[Yidhari cosplay] Zenless Zone Zero's Deep-Sea Octopus girl

Preparing this look for Yidhari from Zenless Zone Zero took quite a long time. Even though I didn't manage to pull the character in-game, the concept blending deep-sea and tentacle elements had long since captured my imagination, making me determined to bring this cosplay to life in reality. From pattern-drafting the costume to crafting the props, I was hands-on at every single step, striving to recreate that cool, dangerous pressure of the deep sea.

Regarding the costume details, a white halter top was paired with glossy black shorts, and the brass mechanical accents, stud decorations, and metal chains at the waist were all customized and chosen after multiple trials. To highlight the fusion of mecha and mutation, stiffer leather and metal were selected for the choker, armbands, and gloves; wearing them brought a noticeable sense of physical restraint, but that restriction actually helped me find the character's dignified yet eerie center of balance. The light golden shoulder-length hair was trimmed with layered texture, paired with purple contacts, and the eye makeup was deepened around the eye sockets and outer corners to fit the mysterious traits of a deep-sea creature. On the lower half, Stockings cosplay with black stockings and strappy pointed-toe high heels not only visually elongated the leg proportions, but also created an alluring, sexy contrast against the heavy gear.

The props were unequivocally the centerpiece of this shoot. Several giant purple tentacles featured a translucent, jelly-like finish; during the shoot, we had to continuously mist them with a spray bottle to preserve that glistening, viscous look. Flexible wire skeletons ran inside the tentacles, allowing them to bend into coiled, floating dynamic shapes. The long-handled prop in my hand carried considerable weight, featuring a black mechanical shaft connected to a purple-and-black patterned disc, even adorned with metal nameplates and iron hooks. Waving it around or using it for support really pushed the strength of my arms and core.

Throughout the shoot, to capture the weightless sensation of floating in the abyss, the photographer designed several challenging maneuvers—such as the mid-air curled side posture in Photo 1, requiring me to engage every muscle to balance while maintaining a hazy gaze and poised silhouette. The standing posture in Photo 2 demanded using the long pole prop as a support anchor to showcase a cool, striking static beauty. Multiple lights were placed on set to enhance the sheen on the skin, the lustrous shine of the stockings, and the highlights across the props, making droplets dripping from the tentacles glisten brightly under the illumination.

The entire shoot was physically grueling, repeatedly leaping and twisting my torso on the backdrop paper in high heels with my legs under constant tension. Because of the snug fit of the outfit and the wrapping tentacles, breaks meant either standing rigid or sitting down very cautiously. Yet seeing the playback previews on camera, the sense of accomplishment from turning imagination into reality instantly washed away all exhaustion. The tentacles' texture, the costume's metallic sheen, and the pairing of black stockings with high heels all achieved our ideal vision on camera. This shoot gave me a deeper understanding of deep-sea aesthetic cosplay; every pose adjustment and prop maintenance served to deliver greater visual impact. I hope everyone can feel this unique allure from the deep sea.