The Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide - My Dress-Up Darling Season 2

Gojo and Marin continue to get close as the school year goes on to the point where it's not uncommon for the rest of their classmates to find the two casually hanging out together. However, while this has become fairly standard for the two of them, everyone else is starting to get suspicious about whether they are dating. Meanwhile, Gojo and Marin begin asking the real questions, like what's the proper way to make a functioning bunny suit from scratch!

My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 is based on the manga series by Shinichi Fukuda. The anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll on Saturdays.

I suppose someone on the staff must be a psychic who heard my complaints that we didn't get enough romantic developments with Marin and Gojo in the premiere, because this episode is full of it. Granted, a lot of those developments are steeped in traditional misunderstandings. Still, this show isn't out to reinvent the wheel with romcoms, and it certainly isn't above indulging in all the standard tropes that come with the territory. That's not a knock against this episode because, for as tiresome as some of this material can feel normally, it's more than possible to make it work when the execution is actually funny.

Take Gojo's reaction to whether or not he and Marin are dating. While Gojo's subsequent freakout and denial over this question are extremely predictable, the image of him spitting his drink while he's in his rabbit costume is still pretty hysterical. His overreaction here is only made better when he and Marin leave the room, and we learn that Marin's friends are all in agreement that these two should hook up already. It is a bit frustrating seeing how the two of them react to all this as Gojo maintains the idea that Marin couldn't possibly fall for someone like him. Marin fears that Gojo's overreaction is proof he's not interested in her, but these doubts are at least aligned with what we've seen of their characters up till now, and the episode doesn't dwell on them too much. Instead, it manages to use those misunderstandings as vehicles for jokes like Gojo trying to “save” Marin from getting hit on by a couple of guys by very politely offering to show them a good time instead, and later discovering they're her hair stylists, or Gojo registering a kiss on the cheek as Marin clicking her tongue because he can't feel anything through the bunny suit. Any frustration I felt about Gojo and Marin not making much progress was easily negated by how hilarious all of this was, and the fact that the show managed to make all these interactions still feel sweet was icing on the cake.

That wonderful swirl of sweet romantic beats and great gags continues into the second part of the episode when Marin catches a cold and Gojo decides to take care of her. It's equally adorable and funny to see him fidget over her well-being while he's stuck in school, and with how awkward of a guy he is, knowing he cut school early to go to her side is probably the most romantic gesture he could have mustered. The fact that Gojo felt the need to avoid being discovered by Marin's friends afterwards kills the vibes a little, but seeing him go so out of his way to try nursing her back to health does at least help sell why Marin has it so bad for him. For all this tenderness, I don't think anything in this episode quite beats Gojo learning that Marin has an ahegao shirt, mixed in with the rest of her laundry, and seeing him very quietly trying to pretend as though he never saw it speaks far more than words ever could.

I didn't get quite as much out of the last part of the episode, which sees Marin and Gojo running into a crossdressing cosplayer named Amane Himeno. Still, given how easily a different show would have had a barrage of jokes at Amane's expense, I'm glad that Marin and Gojo don't have much reaction to learning he's a guy, other than a brief moment of shock. Instead, Gojo's just way more impressed by his makeup, and more importantly, by how realistic the boobs in all his cosplay photos look. Learning how to equip great-looking fake boobs doesn't feel like something that should be part of an actual sentence, much less a solid cliffhanger, but I can't deny that I'm genuinely curious about the answer. My Dress Up Darling is a rom-com that's going full force on both halves of that genre equation, and even with how many of those there are this season, if there's any worth keeping up with, it's this one.

There are few things I appreciate more in anime than seeing an animation team go all out to commit to a bit, and the fake Tsukiyono Company anime that comprises the first few minutes of this episode is as good an example as it gets. A slapstick comedy starring a bunch of incompetent bunny girl assassins seems like a premise that would have been ripped straight out of a '90s Gainax anime, and the short replicates that animation style flawlessly with tons of zany character expressions and overly dramatic still shots to punctuate the jokes. In other words, it's something that was made for me, and I would gladly give my life to CloverWorks if they could successfully convince a production committee to make it a reality.

After coming off that kind of high, part of me was almost disappointed to return to a regular episode of My-Dress-Up Darling, but that disappointment faded almost immediately when I saw how the rest of the episode looked. It's been a while since I've seen the first season, so my memory is far from perfect. I recall it being a nice-looking show, but I didn't remember it as being particularly visually distinct from any of CloverWorks or A-1 Pictures' usual rom-coms. I guess I didn't give it enough credit, because this premiere looks downright gorgeous as it's stuffed to the brim with great character animation and exaggerated expressions that help enhance the humor. Whether it's comically detailed shots of Marin trying to share a pocky stick with Gojo, or all of Gojo's exasperated faces as he tries to craft Marin's latest cosplay outfit there's a ton of good visual humor here, and it's so well executed that it could nearly carry this premiere by itself.

Thankfully, it doesn't have to, because the real glue here is just how stinking cute Marin and Gojo are together. The chemistry between these two remains as strong as it was in the first season, and whether it's watching the two watching the aforementioned fake-Gainax show together or all of Gojo's reactions to Marin's bunny girl outfit, it's hard not to want to see these two smooch already. Speaking of that outfit, I also liked the way the episode used all the fanservice shots to focus on Gojo's POV of trying not to ogle someone he currently only sees as a friend. While I imagine the show's heavy use of it will continue to be divisive, this is a clever way to approach it, so I hope the show will continue to lean into that. Also, as someone who knows next to nothing about cosplay and admires it from a distance, I remain appreciative of how well this show goes into the nitty-gritty of every outfit, and it was unironically fascinating to learn how you'd go about making a practical version of an anime bunny girl outfit in real life.

My only real complaint about this premiere was that there wasn't anything in the way of new romantic developments between our leads, aside from the final minute when one of Marin's friends outright asks Gojo if they're a thing. With how stuffed it was otherwise, that's a nitpick more than anything else, and I can't say it's not a good cliffhanger even if I don't expect it to result in anything immediate. Despite the minimal romantic drama, I am at least glad that we got a bit of character growth for Gojo when he ends up agreeing to hang out with Marin and her friends for a Halloween karaoke party. It's clear that Gojo feels out of his depth here, and that only gets worse when one of Marin's friends comments on it being a bit weird that Gojo knows how to do Marin's makeup, and reopens his buried shame about his hobby. Thankfully, Marin's other friends are quick to point out that plenty of men know how to do makeup, and when Gojo realizes that no one there is making fun of him, he starts to consider that the childhood friend who did do that to him, really might have been the only one. It presents a good opportunity for Gojo to start moving past that trauma, and I hope the rest of the season will follow up on that. Between the stellar visual comedy, and the fun chemistry between our leads, this was the perfect reintroduction to everything that makes My Dress-Up Darling a great show, and if the rest of the season can maintain even half the energy of this premiere, I have no doubt it'll be just as strong as the first.

It's always nice when the supporting characters in a rom-com want the leads to kiss as much as the audience does. Springboarding off the bombshell accusation at the end of the premiere, the second episode of My Dress-Up Darling's second season is all about rapidly reinforcing how…really, really well Marin and Gojo would work as a couple. There are some allusions to long-term story seeds that could develop. For the most part, these are sketch-based spurts designed to be cute while also illustrating the ocean-sized gap in confidence, keeping Gojo and Marin from just earnestly getting together.

Virtually every momentarily "serious" turn this episode of My Dress-Up Darling has ended up being just another opportunity for Gojo to show off what an A+ boyfriend he would be. When it looks like some mysterious antagonist is pulling Marin aside for some reason, Gojo leaps to her defense only to find out…he's just her somewhat intense hairdresser. Marin comes down with a cold, but she's well on the road to recovery after Gojo cuts class to take care of her. A pity he doesn't feel worthy of sticking around when her other friends show up. It's playing the hits, but these are hits for a reason. Even the pair's interaction at a public event sees them helping a fellow cosplayer out as Gojo has learned to be ready for everything after acting as Marin's personal sewing beau for so long.

Now, between the remarks on the bunny suit in the previous episode, comments from the hairdresser in this episode, and the arrival of a crossplayer character who's already intriguing Gojo with the technicalities of glue-based hair and body costuming, I have to presume some sort of tangent about Gojo trying out cosplay himself is brewing. It would make sense as a method of dialing up his confidence, which, as noted, is the main barrier to his allowing himself to consider a relationship with Marin. Plus, it opens up new avenues in exploring the intricacies of the hobby and honing Gojo's skills, which this series is all about.

In that vein, new crossplaying character Himeno is charming so far. Despite a moment of shock (seemingly based on just how convincing he was,) both Marin and Gojo seem chill with him, which is cool—and makes sense, given Gojo's experiences with people being judgy about his own hobbies. It's fun to see Gojo so intrigued about the specifics of crossplay, to say nothing of Marin's unchecked enthusiasm at the end of the episode about checking out a set of fake boobs. I am interested to see if the series will explore the unique struggles and expectations faced by crossplayers, as Himeno's allusions to confidence issues suggest there may be some complexities there.

As noted by the old guy in the previous episode, it's a brave new world out there, and if this season of My Dress-Up Darling is going to be all about broadening horizons, that's a heartening place for it to head to. Not that it's above baser entertainment value either, since this is the episode that sees Gojo glimpsing Marin's ahegao shirt, after all (a sentence I really ought to have presumed I'd have to write at some point). The anime is off to some refreshed emotional through-lines, and I'm excited to keep watching these kids, whatever they end up dressed as.

My Dress-Up Darling returns in the best way it knows how—not with an immediate reintroduction to the leads and their lovable relationship, but with one of the most lavishly made, coolest-looking fake anime ever produced to be shown inside of another show. I would watch an entire season of the freewheeling bunnysuited misadventures of Tsukiyono Company. The way it hooks viewers makes for a perfect reintroduction to a show showcasing how an anime can be so great that fans wouldn't be able to resist dressing up as characters from it.

Not that My Dress-Up Darling is any slouch in presenting itself once it gets its actual show underway, of course. I swear the animation in this season is already looking even more stylized than the first season. It's like the crew's experience emulating other anime looks is bleeding through, and that's a good thing. This is a series all about love for these 2D mediums influencing one's style choices, so why shouldn't the show itself reflect that? Marin herself is still the central showcase of the production's energy. She zips and bounces to and fro with her infectious enthusiasm and adorable facial expressions, welcoming viewers to feel like they haven't missed a beat in the intervening three-plus years since the first season. But she's hardly the only strong point on display, as My Dress-Up Darling is the sort of anime that can angle even the most simplistic of static scenes just right to get the most out of characters simply sitting around chatting. This is a hang-out anime, where viewers get to chill with the leads and maybe hope they'll finally kiss at some point.

There is more to it all, of course, though not too much at this just-returned stage. My Dress-Up Darling is still a show unashamedly involved in the ins and outs of cosplay. What's that, you thought there'd be some straightforward bunny-suit fanservice from Marin to rope horny audiences back in? Psych, this episode's giving a crash course in how those salacious suits actually work! It's still saucy, of course, least of all in hearing about the value of boning or watching Marin haul Gojo off to the store to buy a strap. I am an adult, I swear. The bunny-suit factoids are pretty interesting, and reflect the thoughtfulness and appreciation for the craft that My Dress-Up Darling has always traded in. It's characteristic too, in seeing Marin despair as she realizes that the kind of fanservice-friendly wardrobe malfunctions she was hoping to emulate in her suit aren't quite as possible in the 3D world (or this 2D simulacrum of a realistic 3D world…My Dress-Up Darling's interface with reality can be odd to think about sometimes).

It's fun in the way audiences will remember and hope for from this show. And it's not without ongoing markers of progress either. Gojo gets to go out to karaoke with Marin and her friends for Halloween (truly, the ultimate cosplayer holiday). He's naturally encasing himself in a giant bunny mascot costume to shield his anxiety, but the questions from his would-be peers come all the same. The thing is, despite some early scares, Gojo's hobbies, which he worries will lead to him being judged for being effeminate, are accepted rather rapidly (by a guy who's cross-dressing, no less). It's a bold new world, as a shopkeeper observes earlier in the episode, and it turns out Marin's not the only one who's cool with Gojo being into what he's into and being pretty good at it. It's a sign of forward motion in general, but also a point for Gojo as he realizes that he might have been overblowing his reaction to one (1) girl, judging him back when they were wee tiny baby-children. It sets up one more personal pathway for the character; maybe now the healing can truly begin.

That's but a slight allusion to directions the anime could go in the new season. The main purpose of this premiere is to remind audiences why they're here for My Dress-Up Darling in the first place, and it's a great refresher of that. The chemistry between the characters still crackles with cute energy, the cosplay craft is still clever, the modeling scenes are still full of lavish backgrounds and good-natured fanservice (Gojo better hope that studio has a cold shower), and the fake anime are so cool I wish they were premiering this season alongside it.

Anyone else want to give a big hug to our adorable ball of overthinking anxiety? This episode pretty much started and resolved almost exactly how we thought it would. These two are not going to get together anytime soon, but it's nice that we see what kind of roles they will fall into when it happens. Marin brings out more of Gojo's passion and helps him get driven more by instinct. This episode even showcases a little bit of a possessive nature with him, trying to protect Marin after thinking that she's getting hit on.

Meanwhile, Gojo is the caretaker of the relationship. He's the one who cooks the meals, takes care of her when she's sick, and even goes so far as to skip class because he's worried about her. That's something that Gojo from episode one would never do, but that's how much she means to him. I like that all of this is being showcased through actions rather than through discussion. Marin, on the other hand, is just having a good time; she's not rushing to get into a relationship with Gojo, as I don't think she's thinking that far ahead. Still, it's nice to know she's at least a little bit insecure about Gojo always denying it.

The end of this episode gets back into cosplay. We finally get into the wonderful world of crossplay. Given how the show handled previous subject matter, I am a little bit concerned about how in-depth we're going to cover this element of cosplaying from a social perspective. There is a very good chance that this could be a very surface-level display of someone who just feels comfortable cosplaying a different gender. Part of me hopes it's just a casual thing where they focus on the practical elements like hiding bone structure, but there's also a chance that this could be a recurring character. Who is to say that there won't be a more involved conversation about that?

Have you ever had two friends who spent all their time together, only to end up in a relationship without either of them realizing it? That is what it is like to watch Dress-Up Darling, and I am here for it. This first episode felt like watching a short film about two opposite yet adorable high schoolers working on a project together. I don't just mean that with the pacing, which felt pretty tight around every corner, but also in the animation quality. I don't think there's a single still frame in this entire episode that lasts more than a second, because character animation or camera movement is constant. Whether it's Gojo shaking in a weirdly realistic way or Marin doing her hair out of nervousness, there's so much life and personality in this show. This was obvious in the first season, but now it feels like the production has cranked it up a notch. Whether the show will maintain this level of quality for the remainder of the season remains to be seen, but considering how long it took to arrive, I would not be surprised if it stays consistent.

This episode feels like the next step from last season's narrative. Gojo and Marin have gotten to a point where they get so wrapped up in making cosplay that they overlook obvious signals from one another. The two of them are trying to be aware of each other's comfort, and spending so much time together seems to be a regular part of their lives. This makes the ending of the episode even funnier when a classmate straight up asks if they're dating, and I want to see what the follow-up will look like, because there will be ramifications of Gojo just adamantly denying it.

Granted, he would deny it because our boy is still dealing with trauma, and this episode seems to be setting up the next stage of his character arc. In season one, he was learning to accept that he's allowed to spend so much time with Marin because he was worried that his presence was dragging her down. Instead, he realized that he was comfortable around her, and the two genuinely enjoyed each other's company, becoming better people as a result. The next step is for Gojo to learn that there is a world outside of just Marin, where there are more people beyond the one girl who called him creepy when they were younger, and that there might be people out there who respect his work. Some people genuinely want to be friends with him. I'm all for this, and I'm eager to see where the show goes with these developments.

This episode of My Dress-up Darling turns a greater eye towards Marin and Gojo's relationship, as Marin brings Gojo out with her friends to do karaoke on Halloween. There, with all the boldness of a gyaru, Marin's friend asks them point-blank: Are you two dating?

Marin and Gojo's relationship has long been one of the strengths of the series, but it's starting to dip into typical romantic comedy territory. There's still strong character writing behind all of it: Marin's attempts at flirtation are stymied by Gojo's lack of self-confidence. She could hold up a big honking neon sign that says, “Marin Kitagawa is madly in love with Wakana Gojo!” and Gojo would blithely think to himself, “I can't believe there's another guy with that name!” because he can't conceive of himself and his passion being attractive. We see this, as well, with how he braces himself for cruelty when Marin's friends find out he does her makeup, only for them to respond with respect.

But screw it, these kids are just so darn likable that even well-trod romcom territory carries with it plenty of charm. Marin's open crush on Gojo and enduring hope that maybe someday he'll make a move remain adorable. Every step Gojo makes toward not just self-acceptance, but healing from his trauma and realizing that a lot of people out there are okay with craftsmen who make dolls and can do makeup, has me rooting for him. Joining Marin and her friends, who exist in a specific subculture where gender is treated as a performance that can be altered and ad-libbed, may be just what he needs.

You know where else gender is a performance? Cosplay! Out of everything in this episode, what struck me most was Ayumu Murase's impressive acting as Amane Himeno. Amane is a male cosplayer who dresses as female characters, which we called “crossplay” back in the day. Murase's falsetto is so convincing that I was genuinely confused when I discovered Amane was played by a male voice actor, inadvertently spoiling the surprise for myself. More importantly, Amane further reinforces the overarching theme of the episode and the show: there is no right way to be a man, woman, or anything in between, and people should live as they see fit.

Your mind is probably already made up about My Dress-Up Darling, and this episode is not here to change it. We pick up right where we left off, with Marin showing Gojo an episode of the source anime of her next costume: a bunny suit with a tailcoat. Gojo's first attempt at making it fails, and he must learn a new technique to make it work. Marin dons it and, of course, looks sexy without a hint of bashfulness, making Gojo unbearably horny. Nope, no surprises here.

Normally, this is where I would say, “Unless…” or “Except…” but I really mean it this time! This episode holds no surprises! It's nice if you like the show, and if you don't, well, why are you here? Don't you have anything better to do with your time?

Fortunately for me, I adore My Dress-Up Darling, so it was nice to see Gojo and Marin up to their old antics. Although the episode doesn't go into lavish detail about cosplay construction this time, it's still a delight to see the care put into how the fabric moves and shifts along with the detailed character animation. Gojo, not realizing that corset tops need boning to stay up, and not doing research on their structure, is a touch out of character, but that mainly served to set up a gag about the fabric store employee misunderstanding who he's making the bunny suit for. It's the kind of joke that could easily become transphobic, but instead the employee reminds himself that anybody can wear whatever they like and psyches himself up to encourage Gojo, turning the moment sweet instead of cruel.

My feelings are a bit more mixed on the shots of Marin's body, which have always jumped back and forth across the line between “fan service” and “sexual content.” This episode edged further into fan service territory as it lingered over Marin's barely covered groin and butt. While yes, it represented Gojo's focus on those areas because he's devastatingly attracted to Marin, it was also there for the audience's viewing pleasure. Gojo's struggle not to explode out of his pants is a rich vein of comedy, and I respect his devotion to not violating Marin's trust and sense of safety with him, but… that's still an ass wiggling in my face.

There was a lot of discourse over My Dress-Up Darling when it first aired, including a good friend of mine getting death threats over a tweet. Hopefully, with the second season, we can all calm down and enjoy the show for what it is, or safely ignore it.