Mar 26, 2022
Marin Kitagawa has taken the anime community by storm. I couldn't escape her. No matter what social media app or anime forum I braved, I was met with Marin Kitagawa fan art, profile pictures, and, of course, the inevitable rule thirty-four art. I thought that this show was going to be your average slice of life romcom like Nagatoro or Komi-San with a hot anime chick thrown in to sweeten the deal, but boy was I wrong! My Dress-Up Darling is one of the best anime of this season, and by far the best of its genre. It far surpasses the likes of Umaru-Chan and
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My Senpai is Annoying. One of the many ways My Dress-Up Darling surpasses other anime is with its superb storytelling.
Story 10/10 - My Dress-Up Darling's story is simple yet very effective. It pulls you in with Marin Kitagawa and then keeps you coming back with sublime writing. Writing that is so good that you forget you’re watching a show that is so jam packed with ecchi moments that it puts most harem anime to shame. There’s also a startling amount of realism in this show. The author includes things about cosplay and hina dolls that you wouldn’t even think of normally, but if left out, would be glairing flaws. The story never fell short of my expectations; it blew them away.
Character 10/10 - The characters in My Dress-Up Darling are freaking amazing. Marin Kitagawa, the anime and cosplay enthusiast, looks like average waifu bait from the get-go, but she's actually a well-crafted, loveable character that you just can't help rooting for. Her passion for cosplay is so infectious. Seeing the happiness emanating from her with each and every cosplay is so heartwarming. This is probably the ecchiest of all the romcoms I've watched, but it's by far the most wholesome. Of course, Marin Kitagawa is the obvious go-to character to sell this show (as I just did), but as amazing as she is, the true strength of this show's cast really shines through with the protagonist, Wakana Gojou. The majority of romcom anime include the doormat, self-insert, protagonist who has just about as much personality as, well, a doormat, but Wakana Gojou is truly a good character. I can't go into spoilers, but he actually has character growth, unlike most of the protagonists of his kind. These two characters are what really launch this anime to its astronomical status. These characters are some of the best, if not the best of their genre.
Art 10/10 - It's Cloverworks. What did you expect? The show is gorgeous. The animation is the best I've ever seen in a romcom. Every frame was absolutely bonkers with how detailed the art was and how fluid the animation was. Marin Kitagawa’s first cosplay was especially well animated. I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful this anime is.
Sound 8/10 - The soundtrack is on point, along with the voice acting. The opening theme is cute, and the ending theme is a nice, relaxing listen at the end of each episode.
Enjoyment 10/10 - I could not stop watching My Dress-Up Darling since the day I picked it up, and I also could not wipe the smile from my face the entire time I was watching. This is one of the few anime that I would stop doing whatever I was doing to watch. I even began to prioritize it over Attack on Titan: Final Season Part 2 (which I watched when it first aired along with My Dress-Up Darling).
Overall 10/10 – Call me easy to please for giving nearly every category a ten out of ten, but that’s just how excellent this anime is. It has firmly cemented itself as one of my favorite anime of all time. I think anyone who likes romance, or comedy anime will love this show!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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