English Dub Review: My Dress-Up Darling: “My Dress-Up Darling”

Overview: Gojo (Paul Dateh) and Kitagawa (Amanda Lee) watch a scary movie and later end their summer vacation with a night under booming lights in the firework festival. 

Our Take: As Gojo helps Marin with her hair ribbons and as she finishes her homework and doesn’t go to a festival with her dad as punishment, Marin manages to somehow become even cooler. Kitagawa’s job as a model shows just how much of an absolute triple threat of a gal she is in also being an amazing cosplayer and adorable sweetheart. It also goes to show her dedication to cosplaying characters in saving up for an expensive DSLR camera for cosplay photoshoots.  

Marin and Gojo enjoy a scary movie night that is heartwarming as Kitagawa is scared out of her mind but trying to put on a brave face as Gojo was skeptical but entranced and enjoys learning about the practical costumes. It also continues to showcase CloverWorks incredible immersion within the world’s pop culture with it vividly bringing to life the horror film through grungy and misshapen art style that cements the intensity and terror serving as a nice homage to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

Going to retrieve Kitagawa’s homework, the two head to their closed school. When Kitagawa goes for a dip in the pool, she almost ends up drowning because she doesn’t know how to swim until Gojo rescues her. This nicely leads to how her lack of knowing of how to swim nicely leads into one Marin’s greatest attributes and what makes her so damn lovable into how she jumps headfirst into passions and interests, despite how good or bad she is at them. Something that makes for a nice moment in which Gojo discovers more of how much of a kindred spirit she is in relating to her feelings in his love for hina doll making.

Marin and Gojo night at the firework festival is more great flirty cuteness in 

Gojo is charmed by her yukata to which she is smitten. Gojo, amazed at fireworks, is supplemented with equally awe-inspiring visuals as he realizes how much he took fireworks for granted and it is all thanks to Marin that he could fully appreciate them, move out of his comfort zone and have new experiences. It is a great moment of growth for Gojo to see how he is moving out of his shell for the better. Kitagawa is carried home by Gojo due to her bruised feet. Heart-warmed at Marin wanting to do the same thing next year, she wants to see all the firework festivals in the Kanto region to which Gojo questions whether they can. Marin driving home how they can do anything when together and helping support one another is a beautiful moment that highlights how perfect of a duo they are together and a wholesome way to leave these characters. Or, at least it would have been, if we didn’t get one last late night tidbit where Marin falls asleep talking to Gojo on the phone to comfort himself after watching the horror movie’s sequel. Kitagawa admitting her love for him when he falls asleep fully solidifies her feelings and is a wondrous end for Gojo and Marin’s time together, that hopefully won’t be the last we see of them.