High school student Wakana Gojou spends his days perfecting the art of making hina dolls, hoping to eventually reach his grandfather's level of expertise. While his fellow teenagers busy themselves with pop culture, Gojou finds bliss in sewing clothes for his dolls. Nonetheless, he goes to great lengths to keep his unique hobby a secret, as he believes that he would be ridiculed were it revealed.
Enter Marin Kitagawa, an extraordinarily pretty girl whose confidence and poise are in stark contrast to Gojou's meekness. It would defy common sense for the friendless Gojou to mix with the likes of Kitagawa, who is always surrounded by her peers. However, the unimaginable happens when Kitagawa discovers Gojou's prowess with a sewing machine and brightly confesses to him about her own hobby: cosplay. Because her sewing skills are pitiable, she decides to enlist his help.
As Gojou and Kitagawa work together on one cosplay outfit after another, they cannot help but grow close—even though their lives are worlds apart.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Space_Boyfriend
I cannot emphasize this enough, but My Dress-Up Darling is an ECCHI rom-com. Forget the synopsis about the interesting life of a cosplayer and doll-maker respectively, this is a terrible high school slice of life with some of the worst ecchi sequences I have ever seen. I would like to preface at the beginning of this review that My Dress-Up Darling has become one of my most hated anime. Admittedly, that doesn’t excuse me from just trashing the show entirely, so I will still try to be as objective as I can, since this review is meant for potential viewers. I’ve seen many shows and moviesthat focus on high-schoolers. This time, the series mainly focuses on the relationship of a tailor and a cosplayer with the shy introverted boy Gojou Wakana and manic pixie dream girl Marin Kitagawa as our leads. Wakana is a quiet kid without many friends. He is reserved and afraid of expressing himself or discussing his hobbies due to a ‘trauma’ he experienced. That ‘trauma’ was when a little girl Wakana met as a kid said something like “Ewww, your dolls are ugly” and ran away. This 1-minute backstory is supposedly the only explanation for Wakana’s social awkwardness and is never touched upon in the rest of the TV series. Marin on the other hand is a quirky girl who somehow went flying head first into Wakana’s desk; this leads to the contrived beginning of two kids who ‘happen’ to learn about each other’s unique hobbies and each other.
You’d think that based on the synopsis of the story, there would eventually be a shift in primary focus from cosplaying to romance-drama, but you would only be half-correct. Occasionally, there are detailed explanations for the requisites of certain cosplay in order for someone to create and dress up in their attire; these moments actually illustrate what exactly it takes to become a cosplayer, as the show had advertised in its PV. Undeniably, when the series decides to offer insight on Wakana’s character, his struggles, and his dreams, it is able to do so very well. Marin, when she’s bearable, can act as a strong supporting character by establishing a fairly interesting contrast between her vibrant personality and Wakana’s insecurity and awkwardness by offering herself as a confident and quirky friend and eventual love interest. Even at its peak, the romance will be very cheesy, but at the very least, it’s a passable experience at that very scene.
“Wow, that sounds like a good show compared to the show you just said in the beginning! How are they the same?”
Unfortunately, the aforementioned show is only something I wish Dress-Up Darling stays true to. Not only are all the aforementioned good aspects kept to a minimum, a lot of its potential is wasted since the writer had ‘different’ ideas on their agenda. I’m going to start with the ecchi, probably the most controversial aspect of the series.
If you’ve never seen a clip of Dress-Up Darling, just know that the number of explicit and uncomfortable shots of Marin, an underage high-schooler, are lengthy and many. Marin is a high-schooler who has kinks such as ‘wanting to be a sex slave like her favorite anime character’ and legitimately strips down in front of a guy she just met since he knows how to use a loom. Particularly in episode 2, a lot of these explicit shots of Marin are also sexual innuendos that are meant to be funny and relatable as Wakana blushes uncontrollably, afraid he’s going to do something wrong. This kind of situation would never believably happen because there’s no girl in existence that acts exactly like Marin does around a guy she just met.
If anyone thought that was bad, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Sometime in the middle of the series, we are introduced to Inui Sajuna, a loli tsundere character who also happens to be interested in cosplaying. I wish that when the audience met Sajuna, it was going to be a normal meet-and-greet where Marin and Sajuna had a fun conversation about how passionate they were about cosplaying and how Wakana could help both of them out together. Instead, we are delivered one of the most god awful scenes in the show in which Wakana opens the bathroom door and sees a slipping Sajuna fall onto the bathroom floor and reveal…everything. This sequence leads Sajuna to threaten Wakana with blackmail for sexual harassment which eventually becomes ‘consensual blackmail’ when Marin enters the picture, because everyone is friends now! Whoopee, how convenient and forced can you get?! Sajuna’s secondary purpose in this series is as a cosplayer with some of her own unique dreams and experiences, but her main purpose is to act as a second love interest for Wakana while wearing kinky outfits for the audience to see. She’s arguably the worst character in the series and one I hated seeing on-screen. The less screen-time she had, the better off the series was.
I know that nitpicking details and cherry picking aspects of any piece of media rather than analyzing everything as a whole is generally looked down upon, but someone needs to warn potential viewers that these awful fanservice portions exist because the jarring shift in scene transitions and tone are just overwhelmingly appalling, even by ecchi standards. The main problem I am highlighting here is that all of these concerning scenes are supposed to be ‘hot’ and ‘funny’. Regardless of context, these types of scenarios utterly fail to provide the appropriate atmosphere for actual cosplayers and instead offer a tarnation hentai plot for a target audience that isn’t likely to give many damns about cosplaying. If anyone thought this portrayal of cosplayers was horrendous as is, the list goes on. There’s an entire episode in which skin darkening, a very racist and unnecessary behavior in the show, is present and even an episode where Marin and Wakana go into a love hotel and lay on top of each other for ‘cosplaying’. It’s so contrived and so frustrating to see because the ecchi is not appealing at all to an adult who doesn’t want to see high schoolers in their birthday suits.
I know there is an argument that:
‘Because the show is from the perspective of Wakana, that means his sexual inexperience near girls can appear as what is seen in the show, specifically towards Marin.’
Supposedly, this can be compared to Bakemonogatari which is self-aware of its fanservice hijinks. However, to that argument, I would like to point out that this makes no sense in multiple occasions where a camera shows physically everything about Marin, from head to toe, not in Wakana’s first-person perspective. For example, in the skin darkening episode, the camera is completely in the third-person perspective in which Wakana cannot see, since Marin is in a locked bathroom. In other words, this argument is very inconsistent and in my opinion, not valid. I swear it’s as if every single of these inane situations are an extremely bad excuse for a hentai plot without sex rather than being a character study of cosplayers.
On a semi-related point of the writer’s agenda, allow me to discuss Wakana, Marin, and their relationship to one another. There is a fundamental flaw in the creation of these characters. When Wakana or Marin are alone, actually focusing on their passions, their personalities shine. We see the depth of their personas as they express fears of not being good enough and how to showcase their love for their craft and hobbies. However, in an ironic twist of author’s intent, the reason both of these characters are irredeemable is because of the other. It’s because of the romance.
Wakana’s personality can devolve from ‘nice thoughtful guy’ to ‘horny teenager’ in a matter of seconds because Marin does something abnormal and hypersexualized. It gets to the point where Wakana can become the aforementioned first person POV for the audience members as they see Marin do whatever the hell she’s doing. It’s not even that this happens for the whole episode; it’s just that this kind of ‘slice-of-life romance’ happens long enough to the point it becomes unbearable every time. On the other hand, we have Marin, in my opinion, the second worst character in the series. I really cannot fathom why people like her for anything except her character design. She is possibly the most idealized waifu animated in 2022. Always ‘attractive’, always optimistic, always thinking of her crush Wakana, always working hard, always so lovable regardless of whatever she does. If speaking objectively, her flaw is that she is quite literally a stalker who found Wakana’s address and trespassed into his home uninvited, even visiting his house at night once when Wakana didn’t respond to her texts. But Dress-Up Darling doesn’t seem to think of that as a problem, because it romanticizes stalking as well as everything about Marin. When Marin is all uWu over Wakana, the writer has no holds barred as they make her pander to everything a lover could want: sexual teasing, sweet-talking, objectification, anything and everything! At this point, you may call me Captain_Obvious, but Marin is NOT a realistic nor believable person, but a caricature of a ‘real woman’.
I want to note that Dress-Up Darling is also supposedly a seinen, which means that the target audience is supposed to be young adult males. I want to ask the writer: Why? Can we please have the characters be adults so we don’t have to look at HS kids this way? Even if these characters were young adults, it would still be just as bad because of the fact that Marin is a stalker, that there are numerous contrived scenarios involving nudity, and even blackmail portrayed in a ‘good’ or ‘funny’ part of the show. It’s a fact that none of these awful parts of the show had to happen if the writer didn’t want to cater to a male’s ideal wet dream. I’m not even going to lie, I have seen MORE wholesome and enjoyable H series than Dress-Up Darling. It’s probably one of the biggest disappointments I’ve seen in my life. I hadn’t even hoped that Dress-Up Darling was going to be good until I saw the show peak in episode 4 and 5. But after it peaked, the bar kept dropping one episode after another, until the anime had reached the depths of despair, because Dress-Up Darling doesn’t care about quality. It just cares about its shitty ecchi.
I’m not going to deny that the technical qualities of this show are on-par for some of the best of the season. Admittedly, there are occasional still frames. However, if a potential viewer is able to bear with the story, the detailed character designs and overall fluid animation are able to enhance certain elements of the story, character, and as most likely intended by the director, the ecchi. As much as I genuinely hate CloverWorks and most of their works, I reluctantly have to admit this is visually one of their best works. As for sound, the voice acting is certainly serviceable but nothing impressive. The OST is fairly forgettable and not worth mentioning in my opinion.
I’m sure there is a lot more to talk about, but I really cannot force myself to analyze more of this piece of shlock that I wish no one the burden of watching through. I’m sorry to fans or anyone else I offended, but for potential viewers, this is not your anime of the season, nor an anime you should watch unless you unconditionally love ecchi rom-coms. My Dress-Up Darling does have some decent moments every once in a while but searching for those scenes are like finding a needle in a haystack. If you want genuinely good, funny ecchi, go watch Ishuzoku Reviewers or Imouto Sae Ireba Ii. At least those characters are definitively adults.
Kyline
*SOME SPOILERS AHEAD* During these past few anime seasons, I've noticed one thing; that's there's ALWAYS that one romance anime where it has one goal in mind - to bait weebs with such a "high-quality waifu" that would boost the anime's popularity. I call this the "waifu bait anime." It usually has the main girl characterized as an "amazing waifu" with colored hair and eyes, and of course a good body that would basically generate more simps to her, and of course a dull, basic, lame looking MC who just hit the jackpot because they have the main girl by his sides because *ahem* p lo t.
We've had several "waifu-bait" anime like Nagatoro-san on Spring 2021, Komi-san on Fall 2021, and the upcoming Shikimori-san (and again, Komi-san S2) on Spring 2022. But let's get these anime out of the way, since I'm going to talk about the latest addition to the seasonal waifu-bait anime, My Dress-Up Darling, or simply, Bisque Doll.
Oh boy, this show had a wonderful premise but there's something that is ruining it (definitely *not* because it's produced by CloverWorks, no hate on the studio though. They're pretty well known for ruining some well known anime. *cough Wonder Egg Priority.*) Bisque Doll's main objective here is for you to explore the wonderful world of cosplaying and its people who admires cosplaying some of their favorite characters, which is characterized for them of showing love to the character. Sounds like a nice adventure, right? As I said before, Bisque Doll is ruined by something... also known as these shameless fanservice you see on the episodes. Funnily enough, even after ALL of that fanservice, it's not even labeled as ecchi. Yes, I know it's seinen and is aimed for older men, but just imagine all of those boob shots, jiggle physics, (ToT)c u n n y(ToT), there's even poking nipples, then there's that love hotel bullshit, and the absurd amount of horniness of this show, doesn't that kind of made you think that this show really is ecchi? "But that's how the manga goes, Kylinity." Oh uh... what? Uhhh... Okay then... lemme just... put this away for a second... Anyways, it's safe for me to say that FanserBisque Doll is the ecchiest "non-ecchi" anime I have ever seen in my life. I'm trying my best to take the anime seriously but goddamn, these shameless fanservice and generic and cliche ecchi tropes just hinder my enjoyment to this show so much. You might call me uncultured, but oh well, I can thank you for that.
How did Bisque Doll start? Well let's go from the beginning. You know, our boy Gojo is a hina doll maker, and he's trying to make his hobby a secret so that he won't get called out for being weird again after that one time where he was mocked by his classmates because they think Gojo making hina dolls is very weird. Then first encounter with Marin was literally her flying on the classroom from one side to another and then hit her head on Gojo's desk. First of all, is Marin okay what the fuck. There's no anime character that can just fly off like that unless she was a part of some secret battle shounen manga and got kicked in the stomach real real hard (okay that was brutal). One time, while Gojo was sewing on one of the rooms, Marin found him and she immediately asked for help to make her a costume so that she can cosplay as one of her all time favorite character (aka Shizuku-tan). As time goes on, their cosplaying talks have become a normal routine, and that's basically how Marin and Gojo met together. Overall, decent start and that's basically letting the viewers know what Bisque Doll is about.
Let's talk about Bisque Doll's art. As expected from CloverWorks, it's visually appealing. See, this is the type of stuff CloverWorks is really good at, to produce anime that appeal to the viewer's eye. However though... (ah shit, here we go again.) I have a big problem with fanservice. I've talked to one of my forum threads before, I don't mind fanservice, as long as it doesn't upset me and also to the viewers. This is a bit too much fanservice for a "nOn-eCcHI" anime. I don't need to list them all again, but if this had less horniness and less fanservice, I would accept it.
Now to the characterssss~
Gojo - Our boy, our MC, and one of the 2 good characters in the show... *remembers something* Okay. I take that back. Gojo is the most unbased, cringeworthy loser who doesn't even know the greatness of the almighty genre known as Slice of Life aka the peak genre that surpasses overdramatic melodramas and generic battle shounen- haha I'm just kidding of course. I mean, atleast he finally knows about the greatness of SoL now. And that my boys, is why Gojo is a good character- I'm just kidding. I feel like he's fun to be with, but uh yeah, he's slowly getting corrupted by Marin because of the cosplay talks with horny sources.
Marin - the main girl, the main waifu material of Winter 2022, a contender for Waifu of the Year. She's meh. I think she's a bit boyish judging from how she talks to our boy Gojo , and for enjoying a harem eroge anime. I mean, she's literally the embodiment of h o r n y, but as a female. She's a big dumdum as well, especially that part where she somehow fucking reserved a room for a LOVE HOTEL thinking it was a studio, like how the hell does someone make a mistake like this? She's nuts man... PLUS sometimes her smiles are creepy as hell.
Sajuna - UOOOHHHH (ToT) Our little cunny, the loli high schooler, Marin's idol, Juju-sama. Undoubtedly the best girl of the show, since even our boy Gojo even (ToT)(ToT)(ToT) because of her cunniness (ToT)(ToT)(ToT). And that my friends, I can conclude that Gojo is a lolicon, because he sobbed due to Juju-sama. Okay I'm just kidding, this is turning to a joke review now. Juju-sama is a good brat, since she's a buddy for Marin to like, get better at cosplaying.
Shinju - Ah shit, here we go again, another big booba middle schooler. Middle schoolers shouldn't have this big of a booba, but that's anime character designs for you. She's very mid though, since there's really nothing special to note about her. Although she has a passion on cosplaying too, but never did it since you know, *she's basically the cameraman of Juju-sama's cosplay pictures*
Not gonna lie, Bisque Doll gave me a few laughs, and I thoroughly enjoyed some parts of it. By the way, I never said anything about this show's sound right? Alright alright.... Let me make this very quick. OP is good, but is kinda irritating as you listen to it more since jesus christ, those vocals are very hiiiiiiigh. ED though is way better, since it's chill and cozy. There you go. That's it for sound... ... ... What? What about voice acting? Eeh, I never paid attention to that aspect. I just think "wow they're good" or "wow the voices fit the characters" on literally 99% of all the shows I've watched. That's how unresponsible I am when it comes to the sound aspect. Yeah... this is no longer a quality review, or maybe, it never was a quality review in the first place. Alright back to enjoyment. Yes, it did give me laughs, I'm not gonna lie, but... that doesn't mean it's always enjoyable. Ah shit, I have to bring this up for the 4th time, but whatever. Fanservice ruined my enjoyment. Just imagine, while you're out there casually watching FanserBisque Doll, then suddenly, boom. boob shot. Fanservice made me dislike the anime more and more as I watch more episodes of it.
This show is like a 6/10 right up my alley.
-3 for the pointless fanservice.
+1 for Juju-sama.
Total of 4/10.
If you want to know more about cosplaying, Bisque Doll is, at the same time, for you and not for you. If you can somehow fight off the fanservice (or either if you're a costume designer), then good for you, you might somehow learn things within the cosplay world and would provide you some inspiration. But, on the other hand, if you wanna watch this with *some* seriousness, then... goodluck with the fanservice. It will ruin your enjoyment.
MonadProxyy
My Dress Up Darling is fun and all but sadly nothing but waifu bait. The story is set up in the way all romcoms are, its the that same formula used here. Its about cosplaying which is unique enough to the whole anime romance genre, but the thing is everything else in MDD is seen somewhere else. Girl and Boy accidentally meet Girl and boy get together every time in some way Both develop feelings for each other This is exactly how MDD is set up and how it works, yep, the same way you have seen in every romcom. Its very predictable because of that but trust me, theshow doesn't stop being enjoyable.
You know how most romcoms try to make you smile? Yep, fanservice. That's how MDD does it too, it shows tons of fanservice and horny kids start going wild about it, its enjoyable but some times, the fanservice makes you feel uncomfortable the misunderstandings and all that same way most romcoms do stuff is present here too.
I do not enjoy the fanservice as much as others do, but that fanservice is the only reason as to why this show is as popular as it is, right now. Everyone is making thumbnails of those perverted shots and gaining tons of popularity and even boosting this show itself. Sometimes I am low-key disgusted by how it heavily relies on that.
Remove Fanservice and this show won't be half as popular as it is right now.
The art and animation are pretty solid for a romcom, it is not only a great adaptation of the manga, its a miles better experience too, because CW decided to give this show one perfect adaptation. The animation is smooth, and the art is great too, its very bright and colorful which makes the tone of the show much better and even suits it. The character designs however are very generic and look like the ones most romcoms have, they aren't bad but they aren't new to the show or anything.
The music is fitting, and is good to hear. I love it and I wouldn't be afraid to admit it, but the voice acting for many characters aside from Gojo is many times annoying, I don't like them, but its nothing too bad. Its very subjective but since I am telling my honest thoughts on it, I will also include such details.
The characters are bland as hell, they have the same personalities like you have seen in every teen romance show, the usual gets easily shy, or isn't afraid to show her body, or something like that. Or maybe supporting their low interest or trying to act cute but doing cheesy stuff which somehow comes off as funny, apparently.
The amount of enjoyment varies, just ask yourself your age and how horny you are. If you are 14 and very horny, this is the perfect show for you. I do enjoy it but this show can give off a bad feeling to you or just be annoying.
Overall
I do recommend this show if you don't mind the issues mentioned above much, MDD is waifu bait, and one, which will be very memorable because of doing so everything with fanservice, honestly its one of those bad but enjoyable shows, I won't say more, just try it for yourself.
This is your typical romcom, but this time it was marketed very well, plus the fact Marin is on so many peoples profile as their profile picture just helped sell it more. It falls badly on having substance thus the score it got by me.
HellLyter
I welcome you to the latest installment of...WAIFU WARS!!! A recent phenomenon where current popular anime are often completely spearheaded by one girl. Nothing else, such as an insightful plot or having a non generic protagonist, matters in the face of this one girl. Creators think, "How can I sell my work and get it recognized by the public?" And the answer they arrive at is really quite simple. People. Want. Waifus. There are multiple varieties of anime that could potentially fit this mold, so I'll give you some of the bigger names that I believe really exemplify the Waifu Wars mentality. The prequels to My DressUp Darling if you will. We have...
Takagi-San, The Forehead Menace
Uzaki-Chan, Attack of the Big Ol' Boobies
Nagatoro-San, Revenge of the Tanned Bully
But now another contender has entered the ring. And her name is Marin, A New Waifu.
So I don't really know what just came over me there, but, uhh...let's get into the review! I'm going to keep it brief since as I alluded to, anime of this nature are very basic at their core. My Dress Up Darling remains consistently stalwart in its lighthearted themes and direction throughout, and me going over the specifics and delving deep into them honestly seems unnecessary...and will save you the pain of reading a boring essay from me. You're welcome. This show is very comfy in nature, and from my perspective, whether or not you enjoy it entirely boils down to two things: Your affinity for Slice of Life styled shows and your enjoyment of the characters...particularly Marin the waifu, the selling point of the entire series.
As you've probably guessed from seeing my score, My Dress Up Darling, while I find to be fine, simply didn't pass this criteria for me. Slice of Life really isn't a preferred genre of mine, though that's not to say that I'm always automatically dismissive of such shows. Like this anime, Nagatoro-San also primarily focuses on the regular lives and laid-back antics of some students, yet the presentation and delivery just captivated me more. I respect My Dress Up Darling's author for taking a more original approach in terms of the interests of the two protagonists and how they come together because of them. Gojo being a Hina Doll maker and enthusiast and Marin being an avid cosplayer and...gasp...'NERD', was neat. Though it felt like after that was established, not really much else was done in developing both them and the scenarios they engaged in. It was cute how Marin went from completely cool around Gojo to a little blushy-blush after starting to fall for him, but that was honestly it. I mean the entire first half of the anime alone was focused solely on Gojo making an outfit for Marin. Yes, multiple things were shown throughout this episodic process such as how hardworking Gojo is and the extraordinary detail that the animators put into showing Marin's boob physics, butt checks, sweaty body, and more (I'm sure they worked very hard to try and get the viewers hard). Yet by the end of it, I couldn't help but think "that was it?" Yes, it's a simple and easygoing anime by design, but I personally wanted more out of it.
Now on to the characters themselves. There really isn't much to say about our hero Gojo. I do like how he's portrayed as a sort of yes man due to his lack of social interaction, but not much else is done with him besides frequently describing his passion for Hina Dolls. He just really embodies the "nice guy" trope. The side cast is incredibly limited, but they do elevate the show. I liked Sajuna Inui and honestly thought she was the most entertaining character in the show despite her limited screen time. Let's hope the author gives her more exposure down the line instead of completely removing her from the story in the foreseeable future!
But now, we finally get to core of My Dress Up Darling. Marin. So I'll get straight to the point. She's too perfect. She's a colorful, captivating person. She has a perfect body despite her terrible eating habits. She's into things that most people watching this anime probably like. She's perfectly fine with showing off her body. And most importantly, she's ALWAYS kind and understanding. Does anyone else see how this is a problem? I feel like this anime can be considered a RomCom, and the key element of this genre is showing how flawed characters come together to grow, yet I'm not feeling that at all with this. Marin is such an ideal girl that it's boring. Let me give a comparison to my favorite RomCom, Toradora. The heroine Taiga is a small girl with scruffy, brown hair. While cute, she's definitely no ideal beauty. She has serious communication problems and violent tendencies due to parental neglect and social awkwardness. There are other components to her, but she really isn't painted in that great of a light at the beginning of the anime. And I adore her so much more in every way than Marin, who was practically written for the sole purpose of being adored by the audience immediately upon her introduction. That's because my enjoyment of Taiga was EARNED through her excellent growth as a person in addition to her evolving relationships throughout the show. I didn't really have an idea what a Tsundere was before watching Toradora, yet it became one of my favorite character tropes primarily thanks to Taiga.
Meanwhile, Marin just doesn't have anything like this. She's a fun girl, sure. And she doesn't necessarily need to be more flawed, I just wish she was given more to work with. ANYTHING to work with.
I'll quickly go over some technical aspects. You can tell that the majority of the animation budget went into Marin's body (the animators are most definitely men/women of culture) but CloverWorks still did a decent job overall, especially with the usage of some different animation styles and the sheer expressiveness of the cast. I'll probably get some flack for this, but while I found Marin's voice actress to be good, the voice itself just didn't fit with the character for me. Also, several insert tracks stood out to me for the wrong reasons due to not personally being a fan of the compositions, such as the one that plays sometimes when Marin is being "silly".
Well, My Dress Up Darling really isn't for me. It's mildly entertaining and I did smile here and there, but I wanted a lot more out of it. If you like Marin's character and just enjoy more relaxing anime in general, than you'll definitely like this more than me. That's all I got. I'll see you later for the next installment of Waifu Wars!
Natsuki_SanJuan
***THIS IS MY SECOND REVIEW FOR THIS SHOW BECAUSE MY FIRST REVIEW WAS POSTED IN WRONG USUAL TIME. IT CONTAINS SPOILERS AND IS CO-WRITTEN BY MY ROMANCE ENTHUSIAST FRIENDS AND MY OLDER SISTER*** WARNING: IF YOU DON’T LIKE CRITICISMS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO STOP VIEWING THIS REVIEW. BUT IF YOU CALM DOWN YOUR BALLS AND ARE OPEN TO SOME OPINIONS, FEEL FREE TO READ. Hey! Hey, you Yeah you... In a nutshell (Powerpuff Girls Intro): A self-inserting MC (3D Kanojo Girl), good animation (Horimiya), and a cheeky FML (Nagatoro-san). These were the ingredients chosen to create the “perfect” manga.But Shin'ichi Fukuda accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction--
The Chemical F(anservice)
Thus, Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi or Suru were born.
Another in a nutshell:
60% Fanservice
36% Animation
2% Relatable Characters
2% Plot and Romance
Good riddance…
If I can segregate a show, like I segregate the trash in my household, I will put Sono Bisque into the non-biodegradable trash bin. It’s somewhat trash, but not meant to be rotten either.
I remember the day when my female friend and my male underclassman told me about this show. After the massive disappointment of the trying-hard anime Komi-san Can’t Communicate, I browse this show if it’s good. The premise impressed me and my two friends genuinely recommended me this show. They said the story is good, so are the characters. The romance level would surpass my expectations. I mean look at the genres, “Romance, School, Slice of Life”. So, I thought this would be a refreshing romance to start a great year, alongside Takagi-san 3.
But, when I watched some episodes, I asked them why they like Marin so much.
Here are their answers;
The answer of my female friend was, “it’s because I like her behavior.”
“What behavior exactly?”
“Her behavior when she likes to do pervert things to other people.”
The answer of my male underclassman was this, “it’s because she’s cute, beautiful, cheerful, sexy, and mostly, big boobs.”
I even asked my other female classmate what her thoughts were about the show.
She said the sound of its title sounded like horny garbage to her. I browsed the manga and reached this conclusion, my male underclassman is a virgin simp, and my female friend likes to act like a b*tch. No offense to them because I was just being honest, and they agreed. Even it’s their thing, I respected them. So this review contains our genuinely mixed reactions, criticisms, and statements from me, from my friends, and from my older sister, who loves romance animes. This is co-written by them also. I’ll state some points on behalf of them.
Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi o Suru or My Dress-up Darling is the first “romance” that aired at the start of the year. This show is like the songs of the BTS KPop group, where the fans hyped it and claimed to be the best new romance anime of the season. I heard from the fans that this will even surpass the third season of Takagi-san and they overhyped it to the highest level. My biggest regret was I rode the hype train with these stans and I reached another facepalm moment.
Sono Bisque is a clear example of a “Clickbait”. This show started to pop out on the internet, especially the pictures of their favorite new waifu, Marin Kitagawa. Innocent audiences, who had no idea about this show asked if this show is good, and in the end, it might be just another disappointment, or just plain, or just a waifu bait anime. This anime had many different titles from audiences because of its content; My Dress-up Virgin, My Dress-up Horny, My Dress-up Pussy, Sono FANSERBisque Doll, Sono VIRGIN Doll, Sono BITCHque Doll even the title I came up with, My Dress-up DOGSHIT.
I know you will ask, “Is it worth watching?” “Why are you saying things like that on your review?” “It’s a wholesome anime so why you didn’t just enjoy it?”
Now before I answer those questions, I’ll try not to be sound like a hater, or an elitist. I will express our statements as romance enthusiasts. I will use an acronym I came up with before I state my arguments.
GOOD PREMISE, WEAK, TERRIBLE AND CHEAP PLOT
When I read about the premise, it seemed interesting and refreshing. A love story with a cosplay theme. The story is in a high school setting, which is one of my favorite settings in romance stories. It never gets old when I encounter this kind of setting. When I watched the first episode, I thought it was good as it said on the premise. I just saw the MC, whose self-confidence was torn down because some random girl in his childhood just made a horrible judgment about his hobby making dolls. After that, he became depressed and lost his self-confidence for having friends. Isolated himself from society. That’s… eh. I mean, just because a random stupid girl made fun of his hobbies, and then he became solely depressed just like that? He’s like Tsutsun in 3D Kanojo Girl but he had a valid reason why he cut ties from his classmates and became an otaku lord in the series. Tsutsun was born to believe that life in 2D is better than 3D but in Wakana’s case, that’s a shallow reason and an excuse to make his character “more relatable”. I don’t know if the author just forced his character to be like that for the sake of the “good plot”. The author should’ve put a good reason or backstory on why he became like that. The story might be good if they added some background to Wakana’s storyline.
I didn’t understand what’s the whole point of this show.
The story was decent. But I couldn’t help myself being annoyed at the same time. This was a facepalm moment. I think it’s just a school SOL anime, full of fanservice and ass-pulls. The romance was plain, pretty not developed, and felt forced. I mean, they just inserted Marin was being in love with Wakana just like that? Seriously? How the heck did that happen? Just like The Anime Man said to his review about Fireworks anime movie. “How it is supposed to be a romance if the characters and the story don’t portray the romance?” The story might be good if they focus and develop well on the romance, their relationship, and add some depth to it. The cosplay should use it as a theme, not a major plot device. Even in the manga, which I’m currently reading, the story didn’t progress or change at all. It’s still the same in the beginning. The author should follow this example in Your Lie in April, they used the music as a theme and they focused more on the romance. In 3-gatsu no Lion, they used the shogi thing as its theme. In Maid-sama, they used the maid and love and hate theme. Those romance animes I’ve mentioned had the romance well developed and bloomed in some unique ways.
One of the main premises of the story is that Marin wants to be a famous cosplayer, right? So why didn’t she think on join a cosplaying competition instead than posting her pictures on the internet? The story might be interesting and it can help their development as the model and the designer. Instead, the show focused more on fanservice and cracked some repetitive and corny dialogues that broke the whole concept of romance. Even the plot of the story was shallow, I still found it interesting. However, the show was not expressive to its message.
AWFUL AND BLAND CHARACTERS
We just talked about our MC on how he was being a self-inserting wimp protagonist, now let’s check out the waifu that everybody loves, Marin Kitagawa. They said Marin symbolizes that you should be confident in yourself. Yeah, I got that. Even it might break our dignity and morality. Yeah, I got that. Our wimp MC and our waifu Marin were just… eh. I don’t know the reason why this show had some poorly written characters but they also defy the nature of logic and morality. Aside from that, there were some uninteresting characters forcedly joined, for the sake of “character development”. In the end, both two girls were just loli baits FFS. Wakana Gojou is another version of Kazuya from another multiverse, but he had very little good behavior.
Marin. Marin, I almost forgot about you. You’re the main landmark of this show on why many male audiences eagerly loved it. There was a time when someone said to me that Marin’s symbolism is amazing. I appreciate that. But how heavy her make-up she was wearing, so are her flaws. If I were to choose between Marin, Nagatoro, Igarashi from 3D Kanojo Girl, and Komi as a good female lead, I will choose the last 3 I’ve mentioned, and not Marin. Marin seemed to be what every boy’s, wet dream. She was personalized as a “perfect waifu” material. The problem with her was she lacked depth and properly good characterization. The only thing that stood out from her is her horny and somewhat perverted mindset, which fulfills every boys’ mind. She looked somewhat similar to the blond girls from hentai that I’ve watched, obviously from her reactions. Yes, there’s nothing wrong in living life to the fullest but does she know her limits and boundaries as a human person, especially she’s a girl? Does she ever think about that? It’s not bad to live that way but it’s not good either. Especially she’s still a minor. And then a series of ridonkeylous moments I saw that tore the concept of realism. Like wearing earrings, colorful nail polish, and not wearing her uniform properly inside the school is “allowed”? I’ve never thought of that thing when there’s no policy about that inside their school. Numerous times she confidently stripping naked and using her body as a form of her teasing to Wakana is one of the absurd things I’ve seen in a show. To the point, they can almost do IT. If this is one of the reasons for the hardening of dicks, for me it’s so completely annoying.
“Get on top of me, Kitagawa-san.”
- Wakana said from Episode 11 with a horny face
Seriously this kind of thing needs to lessen.
There are many ways for him to take a photo shot of Marin in that kind of position. Do you remember in episode 2 when Wakana stared at her from the lower part of her body? That should be the angle that Wakana used instead of asking Marin to hop on him. They had no concept of limits and boundaries. Because in the end, Wakana. Is. Still. A. Boy. And. Marin. Is. Still. A. Girl.
The lady heard Wakana and Marin’s conversation is true.
They are dangerous teenagers.
Yup the fanservice won again.
But the only good thing I saw in her was her initial goal to be a pro cosplay or doing a cosplay. The only thing I’ve seen in Wakana is his hard work in sewing. I know this is a common troupe from many animes but still liked it. However, both characters were one-dimensional, bland, and one-sided. All of the characters were weak and not poignant in the story. If the author writes a story about them joining in a competitive cosplaying event, that would be awesome as fck.
EXCESSIVE USE OF FANSERVICE RUINED THE PLOT
In the first place, I was introduced by many of my friends and the anime news pages that this is a romcom seinen anime. That’s the first I’ve believed in. But damn, they should advertise this anime as an ecchi rom-com. A lot of people had been fooled because of this. Because the media advertised this anime as a romcom, not knowing this is a purely ecchi show. This fact made me feel rage when I watched the show and it wasn’t my fault. I searched it on many anime pages on Facebook, in Wikipedia, and even on MAL. I just noticed on Anilist and Anime-planet (I don’t use Anime-planet really) but it’s already too late. It's their fault for not stating the correct tags and genre on this anime. There’s no ecchi tag there so, in the end, we were just scammed by the media. That’s why this is an example of clickbait. I was baited. Even if you’re saying this is publishing on a Seinen magazine, it’s just a magazine. Yes, they said Seinen is for adult male audiences but can you explain why Shuumatsu no Harem and Interspecies Reviews were published in Shounen magazine?
After the second rewatch, some fanservice from this anime is decent. But one of the main problems is excessive fanservice. Yes, fanservice is one of the common troupes, and the signature of Japanese comedy style can make you laugh but when I watched this show, I was like watching soft-core hentai. Don’t get me wrong, I still found ecchi romcoms entertaining but this needs to lessen. Yet, I still found the ecchi scenes were illogical absurdities. I remember what happened in Episode 1 when she suddenly tried to strip in front of him when there was a comfort room inside their school. The measurement in episode 2 is when she has stripped naked again for measurements when a clothing store exists. This bounds the realism we lived in. The show used her as the “major purpose of entertainment”. The excessive fanservice ruined the whole plot that was intended to be. Is this still an ecchi romance? Or soft-core hentai? This can be so annoying. The point is, it shouldn’t rely on the fanservice for the sake of “entertainment”. It made the whole show nonsensical in some ways, like “this anime should be for cultured weebs than the romance it was supposed to be.” It caused the show to look like every boys’ wet dream to have a horny cute girlfriend. It sounds like this, if Mushoku Tensei didn’t have ecchi scenes, it would be a masterpiece of isekai. Imagine this, if My Dress-up Darling lessen its fanservice and focused more on the pinnacle of its romance, it would be one of the best seinen romance animes.
“But the animation and the production quality are good, right?”
Yes but no thanks. The animation of this show was only the saving grace from all those awful scenes. The animation is good but for me, it’s just average. Probably because Cloverworks did it and I had no expectations about that. Maybe for some guys who are new to anime that’s why they always like animation over the story. The animation is the only factor I gave a pretty fair high score. Heck, only the animation stood out in the series. The music was just plain… It reminds me how Horimiya wasn’t that special. The OP was the only thing I’d like but the ED was just average and I didn’t understand why they were hyping about it. Sorry, not sorry. The animation can’t always save this. The story, characters, and its development are more important than production quality.
Now we all took our loads about this show out of our chest, now we can finally say Sono Bisque is a decent romance but with lackluster characters, a clickbait, a scam, nonsensical excessive fanservice, and somewhat a waste of time. It had many cringe and facepalm moments, and the fanservice was incredibly disgusted. Because of this show, we just started a new year full of disappointments. We might be considered it to be good if was labeled as an ecchi anime. I mean, if you will look at my list, most of them are a variety of romance. Even other ecchi romcoms I found good and enjoyable. But, I can list many ecchi romcom animes that are better than this. Jitsu wa Watashi wa, Eromanga-sensei, Love Hina, Nyan Koi, Mayoi Chiki, Rosario to Vampire, and many more. And I can guarantee they are more enjoyable than this. This is the first time I’ve been disappointed and felt rage in my favorite genre of a certain story. This anime is not worthy of the word “wholesome”. It’s not a masterpiece or heavily romantic. Yet you can still enjoy it if you’re the type of audience to like a good animation.
If you’re the type of audience who can turn off your brain from its flaws, and casually enjoy this kind of absurd act, this anime is for you. However, if you’re a die-hard romance fan, who seeking a solid and groundbreaking romance story, sadly to say this anime is not deserved for you. It might you just feel annoyed and cringe because of the content and its characters. As we end this review, we like to state some advice, as a lesson we’ve experienced from watching this show. It can be so useful when watching an anime.
“Expect disappointment and you will never get disappointed.”
My initial score is 3.5/10 but if I compute our all scores the score will be a glorious 6.9/10. I think you know the reason why we scored it like that.
"SOL heals your soul."
But not in this kind of show.
That’s all and thank you for reading. See you at my next review!!
abystoma2
Sono Bisque Doll is another of the “unpopular guy gets bitches” subgenre. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that’s bad by itself. I have, after all, enjoyed to some extent Nagatoro-san or Uzaki-chan. So why didn’t I have similar experience with My Dress-Up Darling? Good question. Let’s start with the good parts. First off, the production value is surprisingly high. The animation is fluid and the visuals are crisp. This applies especially for fanservice scenes, as there is obviously significant increase in effort during those. One small detail that I also quite liked is that when scenes from an older (fictional) anime are shown,the screen resolution actually changes to 4:3, staying true to the old-school feel.
Then there is the voice action. Plenty of people were surprised this was Marin’s voice actress's first major role, as her performance fells like an experienced one, delivering high quality output.
Now, the complaints. First off, the fanservice – you can’t really talk about My Dress-Up Darling and ignore that. Going back to my intro, I don’t think having fanservice makes a show bad by default. However, it also doesn’t make it good. The show still has to have something besides the fanservice to bring out the quality. And of course, the more a show focuses on presenting fanservice, the less opportunity it has to do that. That said, for some audience just fanservice alone is the good part, so if that is you preference, there is no need for you to read further, the fanservice in this anime is done nicely so you’ll certainly like the show.
Continuing, the characters. First, Gojou, the protagonist – who isn’t really the focus of the series, but it is what it is. Prepare for the typical passive and shy harem protagonist experience with the added ability of crating. Well, at least that’s something more or less unique. Yes, I know this isn’t literally harem anime (yet), but that doesn’t change how similar the experience is. Dude has issues because one time some random girl called him out for liking dolls. Literally a random girl as we don’t get any more context for that. Yeah, he’s awkward, but so nice and surely if someone gave him a chance they would find that out. That is (You), the watcher, the dedicated self-insert situation. As you might have guessed, I don’t particularly enjoy inactive protagonists that just get dragged into doing stuff.
About the girls – we have Marin, the main girl. She grows attached to Gojou because he does stuff for her. She likes cosplaying and pervy stuff and frequently gives Gojou some accidental fanservice. She has very active personality and drags Gorou into situations, because being the passive one, the story wouldn’t move if it would be up to him. Then, we have Sajuna. She likes cosplaying and gives Gojou some accidental fanservice. Then, we have Shinju. She likes cosplaying and gives Gojou some accidental fanservice.
For the story - as typical for harem, the protagonist accidentallies himself into interacting with a girl that just so happens to have aligning interests. Sure, could happen. But this snowballs into yet another girl with aligning interests and yet another another girl aligning interests, at which point it’s starting to become a bit boring. Of course, there are some themes through the story, it’s not just about fanservice. There the conflicting attitudes between Gojou being ashamed of what he likes and Marin being honest and proud of it. Not the most original lesson given, and clearly one that is there to serve the self-insertion, but not a bad idea by itself. It would also be nice if the show gave more spotlight to the doll-making itself instead of focusing just on Marin’s hobby. But that would lessen the opportunities for fanservice, of course. Another theme would also be doing what you like even if the result might not be of highest quality which sure, another good lesson for those who might be struggling with being burnt-out for their hobby or struggling to find some in the first place. “Wow, another person actually likes to cosplay too!” isn’t exactly the greatest emotional pay-off though.
But that is as far as the thoughtfulness of the plot goes. The rest is an average teen romance between, as mentioned, a shy guy and active girl. Very original, much quality. One part that irks me especially, and this is not the fault of just Dress-Up Darling but rather an annoying trope in general is the interruption of tense moments by outside forces unrelated to the situation. It really feels like the author wrote himself a corner, and if it’s left to just the characters to deal with the situation the story might actually progress too much, so they are relieved from their duty of having to make decisions by whatever random loud noise or uninvited guest there is putting a full stop to what was happening. Such a cheap way to conclude a scene.
Well, there is one more good part – the cosplaying part of the plot is fairly detailed and close to reality, so if you’re part of the cosplaying community, you might get better enjoyment out of this based on being able to relate to the process.
Overall, I’m not saying this show is bad. It’s not bad – it’s average. It can definitely be enjoyed by at least some people and you’re not in the wrong for enjoying it. If you were to call it a good show though, that would be a more questionable matter.
Caeleb
If you have read a couple of reviews about this anime, you will agree with me that there are two clear opinions about it: People who paint it as a 'Masterpiece' (I'm serious, there are people who have rated it working with a 10 and also explicitly spelled 'Masterpiece') and the people who 'hate' it. I personally find that the most appropriate word to describe what is told in the synopsis and the premise of the series is 'misleading'. Before continuing I would like to make it clear that I have seen a good amount of anime with the genres that are labeled My Dress UpDarling, 'Romance' and 'Slice of Life', so I do not consider myself to have little experience with the elements that make up animes with those genres.
Story(2/10): The series centers on the relationship between two 15-year-old students, the reserved and introverted Gojo and the outgoing and popular Marin. Initially we are shown that the reason why the protagonist is shy and has trouble speaking his mind is because when he was a child a girl told him that his love of dolls was weird and apparently that was enough reason to make Gojo have a kind of 'trauma' which prevented him from relating to other people and making friends. He spends his days not interacting with anyone until one day he is found by Marin, the most popular girl in school, doing textile crafts. Impressed with Gojo's skills, Marin tells him about her hobby of cosplay and tells him that she shouldn't give importance to what others think, from that moment they become friends and the plot 'develops'.
Starting from this point, one will believe that the bond between the two will develop at a good pace, but as I said at the beginning, all our expectations will be destroyed by a series of problems such as the incredible personality (not in a good way) of the characters, the excessive use of fanservice and events that ruin the little plot that is developed.
Art/Animation(7/10): The best aspect that this anime has and I don't think it's anything special, in general it has a good animation that can be easily seen in the movements of the characters although I would say that more emphasis was placed on this aspect to be able to excite the horny audience during the fan service scenes.
Sound(6/10): Nothing particularly remarkable, I've listened to both the opening and ending theme s couple of times and I don't think it's anything amazing, if anything I think the ending theme is better than the opening, it doesn't mean it's bad but it's not special either.
Character(2/10): I could write a long essay on why the characters were the worst of this series but I think instead of ranting I'll try to be short and to the point.
Gojo: He is a shy boy with social problems because when he was little, a girl criticized his fondness for dolls and that prevented him from making friends until he met Marin. Is there really anyone who accepts these facts that were presented to us in a short flashback and never talked about again as reason enough to be unable to make friends?
When Marin strips naked in front of him or jokes around in a spicy way there are times when he seems to have memories of Vietnam but in other scenes he is completely indifferent and doesn't care how she acts. Honestly, it seems very complicated to me that a person with half a brain can relate to him.
Marin: I will go straight to the point with Marin, she is an incredible person in the sense that it is impossible to believe that a girl can be perfect, in every sense of the word. She is attractive, pretty, hard-working, popular, she shares her 'geeky' tastes with Gojo and he makes her fall in love in a relatively short time and without making any effort other than being himself, Mr. Good Guy.
I haven't said anything new that other reviews haven't pointed out in a more detailed and passionate way, if you want a more deep though in Marin's traits i suggest you reading those reviews who have a more well explained essay about her. Marin is simply a bait to call her 'Waifu of the season' and satisfy the horny weebs in the community.
Sajuna & Shinju: As soon as Marin realizes her feelings for Gojo and the plot advances a bit, the series introduces these sisters with no purpose other than to add 'waifus' and mess up the plot again. Sajuna is a 17-year-old girl with typical loli characteristics and her younger sister is 14 years old and apparently surpasses her sister in all the attractive physical aspects. As expected the sister with great 'personalities' is used for the fanservice scenes and they both do not really add anything of importance to the plot, they just serve to add girls to Gojo's harem and once again satisfy the community cheaply.
Enjoyment/Overall(3-4/10): If you want to turn your brain off and shrug off the many serious issues that have been pointed out by many different people who haven't been duped and are looking for more than just fanservice this anime is what you've been looking for.
It is really sad to see how people label this series a masterpiece despite the fact that the problems that its characters have have been pointed out many times and people get carried away by a pair of boobs, thights and ass.
noob2121
This review contains minor spoilers. My Dress-up Darling is the hottest new seasonal anime of Winter 2022. While it was airing, this beat AoT and Demon Slayer in several top anime of the season polls, which goes to show that it's popular and really well-liked. There are many things to love about Dress-up Darling, but at the same time, I don't think it’s perfect. Well, why is it so well-loved? The most obvious reason would be the characters, both leads in particular. Marin Kitagawa, the poster girl of this show has been a widespread hit among the community at large. Fanarts of her have been spreading like aplague, more and more people were making her their profile pictures, even if you have not heard of My Dress-up Darling, you could not have missed seeing her face. I think the main reason why Marin is so popular is just for her raw energy. She is an outgoing person, and does not hesitate to convey her thoughts or earnest opinions about something on the slightest whim and just cannot hide her feelings, leaving both Gojo and the audience to deal with her idiosyncrasies. Her raw excitement when she sees a character she adores, or her earnest yearning when she went up to Gojo and asked him to make a cosplay outfit. This kind of energy is really contagious, and it spreads to both Gojo and the audience, cheering up both him and us. The community adoration of Marin also stems from how relatable she is. From the smallest things like having 50+ favourite characters, to just her enthusiasm when she puts on her outfit. I’m sure that everyone has felt that feeling of excitement before, and I think Marin perfectly captures the exhilaration that we feel when we are genuinely excited about accomplishing something.
Gojo is NOT an audience’s insert. I was of this sentiment when the show first started airing. I genuinely believed that this anime was nothing more than “Loner, introverted, average-looking dude with no friends meets cute, popular and outgoing girl that everyone will simp for”. Well, thankfully I was proven wrong. Gojo is a realistic character, he has a passion for making hina dolls, and i think this is where My Dress-up Darling shines the most. It captures what having a passion looks like really well in both Marin and Gojo. Gojo's attention to detail to the level of near-obsession and his perfectionist yet intimate standards of "beauty" is something I can personally relate to, and I'm sure literally anyone that is fervent about a hobby can also see themselves to varying extents in Gojo. He is still flawed in his work, he can't draw faces well, largely due to his lack of social interaction, because no one is perfect at anything, there will always be room for improvement.
I think the two leads bounce off each other really well. The saying “opposites attract” fits really well here. Gojo is introverted, and Marin helps him break out of his shell. Marin can’t make cosplay outfits, despite wanting to cosplay characters, and Gojo helps realise that passion for her. Marin is eccentric and somewhat impulsive, whereas Gojo is more grounded, which does help them in a lot of situations. It makes for an enjoyable dynamic as they complement each other really well, and they cover for the other’s flaws.
The visuals. Cloverworks thankfully did not disappoint with this, and it did not end up in total disaster like some of their previous works. The quality here is better than 90% of other seasonal anime, it’s more than enough for a slice of life show like My Dress-up Darling. The artist for the manga should be given some credit too, the designs of all of Marin’s cosplay outfits, barring one, look absolutely amazing. My personal favourites are Liz the succubus and Black Lobelia, they remind me of Krul Tepes from Owari no Seraph and Lena from 86 respectively, two characters that I like a lot.
I think a largely overlooked reason that it is so beloved is because many people, myself included, agree with the themes and the overall message of the narrative. It is not subtle at all with its intent of preaching the message “Don’t be ashamed of liking whatever you want”. It’s something that surely everyone can agree with. Back in the days when anime was not as popular as it is today, and it even still happens today, it’s not uncommon for anime fans to be ostracised by others on the sole basis for liking anime, and I think this show speaks to them on a personal level. It’s refreshing, and it’s always uplifting to have one’s hobbies validated, no matter how weird it may be perceived to be.
One more thing that I really want to appreciate is how much My Dress-up Darling covers cosplay. Personally, I was never into cosplay, it was always a very foreign idea to me. My preconceived idea of cosplay was really just "People spend money and order an outfit, they wear that outfit and they show off." While I respected the hobby, I never understood the appeal of it. My Dress-up Darling was my first real exposure to cosplay and while cosplay will still never be my thing, it really changed how I looked at it. However, now i do understand and appreciate the effort, the attention to detail and the pains that the outfit makers have to go through in order to create the perfect outfit to represent the character
Now, clearly from the score, I also have some criticism to lobby here, and now I'll explain why some people may not like this show, and the gripes that I personally have.
The characters. Wait, wasn’t I just gushing about how good the characters were? Well, let’s start with Marin, while parts of her personality are relatable, she’s an unrealistic character. No sane person, no matter how whimsical or capricious, would stalk a dude that they have just met and barge into his house, uninvited. No sane person, no matter how whimsical or capricious, would accidentally rent a love hotel and mistake it for a photography studio. Her outright stupidity at times is used as a plot device to get them into the situation that the author wants when there is no other seamless way to do it. It makes some of the funny moments feel really convenient. As for Gojo, he comes off as a typical, generic nice guy romcom protagonist in the first few episodes, it was only later on when i started to really like him, not to mention, his “sad” backstory in order to get the audience to sympathise with him and justify his introvertedness comes out of nowhere, when we barely know the guy. It can seem manipulative, and I really didn't buy this introductory episode. I unfortunately could not empathise with him as an introverted loner, and I ended up liking Gojo for other reasons.
The fanservice. I hate to be that guy who comes off as “the fanservice hater”, because I do not hate fanservice in general. However, I do dislike the fanservice in My Dress-up Darling. In ep 2, for example, Gojo was clearly uncomfortable with Marin when she stripped to get him to “take her measurements”. The scene was clearly contrived for fanservice, and when it's at the expense of someone’s dignity, it does not sit well with me. The love hotel in ep 11 once again was contrived to provide the usual romcom hijinks. Once again, Gojo, the voice of reason, was against the idea of them, being minors, spending time in a love hotel. However, Marin replied with “yeah, if you’re normies”, and then pulled out the sunk cost fallacy argument, which is just really helpful in assuaging these kinds of concerns. This “fanservice” that the show has does not add much enjoyment to it for me. On the contrary, it can be annoying at times and I really think this show could have done without the fanservice.
Overall, I think My Dress-up Darling was a really enjoyable ride, and it was something I looked forward to watching every week. However, it’s far from perfect, and there were parts of it that hampered an otherwise amazing show. While I'm willing to overlook most of the flaws and i think the show is good for the most part, I would ABSOLUTELY NEVER feel safe recommending this to the average person, for obvious reasons.
Stark700
Humans really are fascinating animals, with the most potential of any species on this planet that we can Earth. If we look into a mirror, we see a reflection and may ask ourselves who or what we want to be. What if I told you that there's a beautiful girl named Marin who takes up cosplaying as a life hobby? When she looks into a mirror, she sees herself as a cosplayer, playing on her fashion style and character. Translated as 'My Dress-Up Darling', the anime is based on the manga about a guy with a girlish hobby making friends with a very attractive girl, witha love of cosplaying. The first episode feels like fate connecting the two together at school. Yes, it's not a common hobby for a guy to enjoy crafting hina dolls and admiring its art form. That's why Wakana Gojo doesn't have many friends and turned into an introvert. On the other hand, Marin enters the show as a very attractive girl with an alluring figure, energetic personality, and just about everything that Gojo is not. The two are bonded by a partnership - Gojo would make costumes for her and Marin would in respect, cosplay in those made costumes.
To get the most obvious out of the way, this is essentially a romantic comedy. At the heart of story is the timid Gojo paired with the charismatic Marin. There will no doubt be some people who raises their eyebrows when watching the first few episodes. For instance, the amount of fan service (particularly episode 2) may catch viewers off guard. Plus, Marin seems like a different species compared to Gojo. When we see Gojo, some of us can see that he is the type of shy kid at school, where almost no one notices. Marin is portrayed as the most popular girl at school where everyone has their eyes on her. Everyone knows her name and she has tons of friends. Thanks to her energetic personality and easy going nature, she can also make friends easily with just about anyone. And of course, she has the looks that resembles a supermodel. However, there's one particular aspect some may not be aware of. She also loves the otaku culture and with a wide range of tastes. It's why she took on cosplaying as a hobby because what else allows her to express herself?
As we take a closer look at the Gojo/Marin pair, it's obvious that they do have character chemistry. From their first encounter, it's shown that Marin sees Gojo as a trustworthy friend, not someone with a weird hobby because of his gender. She treats everyone equally and even admires Gojo's talent. It's because of her friendly gesture that Gojo decided to help Marin make her first costume. Cosplaying as the gothic Shizuku-tan, Gojo also learns his own mistakes and realizes that his costume is far from perfect. Nonetheless, it's admiring that Gojo acknowledges his mistakes while Marin gets to experience the joy of cosplaying. Let's face it, whenever she cosplays, she turns into a fangirl of herself. This extends to her admiration for other popular cosplayers, as we later meet Sajuna Inui and her sister, Shinju.
The Inui sisters represents the more serious duo when compared to Gojo and Marin. For instance, Sajuna takes her cosplay very seriously as she loves the magical girl culture. Her sister Shinju gets along well with others although she seems to have an inferiority complex. Together, they were destined to meet Gojo and Marin. It's a world where cosplaying connects these characters together like fate. It doesn't take an genius to see that the Inui sisters also have a passion for cosplaying, particular Sajuna. At the same time, Marin sees them as companions rather than rivals. That's because Marin seems to love everyone, and isn't a type of girl with an ego. As shown through her character interactions with the Inui sisters, she respects their tastes.
An anime like Dress Up Darling isn't without much of its flaws because let's face it, this type of rom-com isn't entirely aimed for everyone. The biggest concern is how much we should like the four main characters, particularly Marin. Even though she is attractive and fun to watch throughout the series, there's limited character development. Surprisingly, the anime doesn't dive deep into her character past either and mostly shows exactly who she is. The love she expresses to cosplaying can sometime cross the line where she ignores all boundaries of common sense. This includes stripping near naked for measurements, making suggestive comments without batting an eye, or in one episode, she even goes to a love hotel with Gojo. So yes, she's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. This often sets up Gojo as an accidental pervert as he gets front row seat at Marin's alluring figure. Luckily, the anime does take some time for Gojo to develop out of his meek self. And with each episode, he seems to grow more confidence with himself and others. It's one of the perks of the show as Marin influenced Gojo to be himself.
With an anime about cosplaying, what could go right or wrong? Obviously, it's the animation quality and more importantly, character designs. Thankfully, CloverWorks showed their colors and I mean that in an effective way. Marin is decorated with a model look with pretty face, slim figure, and overall lavish style of dressing herself. When we see her cosplay, she shows a genuine passion in her outfits ranging from Shizuku Kuroe to Black Lobelia, or even the lewd Rizu-kyun. There's no doubt the animators wanted Marin to take the stage as the poster girl and someone to advertise as a cosplayer. Gojo on the other hand had his own dress up scenes but most of them are laughable, sometimes even meme worthy. Watching the two together really feels like they came from diferent planets sometimes. However, do be aware that the show isn't shy about fan service. While there's no ecchi on the MAL entry, there's definitely suggestive scenes in the show that will arouse attention.
My Dress Up Darling is a show that take two characters with an unlikely connection and bond them with a common cause. As a rom-com, it will definitely take some time to get used to the cast and warm up to their personalities. Cosplaying isn't a hobby that everyone can just take on with a whim. It takes passion, dedication, and a goal to succeed to make it work. Gojo knows the risks and realizes that nothing in life is easy. Marin also knows that when she looks into a mirror, she is portraying a character when she's cosplaying. It's what make her human to be who she wants.
Hail_Lelouch
Another Rom-com anime, My Dress-up Darling had a brilliant animation by Cloverworks, but a poor representation of romance between the main characters. First of all, Kitagawa is way too lewd and the Gojo was too innocent. I kinda felt this duo seemed a total mismatch somehow, and couldn't even get through many irrelevant laugh that were in the show. Creating a show with a beautiful/waifu type eroge inspired female mc and an innocent good looking male mc, is not all that is needed to have a good romance. The story was not so good, and there was strong fanservice, although I am surprised how it is notecchi though. It's another Rom-com goody attempted to be on the list of best in the genre, but I felt no enjoyment watching this at all, except the animation being good (and the OP and ED as well). Let's see whether the next season develops well.
My Rating : 4/10
KANLen09
The whole tradition of Japanese Hina Dolls, and the subvertion of one de-facto activity widely treasured in the Otakudom: cosplay. Marry them both, and you'd get female mangaka Shinichi Fukuda's rom-com series that can only be represented with one word: BEAUTIFUL. Because more than anything else but the one and only definite stand-out new AOTS of the Winter 2022 season, this is a love song to the traditional Hina doll art of craftsmanship, more than just a clear-cut case of superior CloverWorks production and quality. In order to understand Sono Bisque Doll a.k.a My Dress-Up Darling that has taken the anime community by a massive heftystorm, we need to go back to its roots, to the inspiration that started this now beloved fan-favourite: the Suzuki Ningyo Doll studio with a rich history and tradition, founded in the city of Iwatsuki in Saitama Prefecture circa 1934. The tradition, now into its 3rd familial generation of Hina doll-making craftsman under Keisho Suzuki, he was approached by Fukuda to set up the base foundation for the male protag character Gojo Wakana, being aware of the intricacies and subtleties of Hina doll making, especially in the context that the protagonist is a male. And because traditional Hina doll making is always left to the stereotype that females are the ones making it, this is Shinichi Fukuda's way of breaking gender norms of "If girls can be like boys and dress and act like tomboys, why not the boys in doing "girlish" stuff like these". Through careful deliberation and consideration, the hard work came through to deliver the final product now known as Sono Bisque Doll, and this could not be done without the help of Keisho Suzuki, of which you can say that he's technically the setting supervisor in helping Shinichi Fukuda to create a stunningly beautiful translation of the portrayal of traditional Hina doll craftsmanship. Honestly, this is dedication to real-world craft that I rarely see in AniManga (aside from Runway de Waratte a.k.a Smile Down the Runway), and for Shinichi Fukuda to get this right to ultimately respect the art of doll-making, this is mission accomplished, successfully.
The backstory of Sono Bisque Doll is truly awe-inspiring, and that dedication flows right down to the characters, and once again, Shinichi Fukuda literally plays with fire when it comes to the fanservice side of things (which is always the first point of criticism), but beneath all that layering of fun, lies fictional characters that feel very close and relatable to real life.
Starting off with Best Boy Gojo Wakana, he is a stereotypical boy, but with one thing going for him: he's the basis of 3rd generation Hina doll-maker Keisho Suzuki, translated into manga form into becoming an established Hina doll craftsman. But Gojo's history is anything but pleasant. Being an orphan for his whole life, he is raised by his grandfather Kaoru to be an established Kashira-shi (Hina doll head maker), only for a bad trigger of a traumatic memory of his childhood friend to berate him on playing with Hina dolls, which caused him to become anti-social and harm his self-esteem to the point of being a reclused shut-in at times. This, in causal effect, also caused him to hide away his doll-making hobbies and remain as a loner. Gojo's character I understood VERY well, because much ado like him, I felt a sense of kindred about being maligned by society and what it truly means to be a normie in a world that favours and bends criticism to the majority. Being an Otaku too, meant that my habits were far too different for others' tastes, so much so that I felt very restricted in my own skin, and friends like Marin Kitagawa are hard to come by to truly let go of my introverted self. But if you give this guy a moment of your time to request his services, boy does Gojo deliver with his sheer tenacity and passion that overworking to the bone will eventually be nothing more than just out of habitual reasons. He works hard, and gives double as much to showcase his passion, that simply none can ever rival this innocent boy whom made a friend who's just about his extroverted equal when it comes to Otakudom.
Since we're on the topic of Marin Kitagawa, here comes Best Girl that has countlessly delivered to knock our socks off this season. Marin's a beautiful gyaru, a very energetic, happy-go-lucky girl like Nagatoro, whom also fits the teasing aspect in that regard. Marin is to Gojo like yin and yang: a hardcore Otaku with the dream to one day be an established cosplayer. Of course, being an Otaku and a cosplayer meant that she would cross swords with Gojo in school, and after realizing that he's a Hina doll maker through doing some tailoring in school, she expresses her utmost interest to inquire more about Gojo and what he does...in the most unexpected way possible: fanservice, but being careful not to cross the line for one to see it as such. In fact, Marin is more into cosplaying characters from eroge a.k.a erotic video games to magical girl series, and her drive and passion is something that I've seen only really hardcore Otakus will go far and beyond to do what they like. But deep down under, her enthusiasm sadly doesn't match her walking the talk, being clumsy and not skillful when it comes to handiworks. And that's where Gojo comes in to perfectly fit her void as her cosplay designer, his skills being taken into account when creating the perfect costumes of her favourite characters, down to the most minute of details. It's love, or should I say, wuv at first sight, because Gojo's a Yes-Man, and he'll not fail.
Honestly, Gojo and Marin are worth the Best Couple Ship of the season stealing every moment they could get, and rightfully so as both guy and girl really trade off their SWOT personality analyzes very evenly to potentially become a match made in Heaven. But, as they say: "Two's a company, and three's a crowd", I would like to add another to the mix: Four's a gathering.
And this gathering includes the Inui sisters Sajuna and Shinju. The younger sister Inui is a well-known cosplayer that's admired by her fans, and that includes Marin as well, most particularly for her nickname "Juju". A sophomore a.k.a 1st Year at an all-girls' private high school, she is physically older than both Gojo and Marin by a year, despite having the posture of a elementary student. And like Marin, she goes to great lengths to ensure that she has all she needs with her older sister Shinju being her support caddie when she does cosplay. As for Shinju, she's more developed than the typical girl of her age, which can be mistaken as an adult in a kid's body. She secretly wishes to be like her younger sister to cosplay, though her big sizes have the assumption that there'll be less cosplay material to work with. Just as with Marin, both Shinju and Gojo are at adjacent spectrums as do Marin and Sajuna being support and cosplayer positions respectively, and this is a nice trade between people in the same profession, having fun and working and ironing out issues that cosplay is only for the slim-fitted. Everyone can cosplay regardless of your body posture, and that's a message that I would like to take home myself.
It's no surprise that CloverWorks has developed somewhat of a risky business proposition by attempting to produce 3 anime in any given season, and they've been drawn a lot of flak for reasons to criticize on. The wonky production-immobilized Tokyo 24-ku a.k.a Tokyo 24th Ward has started to exhibit Wonder Egg Priority-like problems all over again, while Akebi-chan no Sailor-fuku a.k.a Akebi's Sailor Uniform is just an animation showcase more than anything. But, the better production has to go to Sono Bisque Doll, which demands a lot of attention of the staff team to translate everything to the small screen, and replicate them they did to go far and beyond the manga's already exquisite art. Director Keisuke Shinohara isn't really known for high-profile stuff, so I'd guess this finally serves as his first break-out series. But HOLY CRAP the animation that's lead by chief animation director Kazumasa Ishida, being the chief AD of SaeKano the Movie, I expected nothing but the best, and the experience was beautifully stunning. Fine details that aren't made by horrible CGI, the beautiful backdrops that are reminiscent of A-1 Pictures' work (since CloverWorks is a sister studio of A-1), and I have nothing but high praises to make even the most basic of character expressions, such as facial muscles and cheeks, look so eye-poppingly sakuga-like. And as Gojo would say it: BEAUTIFUL (as means of love).
The same greatness translates from the production, right to the music. Though I've already heard one too much of Spira Spica's songs (this OP included), I'd say that this song is alright, save for the OP visuals that really define what the anime's all about. But, BUT, it's the ED that is THE banger of the season. Truly Best ED that's sung by Akari Akase, a real cosplayer. And if that's not enough, the official MV for the song is basically fanservice for the fans as Akari Akase douses in Marin's clothing, from the school uniform to the close-to-actual cosplay sets shows in the anime. Seriously, what a PR monster Akari Akase is for both the cosplay and that "kyun~kyun~kyun~" feeling of bubbly vibes, and that sums up a legitimate 100/10 PERFECT song that I'd have already put on repeat since Day 1.
Sono Bisque Doll is a rom-com that definitely sets the standard when it comes to pure entertainment, more than just infotainment on the Hina dolls. I warn that there IS fanservice, but as mentioned, the mangaka took heart not to overstep the boundaries while keeping the tension alive. And this tension, it will kill your heart slowly for all the good reasons as we see Gojo and Marin take baby steps to acknowledge their love...er sorry, I mean, wuv for each other, while cosplay remains as the core of their relationship.
Definitely an anime that you cannot miss, especially if you're a rom-com nut like I am. I'm very impressed, though that should come as no surprise, and it all hinges on the series serving the story plot with a lot of heart and know-how about what it means to be part of the Otakudom sub-culture. The takeaway is this: it's about the inalienable joy of being able to pursue a passion, just for the sake of itself, and for the sake of being yourself. Give yourself a chance, and go for it! This is beautiful wuv that hits the heartstrings so eloquently.
personnelaccount
**THIS IS MY 2ND REVIEW ON ANIME. I WILL MAKE A LOT OF MISTAKES.** **I HAVE DELETED AND REWROTE MY PRELIM REVIEW SINCE I HAVE FINISHED THE SHOW ALREADY** I really don't get the high rating for this anime, I really don't... Well, maybe I do because it was made by CloverWorks. When I saw that the show was made by CloverWorks, I was fascinated, to say the least. They have come back to create another anime, Sono Bisque Doll, ever since the disaster of WEP Special. And this time, it is a romcom. Don't get me wrong. I love romcoms, if they're funny and make mefeel comfortable, but Sono Bisque Doll is pretty interesting. I do understand that it has the ecchi tag, but there are some things that I don't feel comfortable with.
The first thing I notice is the story. Basically, it is about some kid who we learn his name is Gojo. He likes to sew and create aesthetics for dolls, which is cool. He then gets discouraged by some sexist girl who says that boys aren't supposed to be interested in creating dolls. This shit absolutely mind-boggles and leaves Gojo with PTSD for the rest of his life. He has no friends and is basically a loner, as we learn from his breakfast with his grandpa. He then goes to school and meets Kitagawa, a very pretty girl who is into otaku culture and likes hentai games. Kitagawa notices Gojo creating a doll after school, and asks him to create cosplay for her as she strips in front of him. They somehow become friends because of this.
The story itself is pretty bland, nothing that interesting. It decision of how trauma is displayed is pretty poor and cringe. The art is pretty good, considering its CloverWorks, look at their other works. The characters. What can I say about them? Well, they are pretty bad. I don't see any problems with Gojo, except that he can sometimes act like a Naoto from Nagatoro. And Marin... she's just the 3rd waifu bait that CloverWorks has had in their animes besides Mai from BGS and 02 from DITF. Not only that, but her personality is very annoying. I do understand she does have that optimistic personality, but I just don't like it. Juju is an alright character. She just likes to cosplay. Nothing else to say about her. Her sister tho... is pretty unrealistic as she has a huge rack for a middle schooler. She is also a dandere and lil clumsy, but her character doesn't really bother me at all. That's all I need to say about the characters.
As I ventured through the episodes of the show, I just felt very weirded out. I was confused about how Marin was falling for Gojo. I don't get what's so interesting about him, but its a romcom, so they need romance somehow~
So yeah, that's it. See you on the flip side.
Marinate1016
In recent seasons, Cloverworks have seemingly mastered the art of the slice of life romcom. Sono Bisque is the latest jewel in their SoL crown and is a must watch for anyone looking for a fun anime. Story-wise, Sono Bisque is actually pretty unique. While it plays on many of the same high school romcom tropes we’re accustomed to, Gojo’s background as a hina dollmaker manages to add a fresh twist on things. The art of doll making is not something I can ever say that I had an interest in, yet the anime approaches it in such a way that you can’t help but wantto learn more. On top of that, it being a seinen, the relationship between Gojo and Marin is handled in a much more mature and organic way than you typically get in romcoms. Obviously it’s still anime, and you have the usual bashful/flustered moments between characters, but the relationship between the two MCs develops pretty realistically and naturally for anime standards.
Gojo and Marin are perfect examples of the saying “opposites attract” While on the outside, it seems Marin has everything a high schooler could want, she’s incredibly lonely and doesn’t have anyone who really understands her. Gojo on the other hand, is the traditional reclusive high schooler who is lonely, but doesn’t really know how to express that besides working on his dolls. They come into each other’s lives at the perfect time and add exactly what the other was missing.
If you’re active on anime twitter, reddit or any other anime forum it’s pretty much impossible to have not seen Marin this season, and for good reason. Not only does she have one of the best character designs I’ve seen in an anime, but her personality is is extremely inviting. You could honestly just watch the show for her and not be disappointed at all. Some prudes may complain about the fanservice which rears its head from time to time in the anime, but I did not find it to be an issue at all. Anime is meant to be an escape from the world and indulge your fantasies. Fan service is one of the best parts of any romcom and the author nailed it here. The comedy in this show manages to land very well, too. A lot of times Japanese humour can be hit or miss, but the author definitely manages to hit more times than he misses in this one which is great.
Aesthetically, in typical Cloverworks fashion, this show looks absolutely beautiful. Storyboards, art, animation, it’s all gorgeous. I’ve noticed over the course of the past two years, CW have improved substantially with every project they touch and their future looks very bright.
In short, Sono Bisque was by far the best show of Winter 2022 and unlike most hyped shows, actually deserves all the popularity and praise it gets.
Sono Bisque gets an easy 10/10.
DragonTheOne
Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru is the textbook definition of waifu bait, self-insert, perfect ideal girl anime. There is nothing much going on for the plot other than to deliver more dates with Marin for self-inserting pleasure. Gojo meets Marin, who is a beautiful girl with a passion for cosplay. They befriended and Gojo becomes Marin's personal tailor, making different cosplay dresses for her. Marin's character is made to be flawless and the most perfectly imaginable waifu that will appeal to a wide audience, and she falls head over heels for the MC (of course). Let me set this straight, I am not tryingto say that having a likable and flawless character is a bad thing, but when it comes to the story, a perfect character can still be put through tribulations or dilemmas that will test the resilience of their values. This show has none of it.
The story centers around the relationship between Marin and Gojo and not much goes on other than delivering wholesome sweet moments with Marin. There is no character development and the relationship with Marin stays the same for 13 episodes. Every episode mimics going on a date with Marin, and the plot exists to solely enable that. It is perfect for viewing pleasure and to self-insert into Gojo, but there is barely any drama or depth to the plot to form a compelling story. After finishing the series, Marin is a character that I completely do not feel any emotional connection towards because the plot has never allowed it to happen.
SpRayquaza11
The author of sono bisque dollwa is either a genius or just plain fucking lucky. Ecchi romance is still a hard game to play with the western audience, We love ecchi ofc :3, but we love it ONLY IF IT IS Tasteful, This is simply not possible if we take the staple IDEAL JAPANESE BLACK hair girl since their appeal is they ARE SHY, MODEST ETC or the Tsundere. Now how do you find a girl that appeals to Western fans, While still remaining loyal to your Japanese audience? Enter the GYARU girl Gyaru is a Japanese fad of the 90s I think which was popular among younggirls, they resemble westerners much more than they do the Japanese. However the girls are STILL Japanese hence Kitagawa marin is an absolute WIN-WIN. Now to balance out the Japanese aspect the guy is the traditional Japanese guy!
perfectly balanced as all things should be,
Now, We cant call Kitagawa going full underwear for no reason wholesome ecchi amirite?
Make it a cosplaying anime, where getting nude isn't pointless and different costumes only add to the already appealing charm of Kitagawa while maintaining common sense (no more slip and fall inside skirt ! :3)
Romance anime may seem complex but the good ones are rather simple, Koroshi AI of this season tried the former, and Welp that is pretty much why many reading this review would have never even heard of it. Dollwa hits all the points carefully and perfectly and becomes a great slice of life, romance, and infotainment anime!
Clover works, even after their numerous mistakes have done a great job of bringing the authors really good vision to life! The original manga is adapted almost 1:1 with a lot of visual treats (in more ways than one might think :3). The explanation of costume and cosplaying is more simplified in anime than in the manga, it might be a welcome change for those who are here for the romance (Or …) but I would have loved the same amount of detail as in the manga but this is only a minor occurrence.
Plot (8/10)
I'll be blunt, some might find the theme of cosplaying rather boring and I won't blame them , But if you are able to get into the details and appreciate the effort, cost, and enthusiasm for it, or hell if you are a cosplayer yourself, there is a lot you can learn from this series. The MC grows through this and his interaction with the girls makes him understand human nature better than before due to his social anxiety, and that improves his ability to paint Hina dolls because he is able to understand human expressions a lot better through them, the potential for character development is also quite high!
Characters(8/10)
The main duo is always the main focus for most of the time, Gojo is a nice coming of age character who grows slowly with the energy and influence of marin who is a polar opposite confident, genki and sociable girl, who is headstrong and very protective of her hobbies and friends. Gojo starts to improve when he had hit a slump just because of Marin and his interactions and involvement changes him for the better the character development of gojo as he improves as a person, and marin as she slowly becomes more dere is worth the watch.
Art and animation (7/10)
It's noticeable in the art that much more photography is used rather than hand-drawn imagery, which is probably why I feel that the art in the manga is superior, especially during the beach episode where the lighting and scenery made it inherently clear that the 2 D characters do not belong into the 3D photographic Background.Animation is actually very good, its actually kind of overkill level of animation XD since this is a slice-of-life romance yet it has more frames than SDS season3 and 4 combined lol.I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE ED ART its just so fucking adorable and well-made OP art is also really good and kind of overkill again clover works really went all out for this one.
Sound and VA (8/10)
Gojo turning into Giga chad at times is delivered really well by his VA and really adds to the hilarity of the scene XD. The voice of marin is nice and here WUV lines and gyaru characteristics are done very well by the talented VA, I LOVE THE ED song and art both i wish more Romance animes try this adorable laid back style music and art-wise. The rest of the characters have standard loli or standard nice woman VA with nothing much of note they do a good job with what they have though.
I would not say that the ECCHi is tasteful however, most of the time it is shoved right in at every opportunity and lots of panty shots, as well as oversexualizing a minor who is like 13 and has unreal tits, so welp if you can't handle stuff like that, I would advise steering clear. Its an easy recommendation for anyone who can handle a bit of ecchi and has even a slight interest in the cosplay world.
NomineMalum
Dress Up Darling review contains mild spoilers Is this peak romance? Another season another romcom to put a smile on my face every week. Although it's not the best that I have watched, My Dress-Up Darling still shows why romcom is one of the best anime genres. FIRST IMPRESSIONS My first impression of the show was that Kitagawa is way too lewd and the Gojo was too innocent. I kinda felt this duo seemed a total mismatch somehow, and couldn't even get through many irrelevant laugh that were in the show. Creating a show with a beautiful/waifu type eroge inspired female mc and an innocent good looking male mc,is not all that is needed to have a good romance. I thought The story was not so good, and there was strong fanservice, although I am surprised how it is not ecchi though. It's another Rom-com goody attempted to be on the list of best in the genre, but I felt no enjoyment watching this at all, except the animation being good (and the OP and ED as well).
BUT BOY HOW WRONG WAS I ABOUT THIS SHOW
The relationship between two main characters with completely opposite social personalities was adorable. The unique element of this show was beautifully mixing cosplaying and making hina dolls, two seemingly unrelated hobbies. And just like other romcom, the more I watched the more I'm dying to see that peak romance moment. The show did a great job at making you excited while teasing you at the same time. There were a good deal of moments that became heated very fast.
I've almost completed the manga and it's really good. The story is simple but heart-warming and the characters are really likable particularly Marin & Wakana. The cosplaying cloths are superb.
STORY
It is a pretty basic premise: a loner boy with a fascination for designing Hina dolls, meets a gyaru who wanted him to make her a cosplay outfit of her favorite character from an eroge video game series. Besides that, I really love the interactions between the two main characters, and I find some of the information on clothing and textiles interesting. With both characters being so likable, you'd want them to both succeed in their goals.
FANSERVICE
It's definitely there considering the premise, but I'm not really too bothered by it. In fact, the fanservice goes hand in hand with Marin: she is depicted as a free spirit who does not care what others think about her and demonstrates clearly her passion for what she loves. But I also love the show because of how Gojo feels like a fish out of water. You can easily tell he was never exposed to anything like anime or pop culture which makes Marin the perfect outlet for Gojo to see through. For a story about an eccentric girl gradually pulling a boy out of his comfort zone, I think it is purely wholesome.
CHARACTERS
The characters are portrayed as being people instead of filled with anime rom-com clichés. Gojo starts off as being awkward and introverted, but there is nothing creepy about it. On the contrary: Gojo is a very endearing character who at first did not want to be despised for his interest in Hina dolls due to some traumatizing experience from his past. Because of Marin, he is able to feel validated in what he loved and open up more. I also commend him for being a true goat when he thought that the deadline for Marin's outfit was coming soon. He can be very determined when he wants to be.
Marin, to be frank, is the main reason I can see why several people watched the anime. Far from being a stereotypically cruel popular girl, she is instead kind and understanding not to mention patient with Gojo even when he tried avoiding her in one episode. She was fascinated by Gojo's hobby rather than creeped out by it and is so contagiously optimistic and preppy, it will rub off on you.
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
are also pretty good for the most part. I love Gojo's Grandpa and his reactions are hilarious. Sajuna, another cosplayer who is Marin's idol, off the top of my head, I do not like her. She establishes herself as bratty and even resorts to trying to blackmail Gojo in order to get a cosplay outfit off him. Normally in a lot of these shows, what keeps them from being masterpieces to me is when a third wheel is introduced oftentimes to combat with the other potential love interest in a Betty v. Veronica fashion a cliché that is overused and should die in a fire.
ANIMATION
I love the attention to detail when it comes to designing the clothes or gathering the materials needed. The shading is also vibrant and lovely. The only minor nitpick I had come with a frontal view of a character: they have a noticeable black spot in the middle of their face. It is there to represent the tip of the nose, obviously, but it is distracting.
SOUND
The opening and ending themes are bops, and everyone does a good job with the material they are given.
CONCLUSION
if you like anime about cosplaying and cute character interactions, this could be a show for you. It is indeed a hilarious and adorable romcom.
9/10 Can't wait for Season 2 of this show!
bambooo_ooo
WHAT THE HELL I JUST WATCHED ?! What a waste of time. This romantic comedy had very little romance. Had some comedy I must admit, I smiled a few times. But mostly it's tits, butt, clothes, butt, tits, makeups, dressing up, clothes, more butt and tits. That sums it up, that's all! The balance of content is ridiculous here - I guess they tried to warn us with the title.. From the middle I was mostly skipping through endless discussions about clothes and cosplay in hope of reaching something meaningful. And I didn't find it. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK! Up until the ending, which feltso hamfisted like they at the last moment realized hey, that supposed to be romantic show, lets shove something in there for good measure. Maybe it worked for some but it was so little, so out of place with the rest of the show, it didn't work for me. They are making a second season and I really hope they will not repeat the same mistakes. I REALLY, REALLY ADVISE - if you plan to watch it regardless, wait for the second season. See if it'll turn out MUCH better, then maybe it's worth investing the time to at least fast forward through the first one.
UNLESS you expect tons of cosplay, clothes, boobs and butts, served non stop........ then go ahead.
Characters. Eh all two of them, really.
Goju is a shy guy that supposedly alenated himself because of some vague childhood trauma. A girls laughed at his dream of making dolls. It's not very believable. He's calm, hard working, sensible. He worries alot, he's dedicated and focused on helping Marin. Good cook, cares about family etc.. Overall a nice guy. He would be a great pair to a girl with somewhat similar qualities, that could create a better romance. But instead he's paired to --
Marin. She's your typical pixie dream girl. Ubelievable, manufactured, synthetic. She has absolutely NO sense of boundaries and shame towards Goju and in about every episode (if not every other scene) she tortures him by showing off her body for about any reason. He's enduring it like a hero but she's basically clueless about how can he feel. She has a vague background, she is always cheerful, positive etc. To the point of being unbearable. Has alot of friends (which are not present anyhow in the show). Of course she lives alone and works as a model... And happily jumps in the pool when she can't swim. Because it was hot. About the only thing that surprised me was that sometimes we had access to her thoughts, which made her only a bit more nuanced. I guess it's not common in such shows - it's usually one of the two that we hear thoughts of. Though the ratio here is way off. We have constant stream of Gojo's thoughts but just a few instances of Marin. Maybe she doesn't think that much..
Animation. Is nice. I may be picky but they are using rotoscopy quite often. This gives a very specific feeling to the animation. Like it's not animation naymore, it's a bit like cheating - recording live action and tracing the it to animation. It looks a bit off. I'm not a fan of it. Otherwise characters look strangely shiny, not a fan either. But overall was okay.
Can't comment on music, I can't remember anything about it.
I'll sum up by saying this. How many moments from the show I desire to revisit, because they were interesting or evoked certain emotions I'd like to relive. Zero. Nothing left an impression in my memory. Sadly, it's a disposable show to me.
DarkSpaceVRP
For some time now, I've wanted to write a review about this anime. I think it's good to express my opinion on this work since in addition to practicing my writing a little, I can also express some points about this anime. From now on, this review will be extremely negative so feel free to disagree with my opinion. I was at the beginning of 2022 (my god how fast time passes) and I came across a new anime from CloverWorks, a producer that despite some disasters like The Promissed Neverland and Darling In The Fraxx, knows how to make good anime like Spy x Family,Horimiya and Wonder Egg Priority. Since at that time I didn't have anything better to do other than go to school and sleep, I watched any anime that came out during the season and Dress-Up Darling was no exception. I had very high expectations about this anime but in the end I ended up being disappointed.
The anime's proposal isn't interesting at all, but it can still captivate those niche otakus, simply a hot girl and a doll maker in a silly relationship etc etc... It can't be that bad, can it?
Yes! It's horrible!
The execution is a disaster, the anime fails to convey any message in a subtle way or convey any feeling to the viewer, the anime fails in all aspects of the script. When they tried to convey a message in the first few episodes to viewers like, "Don't give up! Try hard!" They simply passed in the most ridiculous way possible, making the protagonist sleepless because of a promise he made to a girl he had just met. What kind of message do you want to send to the viewer? (Deprive yourself of sleep for women you disgusting otaku) or something like that. So far so good, it's still an anime despite being scripturally weak and people have a lot of hype, it should be good. I think that continuing to watch this anime was one of the worst decisions I could have made, this anime is a degradation for the anime industry, it uses such cheap humor and just focuses the production on Ecchi scenes, which embarrasses anyone with the minimal sense. The backstory is completely uninteresting and the protagonists' relationships are completely superficial. And it can even get worse! To get some drama or anything even remotely interesting, they put a second girl in the anime, at this point the script borders on insanity, bringing one of the worst scenes I've ever seen in my life. What's the fun in making jokes about a girl the protagonist doesn't even know naked in front of him?
Maybe I'm getting old or my sense of humor is completely outdated, but even if I tried, I couldn't entertain myself watching this anime. It has nothing good except the Ecchi scenes, and if the anime were to focus on Ecchi they would have had to make a Hentai that would have been much more logical. In fact, if this anime were a Hentai it would be much better, it would reach the target audience more easily and no one would be able to complain about how bad its backstory is, being able to spend money without worrying on degenerate scenes, made only to make otakus excited.
For me, nothing will ever explain how high this average score is. Even the song by The Smiths called Still Ill manages to convey a better message about the feelings of romance in 3 minutes of music, than this anime that depends on 12 episodes with 24 minutes each to fail to deliver anything to the viewer. And to finish, I'm going to write an excerpt from the song that expresses my opinion about current romance animes: "It just wasn't like, the old days anymore, no it wasn't like those days... am I still ill?".
evangelionlove
We all watch anime for different reasons. Some want the adrenaline rush a shonen or sports anime can provide. Some like the laid-back nature of slice of lifes. Some like the philosophy presented in psychological anime. Others watch for waifus, which is the audience Dress Up Darling appeals to. As someone who doesn’t watch anime for that reason, I found this series to be mediocre. The characters are as lazy as they come. Gojo is a high school student who has an usual hobby of making Hina dolls. When he gets teased for it as a child, he believes he must hide this side ofhimself, which, in turn, leads him to having no friends. Marin, on the other hand, is just waifubait. She serves as a fantasy for otakus; she accepts him for who he is, likes anime, likes cosplaying, has an hourglass figure, is a virgin, super nice, eccentric, anything you can think of. The only “flaw” with her is that she can’t cook, but that's to feed into her quirky side. The series exists for loners to insert themselves into Gojo’s shoes so they can pretend to be with Marin. There is a will they/won't they plot going on between them, and it is very annoying, as Gojo is so timid at points that it was cringe to watch. The reason the series prevents these two from dating is to keep the audience invested, since the characterization is weak. Shows like Kare Kano and Monogatari can have the characters date early because they have actual character; further episodes will explore the conflicts that come up in their relationship, which would happen due to their personalities. This also makes those series far more interesting, since the end goal isn’t getting together, it’s staying together. I can only watch “I would’ve confessed if not only for this conveniently timed phone call” so many times.
There is some symbolism, but it doesn't mean anything. In episode one, Marin embraces Gojo’s cut up hand to show how she’ll be the one who will heal or accept his wounds. In the beach episode, Gojo dips his toes into the water, before completely soaking in it to symbolize his discovery of not only the world of cosplay, but a world that involves acceptance and friendship. The reason these don’t mean anything is also because of the characterization. The definition of Manic Pixie Dream Girl is a whimsical, quirky, eccentric woman character who shows a depressed, lonely, male character a “new world” and accepts him for who he is. The symbolism just re-enforces the obvious. There is a visual parallel of Gojo embracing someone’s hands to show that he now has the strength to help others, but to classify this as character development would be laughable.
The reason I’m reviewing this is because the series feeds into the otaku life, but making Hina dolls and cosplaying would be the PERFECT subtext to criticize it. The series could have served as allegory to the otaku life, where Gojo “creates'' the perfect woman (waifus) with his Hina dolls, and his character arc would be to touch grass and realize real life isn’t like anime and manga, and people are flawed. Making Hina dolls would warp his perception of beauty and set his standards at perfect. Maybe Marin isn’t too pretty, has slept around to make herself feel validated, and wants to cosplay to be anyone but herself. Gojo takes her as his muse, symbolism for how men feel the need to “fix” women; he falls in love with her despite her flaws, and realizes he is a flawed person himself. I get that not everything has to be an art film, but it would be a hell of a lot more interesting if it was this way instead of another run of the mill waifubait anime. In my opinion, this would also make the show more wholesome than people believe it is.
This paragraph will focus on positives. The series is easily digestible and kept my attention. Admittedly, there are some cute moments. The technical side of the house is solid. The series has good shot composition and framing, and there are some interesting moments with its presentation. There are multiple still image montages, as most of the animation budget went to the boob psychics; you definitely know where the production team had their priorities. The designs of Marin and the cosplay characters are good. The music is pleasant on the ear, although there was one scene that really bugged me with how it was used. They play soft piano when the little sister of the other cosplayer was explaining how she didn't think she could cosplay even though she wanted to, trying to make me feel sorry for a character who has had about 5 minutes of screen time before that point. The series should’ve been diegetic in that scene, as just hearing the rain would be serviceable enough, and would feel less manipulative. There are a few scenes with bad comedic timing, but there are funny gags here and there, even if some were unintentional.
In conclusion, Dress up Darling is just another run of the mill waifubait anime. If you’ve seen one before, you’ve basically seen this already. If you like those types of anime, I’m sure you will love this. If you don’t, I’m sure you will hate this. It’s better than most waifubait anime, but that’s still not a very high bar to clear.
