My Dress-Up Darling continues to inspire fans to delve into the creative world of costume-making.
A talented cosplayer by the username Rory posted their interpretation of the series’ female lead to Reddit. The outfit recreates Marin Kitagawa’s blue and white school uniform, showcasing her blonde pink hair and colorful eyes. Rory has also brought several other modern anime icons to life through cosplay, including Reze from Chainsaw Man, Rebecca from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Jinx from Arcane.
Why My Dress-Up Darling’s Marin Resonates With Fans
Many other members of the cosplay and anime fan communities have been inspired by Kitagawa’s upbeat and positive personality. Most notably, costume-making master Nymphahri shared their take on the character by uploading pictures of them recreating some of the high schooler’s signature poses. Keisuke Shinohara, the director of the anime adaptation of My Dress-Up Darling, discussed why he believes Kitagawa resonates with so many people. “She has respect to herself, as well as to others, which makes her likable. Marin’s not afraid to speak her mind, yet when it comes to romance, she could be shy, and that’s relatable for anyone who’s been in love,” he stated.
The My Dress-Up Darling manga first appeared in Square Enix’s Young Gangan in January 2018 and has gone on to sell over 9.3 million copies around the world. The narrative followers two high school students — Kitagawa, a genki-type girl who dreams of becoming a popular cosplayer, and Wakana Gojo, her shy classmate who has a secret hobby of creating Hina Dolls. Together, they combine her passion and his incredible sewing skills to pursue her ambitions in a wholesome romantic story that has been praised for breaking gender norms.
Like Kitagawa herself, the many cosplays that she and Gojo create have inspired a plethora of real-world cosplay. One of the most popular sources of inspiration is Shizuku-tan, the fictional video game character that the energetic blonde brought to life in the duo’s first costume-making attempt.
The adaptation by CloverWorks (Spy x Family) debuted in January 2022 and swiftly became one of the breakout hits of that year’s winter anime lineup. It received multiple nominations at the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including, Best Character Design and Best New Series. Though she lost to Attack on Titan’s Eren Yeager, Kitagawa received a nomination in the Best Main Character category.
Square Enix distributes Fukuda’s manga in North America, and CloverWorks’ My Dress-Up Darling anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll. A second season has been greenlit.
Source: Reddit
