For this Zenless Zone Zero Hoshimi Miyabi cosplay shoot, I focused a lot of effort on restoring details and capturing a sense of combat. From setting up the makeup look to producing final shots, the entire process went quite smoothly.
Let's talk about the elements on the character first. First is that signature black rabbit ear headpiece; although it looks very anime-style, to keep it standing upright while maintaining natural dynamic movement, I used a hidden support skeleton inside the hairpiece and repeatedly adjusted its angles. This way, whether leaning lazily on a couch or drawing a blade to prepare for battle, the direction of the rabbit ears maintains great 3D structure. The upper body features a classic techwear uniform—a cyan-blue jacket paired with a white shirt and black tie, with black tactical harness straps on the back. I cared deeply about the yellow shoulder patch design on the jacket and prints on sleeves, even finding substitutes for the barcode on the ID card as much as possible. The most striking element is the mechanical armor on the right arm: black hard coating combined with red braided cord. To simulate high-intensity combat wear marks, I personally added some local weathering effects.
The lower body styling was one of the visual focal points of this photoshoot. The black pleated skirt combined with semi-sheer dark gray stockings and black high-heeled boots—featuring a yellow trim along the boot soles—worked wonders in elongating leg lines, extending the visual center of gravity downward for a crisp overall proportion. Another major prop during shooting was the katana in hand. The sword's weight was by no means light; actions like unsheathing, swinging, and resheathing look stiff if center of gravity isn't stable. To master the sword's weight distribution, I spent time practicing swings on set, and fortunately, captured expressions and blade reflection effects turned out exceptionally powerful.
The scene setup during shooting is also worth noting. Instead of a plain white studio, we booked a studio with vintage sci-fi elements. It featured stacked retro CRT televisions, red brick walls, hanging signage boards with letters and numerical symbols, and a vintage red rotary telephone. The ruggedness of red brick walls formed a striking contrast against cool cyan-blue uniform tones, especially in front of the blue-lit TV wall where a slight cyberpunk and street-documentary vibe emerged. The shot set sitting next to the red telephone naturally captured leg lines and overall cool temperament, making it perfect for cover display.
My favorite shots from the whole set are the ones looking back over the shoulder in front of the bookshelf and TV wall. In dark surroundings, snow static and white light from television screens served as key illumination, carving strong light-and-shadow contrast across the face. Combined with a cool, focused gaze, it eloquently expressed Hoshimi Miyabi's decisiveness and independence as a secret agent. The drape of the clothes, heavy mass of the mechanical arm, and flowing long hair were frozen in time by the lights at that exact moment.
We shot two completely different sets of poses: one was drawing the sword for battle readiness, emphasizing sharpness in combat; the other was casually sitting on a sofa or elevated platform, emphasizing a relaxed everyday feel. This contrast is a charming aspect of the character itself. Although the overall Cosplay photography process was demanding—adjusting gear, holding sword poses, and searching for angles amid complex lighting—seeing the final photos made everything worth it. I'm very satisfied with how this Vintage cinematic photo shoot turned out, and I hope to share this crisp, heroic character quality with everyone.