Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru
My Dress-Up Darling

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SPOILER WARNING for those watching the anime or not caught up with the manga.

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru (My Dress-Up Darling) is a series I had mixed feelings about. It started off strong but almost as if it were scared of commitment, it falls back to formula. After thinking over what happens (or doesn't happen) in the manga, I found under its pretty exterior very little worth and I thought less and less of 'Sono Bisque Doll.'

My main complaint with 'Sono Bisque Doll' is that it's not aware of what it wants to be. If it is aware then it fails to ... keep each part of itself consistent because its at the whims of a mangaka desperately trying to appeal with no regard to integrity. It flip-flops on sexuality often and I wager only the most elite romcom fans could perform the mental gymnastics necessary to comprehend the dissonance. Marin's panties are regularly seen by Gojou and everyone else for that matter since her skirt is worn very high. For whatever reason, Marin's ass in panties isn't sexualized and she isn't aware of them showing anyways (until one time it's brought up when she wears a bunny suit) - even though the series, mostly through Gojou, IS aware that sexualization exists. Later as the two get close, Marin does some Nagatoro-lite teasing in one scene but instead of continuing, she mistakenly assumes Gojou to be angry when he was really just hiding his boner. It has to tease the actual teasing and cuts off with a misunderstanding, it's vacant. Most egregious example has to be when the two of them are in a love hotel. How absent-minded of Marin to book a room at a love hotel for a photoshoot! The two settle in, Marin wearing one of her skimpiest cosplays, and they enter THE ZONE and feel zero attraction to one another until they hear moaning through the walls and simultaneously realize what position they're in (Marin is straddling Gojou) and the place. How adorably silly, closeness between the two is so sparse that 30 chapters later Marin remembers this single incident and blushes.

If it wants to be both innocent and ecchi then the simplest way the manga could be better is if it removed the 'be yourself' and 'enjoy your hobbies' shtick, it comes off as self-congratulatory because every little success is a given. Gojou's backstory is a cheap excuse for creating yet another loner male character that will experience character development through the adoration (and later romantic feelings) of a girl and wonders of youth for the nth time. His uphill battle towards being comfortable within his classroom and society in general is a crutch used for lazy character writing. He merely needs to accept the offer, and he does because chapter after chapter, as Gojou himself realizes, the world he's been avoiding is actually one of acceptance and comfort. The entire school festival arc is the rest of the class fellating Gojou. He doesn't want to let them down and he doesn't because we don't do that here. His internal conflict is relegated to a couple panels here and there, often flashing back to that one moment in his life when he was scolded for liking Hina dolls, before someone steps in and reassures him that he's not weird for liking dolls or makeup. And why would it be weird? His skills are those of a professional. Maybe it would be weird if he sucked at what he's doing.

The emotional high points between Gojou and Marin are weak because they’re not totally reciprocal. Early on Gojou says that Marin looks beautiful - a word that he only says if he means it from the bottom of his heart. Touching moment, right? Except he said it while falling asleep and on his part, it hasn't been acknowledged. This sets off Marin's attraction towards Gojou as more than a friend. It's explicitly shown to us that she's in love with Gojou through monologue the very next chapter (15). In chapter 39, she says 'I love you' on the phone to Gojou after remembering all the sweet moments they shared in the prior months. Another touching moment, right? Except Gojou was asleep, again. It could be that Gojou is only capable of romance nocturnally but the fact is, this is teasing you, the reader, as a way to retain readership. To make sure you really get it the chapter (39) ends with a POV shot of Marin looking at you. The characters aren't as scared as the mangaka in making their relationship progress. Evidenced by the chapters after Marin's confession having nothing to do with her verbalizing her feelings. Instead we're treated to four chapters of a crossdresser with a throwaway sob story further cementing how precious our two cinnamon rolls are as they conclude crossdressing isn't gross. Similarly during the school festival performance, Gojou looks at Marin and feels the same way he did when he first saw a Hina doll. Instead of continuing with Gojou trying to process his feelings, we're sidetracked once again. It's classic bait-and-switch revealing a noncommittal style that undermines each bit of authenticity 'Sono Bisque Doll' could potentially excel at.

The relationship dynamic is uneven, tedious and begins to lose what charm it had in the early chapters after Marin's phone confession. Relying on its setting, 'Sono Bisque Doll' uses the romcom handbook for creating key relationship moments. You get a fireworks scene, white knight saving his girl, school festival, etc. My favourite one is the dreaded Japanese cold. When Marin gets sick, good guy Gojou skips class to get her back to health. For some reason, when Gojou got sick afterwards we're not given a chapter of Marin helping him. Marin sometimes gets to fill the role of 'mommy gf' as she takes Gojou shopping and raises her teenage baby into a normal human being. It's her end of the relationship as Gojou not only creates the best cosplay but he cooks and will lend an ear to Marin's rambling and he also helps with homework. Marin gained weight? No problem for the always inoffensive Gojou, who says clothes are meant to resized. The accusations that the (female) mangaka created Gojou as a surrogate for a real life perfect boyfriend ring true.

'Perfect' is what's ultimately keeping 'Sono Bisque Doll' at an awkward place of showing you the joy of the world while being nearly fantastical. Perfect are the character designs - Marin is a model by profession in a world full of models, even Gojou is handsome and tall, he's well above average, their personalities are agreeable, it acts coy projecting Marin's 'pure slut' character as the tone of the series. Milquetoast interactions means hardly any banter. Gojou blushing while ditzy perfect-body Marin has her ass hanging out in a cosplay stopped being funny after the first time it happened. You have to believe Marin knows what it's like for Gojou to be in that situation and if she is teasing, then are we really going to expect Gojou to grab her and do something? No, just enjoy the tits, you idiot. There's not an engaging element to their romantic relationship unless you like seeing a girl crushing on a boy who is oblivious to romance. In all fairness Marin is too, as it is her first boyfriend. There's no risks taken though. A slip up on Marin's part telling Gojou that what they just did was a date or a read by Gojou as he tries to one-up Marin's teasing even if it's done awkwardly. It's lacking spice. They'll get together undoubtedly so it's always been about when will Gojou realize what the two of them are.

In a story like 'Koe no Katachi,' Shouko's bullying means something. It has weight. It's not by choice, she can't just settle to be an observer of her environment. Her struggle is palpable and the emotive beats of her character arc resonate with many viewers. Gojou's history is a single flashback and feels like it was improvised to provide "depth" but we're expected to believe it's done much harm to him even though his years of loneliness have not made him cold and edgy. (Also, his parents are dead but a girl telling him he's disgusting for playing with dolls had a greater effect on him). His awkwardness is meant to be adorable. His meeting with Marin begins a snowball effect towards positivity. The tiniest bit of insecurity is glanced over in their initial meeting when he thinks Marin is just fooling around talking about her favourite hentai game. The rest of the series is something you've seen before unless this is literally your first romcom, the guy doesn't think he's good enough for the girl. It's obnoxious since Marin IS in love with him so any alone time the two of them have together is like watching two magnets closely repelling each other. I can only take so much internal gushing over a character before I start getting impatient. A series like 'Kaguya-sama' made that exact thing its premise and realizing the fruitless nature of characters perpetually stuck in their own minds, it ran with the idea wholeheartedly creating a story confident in itself to produce an organic relationship.

Now I just said Marin IS in love with Gojou and will spaz and squirm in a rush of hormones often but there is something that bugs me with those moments more than others. Marin in the first chapter (first episode in the anime) tells Gojou to speak up about how he truly feels. Imagine if Marin took her own advice. Imagine if Marin had the self-awareness to realize she doesn't take her own advice. The time Gojou denies he's dating Marin could have been the perfect time for Marin to take initiative and say something. It's a cosplay manga until its not. It's a romcom but actually about cosplay despite having chapters nearly entirely dedicated towards Marin and Gojou just shooting the shit. It's actually about self-confidence or whatever other fill-in-the-blanks character development theme it tries to implement only to ironically make the whole thing feel even more shallow due to how heavily it relies on surface level appeal. Again, these wouldn't even be in the story if it had any awareness.

I'm asking for what's on the cover. The relationship as something recognized from both sides will happen in time but bait after bait has not made me lose hope, it's sapped the enjoyment out of it. Now I'm just waiting for it to happen. I don't care for the series but 'Nagatoro' at least has the excuse that it's based on the gimmick of Nagatoro's insecurities projecting onto Senpai. Marin on the other hand has done a 'confession,' 'kissed,' teased, unwittingly rubbed her crotch on Gojou's, invited him out or to her house, they have dinner at Gojou's regularly. By chapter 60 (around there) she's pretty much sleeping with Gojou by proxy through the plushie he won for her. Trying to navigate her 'pure slut' character begs for lobotomy. Her love for Gojou being introduced so early on and so strongly was a blessing and a curse. It was nice that it happened so soon but in retrospect maybe it happened too soon. 'Sono Bisque Doll' is as much a romance as me walking into my backyard is an adventure. The comedy blows, as mentioned before the lewd cosplay photoshoots get stale very quick. Gojou making a serious face to something silly said by Marin is pretty much the height of the comedy here. The rest is standard fare school setting boy and girl shenanigans.

The cosplay aspect is treated with respect and goes into great detail and in an extra chapter, the mangaka mentions going to an event to learn more. Admittedly, nothing about the cosplays keeps me interested beyond characters wearing them. If you showed me the Shizuku-tan cosplay from the early chapters and the bunny suit from chapter 45, I wouldn't be able to discern any technical progress between the two. Of course there is a difference, the bunny suit needed special parts to not slip off, which Gojou learns and puts to use quickly. There's no brooding here and failure, like the romance, is only teased. Gojou starts off strong so the learning curve is minimal, he's adept and studious. His grandpa remarks that Gojou's skills pertaining to Hina dolls has improved due to him getting more life experience. His Hina dolls, despite being a defining feature of his character, rarely get highlighted. Marin is like a force sucking in all the attention - at times it's cringeworthy, compliments from strangers are heard 'she's an angel' or 'I wish I could date her' during her modelling gigs and walking in the school hallway.

'Sono Bisque Doll' is a series at odds with itself. A romcom with a cosplay theme played straight would have been fine but it's trying to be greater than it could possibly be. It approaches decent topics like not being secure in your strengths but the overly protective setting neuters the point. Instead it puts up hurdles a toddler could step over and we're supposed to feel like there's something in their guaranteed victory. Sad to say one of the redeeming features of 'Sono Bisque Doll' is that Gojou masturbates. That's how low the bar is. It fails to juggle its elements, it's too shortsighted and fumbles its basic bitch message. If it owned up to being full of itself, I could appreciate the honesty and respect the series for its saccharine tendencies.

---------- Just something I want to add ----------
If you're wondering how I could dislike a series that is 'wholesome' then I'll explain. I do not care about takes on 'Death of the Author.' I'm only bringing this up because all that I had assumed to be true was confirmed by the author in an interview she did. I feel bad though. It's like I was picking on a retard. 'Hey, that was stupid. What are you, a retard? Oh... sorry.'

>Author: I do my best to make sure anyone can enjoy reading this manga regardless of gender. But with Marin, I tried to fulfill the dreams of men who previously thought 'I wanted to date a cosplayer' or 'I wanted to date a girl like this in high school.'

This speaks for itself. Marin is crafted to be a perfect girl. It's no wonder her stripping to a bikini in Gojou's room became something to argue over because one side of the viewers / readers deluded themselves into believing this could actually happen while the other side saw through her transparent waifubait appeal.

>Author: In the initial setting, Wakana actually also had other friends but then if he had any problems preparing the outfits, he would unfortunately end up consulting his friends instead of Marin. Thus since it ended up being a situation where I had to do something to make sure they could cooperate with just the 2 of them and work it out, I got rid of both his friends and parents in order to corner Wakana.

I wish I was fucking joking. Gojou initially had parents and friends but the author had no idea how a boy and girl could organically become friends so she axes everyone that might get in the way. I knew there was something grossly dishonest about this series. I read somewhere in an attempt to grasp what attracted people to the series and its characters that Gojou losing his parents had a part in the state of his being at the beginning of the series. He brings up his parents ONE time during dinner to explain why he can cook. He's either very good at bottling up what he feels about his parents' passing or the author knows no one gives a shit.

Reading the interview and watching the anime cemented all my feelings towards 'Sono Bisque Doll.' Nothing in or around this manga feels genuine. Juju appears in the manga correlating to her presence in the anime. Now instead of there being anything explored about Akira and her dislike of Marin, we get romcom shenanigans (chapter 74) for the recently ended anime.

Funny, loveable characters, slow-ish development.

Take two polar opposites, an open, outgoing and stylish gyaru, and an easily flustered, shy, old-fashioned outsider who is into doll- and clothes-making. Even though they sound so extremely different, they click so incredibly well with each other, and I just love their interactions throughout the entire manga. The female lead goes against every stereotype of a gyaru, and does not show any restraint when it comes to showing what she likes, thus being able to completely nerd out over some things.

The manga takes some tangents when it comes to clothes and cosplay, so if you are absolutely not interested in ... that, it may become boring for you. Especially throughout the later development of the story, cosplaying becomes a more and more apparent main theme.

As for the romance aspect of it, it is rather slow. Their feelings become quite apparent already in the early development, however they really take their time getting closer to each other. And like I said, it seems that in the later development the cosplaying aspect takes the focus (at least partially) and pushes the romance a bit more into the background.

Another nice addition to the recent trend of Gal/Gyaru manga I've been seeing recently. But I think Sono Bisque Doll has the best potential out of all of them so far with its unique premise. It is rare to see a manga talk in-depth about something like cosplay or dolls as much as Sono Bisque does. The art style is very pretty too, reminds me of Shojo manga in a nice way. Only complaint I have so far is that Gojou is a bit too apologetic/dense like other romcom MCs. Yet I still think Goujou's unique hobby and skill set definitely does set him apart ... from other MCs though, so he doesn't really feel too much like another romantic character trope and more like his own person.

I'm excited to see more of this manga in the future. Will probably edit this review when it's finished

This manga is becoming quite dull; it has turned into a DIY manga instead of the slightly ecchi romcom it was originally sold as. Ever since the characters realized their love for each other, the quality of the manga has been steadily declining. I find myself tuning into a new chapter, only to discover that nothing significant really happens. Gojo indulges in cosplay, and they make friends with a plethora of named characters who don't seem to contribute much to the plot.

There's been very little progress in the main characters' relationship. While Gojo has grown more confident in his skills and improved his cosplay DIY ... abilities, his personal development hasn't quite lived up to readers' expectations. The romance that initially drew us in has taken a back seat for far too long.

What started as an 8/10 at the beginning (and what the anime adaptation covered) has now dwindled to a 5/10 in the most recent chapters. Yes, we've been promised a confession is "coming soon," but when exactly that "soon" is, remains uncertain.

Can this manga redeem itself? I'm not entirely sure. It's disappointing to witness its transformation from a promising romcom with great potential into a mundane slice-of-life story. Perhaps the creators could take notes from other mangakas on how to advance a relationship after the characters realize their love for each other.

To be honest, I'm quite disappointed with the direction this manga has taken. The only reason I haven't dropped it yet is because I'm curious about the impending confession.

Story had potential, if it went the right path. I was expecting a more focused on slice of life story with the dress stuff. Well, in the end that's actually the side story. What you will get most of the time is a look-a-like of nagatoro, just teasing. When will authors stop making this childish type of works. I was really enjoying it at 1st. There's already more than 60 chapters and it feels like it's just dragging, nothing really happens on their relation neither in terms of the dress up story. It became quite hollow.

And no, this is not a seinen and honestly hardly ... a romance. This will probably go well for the kids, the teasing is like many other works and they are not seinen so I don't get it why it's targeted as seinen when all their emotions and story telling are so plain and simple. Plus the romance is quite trash / non existent since there's no development in 60chapters.

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru is definitely worth a shot if you’re looking for a lighthearted ecchi manga that still retains a linear plotline and engaging characters.
But, wait... did anyone asks for ecchiness? Yes~ a ton of fanservice will be delivered with... wait for it... girls with cosplay costumes ;) *wink* *wink*

Story (TL - 8)
Gojou likes dolls. He spends his days at home working on traditional Japanese-style figurines, not bothering to make friends because he believes that his strange hobby would be a hindrance to others. Interestingly enough, he gets roped into the cosplay world when his gyaru classmate, Kitagawa, learns of ... his sewing capabilities and asks him to help her with her hobby.

It’s a creative premise that doesn’t fail to deliver. One of the best parts of this manga is how perfectly the humor ties in with the ecchi; many of the scenes rely on normal reactions to dirty thoughts and misunderstandings, which are done in a way that is fresh and creative. On top of that, some of them are not placed purely for comedic purpose, but even help drive the plot.

The only qualm I have is that some of the chapters can be on the shorter side.

Characters (TL - 7)
The story mostly revolves around Gojou, an introverted dollmaker learning to open up to others, and Kitagawa, a sociable otaku gyaru who is essentially doing the same. Despite coming from different backgrounds, they develop in parallel around the central focus which is cosplaying. It’s quite interesting to watch these two grow with each other.

Gojou is introduced as a man who only leaves space in his heart for his grandfather and his dolls. He is quite shy and not used to dealing with girls, or otakus for that matter, and often second-guesses his own thoughts. As he is introduced to the world of cosplay, he finds himself opening up to complete strangers and gaining more confidence in himself. Kitagawa indirectly pushes him to be a better person.

Kitagawa seems like a simpleminded gyaru on the surface, laid-back and relaxed. Surprisingly, she takes cosplaying very seriously and has a part-time job to pay for the fees. She is a dedicated otaku and relates with Gojou in that her hobbies may come off as strange to others. She’s more open with her feelings than he is, and sometimes has a knack for guessing what he is thinking, but there are still many cute moments when she is caught off-guard.

Art (STK - 9)
The ecchi might be a little extra at times if you're not used to it; but then again, there’s no such thing as too much waifu.
Reactions, expressions, and body figures were cleverly done and character design was okay.
Some of the details are astoundingly good. If I say that this mangaka has not done his research cosplays costumes and various kinds of garter belts, I am lying.

Enjoyment (STK - 9)
With cosplay elements, ecchiness, and lighthearted rom-com plot, this manga is such a HUGE turn on. But with the wait, yeah... the once per month update, it is a slight turn off... Make sure to “turn off” the light when reading this too ;)

Overall (8)
I enjoyed this manga. Simple storyline, pure rom-com, and ecchiness elements make this manga irresistible; however, this is probably not one of those “god-tier” manga that will be remembered forever.

P.S. woosh, if only I can sew for my life... ;)

[Written by trivia_lover and SiriusTimeKeeper]

While the premise is interesting, it tiptoes around its real narrative too much and provides us with endless amounts of filler. Every 20 chapters or so it’s hinted that something might come to fruition soon, but it gets sidetracked too much. We’re 86 chapters in and the romcom part of this manga is in the exact same place as it was 12 chapters in. Gojou still lacks the confidence to see himself as a potential partner for Kitagawa, and Kitagawa is gushing over him. There’s been no development in the last 70 chapters or so. The information on how cosplay works is quite interesting and ... I do like the open minded attitude towards crossdressing, but ultimately I want to see the Kitagawa and Gojou dynamic being explored more.

Somehow the most memorable part of this series is the way how Kotegawa (main gal) speaks. I don't even think there's a translation for the word I'm looking for but it's not typical japanese. It's more like 12 yo western girl who says lol after every sentence. If every shows adopted this style of speech for their characters I would hate it, but I haven't seen it anywhere else yet, so it actually feels nicely refreshing.

To be honest the fan service scenes was even more memorable and overall very natural and well done. Noiket l, oops I fell on you and now I'm on top ... of you kind of thing... Basically they are things that could even happen :D

Plot wise it's pretty good. The format is usually that the main characters do a cosplay costume together for a few chapters and then there's also some really good 1on1 time going on where their relationship goes forward, unlike in some other ones. So it's not full fan service no plot/developments. At least for now that is, who will see what will happen after chapter 42 and for how long this series will be running for. But so far it's really good because it's overall solid and also there's a lot of things that are different from other shows. Like the cosplay and some other things. The arts very quality as well.

Lastly I can recommend this to anyone who's looking for their next fan service typish manga with a plot so good that even if you want just some romance manga this could still be for you.

Bait and switch. This isn't the fist manga to pull a bait and switch, and it surely won't be the last, but my god the switch sure is jarring.

The bait: a somewhat ecchi rom-com with cosplay as the setting; the perfect opportunity to showcase our beautiful main girl in a variety of ridiculously skimpy outfits. Cue nosebleeds all round, rave reviews, and a well received anime adaptation.

The switch: a cosplay manga which goes to great length detailing the minutiae of creating cosplay outfits, multiple chapters showcasing nothing but photo shoots at various events, and a complete retreat from anything that could be described as romantic ... or comedy. In interviews the author has basically admitted that this is the manga she actually wanted to write, and that the initial rom-com was largely due to influence of editors in order to get published in the first place, and to build up an audience. As I said: bait and switch.

Now, that switch wouldn't necessarily be such a terrible thing if it wasn't so interminably dull. I quite enjoy arts and crafts, so I'm not averse to learning about how various aspects of cosplay are made, but that alone isn't enough to hold my interest for multiple chapters. I also enjoy well drawn manga, and boy oh boy the photoshoot chapters are stunningly drawn, but again that alone isn't enough to hold my interest for multiple chapters. I'm sure there are people who would enjoy what this manga has transformed into, but I very much doubt they are the same people who were baited by the initially promised rom-com.

If you're interested in the bait but not the switch, then by all means read the first couple volumes' worth of material. If you're interested in the bait AND the switch, then by all means read everything that's been published so far. But if you're in either category, you'd do a lot better if you instead read 2.5 Dimensional Seduction, which is in every way a superior ecchi rom-com with a cosplay setting; it goes just as hard into the cosplay side of things but never loses focus on what it was that drew in readers in the first place, it never becomes self indulgent, it never stops having fun, and has not one but several main girls who all beat Marin in terms of character development, general cuteness, and being "best girl" material.

Right off the bat, this is probably my favorite manga. Even though I'm not interested in cosplay, the manga focuses a lot on the actual process of making cosplay and things around it. It's not just a backdrop for a romcom.

You fall in love with the main characters. Right at the beginning we are introduced to a typical gyaru (Kitagawa) who uncharacteristically loves games/anime/manga and especially cosplay. The contrast between her childlike enthusiasm for each new cosplay and the selection of the cosplays themselves, which doesn't shy away from a lot of daring eroge stunts, is perfect. Gojou, who is a typical introvert who's had ... his share of rejection from his surroundings as a child, makes it clear what direction the entire manga is going to take. It's more or less that classic thing where you have an extroverted gyaru who has to turn an introvert/otaku/whatever into a functioning member of society. When you strip a story down to the bone like that, it's not really new, but it works perfectly here. However, they both have hobbies and dreams that those around them don't understand, but they have found an understanding between them and the story more or less starts to build on that.

There are arcs here that are solidly satisfying and the relationship between the main characters changes in various ways, they get to know each other, they talk and it's a joy to watch them interact with each other. Then there are arcs that focus more on the cosplay itself and the things around it though. It's a shame that by the middle of the manga (say 50-150), a really big part of the story focuses on cosplay and thus the whole development gets pushed to the back burner.

Of course, like any typical romcom, there's bound to be various missteps like "now I've seen her panties; how do I measure her waist/chest circumference", but this isn't a typical school anime, so thankfully they don't dwell on it too much and rather these "episodes" serve for some personal development. The side characters don't get in the way and aren't like the driving force behind the events, rather they help the development of the main characters. They serve more as a way to help the main characters realize certain things or sort out their thoughts, but without the side characters telling them what to do or pushing them into anything.

There's not much drama going on here, which is fine by me. I'm not saying there isn't, but so far it's always been handled with some grace.

For me personally, this is one of the best manga I've read or seen as an anime. The humor, character development, and story concept is great for me.

Just to be clear, I have not finished the manga or started the anime but from what I have read this manga is just slightly weird to me. their high schoolers and being sexualized not to mention the middle schoolers and childlike adults/high schoolers are also sexualized. I like the characters and the concept but this is something I cannot ignore. I've also seen a lot of people say that the main girl is not like the other basic main girls in anime because she doesn't get "flushed" easily but she is like every other anime girl. Sexualized and she does get shy a lot ... too. So overall this anime is about a girl who likes to cosplay and the dude who she has a crush on helps her make the outfits. I do like the vibe of it and i actually do really like it, but I will not accept the weird images they show throughout the manga.

*Rapid Review*

As of Chapter 101:

It's a low 6/10. I say that because if you go into this manga expecting a good romcom, you'll be sorely mistaken. This is a COSPLAY manga, with romantic elements. While I do enjoy the novelty of a Cosplay manga, as it is very detailed and teaches you a lot about the world of Cosplay, if you are not interested in cosplay, this is not a manga for you. The romance is very lacking, sure there are some pretty good romantic beats, but they are few and far between.

Due to the nature of the cosplays, sometimes it's very hard to ... make out who is speaking at any moment in scenes where people wear the same costume. The highlight of this manga for me is actually the many conflicts surrounding Cosplaying and the characters, leading to a novel insight on the intricacies and misgivings of an very unexplored topic in media. If you like fashion, cosplay, and Gals, give this manga a shot. If you're only here for romance and don't much care for Cosplay, then do not read this.

I'm NOT a contrarian, and if your opinion differs, be civil. Your opinion is as valid as mine. Don't rate this as "confusing" just because you disagree with my view, instead, criticise the actual writing of the review. That's what it's there for. Don't be a child. Thank you for reading my rapid review, have a nice day/night!

(Cross-posted on Goodreads for Volume 1)

“My Dress-Up Darling” offers a cute setup, but the blatant fanservice undercuts most of Volume 1. Wakana Gojou, an awkward but determined wannabe doll-artisan, begins to make cosplays for classmate, popular Marin Kitagawa. The two of them are adorable, with Marin, confident and with no filter, dragging Gojou out of his shell and Gojou’s earnestness finally being appreciated by Marin. Some of the lewder jokes hit, like the reveal Marin’s cosplay is from a highly explicit adult game and the manga balances Gojou’s attraction to Marin with their growing friendship. But so much of the fanservice is just Marin, in ... her underwear through some stray breeze or plot contrivance. If you can roll with it or are charmed enough by their relationship, it might be for you. But every time I really started to enjoy it, there was another excruciatingly long moment of Marin unknowingly flashing the audience. You can’t help but wish the manga dropped the adult content and just focused on cosplay.

Coming in skeptical (due to my first impressions being the cover art and synopsis), I was taken aback when I realized how entertaining this manga is. To set things straight - the plot revolves heavily on cosplay as a way of connecting people together and allowing one to express themselves. It does get a bit "girly" when it comes to cosplay and makeup, but as a male viewer, I found it charming and educational rather than annoying.

Yes, there is romance which is executed slowly but surely. The relationship is natural, with no drama yet, so the pace is rather delightful. Comedy is subtle but very ... clever if noticed.

There seem to be a few teases towards love rivals but those side characters are quickly forgotten about. They get their development for a few chapters but seem to disappear quickly after? I am not sure if the manga had an identity crisis or something but hey, I'll take a wholesome story between the two main characters rather than a forced, drama-ridden love pentagon.

Art is gorgeous, and I feel like the art itself has many expressive personalities of its own or something (a good thing). Of course, there is fanservice and ecchiness. There's more or less just the right amount.

The enjoyment factor alone makes this a very good manga. Sometimes the story focus and development is a bit blurry but every manga has its ups and downs. I have found Sono Bisque Doll to be much more entertaining than the various cooking SOL/romances.

[Might contain light spoiler]

Following the hype of the anime I went on and read all the available chapters of Sono Bisque Doll manga.

First off, the art is very cute. A dream-like, sparkly style during emotional or important moments is opposed to funny, chibi-like caricatures typical of the genre. Marin, the female lead, is truly drawn in the best way possible, showing readers her sexy, playful and innocent sides through her postures and clothes. Her gyaru looks and personality are stunning and, in her own words, "totes adorbs". I get why everyone's obsessed with her.
Gojou is your typical asocial guy incapable of interacting with girls, ... but this time there's a valid reason and it's an interesting plot point.

The main couple's interactions are cute and, for the most part, natural. Gojou's reactions to anything slightly sexual really get boring fast though and they become repetitive.

The story's hook of a guy with a non-masculine hobby sees a super-popular gyaru who's actually a nerd is well crafted and a nice way to introduce the readers to the meat of the manga, the actual cosplaying and its secrets.
The idea of rejecting society's judgement based on one's hobbies, arguably the main theme of the manga, is heavily laden throughout the story, from the characters' ambiguous names that work for both girls and boys to the variety of cosplays. Through this theme, Gojou finally starts to accept himself as part of society and gradually lets the main couple know more about each other.

Speaking of the story. The bombastic start, which broke many tropes of romcoms and steadily offered a chill slice of life about cosplay interlaced with a blossoming love story, suddenly gave way to a barrage of arcs stopping the flow of the story on its tracks.
While romcoms are known to be slow-burning and "get there", the first three to four volumes presented a much more organic balance between the romance and the cosplay technicalities. From sexy cosplays to girls wanting to portray their favorite boy from an anime, cosplay is put front and center, shining a light on the popular but also somewhat misunderstood hobby. This is coupled with Marin and Gojou's growth as characters and a couple, gradually becoming aware of their feelings and getting comfortable around each other.

The latest arcs bombard readers with characters. There's barely an introduction and it becomes hard to care about or even remember them. Moreover, the story starts to become slightly repetitive.
For example, the story uses the crossdressing trope to say "just do what you want". It works great the first time and it presents the somewhat rarely shown in comics straight man who likes to dress as a girl during convention. A chapter in particular plays with stereotypes and roles, offering a relaxed and positive view on the hobby (and giving Gojou a much needed lesson in make-up).
But the manga constantly reuses crossdressing, to the point that I began to think it was one of the mangaka's kinks. While it is a great device, it made the story a tad predictable. In addition, it wasted the original "hina dolls aren't for guys" plot a bit, as it follows the same theme. Exploring that side could have helped flesh out Gojou's backstory.

The romance itself gets almost completely sidetracked in the later parts of the manga. While cosplay is obviously the main dish, most readers were enthralled by the cute and refreshing romance and neglecting that part for a considerable amount of chapters feels wasted.

Overall, the manga is relaxed and nice to read. It starts very strongly and dives deep into cosplay, sometimes too much. Marin's a joy to behold and her appearance and speech patterns are glorious. Marin and Gojou's relationship, when present, is very cute and relaxed. The cosplay angle is very detailed and offers a lot of information.
Just stop beating around the bush and move the story forward please.

First, my English isn't native, but I will try to do my best.


Story (9/10) :

We have two main characters who complement each other well.
The manga, based on the cosplay, is balanced between "cosplay" arcs and then moments where there are more interactions between the two main characters, where their relations progress.

It allows to keep a romance side, by staying on the main story: cosplay .... I think this balance is pretty good. The reader can be curious to know what will happen, even if the cosplay side isn't his priority. (If you hate cosplays, i'm not sure you will enjoy this manga)

This balance doesn't ... stop here because it's the same with ecchi and humor. The reader can read "normal" lines, and then suddenly "ecchi" thoughts or misunderstandings which are sometimes original.

Character(9/10) :

The author try to avoid stereotypes and too generic things .... We have a rather shy guy , who will gradually open up thanks to his passion and the main girl.

Regarding the main girl, she seems relatively simple, but in the end, she takes cosplay very seriously. She is really passionnate. And what is refreshing is that she is very open about her feelings and thoughts, we almost have a omniscient perspective that comes naturally.
Nothing is forced, nothing is hidden. Everything is natural ... It can sometimes seem a little slow, but at least it's natural. She assumes everything in front of her friends, which changes the stereotype of the girl who loses her means in certain situations ...


What surprises me is that there is no secondary character who is present for very long. With each arc, there are new characters and we don't see the previous ones.

Art (10/10) :

I don't read a lot of mangas, but I'm impressed with the author's designs.

There are very elaborate pages and a lot of details. The clothes and the emotions of the characters, and especially the face: Hair, eyes and eyelashes ... I'm really impressed.

The cosplays are also beautiful.


Enjoyment (9/10) :

I really enjoy reading this manga and the author always surprises me with his detailed drawings.
The cosplay side isn't necessarily what interests me the most, even if I learn a lot of concepts during my reading. I can see the author has worked on his subject. Concepts and techniques are explained.
Gradually, the cosplays are more complex. There are new processes, and therefore new knowledges for the reader.


What bothers me personally, is the periods of the new chapters.
In English, we have one chapter per month (I know it's a lot of work, i thank the team who's working on it !).
In Japan, the publication is bimonthly. Each chapter has twenty pages, and sometimes there are several shots of the same scene. The drawings are therefore detailed, but sometimes to the detriment of a real advance of the story.
So... when I wait two weeks (or a month, for the English version or if the author takes a break), it's sometimes frustrating. Fortunately, this doesn't happen often. ^^


Overall (9/10) :

It's not necessarily a exceptional manga, but I think the relationship between the two characters, the author's detailed drawings and the good balance make this manga very good.
We learn a lot about cosplays, and the romance side isn't overlooked, although I can understand that some might think it's slow.
I think it suffers from a possible lack of popularity, because it is published in a magazine who isn't very popular.
I tried to spoil as little as possible, so if you want to be impressed with some beautiful designs and a pretty well-done story, I suggest you give it a try.

With the recent boom of Gal/Gyaru manga's I find this one to be the one with the most potential to be a classic, The story while lighthearted is very engaging, the character are also flesh out very nicely, and most importantly the Art style is truly mesmerizing I've had read a lot of manga's throughout the years and I find the art style of this manga to be the most memorable for me among all the manga on this niche

now let's move to some of the gritty details that I think should hook people to read the manga, first of all this manga is really ... educational on cosplay knowledge, It really explains the hows and the why's on cosplaying, costume making, cosplay items, if its about cosplaying you name it its in here

second the story, don't let the Synopsis fool you into thinking that this is one of those cliche manga with bullied protagonist, in fact the story is very engaging and well written, It truly melts my heart whenever Marin goes dere dere when Wakana unconsciously do really manly things that would make any girls heart go boom boom

finally, the art and the cosplay images they feature, trust me for an otaku like me those are basically super nice addition to this, the cosplay they shows are really well made, not to mention the manga art style I CAN SAY THIS WITH ALL MY HEART THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THIS MANGA CAPTURES MY ATTENTION IS THE ART

"This manga is totes adorbs" - Marin, probably.

This might as well be called "Manic Pixie Dream Girl: The Manga", because this is what it essentially boils down to. A quiet unpopular guy with an unusual, somewhat feminine and old fashioned hobby is discovered by popular, attractive and permanently cheerful girl who helps him accept himself. He already had a crush on her, while she falls in love with him pretty early on in the manga.

Saying that, there is no way you can avoid ALL tropes. What then to do? There are 2 approaches to this which work best IMO. Either try to give the ... tropes a unique spin, or fully embrace them and why they are so popular in the first place. This manga firmly falls into the later category. This works mainly because of one reason: Marin.

She is every otakus wet dream. Hot, a model, popular, supporting, cheerful, confident, likes otaku stuff be it lewd or wholesome, including, of course, cosplay. She isn't really a deep character, but that can work to her advantage. Her charm is apparent from the get go. A simple and charming character for a simple and charming story. Seeing her be so happy about things she really cares about, by the way disregarding the opinions of others, is really satisfying. A thing worth noting is her way of speaking. She speaks very "internet" or the way a stereotypical teenager would text, with lots of abbreviations. Think of lol, XD, adorbs, etc. Might just be the translation which I read, but she does sometimes says things I find a bit cringy. But given the description above I'm surprised I don't hate it more, maybe because I know this isn't real life. I cringed IRL when a friend of mine said XD out loud several years ago. It's actually kinda endearing in the manga. It adds to her character.

She is also the main source of fan service. Honestly, there was less than I expected. As a person who doesn't really like that kind of stuff in his manga, I rarely felt it get gratuitous. Not really sure, but it felt like there was less of it as the story progressed. Maybe you could think the cosplays themselves are fan service, but I never regarded them that way. They were tastefully done IMO.

Next we have the other half of our future couple-to-be: Gojo. He is definitely the weaker character of the two, which might seem weird since he appears to have more going for him and gets more character development as the story goes on. But as I said, simplicity can be a virtue. The messages conveyed via Gojo often feel heavy handed and quickly strewn together, making them lack emotional punch. A problem related to this is his reliance on the supporting characters to help him learn his lesson, which aren't the most interesting themselves (I'm mostly talking about the rest of their class, the other cosplayers are much more interesting.). Lastly, Gojo brings with himself some of my least favorite manga and anime tropes, namely overreactions. I too would be shocked about some of the situations Gojo found himself in, but to scream out loudly even if you are in public is uncalled for. Granted, he usually gains his composure fairly quickly. This is accentuated by Marin not doing the same in similar situations.

The romance progression is next to non-existent. He always had a crush, while she falls for him after he calls her pretty once. To be fair, it is explained that Gojo only says "pretty" if he TRUELY means it, making it a special moment. But she goes from 0 to 100 in an instant after that, which is normal for romance manga, but still unrealistic, given that she expressed no prior attraction. Still cute tho. After that there is really no moment which gave me a feeling of progression.

Also worth mentioning that this is the type of manga that likes to go in depth about it's main topic, here cosplaying. This can range from interesting to pretty boring and obvious. Changing the angle of a photo gives it a different feel, who knew? But, as far as I'm concerned, this is one of the better ones.

All in all, if you don't really expect much in terms of progression, get satisfaction out of watching other people be happy and find the character of Marin appealing, you have my full recommendation.

Story: 7/10

The story is simple and that's all it needs to be. Girl has niche hobby, Guy has niche hobby, they find a connection that no one else can give and romance ensues. My one complaint with it is I feel it focuses a bit too much on the cosplay lifestyle rather than the romcom/slice of life for my liking but is a relatively minor as things go for me.

Characters: 7/10

I don't have many complaints with the characters, I enjoy Marin and Gojou and the side characters are fine, however the longer the story goes on I am loosing interest in them and wish ... they focused a bit more on the two main characters

Art: 9/10

No complaints here, good artwork with nothing negative that stands out, however nothing out of this world for me

Overall 8/10
I really like this manga and has had me hooked for 90% of it's chapters, my only complaint is at the time of writing with 82 Chapters, I feel like its starting to drag on a bit however I still have my hopes for it and still highly recommend it to anyone if they even slightly enjoy slice of life or romance manga.

Am rlly happy this got adapted into an anime since I’ve been reading for years. Marin has been the carry of this manga and makes it so much better. Although mc can get pretty awkward the wholesome slice of life aspect is great. My only problem which isn’t even rlly a problem is how long it takes to update. All the characters are really wholesome and the girls are nice. Mc is very dense but gahdamn is he great at making the horrrniest costumes for cosplay. Overall, Marin is best girl and I would like an after-marriage-life chapter or full manga.