[Nangong Yu cosplay] Zenless Zone Zero Delusion Angel Key Art Restoration Record

The theme of this shoot is to restore the key art of the Delusion Angel, Nangong Yu, from Zenless Zone Zero. The visual design of this character is striking: black-and-pink twin-tails, a floating green halo, a black-and-red plaid tie, along with contrasting plush sleeves and metallic spherical hammers—every element is packed with the game's unique street-fantasy style.

To achieve a 1:1 recreation, I put a lot of effort into crafting the costume. The skirt features a multi-layered structure, requiring precise curvature for the waist cutout and pink piping. Although the cat-head ornament at the collar and the mint-green bow tie are small details, they serve as one of the visual centerpieces of the entire look and had to be accurately restored. The plush sleeves on my arms are very fluffy; it took a long search in prop shops to find the right faux fur material, and the black leather straps needed to accommodate my range of motion for dynamic poses. Over-the-knee Black leg sleeves cosplay elements and red tactical leg straps also added an aggressive edge to the overall look.

The most prominent Cosplay props were undoubtedly the pair of giant black spherical hammers. Their surfaces not only featured complex cracked textures but were also embedded with triangular green glowing components. Though the main materials were EVA and PVC, for visual realism and texture, I specially asked the prop maker to apply weathering and metallic paint finishes. These hammers are large and quite heavy; posing while holding them was a real test of arm strength, especially when standing on one leg, which required strong core strength to maintain balance.

For makeup, to fit her quirky yet subtly mischievous vibe, I chose red-toned contact lenses and gently smudged reddish eyeshadow around the outer corners of my eyes. The wig has a natural black base with pink dyed tips, stabilized by pink and blue bow hair accessories on both sides of the head.

This shoot took place in a high-key studio for a white background studio shoot. This flat, bright lighting environment really tests the color contrast of the character and costume, but fortunately, the classic black, white, and pink palette of the outfit stood out with a strong comic-book feel against the pure white backdrop. During the shoot, we tried numerous dynamic poses, including kicking, turning, and framing compositions with the hammers. Being a white background studio shoot, the photographer noted that with subtle reflector control, we could preserve clothing textures while keeping the image clean and translucent.

As a participant in the Zenless Zone Zero Creator Incentive Program, I've always hoped to bring the game's outstanding art design into reality through cosplay. Before the shoot, I worried whether such exaggerated weapons and complex skirt designs would look cumbersome in static photos, but through clever pose combinations—like hopping on one leg or using the hammers for foreground/background depth contrast—these elements were effectively balanced. Despite the physical challenge of the heavy Cosplay props, seeing the black-and-pink twin-tailed girl with red eyes and a green halo in the final photos made all the effort worthwhile. Breaking the 2D barrier to make an anime character a real physical presence is an exceptionally fulfilling experience in itself.