[Ellen Joe cosplay] Zenless Zone Zero Shark Girl's Tactical Gear Real Shoot

Shooting this gear set of Ellen Joe from Zenless Zone Zero was incredibly difficult; it required a massive amount of energy from prop fabrication to pose control. Let's first talk about this eye-catching, giant weapon. To replicate the heavy industrial style full of sci-fi elements from the concept art, I used high-density foam board as the base, covering the surface with resin and polyester putty for sanding and polishing. The most time-consuming part was the illumination treatment on the blade's edge; I embedded an entire LED light strip into the interlayer and cast it with semi-transparent resin, which presents that scorching orange-yellow gradient glowing effect seen in the photos once powered on. To guarantee power stability on set, a large-capacity battery pack was specially modified inside, causing the finished product's weight to far exceed expectations. When holding it with one hand, I had to rely heavily on my waist and arm strength for leverage; otherwise, it was hard to maintain the perfect angle for an extended period.

Costume pairing is the core focus of this replication. The black-and-white color-blocking design is classic, but a massive number of tactical straps and metal fasteners are integrated on top of the maid outfit. The black leather material carries a matte texture; to capture this sheen, the photographer and I coordinated the key light and side-backlighting. Harder organza was selected for the white ruffles on the shoulders and skirt hem, allowing them to maintain a crisp silhouette even during large movements. The lower body was paired with high-density black tights, cooperating with custom silver mechanical-feeling high heels, which not only elongated the visual proportions but also gave the styling a colder, battle-ready feel. The shoe soles are sharply designed, and combined with the artificial fog spreading across the studio floor, I had to be extremely careful controlling my center of gravity when moving.

For the set design, a red gradient background curtain was used this time. To create a tense atmosphere akin to an energy core zone, we adjusted the timing and wind direction of the smoke machine on set, ultimately capturing the exact moment when the fog lingered around the lower section of the weapon, bringing the blade's glowing effect to its absolute peak. The glance-back pose with one leg raised shown in the photo was the hardest to control. Because the weapon's center of gravity leaned forward, my entire body weight pressed onto the supporting leg when standing on one leg, while I simultaneously had to maintain the upper body twist and facial expression; the entire process was attempted over a dozen times before capturing the most coordinated frame.

Before the shoot, I was actually quite worried that the overall effect would look stiff, but when watching the playback, the reflection of the red background light on the prop's blade surface and the highlights on the leather gear beautifully presented the texture of this cosplay. From makeup and hair finalization to adaptation and adjustments, every step relied on on-the-spot improvisation to solve current problems. This shooting experience gave me more insights into how to handle a glowing weapon and complex accessories, and I hope to continue perfecting these technical details in future works.