English Dub Review: My Dress-Up Darling: “I Am Currently at a Love Hotel”

Overview: Kitagawa (Amanda Lee) and Gojo (Paul Dateh) hang out at a manga café and later a love hotel for a real exciting photoshoot. 

Our Take: Marin giving a crazy sounding lesson to Gojo, breaking down what a succubus is, highlights one of the most fun and entertaining parts of their relationship. Explaining her love of the character from Liz the Succubus from the manga, SuccIDK, even going a step beyond in detailing the slice-of-life genre as a whole when she herself is the star of a slice-of-life manga and anime herself is pure meta joy. 

Even just the name and chibi art style of the wholesome fictional manga, SuccIDK, shows how much love and care goes into making the universe’s pop culture feel real. Gojo finding the same love for the manga as Marin and then gushing about it shows just how adorable they are together. Even more cute is how much Gojo believes in Kitagawa being a knockout in pigtails even when she has insecurities about it and therefore cosplaying as Liz. 

Much to Gojo’s surprise, the photo shoot for Liz takes place at a love hotel. His and Kitagawa’s rooms are ripe for various jokes to delight and frazzle Gojo all in one like a vibrator just hanging out or porn being on TV. Even better is Gojo’s curiosity, enough to watch it so much that I could not help but giggle and smile, especially as he tries to hide it from Marin. 

Going back to the bubbly art style, it actually sets up an interesting new compilation for Gojo in having to put some originality in how that would extend to a full-bodied outfit in real life. Her encouragement putting his own stamp on it and having the freedom to do that in the real world overall is inspiring and sweet. With the roles being reversed this time around and Gojo shown to be doubting himself, it  further showcases how perfectly they complement one another.  

Gojo, so focused on getting good shots, is eventually snapped back to the reality that he is in a love hotel with Kitagawa on top of him when he and Marin hear sexual moans from neighboring rooms. Realizing the intimate position he is in and the alluring nature of the outfit Marin is in he becomes too excited and thus, the wood rises from within. Suffice to say, it makes for a shocking and embarrassing moment that actually made me gasp out loud. However, it soon transitions into what everyone had hoped for in them being aroused by one another and on the verge of kissing before the classic rom-com interruption rears its ugly head like that of potential romantic rival or misunderstanding. 

As they leave the love hotel, Gojo and Marin have a quick run-in with a random woman. She is able to gleam so much from just their sheer awkwardness in a funny scene and offer insight as to the excitement that comes from exploring a love hotel at a young age. And there was certainly just that in an exciting development and endearing entry for Gojo and Marin, especially as Wakana can’t stop thinking about Marin.