[Ellen Joe Cosplay] Zenless Zone Zero's Shark Girl Swings a Greatsword in Industrial Ruins

Getting this Ellen Joe cosplay gear ready took quite a bit of effort, especially that giant weapon. It had real weight in hand, and executing smooth swinging poses during the shoot left my arm muscles sore for days. But seeing the gap moe contrast between a hardcore maid and a massive melee weapon in the final photos made every bit of hard work completely worth it.

We deliberately selected an abandoned industrial factory as our shooting location for this Industrial style photography. Rusty yellow guardrails, massive green fan housings, and exposed metal pipes overhead matched the character's black-white-red color scheme and tactical strap elements seamlessly. The photographer excelled at using red ambient lights on location, casting glows across face and fabric to evoke a dangerous yet alluring combat atmosphere. Particularly in the low-angle perspective of Photo 1, the layered skirt and leg lines in black stockings were fully captured in frame, paired with the horizontally held greatsword to instantly maximize the visual presence.

I fine-tuned the pink highlights at the wig ends multiple times, even doing spot-dyeing to match the in-game design from Zenless Zone Zero. Wearing red contact lenses gave incredible reflections in dim ambient lighting—simply tucking my chin slightly yielded a sharp, cold gaze. As for props, I personally touched up the silver coating and red accents on the sword body, applying several coats of matte varnish to enhance its metallic texture.

What made shooting this set most engaging was interacting with the environment. For instance, in Photo 2's side-back profile, the bold white lettering patches along the skirt side and leather waist straps are clearly visible—details easily missed in straight-on shots. Photos 4 and 6 focus on the upper body neckline and cuff details, where serrated trims and hollow-out paneling lend a mecha-inspired feel to the Tactical Maid outfit. Meanwhile, Photo 3's high-angle shot beautifully merges the structural frame of industrial staircases with a relaxed posture, looking as if ready to leap down from above at any second.

The factory was quite dusty on shoot day, with gusts blowing through broken window frames fluttering my skirt and hair ends, which unintentionally helped capture dynamic action moments. During post-processing, I refrained from exaggerated filters, focusing instead on darkening the backdrop, highlighting character outlines, and preserving site red ambient lighting to maintain a unified color palette with subtle cyberpunk tones.

Since everyone affectionately refers to her as "Shark Girl" in post descriptions, I'll happily embrace the title! As a combat maid in Zenless Zone Zero, this design balances cuteness with battle power, instantly switching me into combat mode when worn. Walking through ruins in this gear makes me imagine fighting Hollow monsters for real. I hope to convey this cool, fierce vibe through these photos as my sincere character recreation in this Casual cosplay showcase.