central to her appeal as a character.

In the story, Black Lily fights against Mirai / Princess Daisy as an enemy.

Their battles represent not only a clash of power but a clash of ideals and emotional choices.

Black Lily quickly became a standout fan-favorite for her mix of cool darkness and tragic backstory.

This popularity is reflected in "My Dress-Up Darling," where characters choose to cosplay her.

Within "My Dress-Up Darling," Shion Nikaidou and her Black Lily form exist as characters from the in-universe series "Flower Princess Blaze!!".

They serve as major inspiration for cosplay and fandom discussions among the main cast.

Sajuna Inui is particularly drawn to Black Lily and chooses her as a cosplay target.

However, she finds that adjusting commercially available costumes for Black Lily is extremely difficult.

Because of these difficulties, Sajuna asks Wakana Gojo to create a Black Lily costume from scratch.

Gojo accepts, applying his craftsmanship and deep attention to detail to realize the design.

Marin Kitagawa is also a huge fan of Shion.

She likes Shion so much that she even puts a Shion strap on her school bag.

Despite her love for the character, Marin firmly refuses Sajuna’s suggestion that she cosplay Shion herself.

Marin explains that Shion is small and delicate, while she is tall, and she feels that cosplaying Shion would "break the image" of the character.

This decision highlights Marin’s respect for character fidelity in cosplay.

She believes that matching a character’s physical impression is important, even if she personally loves that character.

When Wakana Gojo takes on the Black Lily project for Sajuna Inui, he puts a great deal of thought into the costume’s construction.

He focuses on faithfully expressing Black Lily’s dark elegance and intricate design.

One particular point of craftsmanship is the cloak.

Gojo chooses a fabric with an embossed texture for the lining of the mantle, adding subtle luxury and depth.

This kind of detail makes the costume feel more like a real, three-dimensional outfit and less like simple cosplay.

It also reflects how seriously Gojo approaches his work, even for fictional costumes.

Sajuna is extremely impressed with the finished Black Lily costume.

She praises the quality, fit, and faithfulness to the original design.

Later, Sajuna shares photos of herself as Black Lily on her social media account under the name "Juju."

These Black Lily photos receive especially high praise and engagement from her followers.

The popularity of the Black Lily cosplay further reinforces Shion’s iconic status within the fictional universe.

It showcases how a strong character design and dramatic storyline can inspire passionate fan expression.

After the Black Lily costume is completed, a dedicated photo session is arranged.

Wakana Gojo, Sajuna Inui, and others rent a studio space together to carry out the shoot.

The chosen location is a rundown, abandoned hospital used as a rental studio.

Its eerie, decayed atmosphere matches the dark, corrupted mood of Black Lily’s character.

Shinju Inui brings a single-lens reflex camera for the occasion.

She takes the role of photographer, capturing Sajuna as Black Lily in a variety of dramatic poses.

The combination of a well-crafted costume, an appropriately creepy setting, and careful photography highlights Black Lily’s visual power.

It also shows how much effort the characters of "My Dress-Up Darling" put into expressing their love for "Flower Princess Blaze!!" through cosplay.