[Astra Yao Cosplay] Stars of Lyra in Zenless Zone Zero, Melodies and Battles On and Off Stage

This Stars of Lyra duo cosplay photoset is finally here to meet everyone. From early preparation to the actual shoot, we spent quite a bit of time communicating about costume details and prop making. I portrayed Astra Yao, and my partner PJ portrayed Evelyn. When we first got this black-and-white color scheme costume paired with leather straps and metal decorations, my first impression was that it was capable yet gorgeous. Especially that white off-the-shoulder ruffled top paired with a black leather corset skirt, along with the pearl chains and bowknot decorations on the legs, it possesses both the sharpness of a combat character and a touch of exquisite girlishness. PJ's blonde updo look, combined with the jacket and the red-and-black inner lining design, also perfectly matches the character's steady and reliable temperament.

This time, our great photographer Xianyu was highly adept at capturing light, shadow, and dynamics. We specially arranged shoots across several different scenes, ranging from the sunlit lawn and lakeside wooden walkways during the day, to the warm-lit stairs on city streets at night, and finally to high-key background curtains during an indoor studio shoot; each scene brought a completely different atmosphere. During the daytime session, we sat close together on the grass or stood on the wooden walkway holding that massive golden metal disc prop. When the wind blew, our hair and clothing drifted, and that natural relaxation felt incredibly comfortable on camera. When we transitioned to the stairs at night, the streetlamps and the lights of the background skyscrapers lit up, and we attempted more intense movements—I stood at a high position holding my staff, while PJ crouched on one knee below reverse-gripping her dagger. At that moment, the boundary between light and dark instantly brought out the characters' occupational traits and chemistry.

Actually, the one that touched me the most was the indoor studio shot. Interacting at close range, her finger gently propped up my chin as our eyes met. Combined with the ripple reflection of the curtain, it captured a wonderful sense of storytelling. For this kind of ship-oriented cosplay, the hardest part is not how perfect a single person's look is, but rather the chemistry of the two people's movement coordination and eye contact. On the shoot day, we actually took many takes; if a movement was slightly misaligned, we had to redo it. Especially since I was wearing high-heeled leather boots and had to control my center of gravity, my feet definitely got a bit sore after standing for a long time, but the moment I saw the final cuts, I felt everything was completely worth it. The prop, with its metal disc and long handle, was quite heavy to hold with one hand, but it truly added a lot of points in hand.

For makeup, I specifically adjusted the eyeshadow and lip color to make the overall look closer to the character's cold elegance mixed with tenderness, and the positions of the hair accessories and headband were repeatedly confirmed for angles. Both of us invested a lot of energy into this photoset, and the post-processing didn't involve excessive editing, preserving skin textures and authentic light and shadow as much as possible, because I feel this kind of role-playing itself should present a sense of visual reality "existing in the real world." While sharing this photoset, I hope to let those who see it feel our serious yet joyful state during the shoot, which is the most pure and touching part of cosplay. Let this stand as a beautiful piece of Anime-style photography for Zenless Zone Zero fans.