My Dress-up Darling

Ha. So I'd seen a new anime pop up on Crunchyroll that I thought looked cute. It reminded me of Otomen, so I asked little dude if he wanted to watch it with me. He took one look and was, like, uh, no mom, I am definitely not watching that with you. I shrugged my shoulders and left it, finally starting it when exercising after finishing My Little Happiness. And, uh, yeah. I'm glad he said no. Don't get me wrong, I actually am really enjoying My Dress-Up Darling. But it is definitely not one you want to watch with your teenage son, for his sake and mine. 

It is, indeed, reminiscent of Otomen. Wakane Gojo, an orphan, lives with his grandfather at a Hina doll making shop. That's what he wants to be when he grows up -- he wants to continue the tradition. He's never really had friends because he's been obsessed with practicing his painting and sewing skills since he was young. And, let's face it, he's a bit awkward. So he looks with some awe upon Marin Kitagawa, a pretty, forthright, and very popular girl from school, thinking that he has nothing in common with her. She seems like a goddess on another plane to him. 

But she discovers that he can sew and immediately busts out with the cosplay that she's been trying (unsuccessfully) to make on her own. She talks him into helping her make it, which, admittedly, isn't too hard. Already in episode 1, Gojo would do just about anything for her, even though he expects nothing in return and, in fact, thinks that things will go back to the way they were before after the outfit is done. 

I'm on episode 11 so far and this show is so weirdly wholesome but also incredibly randy at the same time. There's some SERIOUS fan service going on, which is generally a turn off for me (haha) including more up-skirt shots than you can shake a...stick...at. BUT the characters themselves are so lovely and true and nice and supportive of each other that, well, you just have to kind of look past it. 

But I'm still glad I'm not watching it with my teenage son. That'd be bad for both of us.

Kitagawa is actually particularly charming and Gojo is definitely Best Boy. She's the kind of character who could have been awful but she's not. She's not shy AT ALL which causes poor Gojo a lot of...stress. But there's not a mean bone in her body. I'm also learning some things about what cosplayers do to perfect their characters, which is an added bonus. 

I also like that she figures out fairly quickly how awesome Gojo is and that she "wuvs" him -- some truly adorable moments when they're on not-quite-dates and she's so internally excited about it. And Gojo, while he may not have totally realised it yet, can certainly wax rhapsodic about how she's changed his life and how happy she makes him. So I've got hope for them. 

Anyway, will update at the end or later on, but I'm actually quite enjoying this one even if their are some seriously dodgy shmexy bits. I mean, some of it makes sense (like when he was uncomfortably measuring her for a cosplay) but other bits are just seriously gratuitous. But, even so, you stay because of the characters.

Edit: Oh PHOOEY. Crunchyroll had something like 30 odd episodes listed so I thought I still had a lot to go, but was chatting with little dude about it (he's actually read a lot of it, but not watched any) and he's, like, are you sure they aren't listing the dubbed ones as more episodes and I was, like, DOH because, yeah, Crunchyroll does that. And sure enough, they did. I only had one episode left of season 1. So I went ahead and watched it. 

It was a charming and very sweet (and remarkably ecchi free) episode with them finishing out their summer break by watching a horror movie and (on another day) attending a fireworks festival together. Super super adorable. And the end, where she's watched another horror movie by herself and has freaked herself out, so Gojo talks to her until he falls asleep and she tells him she loves him. This really was a wholesome, lovely little show. I really do hope they make another season. Though now I feel like I need to get the books. Little dude said it's not as ecchi as he's heard the anime is (at least, not after the first few chapters), so that's actually a bonus.  

I did read an interesting article on the show where the author posits that, while Marin is ostensibly written for the male gaze, Gojo is equally written for the female one. Meaning that the things that Marin finds attractive about him aren't physical things (though she can't help from finding him handsome ONCE she likes him) but his dedication, his charm, his attention to detail, his work ethic, his selflessness, etc. The fact that he helps her without asking for anything in return. Or that he actually listens to her and participates with her in the things she likes (something even her girlfriends don't do, as they aren't into anime or cosplay). I can see that. Gojo really is the best. And so is she!