What attracts me most about Z25 is her subtly mischievous yet intensely vibrant personality, and the expo venue for this Azur Lane Cooling Festival happened to match that summer beach vibe perfectly. To bring out the character's traits, I put a lot of effort into costume styling. For the top, I wore a high-gloss black halter top paired with slim black straps and a sheer mesh long-sleeved cover-up, while for the bottom, I chose white denim shorts combined with Black stockings and red-and-white sneakers. The head prop was a red headband featuring white rabbit ears, paired with a black twin-tail wig styled with red highlights on the tips and along both sides of the bangs. The black choker around my neck and the red-and-black gloves were also indispensable.
Upon arriving at the scene, I found the set design exceptionally impressive: a blue floor, an illuminated backdrop board featuring a summer party logo, along with parasols and inflatable props nearby, delivering a strong sense of partying by the seashore. When shooting began, I sat on a wooden chair and tried various poses to showcase the outfit's details. For instance, raising one hand to my head while leaning sideways in a relaxed recline nicely accentuated the top's cut and waistline contours. Later, I tried clasping both hands over my lap while leaning forward, or spreading both arms wide in a lively pose. Throughout the session, I also tried winking at the camera to highlight the character's playful charm.
Because the garment was made of glossy material that reflected noticeably under strong lighting, I communicated extensively with the photographer regarding angles and lighting setups. To keep my movements fluid, I stayed mindful of bracing my core and regulating my breathing. The combination of Black stockings and sneakers not only matched the character's design, but also made moving around the venue easy. Temperatures at the expo were relatively high; although the sheer cover-up was breathable, frequent touch-ups and wig adjustments were still necessary to keep the makeup and hairstyle pristine.
The overall completion level of this shoot turned out quite high—from costume and prop details to on-site lighting and ambiance, everything met my expectations. Being able to showcase Z25's cuteness and vitality through Z25 cosplay in this summer cooling party setting made all the preparation and hard work completely worthwhile.