[FAN FAVORITE] My Dress-up Darling Anime Review

One of the most talked about anime series of 2022, My Dress-up Darling is 100% a series that anime lovers wouldn’t want to miss!

Wakana Gojo is a shy, introverted boy who dreams of making hina dolls just like his grandfather. Due to an unpleasant experience in childhood because of his unusual interests, he secludes himself and doesn’t have friends. One day in school, he was caught in the sewing room by his cheerful and popular classmate, Marin Kitagawa. Amazed at how Gojo knows how to use a sewing machine, Marin asks him a favor to make her a cosplay outfit. As they both learn about cosplay, their bond turns into friendship, meet new friends along the way and experience new things together.

A serious high schooler who dreams of becoming a traditional doll craftsman is introduced to the world of cosplay by his popular and flashy classmate.

An anime about cosplay

My Dress-up Darling (Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru) is a hilarious romantic comedy anime based on a manga series that showcases the fun world of cosplay. I particularly like shows that highlight a specific theme and gives viewers an insight on what it looks like through a different point of view. My Dress-up Darling does exactly just that by showing the effort and hard work that goes into making a costume. If you’re not into cosplay, you’ll probably wonder why people go through such lengths to dress up as their favorite character. Well, that’s how I used to think before watching this anime. The simple reason – it makes them happy. Probably the same way as purchasing the latest console for hardcore gamers or tending a garden for plant lovers. We all have different interests and as Marin mentions in the first episode, “You just don’t go making fun of things people clearly like”.

Naughty and wholesome at the same time

(I can’t believe I would use naughty and wholesome in the same sentence lol)

What makes My Dress-up Darling funny and entertaining are the naughty bits (the animators know exactly what viewers want to see lol) but if you look at the story closely, especially the love story, it is actually wholesome. ☺️ It may be categorized as one of the classic opposites attract high school romance but the rest of its elements steer away from the cliché scenarios that we’ve all been used to seeing.

SPOILER ALERT: they won’t become a couple in this season, but what makes this extra sweet is that Gojo-kun and Marin became friends first and got to know each other by experiencing things together. The romance isn’t rushed but it’s not boring either. Actually, it is hilarious lol.

As good as the manga (probably even better)

When it comes to anime based on manga, not all adaptions will come out at par with the original. For example, though I love the anime version of Horimiya, I actually like the manga better because I felt the anime was too condensed. In contrast, I dropped reading Kaguya-sama: Love is War because I lost interest in the manga’s storyline after the ending scene in the main arc. Similarly, I couldn’t get past the first chapter of Wotakoi because the anime version’s art style is just way better.

The details in the animation

My Dress-up Darling was animated by CloverWorks which is the same studio that animated other top rated animes like Spy x Family, Horimiya and Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. Though they’ve always done great, I could tell that they’ve been outdoing themselves this year. Truly, great job to the animators! 🙂

I liked how the anime’s first season followed the manga closely but also added some little details that made the scenes even better. 🙂

And I find it awesome how they are still recognizable even with a different look (if you get what I mean).

OUR BEST GIRL MARIN

Marin Kitagawa is hands down one of the most unforgettable characters out there. She stole 2022 for me. 🤣 She’s sexy, sassy and funny. Most importantly, she’s not shallow and she’s confident in herself. If I’ll ever have a favorite anime character, it would probably be her. 🙂

And special mention to her Japanese VA, Hina Suguta! She really did bring Marin out to life!