[Ellen Joe Cosplay] Shark Girl Combat Maid in Industrial Ruins

Counting from when Xiaohongshu access was restricted in Taiwan last year until today when I can finally use it again, a full year has passed. The large stockpile of outdoor cosplay works accumulated during this time finally has the chance to be shared with fellow enthusiasts. For the first set, I'm releasing this Ellen Joe cosplay of the Shark girl from Zenless Zone Zero.

Regarding the experience of wearing this costume, it was actually much more complex than imagined. The main maid outfit design blends classic black-and-white color blocking, with meticulous cuts and material choices. The top consists of a fitted black sleeveless shirt paired with white ruffles, featuring exquisite trims on the collar and cuffs. To restore the character's tactical feel, I added numerous metal rivets, leather straps, and red cross decorative pieces around the waist and skirt hem. This layered stacking makes the entire look appear obedient like an everyday maid while carrying intense combat tension.

The prop scythe can be considered the absolute centerpiece of this shoot; its long handle and massive blade coated in metallic paint are not only huge in size but also quite heavy. Carrying it around the venue took a lot of effort, but in the final photos, it formed a contrast with the maid dress that creates an overwhelming visual impact. To make the weapon sit stably within the frame while balancing my body's center of gravity, we tried various leaning and one-handed holding poses; as long as the posture is right, the sense of pressure brought by this heavy weapon is conveyed immediately.

For hair and makeup, I chose a cool and elegant style matching the character's aura, focusing on reinforcing eye contours and lip color contrast. The streak of red highlight at the tips of the hair is striking, forming a clever echo and contrast with the red ambient light in the shooting venue. The spiked choker around the neck adds a touch of uninhibited wildness to the whole look, while the black stockings on the legs—paired with star-patterned straps and chunky-heeled red-bottom Mary Jane shoes—faithfully restored the look in small details while balancing everyday fashion aesthetics.

The shooting location this time was intentionally chosen in a heavy-industrial-style old factory. Dappled green machinery, rusted steel pipes, towering yellow industrial guardrails, and red warning text in the background naturally carry a ruin-like beauty suitable for Wasteland-style photography or cyberpunk aesthetics. On site, the photographer utilized a mix of numerous red point light sources and cool white top lights, letting red light illuminate metallic pipes and architectural frames, drawing out the character's unique dangerous aura amid the cold hardness of steel.

There were actually quite a few challenges during the shooting process; because the industrial factory interior had a complex structure, sometimes to find a clean angle without clutter as a backdrop, I needed to climb metal staircases to high places or crouch half-way in narrow walkways. Especially to show off leg lines and the layered skirt hem of the maid dress to the maximum extent, I frequently attempted high leg raises, standing on one leg, and interacting with guardrails, which severely tested core strength. This set of photos ultimately presented the effect we anticipated, combining maid gentleness with industrial ruggedness wonderfully.

I'm so happy to finally return to Xiaohongshu and see so many masters still sharing high-quality post-processing, makeup, and photography tutorials. When access was restricted before, I could only watch secondhand reposts; now being able to directly learn and communicate with original creators is a very rare opportunity. I still have a large stockpile from this past year, and I'll be updating works and shooting insights more frequently moving forward, hoping to use this platform to connect with more cosplay-loving friends and make progress together.