This is so fucking important to me. Ultimately mdud is a story about finding people that wonât judge you and love you as you are, the importance of connection. And yes Gojo finds that with Kitagawa who helps him open up but!! He finds friends outside of that!!
He builts a support systems who reminds him he doesnât need to do everything alone and brings him food when he forgets to eat. Its so nice to see Gojo just be a teenage boy and his progression from a recluse to someone who has friends who genuinely enjoy beinh with him is so lovely to see. Its so lovely to see Gojo so happy here he makes me so emotional.
They went bowling!! They took pictures with silly glasses!! The selling point of mdud is the romantic relationship between Kitagawa and Gojo (and the ecchi) but everything else is so delightful and lovely to see. Gojo you will always be famous
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âMy Dress Up Darlingâ is one of the best examples of how perspective is important to character development and the story. Because if you think about it, MDUD is a love story between two protagonists. Both Marin and Gojo fulfill the role of the âaverageâ MC and the person who is out of the MCâs league. Itâs like this:
From Gojoâs POV, heâs the social outcast loser who fell hard for the gorgeous, popular, cool girl at school. He canât fathom why this super cool girl wants to hang out with him, but heâs willing to do whatever it takes to keep their friendship going. Even though heâs crushing hard on her, he thinks he doesnât have a chance with her, thus his focus is just to maintain their friendship.
From Marinâs POV, sheâs the weird, lovable nerd who is a klutz and constantly embarrasses herself. She then falls hard for this sensitive, handsome artist who takes care of her needs (like cooking her delicious, healthy meals). The artist also agrees to make her dreams come true - cosplaying - by designing clothes for her FOR FREE, which makes her fall even harder for the artist.
This is also why I believe the story really gets going after the Shizuka arc. Once you start seeing the story more from Marinâs POV, Marin starts coming off as more of the âaverageâ person while Gojo becomes more of the dreamboat. Itâs fascinating because both perspectives work. Marin IS super cool and a klutz. Gojo IS a social outcast and a handsome, sensitive artist. It makes for a fun dynamic, especially when the story switches POVs.
Also, this helps flesh the characters out. I feel like MDUD would not be anywhere near as successful if it didnât do the switches to Marinâs POV. If the story didnât, then Marin would just be another manic pixie dream girl there for Gojoâs development, which would be lame. Ironically, Marinâs character becomes more lovable and interesting when the story starts letting her be more flawed, accident-prone and flustered.
Gojoâs character also becomes more lovable because making him the out-of-their-league person from Marinâs perspective feels like a natural progression. I meanâŚheâs a handsome artist who is an amazing cook, designs 5-star level cosplays for free, and is a subconscious smooth talker (the âbeautifulâ line). In any other story, heâd be the object of affection.
Amane Himeno (Chitose Amano) from My Dress-Up Darling
I've waited three whole years to finally draw him, and now that Season 2 is out I was so happy to see his story told. He is one of my two favorite side characters of the whole series (the 2nd one will show up in the 2nd half of this season or so), and the anime did him justice and then some.
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Marin doesnât fall in love suddenly she falls in love like summer, slowly stepping into your life, filling the space with light and noise. First comes laughter. Then the habit of turning to you first whenever she wants to say something. And only after that does the realization arrive without you, her days feel empty, as if the brightest color has been taken out of them.
She loves watching you in secret. Not because sheâs shy. Marin rarely is but because she likes catching you in moments when youâre not trying to be anyone. When youâre focused, when you furrow your brow, when you forget about time. In those seconds, she thinks youâre unbelievably beautiful, even if you donât feel that way yourself.
Marin is very physical in her love. She easily takes your hand, leans her shoulder against you, rests her head on your lap as if it were the most natural place in the world. Sometimes she does it in silence not because there are no words, but because your presence is enough. In those moments, she seems surprisingly calm, almost domestic, as if sheâs finally found a place where she doesnât have to shine at full strength.
Sheâs in love with the way you accept her passions. You donât laugh, donât belittle them, donât patronize her. You look at her seriously, attentively, and to Marin, that matters more than any confession. Around you, she feels real not just the bright girl people love for her loudness and smile.
Sometimes, late at night, Marin sends you long messages about little things, about characters, about strange thoughts that come before sleep. And sometimes she just texts, âAre you still awake?â and if you reply, she smiles in the dark, face buried in her pillow, as if it were a secret known only to the two of you.
She gets jealous. Not explosively, not aggressively quietly, with a sharp ache under her ribs. She might joke, laugh, pretend everythingâs fine, but then suddenly hug you tighter than usual, as if checking: are you still here? are you still with her? And if you answer her with the same warmth, Marin calms down, as if the anxiety melts away in your arms.
When Marin loves, she wants to share a future with you in the simplest forms. Grocery shopping together, spontaneous walks, talking about silly things, warm tea at night. She isnât afraid to talk about âlater,â because in her âlater,â youâre already there.
Sometimes she looks at you for a long time, as if memorizing you. And if you ask whatâs wrong, sheâll smile and say something lighthearted. But in truth, in those moments, Marin is thinking that love isnât fireworks or an anime scene.
