[Ellen Joe cosplay] Shark Girl's Work Hours in Zenless Zone Zero: Taking a Break with Candy

It's working hours right now... I'm just having a lollipop; work rules never said eating candy wasn't allowed.

This time at the Zhuhai anime convention, I cosplayed Ellen Joe from Zenless Zone Zero—the beloved Shark Girl. As the Proxies' assistant and a dedicated battle maid, maintaining elegance is naturally a must, but occasionally slacking off to enjoy a piece of candy is just a healthy work break, right?

This costume really went all out on the details. The maid outfit features the classic black-and-white color scheme, yet incorporates rich white lace ruffles at the neckline, cuffs, and hem to soften the tactical rigidity of the combat gear. The chest and waist are layered with functional black tactical straps, metal buckles, and bright silver rivets, paired with a hefty metallic silver choker that pushes the techwear vibe to the max. The upper body is accented with contrasting red buttons—this vivid splash of color amid the cold palette fits the shark girl's personality perfectly.

The most eye-catching feature is undoubtedly the massive shark tail behind me, crafted with segmented armor texture, a glossy finish, and the white 'X' marking on the tail fin. Posing with this tail took considerable effort during the shoot—it had to look natural without obscuring too much of the leg lines. Paired with sheer black pantyhose for this black stockings cosplay look, black lace leg garters on the thighs, and black chunky high heels with striking bright-red heels, the resulting dangerous yet captivating charm truly surprised even myself.

As for the weapon, this massive scythe was genuinely heavy! Even though portability was considered during prop making by using lightweight materials for the main body, tons of rugged details were added to recreate that mechanical heft. The gray blade has sharp edges, the long staff is wrapped with cross-braided red-and-black cord, and green square illuminated components glow at the handle joints. Together with the harness gear on the back, the visual weight of the entire weapon is remarkably solid. To capture that overwhelming presence of wielding the weapon with total dominance, the photographer continuously shot from ultra-low angles, requiring a lot of core strength to keep my balance steady for various poses.

The venue for this convention photo set was outside a modern architectural complex with crystal-clear sunlight. The light hitting the outfit brought out the textures of the leather and metal beautifully. Since it was daytime, there were passersby in the background, but the photographer professionally captured the best angles. I really love the low-angle shot supporting myself with one hand on the ground, as well as the one-legged standing pose, which perfectly showcased the aesthetic harmony of black stockings with high heels while evoking the relaxed post-battle state of a combat maid.

My biggest takeaway from cosplaying Ellen Joe is maintaining her effortless, languid, and proud demeanor. Even though carrying such a heavy weapon was exhausting, the final results made it totally worthwhile. Mingled with the convention vibe and Zhuhai's warm outdoor breeze, let me embrace being this fierce yet charming shark maid one more time during this brief 'working hour.'