My Dress-Up Darling, a popular shojo-style seinen anime series in the Winter 2022 anime season, is the story of an unlikely friendship between the outgoing Kitagawa Marin and the shy Gojo Wakana. They didn't have much in common at first but shared a passion for cosplay and fabric, and soon became excellent cosplay partners and friends.
These two characters play off each other well and enrich one another's daily lives during their adventure to make the best cosplay ever, but notably, Marin hardly takes advantage of her strong personality when it comes to Gojo. She does tease him like a Nagatoro-style sadodere sometimes but otherwise respects who and what he is, and that's important. Here's how My Dress-Up Darling's co-leads built a somewhat erotic but fundamentally wholesome friendship together.
How Marin Respects Gojo's Boundaries in My Dress-Up Darling
At first glance, it seems all Marin ever does is toy with Gojo and annoy him with her flamboyant fan service and unpredictable, whimsical behavior. That's true on some level, but Marin proved herself a true friend by respecting him for who he is. She knows she can tease Gojo and show him a new world beyond his own while not trying to change his personality or worldview in the process. It's common for stories, anime or otherwise, to portray a quiet introvert like Gojo coming out of their shell and joining the extroverts, but this message can do more harm than good in many cases. Introverts don't need extroverts to "fix" them.
Instead, Marin understands Gojo's shy and hardworking nature and chooses to make the most of it in their partnership without ever calling his personality into question. Never once in My Dress-Up Darling does she state or even imply that he needs to change his ways to suit her, nor does she suggest that he's inferior to her by being so reserved and timid. Marin clearly prefers more outgoing and lively friends like herself but can also appreciate what Gojo brings to their partnership, cosplay and otherwise.
Marin almost sees Gojo's introverted, down-to-earth nature as a novelty to be admired, and would probably feel guilty if she accidentally forced him to change his ways to suit her own lifestyle. She enjoys sharing her daily life with him throughout My Dress-Up Darling and even teases him, but also maintains the boundary between them. She doesn't want Gojo to become someone he's not, which is an important way to respect who and what he is. Teasing is one thing -- trying to invalidate an introvert's lifestyle is something else entirely.
How Marin & Gojo Mesh As Contrasting Characters
Marin realized from the very start that she and Gojo are very different people with different self-images, backgrounds and personalities, and she respects this in all the ways that count. Being friends with him means finding common ground, and she does just that. In fact, the two also find ways to make up for each other's weaknesses, which means that having two Marin-type personalities in this relationship would have held the partnership back. Marin needs what only Gojo, as he is, can provide. Otherwise, she would have sought help from one of her gal-pals instead.
She respects Gojo not just as a friend but also as a skilled partner who can do things she can't, and vice versa. Due to being a hardworking, humble introvert, Gojo is ideal for work-intensive tasks that call for diligence rather than charisma and social skills, and sure enough, he quietly toils away all night to finish a costume for Marin in record time. He also channels My Hero Academia's Midoriya Izuku and patiently studies other people's techniques, taking meaningful notes while being humble enough to learn anything he must about cosplay.
This is exactly the partner Marin needed, and as she respects and admires Gojo's nature, she has the patience to stand back and let him do his thing. Throughout My Dress-Up Darling, she treats him carefully so he can focus on his work and enjoy it. Marin may tease Gojo but she never questions his methods or personality. She knows how to keep her business partner happy and let him find validation in this work his own way -- and the results speak for themselves.
