My Dress-Up Darling

Episode 11

There are two major revelations during this episode that surprisingly caught me off guard. The first one revolved around the overall setup and execution of our final cosplay of the season. It's not uncommon to come across media that is either minimalistic in its design or just doesn't have a lot of references to a specific character's look, or at least references that showcase the design from useful angles. This of course makes it very hard to re-create said look from scratch, especially if accuracy is the idea. While I would've appreciated more details about his approach, I like the versatility Gojo displayed in creating the succubus cosplay based on what little information he had from the additional research he did. By using some imagination, his approach becomes less about creating something 100% accurate and more about making something that was recognizable and within the spirit of the character that Kitagawa was trying to emulate. I can understand why he seemed a bit nervous to have Kitagawa try the cosplay considering that prioritizing accuracy seems to be the dominant cosplay philosophy within the show's setting, but I like how the imagination and creativity in Gojo's approach are deemed as something to be celebrated. Even during times when accuracy just isn't possible, there are various other ways to approach a design, and while I do wish that the show expanded on that idea a little bit more, I like the fact that it's presented here in a noteworthy context.

I also find it interesting that it is Kitagawa who explains this to Gojo considering that it arguably goes against what she had previously said regarding being true to a character. Maybe she was specifically talking about body type and everything else is fair game? This could've been a recent revelation that she had since it wasn't even her idea to do this cosplay. She initially didn't think she could pull it off because she didn't think that she could do the specific hairstyle of the character justice, and it was Gojo that actually pushed her to go for it. It is an amazing follow-up to last week's episode where Kitagawa confirmed that she values Gojo's opinion and company above cosplay; or at the very least, she's determined that cosplaying isn't worth it unless he's involved. We're nearing the end of this first season so I doubt the show will go much further with these ideas but at the very least, I am very happy that the show is expanding on different cosplay worldviews instead of limiting itself to just one.

The second revelation is that while Gojo is definitely having an influence on Kitagawa's appreciation and understanding of cosplay, Kitagawa is also having an influence on Gojo's enthusiasm to the point where he seems to be developing a similar sense of tunnel vision when it comes to setting up cosplay shots. This is exactly what I wanted to happen since the two established their dynamic at the beginning of the show! Yes, you could argue that this was just an excuse to make Gojo act in a way that puts him and Kitagawa in a very…intense situation. That is definitely a possibility, especially since about a third of the episode is just Gojo being very uncomfortable in the love hotel (though him trying to watch porn quietly was kinda hilarious) but one thing I have to give the show credit for is that even when we don't always agree with the characters actions or worldviews, it still feels like everything is coming from a believable character place. While I would've liked this episode to be a bit more technical and maybe expand more on some of its conversations about being creative with cosplay, it's clear the show is shifting its focus towards the romantic, sexual tension between its leads. Combine that with the myriad of wacky yet minimalistic animation for the sake of comedy and I personally walked away from this episode mostly satisfied.

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My Dress-Up Darling is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.