English Dub Review: My Dress-Up Darling: “A Home Date with the Guy I Wuv Is the Best”

Overview: Gojo (Paul Dateh) goes over to Marin’s (Amanda Lee) house to watch Flower Princess Blaze!! and later meets Sajuna’s (Risa Mei) younger sister, Shinju (Jad Saxton), who turns out to be very different from what he or Kitagawa expected. 

Our Take: The effects of working outside Gojo’s comfort zone is beginning to reveal itself in his improved hina doll making, shown by his grandpa’s recognition of his skill. It is sweet to see Gojo feel more reassured of himself and his ability, even if just a little, with how much confidence he lacks. But just as meaningful, it’s gratifying to see his talents refined as a result of getting a new perspective in making outfits for Marin and in the presence of a different kind of beauty. 

Gojo’s home date with Marin, as she is convinced it is, reiterates, similarly to Wakana, just how oblivious she is to certain social cues. The ditzy aspect of Marin continues to be equally adorable as it is funny in watching Gojo stumble through his words with her cleavage halfway exposed with no bra. But of course punctuating her classic cluelessness is how much she cares about having her pink contact lenses in around him and how clueless she is about her boobs in thinking Gojo didn’t even notice. Also, Marin’s genuine superfan personality about her love of anime and manga acts a nice pacifier for Gojo’s social anxiety, showing how comfortable he is becoming around her as spends more time around her.

Flower Princess Blaze!! continues to be the gift that keeps on giving in the show’s princess anime vibes and its melodramatic tone that immerses you in its pure nostalgic silliness. When it is cut short by Marin’s unruly hunger, she decides to cook a meal for Gojo, which puts her over-the-top wuvey dovey energy for him on full display. What begins as a love omelet turns into a sorry pile of rice and egg that just goes to show how wholesome and simple Gojo is you can’t help but appreciate and ‘aww’ at, especially considering he thinks she made fried rice. 

Gojo’s first foray into cosplay creation impresses Sajuna with how well executed it is for a novice. With that in mind, Wakana wants to get a better understanding of photography. Gojo asks to meet Sajuna’s younger sister, who takes her cosplay photos and does them exceptionally well, hoping to glean some advice from her and take higher quality pictures. Shinju’s arrival makes for a shockingly hilarious reaction from Gojo and Marin with how ironic her appearance is in relation to her older sister, Sajuna, with a tall build and melons that are actually the size of cantaloupes. Shinju makes for a great introduction with her adorably shy nature versus Sajuna’s strong and poised character that will undoubtedly make for some charming sisterly chemistry in the coming episodes.