Mar 8, 2022
[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.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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