[Ellen Joe Cosplay] Zenless Zone Zero's Languid Shark Girl, Shot in a Real School Classroom

Today I'm sharing the final photos of my Ellen Joe cosplay from Zenless Zone Zero. To capture Ellen's characteristic blend of languid, world-weary charm and immense combat capability, we did a lot of homework on the costume, makeup, and props.

Starting with the most complex prop part, that massive black-and-white tail has an incredibly exaggerated volume, which directly affects my overall center of gravity. On the day of the shoot, I had to carefully manage my balance while moving between locations and striking poses to keep the tail from dragging on the ground or wobbling too intensely. The heavy mechanical weapon in my hands was equally weighty. The combination of a black barrel, red joints, and a wide white blade required both hands to control properly to project that effortless combat stance. Holding the weapon was quite a test of arm strength, especially in shots where I raised my leg or knelt while holding it single-handedly; I really had to rely on core strength to keep the overall silhouette crisp and clean.

For the makeup and hairstyle, we also leaned in a cold, sharp direction. The short black hair is paired with that signature red streak at the ends. The eye makeup used a reddish color palette, specifically emphasizing the mole below the corner of the eye, which, paired with black colored contacts, perfectly conveys the character's detached 'don't bother me' aura. Although the character herself feels very world-weary, there's actually a hint of playfulness and contrast hidden in her personality. So when shooting close-ups holding a lollipop or making a finger-heart, I tried my best to find that gap moe of 'unwillingly serving you' through my gaze and subtle facial expressions.

Regarding costume details, the black-and-white color-blocked maid dress combines mechanical spike elements as decorations. The headpiece and the collar on the neck feature sharp serrations and metal strips, blending the softness of an anime maid with the sharpness of a sci-fi world. For the shoot, I specifically wore black tights and patent leather chunky-heeled Mary Janes, along with ankle-strap bows, which beautifully elongated my leg lines in standing or sitting poses, giving the overall look more tension. Especially in the sitting close-up of Figure 4, the torn details on the tights inadvertently added a touch of everyday realism, which fits the character's daily attributes quite well.

The shooting location was selected in a real classroom, complete with a green chalkboard, wooden desks, and storage lockers, creating a highly authentic campus atmosphere. To avoid monotony, we intentionally arranged a vintage radio and tape recorder on the desks in the background. In later continuous shots, we even threw a few chairs into disarray to simulate a scene affected by a post-combat aftermath. This messy yet daily environment happens to create a frame full of tension alongside Ellen, the combat maid through Anime-style photography.

Personally, I really love the dynamic leg-raise pose in Figure 2 and the high-angle kneeling shot in Figure 5. Static-dynamic poses are always harder than pure standing because you have to balance the props, tail, expression, and the bending angle of the legs all at once. During the shoot, Shion Wakayama's version of the fan song 'Moe Moe Ignition Fire' was looping continuously in my head. Her languid, casual yet powerful vocals genuinely provided me with a lot of inspiration for expression management. I feel that this sense of sharpness hidden within languidness is precisely where the soul of Ellen Joe lies.

The process before and after the final photos took a lot of time. To snap the ideal moments, the photographer kept adjusting the camera angles and lighting, avoiding making the light too bright or glaring, but instead preserving some details in the dark areas of the clothing. This allowed the black costume and metallic props to present a great sense of dimensionality. Overall, this work has done its best to restore the Shark Girl cosplay image in everyone's mind. From the dedicated preparation of the costume, makeup, and props to grasping the state during shooting, I hope it does justice to this character and the unique aesthetic of this game.