[Belle cosplay] Recreating Zenless Zone Zero Summer-Limited Selfies: Riverside Night Scene Recreation

A couple of days ago, when I saw this summer-limited selfie angle in the game, I couldn't resist recreating it myself. From postures and facial expressions down to the placement of every single accessory, I rehearsed it in my mind over and over, and today I can finally present the finished photos.

This time, I specifically picked three identical selfie poses from the game. The first is making a finger heart with the fingertips, which I personally find the most playful; the second is resting my chin in my hand with a wink, where this expression paired with the long side ponytail brings out a touch of effortless charm and confidence; the third is raising a hand in a salute, which looks exceptionally energetic. To capture actions identical to the game, I adjusted the angle of my shoulders, the curvature of my fingers, and the tilt of my chin countless times. Fortunately, in the final snapshots, the expressions and body language hit the mark perfectly.

Let's talk about the outfit chosen for this shoot. The top is made of a semi-sheer white fabric paired with a black spaghetti-strap camisole underneath, creating a crisp and refreshing summer aesthetic through classic monochrome contrast. The yellow flower accessory on the chest is the soul of this outfit; I spent considerable time adjusting its positioning to ensure it anchored snugly and smoothly at the collar. The blue wavy necklace around the neck was also carefully selected from many options for maximum accuracy. The two bright orange clips in the headwear and the side scrunchie create striking color contrasts, which, illuminated by the ambient lights of the night view, make the whole look exceptionally spirited.

To align with the character's demeanor, the base makeup was crafted to look clean, fair, and translucent, maintaining porcelain-doll clarity. The eye makeup focused on enlarging the eye shape, meticulously tracing the eyeliner winged path and accenting it with subtle shimmer glitter. For colored contacts, I chose a deep ocean blue that echoes the hair color, giving the gaze a sharper, more focused depth. Paired with a rosy lip tint, my overall temperament balanced a calm undertone with the bright, brisk vitality of a summer special.

A special mention must go to the choice of shooting environment. I deliberately chose a riverside observation deck at night for this shoot; the city neon lights reflected across the water, set against the towering skyscraper skyline, creating a wonderful in-game scene recreation that matches the modern urban atmosphere in Zenless Zone Zero seamlessly. The shimmering ripples on the water and the bokeh points of light in the background naturally applied a soft-focus glow to the frame, imbuing this night selfie set with rich emotional mood.

Honestly, when shooting comparison photos against in-game models, the hardest part is never just putting on the costume, but conveying that subtle gaze and temperament. The 3D in-game models are vivid and expressive, with every blink and smile perfectly timed. When imitating them in front of the lens, I had to visualize the character's current environment in my mind to produce natural, fluid expressions. Although daring to recreate these selfie angles was a bit of a challenge, seeing that wonderful cross-dimensional feel and Zenless Zone Zero's signature urban-trendy style faithfully brought to life in the finished photos left me feeling thoroughly satisfied with this casual cosplay session.