My Dress-Up Darling’s Marin Kitagawa has inspired another adorable cosplay.
Shinichi Fukuda’s manga delves into the creative world of cosplay making and display, and so it’s no surprise that the story continues to inspire costume makers. This latest cosplay, created by Redditor u/pearythecatapus_, features Kitagawa in a school uniform and perfectly embodies the cheerful and energetic personality of the high school student.
My Dress-Up Darling first appeared in Square Enix’s Young Gangan in January 2018 and the series has run out 11 volumes to date; CloverWorks’ anime adaptation premieres January 2022. The story follows Kitagawa, who has a deep passion for video games and anime, teaming up with her shy classmate, Wakana Gojo , who has a secret hobby of making Hina Dolls, to pursue her dream. Become a famous cosplayer.
Fukuda’s series has sold more than 9 million copies worldwide, and CloverWork’s anime quickly became one of last year’s top grossing films. It received several nominations at the 2023 Crunchyroll ANime Awards, including Best New Series and Best Character Design. Although she ultimately lost to Attack on Titan’s Eren Yeager, Kitagawa was still nominated in the Best Main Character category.
Why is My Dress-Up Darling so successful
Keisuke Shinohara, the show’s director, shared his thoughts on why the mischievous blonde has become a modern icon in the anime/manga scene. “She respects herself as well as others, which makes her loved. Marin isn’t afraid to speak her mind, but when it comes to romance, she can be shy, and that’s understandable to anyone in love,” he explains. Kitagawa herself has inspired countless cosplays since the premiere of My Dress-Up Darling; for example, special costume maker Nymphahri shared their take on the role of a high school student recreating some of the character’s signature poses. Similarly, another Reddit user posted a photo of their sweet interpretation of Kitagawa.
Of course, the various cosplays that Kitagawa and Gojo do together also have a popular influence on real-world cosplayers. Notably, Sakura Kitsune explained that “a cosplayer’s cosplay is purely my hobby,” when they uploaded a photo of their version of Shizuku-tan. Shizuku-tan is a fictional video game character in the world of My Dress-Up Darling and is the first cosplay where the main couple of the story comes to life.
Square Enix distributes Fukuda’s manga in North America, and CloverWorks’ My Dress-Up Darling anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll. The second season of My Dress-Up Darling has been announced, but an official release date is yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.
Source: Reddit