My Dress Up Darling: A Well Done Romantic Comedy Manga

My Dress Up Darling is a well-done romantic comedy manga about cosplaying. It explores dynamic relationships with an emphasis on fashion and self-expression.

It's the story of a manic pixie girl who teaches a reluctant male lead that gender doesn't matter when it comes to hobbies. It started serialization in Square Enix's Young Gangan magazine in 2018. An anime adaptation by CloverWorks aired during the Winter 2022 season.

A Surprise Hits

My Dress Up Darling was one of the surprise hits of the winter anime season. While it seems like another standard boring male lead runs into manic pixie girl and shows him what life is all about, this manga actually handles the trope with a lot of depth and care.

The story centers around high school student Gojo Wakana who has a passion for making the faces of Hina dolls. She’s also a big fan of cosplay and loves dressing up as her favourite anime and video game characters. When she meets her classmate Marin Kitagawa, who goes by the nickname “Flower Princess Blaze”, Gojo is awed by her unwavering passion for cosplay and her desire to play every character she’s heard of.

As they begin to get to know each other, Gojo and Marin find themselves falling for each other. While it may take a while for them to confess their feelings, they both make it clear that they are genuinely in love with each other. The series is filled with cute moments and well-executed comedy that makes it a joy to read.

The series is also notable for its focus on cosplaying as a legitimate form of art. Fukuda Shinichi takes great pains to research the inner workings of being a cosplayer, interviewing real-life cosplayers and visiting locations essential to their work. For example, the wig shop that Gojo and Marin visit is in fact a real wig store that Fukuda sought out and requested permission to use in the manga.

Cueteness And Otaku Appeal

Despite its cuteness and otaku appeal, My Dress Up Darling has a solid base of romance and drama. Its protagonists, Wakana Gojou and Marin Kitagawa, develop a strong bond. It’s this relationship that really draws you in, as they support each other and help bring out the best in their characters.

The manga’s story begins with Gojou as a boy who dreams of becoming a doll artisan, following in the footsteps of his grandfather. He was often teased as a child for his feminine interests, which led him to hide these passions. One day, his popular classmate Marin discovers this and asks him to create her a cosplay costume. He agrees and the two begin to work together.

While both My Dress Up Darling and Skip Beat slightly center their narratives on fashion, the former has a more compelling and edgy plot with themes such as revenge and betrayal. However, both mangas are still excellent choices for those interested in the topic of fashion and its role in personal growth.

The main theme of My Dress Up Darling is that it’s important to follow your dreams, regardless of the stigma surrounding them. Throughout the anime, Marin and Wakana demonstrate this message by supporting each other in their endeavors. The duo’s chemistry makes the anime both fun and moral to watch.

My Dress Up Darling’s manga release had a solid fan base since its initial release in 2018, but it was taken to another level when the anime adaptation premiered during the Winter 2022 anime season. Its strong main duo captivated fans and made the series one of the biggest hits of the season. Its success has even convinced its creator to share special new art with fans. If you’re interested in reading more about the manga or watching the anime, My Dress Up Darling is available to stream on Crunchyroll. It also has its own official English subtitles on the website.

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