[Ramiel Cosplay] Zenless Zone Zero's Dark Night Rose: Gothic Style Photoshoot Share

When I first saw the theme setting of "Rose and Black Wings," I was deeply moved. The dark style cosplay of the gothic genre, combined with the street fashion vibe of Zenless Zone Zero, needed to clash to create an effect that not only had visual tension but also incorporated that lazy and slightly mysterious personality trait. The shooting location this time was very interesting—a huge red clock background, combined with intricate iron crosses, rose vines, and vintage birdcages. The lighting and shadow tone of the entire space was enveloped in a dark red atmosphere.

Putting on this gothic style outfit, controlling the details was actually harder than I imagined. To fit Ramiel's temperament, we added a lot of our own creativity based on the original design of the black swallowtail trench coat structure. The black velvet fabric, set off by the red top lighting, reflects a soft sheen, which sets a very high standard for the photographer's lighting. The silver zipper on the chest and the white pointed collar form a great color contrast, preventing the all-black outfit from looking too dull. The semi-sheer tulle design of the sleeves is my favorite part; it adds a light, breathable quality to the rigid clothing silhouette and allows the arm movements to create more elusive silhouette effects during the shoot.

To match this character, the wig styling was also repeatedly adjusted. The light pink hair color is very striking in the dark-toned scene, possessing both a girl's charm and creating a wonderful sense of contrast with the gothic style. The black and white bow hair accessory on top of the head and the pointed ear accessories are the soul of the look, instantly elevating the visual effect from a normal human to a fantasy character setting dimension. When I checked myself in the mirror, this "extraordinary" vibe was already at its peak.

During the shoot, I tried expressing different states of mind. Holding onto the wooden cross and gazing into the distance, I imagined the character's inner aloofness and detachment. Sitting sideways on the luxurious red velvet chair, I leaned back and looked at the camera with a very relaxed and casual posture—that half-smiling expression is my favorite state in the entire photoshoot. Including later, lying on the ground scattered with bright rose petals, stretching my feet forward to let the lens capture the extended feel of the high heels and black garter stockings, it really tested the chemistry between the photographer and me. Because the ground angle can easily ruin the body proportions, we tried several camera positions back and forth before finding a low angle that perfectly showed the leg lines without making the composition look awkward.

Reviewing the post-processing of this anime-style photography from my perspective, the most crucial part was actually the color clash. The red background is very strong and can easily steal the visual focus from the subject. Therefore, in post-production, we deliberately lowered the brightness of the red, keeping the skin tone in a translucent, cool-white state, and then deepened the black clothing. While keeping rich details, the texture of the layers stood out. The looming details of the semi-sheer sleeves in the dark areas were also enhanced to better echo the theme of "Black Wings."

Shooting this set of photos really took a lot of effort; there were many ironworks and rose vines at the venue, and it was easy to get the fabric caught when changing poses. But it is precisely because these slightly messy props came together that they formed the unique dark gothic aesthetic of this set of photos. Every time I try a character with a different style, it is actually a challenge to my own expressiveness. I really enjoy this process of immersing myself in the character's atmosphere, and I hope this set of photos can convey that mysterious and charming texture of Ramiel.