[Ellen Joe Cosplay] Housekeeping Suspended: Shark Girl's Summer Pool Vacation

Putting on the summer swimsuit, leaving my maid apron and cleaning tools at home—today, this black and white color scheme one-piece swimsuit paired with the jagged hair accessory and mechanical claw gauntlets is the true vacation mode for Shark Girl. Taking a deep breath by the poolside, the sunlight dyes the water surface into a translucent blue. As the camera shutter clicks away, it feels much lighter and breezier than doing daily chores. Although the sharp corners on the hair accessory and the props on my wrists are a bit of a hindrance while swimming, this minor trouble can be completely ignored to accurately recreate this pool look.

This outdoor shoot was intentionally scheduled for a clear afternoon. The light spots refracted by the ripples of the pool fell on my body, producing an unexpectedly refreshing effect. During the first half, I kept worrying about what poses to strike so I wouldn't look stiff. Later, I simply used the swim ring as a backrest or knelt on one knee by the poolside, which actually captured a lot of relaxed vibes. That bit of red highlight in my black hair popped out beautifully under the sun, contrasting with the black and white swimsuit. The post-processing didn't need much color grading to achieve a very translucent summer feel. The gauntlets made by the prop team are sharply chiseled, and their metallic texture is highly photogenic; paired with the swimsuit lines exposing my arms, it preserves the character's original personality traits while bringing out the cool, refreshing aura of this season.

There weren't many people around the pool during the shoot. Occasionally, passersby would glance over curiously, but most of the time we had this patch of blue all to ourselves. Sitting on the edge of the pool with my feet dipped in the water, the icy temperature instantly dispelled the summer heat—this is exactly what a vacation should feel like. In terms of editing, we didn't use any overly exaggerated filters, striving to maintain the realism of the skin tone, light, and shadow, because for an ACG outdoor location like a pool, the biggest pitfall is losing clarity through over-processing. All the props were waterproofed in advance; they accidentally slipped into the water once mid-shoot, but we fished them out, wiped them dry, and kept shooting, which was a fun little interlude.

What this set of photos wants to convey is a state of mind that lets go of the daily routine and dives straight into summer. Although I usually appear on screen in a completely different image, occasionally dressing like this to zone out by the seaside for a day feels genuinely different. We did our best to replicate every detail of the costume, makeup, and props—from the jagged angle of the hair accessory to the layered structure of the gauntlets, right down to the tiny bowtie on the swimsuit chest, every spot was cross-checked with the original setting. Feeling the sea breeze as we packed up after the shoot brought a sense of refreshment like finishing a mission. I hope the atmosphere of this set can make everyone who sees it feel a bit cooler.