It is a fact that I really loved this anime. It is also a fact that I thought about not finishing it multiple times. The fact remains that My Dress-Up Darling lives in a weird dichotomy in which it is both heartwarming wholesome and egregiously lewd.
The Wholesome part starts with great characters. Gojo is a driven, wholesome boy that has been sheltered by his own ambitious hobby to become a great doll maker. Marin is a wholesome gal who happens to be into some kinky stuff.. but honestly, that doesn't take away from her wholesomeness.
The general plot is also great. The popular gal who is into Cosplay meets with the loner craftsman boy and they bring out the best in each other. I did think that the love story aspect of the story is shown very clearly and in a very sweet way
The animation is superb which is excellent for all the heartfelt moments and for showing us just how earnest both the leads are in the pursuit of their exalted hobbies.
But this superb animation is a double-edged sword because it is also the thing that makes all the fanservice extra, extra creepy in this show.
I do want to say that clearly. I do think the fanservice in this show is super creepy. It goes beyond a random panty shot and giant boobs, there is this attention to detail and an extraordinary amount of super tight close-ups that make me gag like no other ecchi has (granted I'm not in the habit of watching ecchi shows). It is also super random and emphasized to the point of distraction. The fanservice actually takes away from any moment regardless of whether it is comedic or serious.
Granted, I'm female, so hey... maybe I'm overly sensitive or not the demographic or just... well not into it. sure, but it still feels gross. Which makes the juxtaposition of everything else that is happening around it, even starker.
I will admit that there are a couple of moments in which they do fanservice right. Episode 11 has a few scenes that felt like the right amount of fanservice. The scenes in question helped to make the obvious connection between the leads real and also ramp up some tension in a really good and funny way. I wish I could say there were many more moments like this.
Do I think this show is worth watching? Yes. I do, but I also long for an alternate dimension in which this could have been a wholesome slice of life with a slightly racy protagonist and not the degenerate magnet it actually is. I want to say here that I'm not saying you are a degenerate if you enjoyed this, that is just what I call the vibe of some ecchi that make girls (seriously underage girls a that) the objects of sexual fantasies. Let's call that practice out. The viewers can have many reasons for liking a show, but the practice only has one reason for doing what it does, and it's gross.
I guess what I am saying is that people who love a slice of life romance will probably like this but be annoyed by the use of its gratuitous and highly detailed fanservice and if you are like me in this regard, there you go... you have been warned.
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