My Dress-Up Darling was an unexpected smash hit of the Winter 2022 anime season, a shojo-style seinen anime series all about the joy of cosplay and the more wholesome side of otaku culture. It is based on the ongoing manga of the same name, so there's no better time for new fans to dive right in and see what the story is all about.
At first glance, My Dress-Up Darling appears to be yet another slice-of-life anime series set in a typical Japanese high school, but that is only part of the truth. The series also represents what a healthy and meaningful relationship between two very different people should look like, and it can even double as an edutainment anime that teaches viewers all about how cosplay and modeling work. It has a lot to give in both anime or manga form.
The Plot Of My Dress-Up Darling
My Dress-Up Darling's plot focuses on the two main protagonists, the shy doll-maker Gojo Wakana and the cosplay-loving Kitagawa Marin -- and their budding relationship. They meet early in the story as a classic case of opposites attracting, and most importantly, their respective skills and interests align perfectly. Gojo is a studious and handy boy who has experience making doll clothes, while Marin is confident enough to dress up at cosplay events and even perform amateur modeling for magazines. They soon form an exciting new friendship and cosplay partnership, pooling their talents to create the ultimate cosplay one seam, button and wig at a time.
Gojo explores a whole new world as he learns more about cosplay and attends events with his new friend Marin, which helps him break out of his shell without making him too uncomfortable in a new lifestyle. Meanwhile, Marin develops her first crush when Gojo calls her beautiful, like a perfect hina doll, and she can't wait to explore the possibility of a true romance with him.
She's testing the waters of emotion but isn't yet ready to dive into the world of love until she can master cosplay. Symbolic scenes in the anime allude to this, that Marin can't just dive into her amorous feelings without thinking things through first. In the meantime, she has other new friends such as the sisters Shinju and Sajuna to keep her busy. She might even learn from them -- so long as Sajuna doesn't try to steal Gojo away from her.
Where To Read The My Dress-Up Darling Manga
The My Dress-Up Darling manga series is ongoing, with nine volumes released in Japan while the Western release is slowly catching up. As of this writing, four volumes are available in English, with Volume 5 slated for release on May 10th, 2022. Interested fans can find the print volumes of My Dress-Up Darling online from several retailers such as Barnes & Noble, the manga/anime online store Right Stuf Anime or Amazon's books department.
Fans can also try the digital version of this manga if it's more convenient, and they're often at a discounted price. Barnes & Noble offers My Dress-Up Darling with its Nook service, while Amazon has a similar offer with its Kindle platform.
Where To Watch The My Dress-Up Darling Anime
The My Dress-Up Darling anime is too new for a Blu-ray/DVD release in the West but is available to watch on a few streaming platforms. It can primarily be found on Crunchyroll with all 12 episodes available to stream, including the original Japanese dub along with English, Spanish and Portuguese as well. The series is also available in a wide variety of subtitles for different languages.
The anime also currently streams on Funimation but as it's merging with Crunchyroll, the latter will become the primary -- possibly only -- streaming option for My Dress-Up Darling in the West.
