I was very busy last week. Watching all 3 extended Lord of the Rings films will do that. Well back to the schedule and back to me seeing how much my tastes in anime have changed over the years as I look at another romantic comedy slice of life series.
The last one I looked at, if I am remembering correctly was Tomo-Chan is a Girl. A series about the tomboyish Tomo who wanted for her childhood friend to recognize her as a woman rather than just as one of the guys. I ended up loving that series. This time I’m watching My Dress Up Darling.
The show stars high schooler Wakana Gojo who enjoys working on Hina dolls, a passion he had working with his grandfather (don’t worry his grandad is still alive, it’s his regular parents who are dead). His love for his passion affected his confidence with others when he showed a female friend the dolls and who verbally called him a weirdo as since according to her boys shouldn’t play with dolls. Then in High School while working on the sewing machines after class Marin Kitagawa a very outward expressive and popular girl stumbles on him working with them. Turns out she’s really… really into cosplay and could use the help of someone who knows how to use a sewing machine and make clothes. So it’s been a very fortuitous meeting.
We have the tale of a cosplay loving, semi mad highly expressive girl and the more reserved guy who designs clothes originally for small dolls now working with her to make the cosplays of her dreams.
For those that don’t know – Cosplay is the term used originating from Japan for dressing up as characters often in a more professional level than just a Halloween contest. We would just call it playing dress up but the term Cosplay has filled the void. If you go to any comic book or nerd convention you often see them. I have technically done it once. Though I’m not going to tell you who I was or where.
This is a romantic comedy so, well first obviously the two begin to develop feelings for one another.. duh. and second the comedy from the contrast of the shy Gojo to the highly expressive Marin. Marin is going to be the main source of the comedy, and the memes. But Gojo has his fair amount of laughs, it’s not the straight man as when he gets into the dress making, the full passion and dedication he shows in some ways exceeds Marin’s love of the characters and cosplay, only for when it’s over for him to become embarrassed fully realizing the position he is in now.
I watched the dub, which I often prefer watching, so I can enjoy the animation more clearly without my eyes being drawn to the bottom to understand what’s being said. Plus as a comedy, it’s usually required to better enjoy it. Certain inflections in jokes don’t come across well reading the text (worked in Konosuba but then that’s Konosuba, which also impressively had a great dub). And I can say that the dub work was good. Paul Dateh voices Gojo while AmaLee takes the role of Marin and they work well playing off one another with the contrasting roles.
More characters enter the story as Marin helps Gojo open his world while he helps Marin realize her dreams. But I’ll leave you to find those out as you watch.
Currently the first series is available on Netflix with the second coming on later in this month.
Rating: 📺📺📺📺
