Here we are, the beginning of a new anime series, and it has gotten a lot of praise since its debut, My Dress-Up Darling.
My Dress-Up Darling (Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru) is adapted from the manga by the same name which was created by Shinichi Fukuda. The story begins with a teenage boy named Gojō Wakana, who was traumatized by a childhood incident with a friend who took exception to his love for Hina dolls, he spends his days as a loner, but with a passion to become a Hina doll Craftsman like his Grandfather. One day, a Teenage Girl named Marin Kitagawa, who is one of the popular girls in Gojō’s Highschool walked in on him using a sewing machine in the Home-Ec room. She was amazed by his talents and now aims to recruit her quiet classmate into her secret hobby: Cosplay.
This review will be covering the first two episodes, so there will be some spoilers in this review.
By far, My Dress-Up Darling is one of the prettiest premieres of the Winter Season, it is bursting with not only energy but with color, charm, and a balance of grounded boarding and comedy. Already two episodes in this Romcom have people singing its praises.
What helps the most is that these two characters have great chemistry, Wakana who is shy, oblivious aside from years of focusing on his dream, he’s also earnest and dedicated, and desperately wants a friend even though he’s afraid of being mocked. But then there’s Kitagawa, who is pretty, full of energy, and comes right into Wakana’s world like a hurricane to open it up. But like most high schoolers, she is passionate about her fandoms, even if she is stubborn about her beliefs.
The two students came together not because they share the same hobby, but they love how passionate each other is when it comes to their interests, it’s downright precious, and a good way for the two students to learn from each other without it turning it into a story where the female lead is impressed by how quick that the love interest surpasses her at her hobby.
One thing I would like to say is, I could relate to Gojō when it came to finding out what Marin’s dream cosplay comes from a BDSM Eroge, as in “the manga came in a plastic wrap”. I was caught off guard by that revelation because I never read the manga but had the common sense to know that there would be fan service in this series. But it also animated her in a non-sexualized way outside of those moments that are meant to be intimate, that ideally, the fanservice is contextual rather than pervasive. By all means, this show is off to a good start and was very descriptive when it came to getting the proper measurements, the right shoes, etc.
Overall it has great, well-written characters, good humor, and great animation. You can catch it today on Funimation and Crunchyroll, I’m already looking forward to the next episode!
Final Grade:
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