My Dress-Up Darling (Japanese: その着せ替え人形は恋をする, Hepburn: Sono Bisuku Dōru wa Koi o Suru, transl. "That Bisque Doll Falls in Love")[a] is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shinichi Fukuda. It began serialization in Square Enix's Young Gangan in January 2018, and has been compiled into twelve volumes as of September 2023[update]. An anime television series adaptation produced by CloverWorks aired from January to March 2022. A sequel has been announced.
By October 2023, the manga had 10 million copies in circulation. The series has been met with critical acclaim.
Premise
Wakana Gojo's passion for crafting hina dolls causes him to hide his interests due to social trauma. However, when his beautiful and popular classmate Marin Kitagawa discovers his talent, she sees beyond his apparent idiosyncrasies and encourages him to create cosplay costumes. With Marin's support, Wakana steps out of his seclusion and begins to gain confidence. Working together, they create unique and beautiful costumes showcasing their talents and true selves.
A first-year high school student. Being an orphan, he was raised by his grandfather, a craftsman of hina dolls, who also inspired him to become a kashira-shi (頭師), a craftsman who makes the heads of hina dolls. Wakana has a large physique and is over 180 cm tall, but he has low self-esteem and is reclusive due to a bitter memory of being criticized by his female childhood friend, who thought that boys should not be playing with dolls, ending their friendship. As a result, he hid his doll-making hobby and had no friends until he met Marin. Thanks to Marin's encouragement and support, Wakana steps out of his comfort zone and embraces his love for crafting. He grows more confident with each project, and through their collaboration, Wakana finds a sense of belonging in the cosplay community that he had never experienced before. Wakana grows closer to Marin, although he seems to be completely unaware to her falling in love with him, and only sees her as a partner.
A first-year student in Wakana's high school class. An archetype of a gyaru, notable for her warmth, friendliness, positivity, and outgoing nature. Marin is shown to dislike overly critical people who judge others based on their interests. She is a huge fan of anime, and her entire bedroom is decorated with anime posters and merchandise. After a series of successful cosplays, Marin grows closer to Wakana and eventually realizes she is head-over-heels in love with him. She continually does whatever she can to invite him to different places and spend time with him, as a way to win his heart and make him her boyfriend, although Wakana seems to be completely oblivious to her feelings for him. She lives alone as her mother died when she was a child, and her father is often away due to work.
A cosplayer who presents herself under the nickname of "Juju" (ジュジュ). She is a second-year student at an all-girls private high school. However, despite being a year older than Wakana and Marin, Sajuna's youthful appearance and petite figure means she is often mistaken for a middle school student. She is outspoken, blunt, and headstrong, going to great lengths to achieve her goals. Sajuna cherishes her younger sister Shinju and does all she can to make her happy. Like Marin, she is a fan of cosplay.
Sajuna's younger sister. Shinju is a middle school student. She is 178 cm tall and is sometimes mistaken for an adult. However, despite her imposing physique, she is incredibly timid. Shinju is close to her sister and holds her in very high regard. When Sajuna cosplays, Shinju assumes the role of photographer, using a DSLR camera borrowed from their father. She is also skilled at using a computer, processing and uploading the images she takes. While Shinju secretly wishes to cosplay herself, she fears falling short of her sister's high standards. Nevertheless, she starts to cosplay after encouragement from the others.
Shinichi Fukuda set Wakana as an orphan without friends in order to create a situation where he has to solve problems with Marin, instead of his parents or other friends.[9]
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Shinichi Fukuda, the series began serialization in Young Gangan on January 19, 2018.[10] The individual chapters are collected and published by Square Enix, with 12 tankōbon volumes being released as of September 2023[update].[11] An official fan book was released on September 24, 2022.[12]
During the Anime Expo in July 2019, Square Enix announced the English version of the series under the title My Dress-Up Darling and published it under its new publication imprint Square Enix Manga & Books.[13]
An anime television series adaptation was announced in the ninth issue of Young Gangan, which was published on April 16, 2021.[44] It was produced by CloverWorks and directed by Keisuke Shinohara, with Yoriko Tomita handling the series' scripts, and Kazumasa Ishida designing the characters and serving as chief animation director. Takeshi Nakatsuka composed the series' music.[45] It aired from January 9 to March 27, 2022, on Tokyo MX and other networks.[3][b] The opening theme song is "Sansan Days" (燦々デイズ, lit. "Sun-Drenched Days") by Spira Spica, while the ending theme song is "Koi no Yukue" (恋ノ行方, lit. "Where Love Is") by Akari Akase.[47]
Funimation licensed the series outside of Asia.[48] On January 28, 2022, Funimation announced that the series would receive an English dub, which premiered the following day.[5] Following Sony's acquisition of Crunchyroll, the dub was moved over to Crunchyroll. Muse Communication licensed the series in Southeast Asia.[49]
A sequel was announced on September 17, 2022, via the anime's official Twitter account.[50]
"Someone Who Lives in the Exact Opposite World as Me" Transliteration: "Jibun to wa Magyaku no Sekai de Ikite Iru Hito" (Japanese: 自分とは真逆の世界で生きている人)
Keisuke Shinohara
Yoriko Tomita
Keisuke Shinohara
January 9, 2022 (2022-01-09)
Wakana Gojo is an insecure but passionate hina dolltailor. Due to his hobby, Gojo isolates himself out of fear of ridicule from others. One day, Gojo meets Marin Kitagawa, a popular classmate. While he is on cleaning duty after school, Kitagawa arrives, and they have a conversation where she tells him he needs to be honest about his true feelings. That night, Gojo reflects on what Kitagawa had told him. When his sewing machine stops working, his grandfather expresses his desire to buy a new one. While a new machine is being delivered, Gojo decides to use the one present in his school's sewing room. However, Kitagawa arrives, and instead of laughing at him, she expresses her admiration for his tailoring skills. Suddenly, Kitagawa removes her clothes and shows Gojo a cosplay outfit of a video game character she has been working on, which he inadvertently berates. She then asks him if he can make one, explaining how important the character Shizuku Kuroe is to her. Despite having never done clothing for a real person before, Gojo agrees to assist her and promises to do his best, much to Kitagawa's delight.
2
"Wanna Hurry Up, and Do It?" Transliteration: "Sassoku, Shiyokka?" (Japanese: さっそく、しよっか？)
Yoshihiro Hiramine
Yoriko Tomita
Yoshihiro Hiramine
January 16, 2022 (2022-01-16)
Kitagawa explains her desire to cosplay as Shizuku, a female character from the erotic video gameSlippery Girls 2, perplexing Gojo. She then explains that gender does not matter when one enjoys doing something, to which he agrees. Afterward, she gives him an instruction booklet on making cosplay outfits. The next day, an eager Kitagawa unexpectedly arrives at Gojo's shop. Gojo feels uneasy about taking her measurements while naked, but an unfazed Kitagawa strips down to reveal she came wearing a bathing suit. When he inquires if she finds this embarrassing, she responds she is not. As such, Gojo pushes his impure thoughts aside and begins measuring Kitagawa more professionally. Despite his concentration, a flustered Gojo has difficulty measuring her bust and inseam, though he eventually obtains the complete measurements. Gojo then asks Kitagawa if she has any references for Shizuku, prompting her to give him both Slippery Girls titles. Later that night, Gojo plays the games for research, much to his grandfather's dismay.
The night before returning to school, Gojo has a vivid wet dream about Kitagawa. At school, Gojo evades Kitagawa for most of the day. She finally manages to find him at the school entrance and asks if he wants to go shopping for the materials needed for the outfit. However, Gojo reluctantly refuses. When Kitagawa finds him again, Gojo explains why he left. Seeing his low self-esteem, she assures him they are friends. They head to multiple stores to shop. Later that night, they head to a ramen shop, where they embarrass and worry the other customers when they discuss the Slippery Girls games. Walking back, Gojo tells Kitagawa because of his line of work, he can only call things beautiful or pretty when he truly means it. Before they part ways, Kitagawa mentions an upcoming cosplay event in two weeks. Seeing how little time he has to design the outfit, Gojo worries.
4
"Are These Your Girlfriend's?" Transliteration: "Kore, Kanojo no Toka?" (Japanese: これ、彼女のとか？)
Yūichirō Komuro
Yoriko Tomita
Yūichirō Komuro
January 30, 2022 (2022-01-30)
With a two-week deadline to prepare Kitagawa's outfit, Gojo becomes stressed. When he heads home, his grandfather falls over after seeing one of the contents in Gojo's bag as it fell out. As such, Gojo takes him to the hospital, where his cousin, Miori, joins him. At school, Gojo explains what happened to Kitagawa. Genuinely worried, she tells him she wants to help him in any way possible, so they exchange their contact information. Thanks to all the tasks he had to do, an exhausted Gojo becomes distraught until he remembers a conversation he had with his grandfather, which reinvigorates him. The next day, Gojo tells Kitagawa he finished the outfit, much to her surprise. When she admits she did not clearly convey the situation to him, Gojo is relieved to know he still has time to complete the outfit. However, Kitagawa breaks down crying and apologizes profusely. Gojo calms her down by telling her it will be worth it if she is happy with the outfit. When Kitagawa puts it on, she is immensely pleased with the results.
5
"It's Probably Because This Is the Best Boob Bag Here" Transliteration: "Kono Naka de Ichiban Ii Chichibukuro da kara jan?" (Japanese: この中で一番いい乳袋だからじゃん？)
Takashi Sakuma
Yoriko Tomita
Yoshihiro Hiramine
February 6, 2022 (2022-02-06)
Kitagawa excitedly asks Gojo to take some pictures of her. When he does, he asks her to pose more as Shizuku would. Once happy with the results, Kitagawa uploads the pictures on social media. She then tells Gojo they shall attend a cosplay event the following day. Kitagawa is incredibly excited when they arrive there, while Gojo is more restrained. Later, several attendees approach Kitagawa to take her picture. While he watches Kitagawa have fun, Gojo wonders if this will be the last time they will hang out together, having fulfilled his promise. When they reunite, she explains her dress is becoming uncomfortable due to the intense heat, so they head inside to cool off and alleviate her stress. Feeling better, Kitagawa tells Gojo they shall return to the plaza one last time before leaving. She meets with a lady who had asked her for a picture earlier. When they head home, Kitagawa asks Gojo what cosplay they should work on next, much to his relief. A drowsy Gojo then tells her she looks beautiful. Kitagawa is stunned as she remembers what Gojo previously said concerning this issue.
Gojo's grandfather returns home, and he is shocked when he sees Gojo and Kitagawa hanging out together. Once they clear up the situation, Kitagawa realizes she has fallen in love with Gojo. Kitagawa tells Gojo and his grandfather about her family situation and questionable eating habits as they eat dinner. The next day, a young girl named Sajuna Inui arrives at the shop during a downpour, and Gojo's grandfather invites her inside. Following an embarrassing first meeting and misunderstanding, Sajuna eventually tells Gojo she wants to commission a cosplay outfit, revealing that she is "Juju," the cosplayer Kitagawa previously mentioned. When Kitagawa arrives, she is starstruck by Juju's presence. While they talk, Juju expresses her desire to cosplay as Shion Nikaido, a character from the anime Flower Princess Blaze!!, of whom Kitagawa is also a fan. When Juju asks Kitagawa why she does not want to cosplay as Shion despite being a fan, she responds that their physiques do not match. As such, Juju gains immense respect for Kitagawa as a cosplayer. Before she leaves, Juju asks Gojo for his contact information. She then realizes that Gojo and Kitagawa are not dating.
7
"A Home Date with the Guy I Wuv Is the Best" Transliteration: "Shukipi to Ouchi Dēto Yaba" (Japanese: しゅきぴとおうちデートやばっ)
Juju declines Kitagawa's proposal to do a group cosplay until Kitagawa and Gojo offer to split the studio fees. Gojo decides to watch Flower Princess Blaze!! for research. Later that night, his grandfather praises his improvement and encourages him to practice his tailoring and makeup skills with Kitagawa. Gojo arrives at Kitagawa's apartment the next day, only to find her disheveled. When she finally lets him in, she tells him they should watch the series together. As they do so, Kitagawa realizes she is having a home date with Gojo. Just then, her stomach grumbles, and he offers to buy something. However, Kitagawa insists on cooking a homemade meal. Despite not going as planned, Kitagawa is delighted when Gojo legitimately enjoys her omurice. Back home, Gojo calls Juju and sends her his detailed sketches. Juju is shocked to learn Kitagawa's outfit was his first cosplay project. Before they hang up, she explains her younger sister takes her pictures and agrees to meet at a restaurant. However, when Gojo and Kitagawa meet the shy and reserved Shinju Inui, they are blown away by her large size and voluptuous curves.
8
"Backlighting Is the Best" Transliteration: "Gyakkō, Osusume Desu" (Japanese: 逆光、オススメです)
Yūsuke Kawakami
Yoriko Tomita
Yūsuke Kawakami
February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27)
Shinju shows Kitagawa the camera she uses to take Juju's pictures and begins explaining the different filters and settings. The group then visits the studio, located at an abandoned hospital. Inside, Shinju shows the benefits of backlit pictures to Kitagawa. Meanwhile, Gojo finds a scared Juju, and they talk about their respective dreams. When she reveals why she chose him to make her cosplay outfit, Gojo recalls another conversation he had with his grandfather. As such, he joyously grabs Juju's hand, which causes her to pass out. After finishing their school finals, Kitagawa invites Gojo to the beach. When they arrive there, a large sea hawk steals Kitagawa's burger. As they share the remaining burger, Kitagawa decides to enter the ocean. Once he joins her, Gojo reveals he never got to visit many places during his childhood due to his hobby. Stunned, Kitagawa tells him she will take him to many places during their summer vacation. Realizing what she just said, Kitagawa excuses herself. While she is alone, she swoons about the situation before taking a picture of Gojo.
9
"A Lot Happened After I Saw That Photo" Transliteration: "Shashin o Mitara Iroiro Atta kara Desu" (Japanese: 写真を見たら色々あったからです)
Yūta Yamazaki
Yoriko Tomita
Yūta Yamazaki
March 6, 2022 (2022-03-06)
Gojo and Kitagawa arrive from the store with the materials for the Black Lobelia outfit. Kitagawa then shows Gojo a swimsuit under her clothes and asks him if he thinks it is proper for the cosplay. An embarrassed Gojo eventually tells her it is fine. Afterward, he is happy Kitagawa can finally experience the joy of being helpful. Sometime later, Gojo presents Juju and Kitagawa with their completed outfits before he does Kitagawa's makeup with Juju's guidance. The girls head to the hospital, waiting for Gojo and Shinju. When they finally arrive, Shinju stuns the girls with a male cosplay outfit. In a flashback to the day they first visited the hospital, after Juju and Kitagawa went home, Shinju confirmed Gojo's suspicion she actually wanted to cosplay as well. When he agreed to help her, she revealed she wanted to cosplay as Soma, a male character from Flower Princess Blaze!!. Once Gojo took Shinju to his shop, they learned about an item to deal with her chest called a B holder. They later had a conversation while working on Shinju's wig and makeup. Back in the present, everyone takes a group picture.
10
"We've All Got Struggles" Transliteration: "Dare ni demo Iroiro Arun Desu" (Japanese: 誰にでも色々あるんです)
Kento Nakagomi
Yoriko Tomita
Yūna Suginogaki
March 13, 2022 (2022-03-13)
In the hospital, Kitagawa and the Inui sisters have their photoshoot. Juju later thanks Gojo for helping Shinju realize her love of cosplay. Having finished, Juju and Shinju are at home, where Juju admits to Shinju she is jealous of her for pulling off such a cosplay. She then happily admires some pictures where Gojo appears. Meanwhile, Gojo is talking with Kitagawa on the phone, and she gets jealous when Gojo tells her Shinju was at his house. Sometime later, Kitagawa expresses her desire to cosplay as Veronica, a dark-skinned character, and they agree to get that effect digitally. However, Kitagawa appears at his house the next day with her skin completely darkened with foundation to match Veronica's skin color. After she bathes, she embarrasses him when she exposes herself to show him how to accomplish the outfit. Wanting to buy clothes for him, Kitagawa takes Gojo to the clothing store. Walking back, Gojo admits to Kitagawa he cannot help her with the Veronica outfit. Shocked and concerned, she asks him why, and he nervously tells her it is too revealing. Relieved, she teases him and agrees to choose her characters carefully.
11
"I Am Currently at a Love Hotel" Transliteration: "Ore wa Ima, Rabu Hoteru ni Imasu" (Japanese: 俺は今、ラブホテルにいます)
Yūsuke Yamamoto
Yoriko Tomita
Yūsuke Yamamoto
March 20, 2022 (2022-03-20)
Kitagawa invites Gojo to a manga café, but Gojo feels embarrassed being alone with her. Kitagawa recommends a manga titled SuccIDK to Gojo and expresses her disappointment that she cannot pull off cosplaying as Liz the Succubus. However, with Gojo's encouragement, she decides to try it. Gojo has difficulty designing the outfit due to the series' simple art style. They later meet for the photoshoot only to discover the studio Kitagawa booked is actually a love hotel. Kitagawa sits on top of Gojo to get the desired camera angle for one shot. After taking the picture, Gojo hears a couple in another room having sex. Gojo panics and tries to get Kitagawa off of him by grabbing her waist, which startles her enough to turn the lights off inadvertently. As they slowly lean towards each other, the phone rings to inform them that their time in the room is over. Back home, Gojo thinks about Kitagawa while alone in his room.
12
"My Dress-Up Darling" Transliteration: "Sono Bisuku Dōru wa Koi o Suru" (Japanese: その着せ替え人形は恋をする)
Yoshihiro Hiramine
Yoriko Tomita
Yūta Yamazaki
March 27, 2022 (2022-03-27)
In her apartment, while Gojo helps Kitagawa with her hair ribbons, he discovers her father canceled her invitation to go to a summer festival, as she had not done her homework. She tells Gojo she has been modeling for a magazine to save up for an expensive camera. When they decide to watch a horror movie, Gojo is nervous as he has not watched one before. However, by the movie's end, he analyzes the costumes while Kitagawa is left scared. They then visit their school to retrieve Kitagawa's math drills, and Gojo saves Kitagawa from drowning when she slips into the pool. Having finished her homework, Kitagawa invites Gojo to the festival, and he is stunned when she shows up in a yukata, making her happy. They watch the fireworks together, and Gojo carries Kitagawa home when her feet are bruised from walking on sandals. Back home, Kitagawa calls Gojo, telling him she wants to hear his voice, as she got scared after watching another horror movie alone. During their talk, Gojo begins to fall asleep, and hearing he has passed out, Kitagawa tells him she loves him, though he remains completely unaware.
Reception
Manga
Sales
In February 2022, it was reported that the manga had an additional 1.5 million copies in circulation following the premiere of the anime adaptation.[55] In June 2022, it was announced the manga had over 7 million copies in circulation.[56] In September 2023, it was announced the manga had 9.5 million copies in circulation.[57] In October 2023, the manga had surpassed 10 million copies in circulation.[58]
Accolades
Cosplay of Marin Kitagawa by Jr YU
In August 2019, the series was ranked sixth in the print manga category according to the votes for the fourth edition of the Next Manga Award, organized by Da Vinci magazine from Media Factory and the Niconico website.[59]
The manga was ranked third in Honya Club's Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2020, a survey that collected results from 1,100 professional bookstore employees in Japan.[61][62]
The series, alongside Artiste, won the Men's Comic Prize at NTT Solmare's "Minna ga Erabu!! Denshi Comic Taishō 2020" in 2020.[63]
Anime
Critical reception
My Dress-Up Darling received widespread critical acclaim for its animation, voice acting, characters, humor and translation. Reviewing the anime's first season, IGN's Kambole Campbell described the show as a "supremely enjoyable portrayal of the joy of sharing a craft." The review praised the performances as "genuine as they are entertaining."[64]Slashfilm's Rafael Motamayor writes that the show is "not technical enough to turn the audience or the characters off, but enough that you can appreciate the very hard work that goes into cosplaying." He also praised the show's English translation as "go[ing] the extra mile to portray [Marin's] personality through the subtitles, capturing her gyaru idioms and even random gibberish that she says out loud."[65]Collider's David Lynn praised Gojo and Marin, the show's two main characters, as "simultaneously broadly universal and yet surprisingly complex" with "distinct strengths and flaws".[66] The show did receive criticism by some for its fan service and oversexualization of characters. IGN's Campbell writes that "There are a handful of leery moments that'll take some viewers out of it."[64] Writing for Bleeding Cool, Alejandra Bodden generally praised the show's exploration of sexuality but criticized some scenes as uncomfortable.[67]
^第44回アニメＧＰ. chikimato.net (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
^ニュータイプアニメアワード2021-2022結果発表、作品賞は「劇場版ソードアート・オンライン」＆「鬼滅の刃 遊郭編」 [Newtype Anime Awards 2021–2022 Results Announced: Best Picture Award Goes to Sword Art Online: The Movie & Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba]. Livedoor News (in Japanese). October 15, 2022. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
