A person’s middle school and high school years of their life are a time for learning about who you are — it can also be a formidable time. You’re in a constant whirlwind of keeping up with friends, the new social norms, your studies, and trying to figure out yourself, all in the span of a few years. With all of that going on, it can also be a period where your fair share of awkward moments will arise. That’s been especially true in My Dress-Up Darling with Gojo as he’s certainly had to navigate his way through a number of situations he was uncomfortable in. Sometimes, these moments can be hard to watch, but at the same time, it’s a good representation of what high school can be like and is something the show does a decent job of showcasing. Gojo’s plight is something that could happen to any of us. As he was raised by a hina doll craftsman, he wants to follow in those same footsteps, but when he’s told that’s a weird hobby, it essentially shatters his self-confidence and forces him to hide what he actually loves. This unfortunately sticks with him as he grows up. He’s become reclusive to shield himself from any form of criticism to not get hurt again. Even as we get into Season 2, Gojo still has these nagging thoughts in the back of his head that people are going to find him weird for his interests or that he shouldn’t be allowed to hang out with Marin’s friends. Which I think is a smart way to show how trauma of this nature works, since there’s always a tight rope to walk when it comes to feeling accepted. Although he has this new partnership with Marin, in the recesses of his mind, the thoughts that something could and possibly will go wrong creep up whenever things seem too good to be true. RELATED: How My Dress-Up Darling Bridges Fandoms Across Generations with Ningyo Dolls Whether you’ve been through it or are currently in the thick of it, being a teen is hard. It’s such a tumultuous time of change and sometimes it’s a period of having to deal with people who are mean for the sake of being mean. Which can certainly put you into a predicament like Gojo is in. Losing confidence in not only yourself but the things you enjoy is a hard thing to come back from. It’s something we all go through. I think having My Dress-Up Darling showcase this through Gojo is important for younger audiences to see that this type of behavior isn’t abnormal and can just happen. Plus, it’s good to see that through the lens of a guy when you have to fight through a lot of toxic masculinity messaging when you’re around that age. It’s easy in hindsight to look back at these periods of your youth and think that there are easier ways of dealing with these situations. Just don’t care what people think or be true to yourself is easier said than done in those moments. Case in point, I as a teen dealt with hiding aspects of things I liked because they weren’t as “cool” as they once were. One of those was anime as the older I got, the less it became something that was in vogue, so in order to not feel as if I’d be on the outs of social norms, I dropped it. Was it the right or smart thing to do? In hindsight, no, but at the time, I didn’t think I really had a choice. There are two big components that have helped Gojo throughout his journey in the series to see that he doesn’t have to hide his interests. The first is, of course, his friendship with Marin. Through her, he’s managed to find not only a friend, but someone who believes in him and his interests. She’s been able to show him that not everyone will think his interests are strange and others might think they’re worthwhile and interesting. With her help, Gojo’s confidence in himself has slowly but surely grown. Another aspect that has helped him is the larger cosplay community as a whole. He’s been able to find like-minded individuals through his connections with Marin, going to photoshoots and conventions, and being able to interact with peers to gain more knowledge. Like his relationship with Marin, it’s also helped him to see that there are more people like him that have an interest in niche activities that other people might find strange. He’s able to again grow his confidence, but also his skills as a whole, which in turn will feed back into making him more confident. RELATED: My Dress-Up Darling's Head Writer Yoriko Tomita Talks About Manga Adaptation While he still does have a ways to go in order to fully get over the hump of having thoughts that people will automatically dislike him for his interests or feel like he doesn’t belong, Gojo’s journey shows that you can eventually start to push those thoughts away with the right people and circumstances. I’m sure as the series continues, we’ll still see instances where he doubts himself, but these moments are key to his overall growth and why this series works so well. Hopefully Gojo’s journey is able to inspire more people to be true to themselves and to stay within their niche interests without others potentially pushing them away from those.
