My Dress Up Darling, Anime Recommendation of the Week!
Article at a glance:
- My Dress-Up Darling features a likable male protagonist and a believable romance dynamic, making it stand out among other romance anime.
- Both main characters, Marin and Gojo, are well-developed with unique personalities, breaking the mold of typical romance anime stereotypes.
- High-quality animation from CloverWorks and a catchy soundtrack enhance the overall experience, though the excessive fan service can be distracting.
I am pretty sure that everyone has at least heard of this anime. I know that My Dress Up Darling is mostly famous for its fan service and all the “fanart” it spawned, a lot of people don’t realize that there is a genuinely good show underneath all of that. It is one of the few romance animes that give the male MC a personality and the show tries its best to make him likable. It is very obvious why Marin likes him and eventually, things do work out for them. You’ll know this especially well if you’ve read the recent chapters of the manga.
So yeah, welcome back to another edition of our anime recommendation series. As we wait for more Season 2 news, let’s talk about My Dress Up Darling this week! Let’s get started.
Introduction
My Dress Up Darling is based on the manga of the same name by Fukuda Shinichi. The manga has been serialized in Young Gangan magazine since January 2018 and is still ongoing. As for the anime, it is made by CloverWorks. Currently, it has a single season of 12 episodes that aired in Winter 2022. A second season has been confirmed but we have no other details on it so far.
Plot
Like all romance/SOL anime, the plot is pretty simple. Kitagawa Marin is a typical gyaru but she loves anime and wants to cosplay. But she can’t make her own costumes because she has no talent for it. Gojo Wakana is a Hina Doll maker who wishes to achieve his grandfather’s level of expertise in doll-making one day, One day, after school, while trying to make an outfit for herself, Marin discovers Gojo’s prowess in sewing. And she tells him all about her hobby, moved by her passion and hoping to find something to better his own skills, Gojo agrees to make her outfit.
And well, things just go on from there. Gojo learns that the most “accurate” fabric may not be the most comfortable one to wear and stuff. Marin also starts admiring Gojo for how dedicated he is to his craft and learning. It is simple, but it works. The plot provides ample opportunities for the characters to grow and shine, exactly what a romance/SOL anime plot should do and it is paced decently well.
Characters
Gojo and Marin are two really good characters. Despite seeming like the typical “popular girl” Marin’s characters are a lot more nuanced. And Gojo isn’t the typical “loner” type either, he is just genuinely a shy and reserved person. It takes him a moment to open up to Marin as well. Their dynamic and character development are quite well done. There aren’t that many important side characters outside of the Inui sisters and Gojo’s grandfather but they’re good additions to the cast and complement the main pair nicely.
Animations and Soundtracks
The opening theme, San San Days by Spira Spica is nice and catchy, I really like it. The BGM overall is decent and it is CloverWorks, so of course, the animations are good as well. But here also lies my main issue with this anime. The excessive amount of fan service. I understand it to an extent but in this show, the fan service often becomes distracting and I really wish they toned it down just a little bit. But yeah, no other complaints aside from that.
Summing Up
Here’s why you should watch My Dress Up Darling:
- Good plot
- Great characters
- Awesome character development
- Actually good male MC (pretty rare in romance animes)
That is all for now. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. I will take my leave here. Check out this week’s LN recommendation here and see ya!
