Keisuke Shinohara's "MY DRESS-UP DARLING"
Review by Dennis D. McDonald
Call me a sentimental old fool but I really enjoyed this 12 episode anime series.
The story line starts out by resembling overly-familiar “harem” series where a nerdy boy becomes involved with a group of females who end up falling all over him. How this series is executed makes it special.
The face of a hina doll.
First, the nerdy high school boy has ambitions to become a hina doll artist like his grandfather.
Such dolls are a classic Japanese art form that involves creating miniature dolls with delicate hand painted faces and garbed in traditional Japanese clothing.
Second, one of the girls who eventually falls for the nerdy guy is really popular and obsessed with “cosplaying” characters from Japanese manga and anime, but she lacks the skill and discipline to create convincing cosplay costumes, hairstyles, and make up.
Marina Kitagawa
She hooks up with the reclusive nerdy guy and they eventually realize they have something to offer each other – he can sew, and she boosts his confidence by praising his work.
Soon other girls involved with cosplay join the group. Before long our guy is growing in skill and self confidence as he sees how his own skills are being appreciated.
Things that rescues My Dress Up Darling from stereotypical rom-com silliness and overreliance on fan service, jiggling breasts, and emotional shallowness are the excellent animation, occasionally very sensitive (and funny) scripting, and terrific voice acting by the Japanese cast.
The main female character, Marin Kitagawa, is a wonder to behold. She is vivacious and cute while being set upon by frequent and troubling self-doubts -- the exact opposite of the “popular girl” face she presents to the world.
Viewers are warned about the occasional and overt sexual content of the show. It’s handled very matter of factly and naturalistically via a balance that American films about young people sometimes fail to achieve.
I found it all somewhat refreshing even though I fail to understand or appreciate the fascination some of the characters have with “cosplay” where they obsess about dressing up and socializing in costumes and makeup modelled after their favorite manga and anime figures. It seems to me an ultimately unsatisfying practice especially for young people who are still figuring out what paths they want to follow in their own lives.
But who am I to judge? The fact is that My Dress Up Darling provides a fascinating and entertaining peek into that world. In the process we get to know some very interesting and sympathetic characters.
Review copyright 2022 by Dennis D. McDonald
