My Dress-Up Darling is an ecchi comedy anime series making its debut in the Winter 2022 anime season, and it tells the story of Gojo Wakana and Kitagawa Marin's shared passion for cosplay and fabrics. Gojo has always been a shy boy who kept to himself until Marin came along and added some pizzazz to his life.
On some levels, My Dress-Up Darling might feel like a less heartbreaking take on Your Lie in April, but it also has a lot of overlap with a more recent series, the rom-com Don't Toy With Me, Ms. Nagatoro!. The main characters align very closely, and Marin even has a sadodere streak to match that of Nagatoro Hayase.
How Kitagawa Marin Became The New Nagatoro
When an anime series has a male lead with a close female friend, the story may take a variety of routes, such as making the male character being confident and outgoing while his female friend is a dandere who learns to assert herself. Soma Yukihira and his friend Tadokoro Megumi from Food Wars! are an example of that, not to mention Naruto and Hinata.
Other shows, such as My Dress-Up Darling and Don't Toy With Me, Ms. Nagatoro!, reverse this paradigm and create a kind but shy male lead and a rowdy and confident female lead who helps her male friend assert himself a bit more. In a previous anime season, Nagatoro Hayase did that when she befriended the meek art student Hachioji Naoto, and now Marin is taking her turn in My Dress-Up Darling.
In just three episodes, Kitagawa Marin clearly established herself as an assertive and playful protagonist who isn't afraid to tease her new friend if it means bringing out the best in him, just as Nagatoro once did. In three episodes, Marin not only encouraged Gojo Wakana to sign up as her cosplay assistant, but she also teased him with some PG-13 antics in his own bedroom, and in the third episode, she teased him yet again while shopping for cosplay fabrics, including a trip to a lingerie store, where Gojo was definitely out of his element.
On one level, Marin may have been teasing Gojo just because that's her idea of fun and this is how she treats all her friends. She's a social butterfly who enjoys connecting with others, and she has a proactive attitude toward making friends and pushing people's buttons to see what they're really like. Marin is experimenting with her new friend, and she's not afraid to crank up the fan service to do it. Nagatoro Hayase did something similar once with a bean bun trick until it backfired on her, and her friends did something similar right back at her, teasing Nagatoro with their bigger chests.
How Opposites Attract For Kitagawa Marin & Nagatoro Hayase
Both Marin and Nagatoro established themselves as the playful sadodere type in their respective series, teasing their hapless male friends just because they can. But these girls don't toy with their new friends just because they can. Even if Gojo and Naoto find it irritating, these girls have deeper reasons for their behavior, and the end result is opposites attracting, despite the odds.
Naoto and Nagatoro Hayase soon became genuine friends, and Nagatoro quickly stood up for Naoto against his art club president, channeling her energies in a more creative way. At the same time, Nagatoro Hayase inspired new ideas for Naoto's art and enriched his mind. Hayase's methods were heavy-handed, but in the end, she was just what Naoto needed to break out of his rut and try something new.
Marin serves a similar role for Gojo; she's much more than just a foil to this shy and serious male lead. She is also his muse, and her boundless confidence and enthusiasm may help Gojo face his own challenges and succeed where he previously failed. Gojo was practically ashamed of his hina doll hobby until now, but being with Marin promises to change all that. Marin may be a goofy sadodere, but she's an earnest one, and her platonic but provocative methods are sure to bring out the best in her cosplay partner before long. That's the kind of muse Gojo has always needed.
