My Dress-Up Darling is a crash course in cosplay baked into a honey-sweet, slow-burn romance with a heartfelt journey of self-acceptance. For otaku Marin Kitagawa, cosplay is where aesthetics, pageantry, and performance coalesce into a love letter to her favorite characters. She’s been dying to dress up as her fictional icons, but sewing isn’t exactly her strong suit. It’s pure kismet when she crosses paths with Wakana Gojo (no, not that Gojo), a withdrawn Hina-doll-making apprentice and skilled sewist. She’s got the vision. He’s got the technical know-how. Together, they’re a match made in cosplay heaven. If you’re cosplay-curious, My Dress-Up Darling is the perfect beginner’s guide. Here are some tips inspired by the series to help you get started. Cosplay With Confidence Many of us with niche, often misunderstood interests, face scrutiny and, let’s just say, less-than-kind remarks. Gojo’s story speaks directly to this unfortunate phenomenon. As a child, Gojo was mesmerized by the beauty of the Hina dolls in his grandfather’s workshop. He dreamed of following in his grandfather’s footsteps to become a master "kashirashi," or Hina doll craftsman. But when he shared his passion for Hina-doll making with his childhood friend, Nobara, she was disgusted. That moment cut deep. Even in high school, he hides his doll-making and keeps to himself, fearing rejection. RELATED: My Dress-Up Darling And Becoming Your True Self Through Transformation Though Marin, a card-carrying otaku, faces the same societal judgment that Gojo fears, she openly embraces her love for all things geeky (cosplay, anime, and games) and refuses to let anyone yuck her yum. Take, for instance, when some guy mocks her Shion-tan bag charms, pointing at them and sneering, “Hey, isn’t that from some anime?” Instead of forcing a laugh or trying to explain herself, Marin shuts him down. Marin’s boundaries are firm; she pays haters dust, icing out anyone who dims her light. RELATED: Get To Know These Amazing Anime Girls and Women of the 2020s In class, Gojo once marveled at Marin’s circle of friends, saying longingly, “She lives in a world where she is accepted for who she is.” What he begins to realize is that Marin’s world isn’t lucked into; it’s by design. Marin loves and accepts herself in all of her otaku glory and expects anyone she allows into her life to love and accept her just as completely. Instead of internalizing normative societal nonsense, channel Marin “Who TF You Talkin’ To” Kitagawa. Summon her iron-clad self-acceptance, and the asinine comments about your niche interests won’t be your top priority: the joy your interest gives you will be. Wear your cosplay with pride and carry that confidence into every part of your life. When you own who you are, you’ll naturally attract those who truly get you — the Marins to your Gojo. BONUS: It's not just Marin we get to see this with. My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 introduces us to cosplayer Amane Himeno (real name Chitose Amano), a male cosplayer who likes to dress as a girl. Amane explains how cosplay helped him become a more confident person, something he struggled with because of being teased at school. Through cosplay, Amane learned how to love himself, and that self-love has made him into the person he is today. There’s No Shame in Asking for Help (Or Having Someone Make Your Cosplay for You) There’s a tired misconception that working yourself to the bone over a sewing machine is the only “real” way to cosplay, that unless you make the entire costume alone, from scratch, you’re not a “real” cosplayer. And everything has to be just right, of course. Flawless, with unreal fidelity. It’s a scam. A trap. A Möbius strip of perfectionism. The truth is: you don’t have to do it alone. You’re allowed to make mistakes and ask for help. What truly matters is the feeling you get when you look in the mirror and finally see yourself as the character you absolutely adore. RELATED: How Well Do You Know Marin Kitagawa From My Dress-Up Darling? At the beginning of My Dress-Up Darling , Marin has her heart set on cosplaying Shizuku Kuroe (Shizuku-tan), her favorite character from the sequel to Saint ♡ Slippery’s Academy for Girls , an adult dating sim. She sets out to recreate Shizuku’s Gothic Lolita maid outfit and carefully follows the crystal-clear instructions in A Beginner’s Guide to Making Cosplay Outfits . But it still ends up a hot mess: a limp, wrinkled rectangle of fabric. Luckily, Marin runs into Gojo while he’s using the school sewing machine. She shows him the tattered fruits of her labor and he nearly has a conniption when he discovers she hadn’t used a bobbin (which is the spool of thread underneath the fabric that literally holds the whole stitch together). Marin doesn’t wallow in shame over the sorry state of her cosplay or insist on finishing it solo. Instead, she pivots and asks Gojo for help. Before long, he makes a stunning replica of Shizuku Kuroe’s decadent ensemble. She’s so over-the-moon obsessed with it that she practically floats from one cosplay event to the next. RELATED: My Dress-Up Darling Series Director Keisuke Shinohara Discusses What He’s Learned About Cosplay Gojo tends to think of things that Marin doesn’t when it comes to cosplay. On their supply run, Marin marvels at how Gojo considers the weight, texture, and drape of each fabric, choosing ones that realistically suit the character’s lifestyle. He opts for a heavier black material to reflect the refined, upper-class feel of Shizuku’s school uniform, and when she locks in on a medium black wig, Gojo recommends a deep violet one instead, explaining that purple is Shizuku’s signature color and feels more her. Like Marin, you can always ask friends, or even commission, your cosplay if you feel you can’t make it yourself. While Gojo is doing it for the love of the game, the level of expertise, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail that comes with commissioning doesn’t come cheap, but trust me, it’s worth every penny. Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself Unlike Marin, who can laugh off her mistakes and move on, Gojo is devastated by them. His perfectionism is a byproduct of his low self-esteem. Any sign of inadequacy sends him into a shame spiral. For example, Gojo is driven to despair by the structural nightmare that is a bunny girl bodysuit. It’s the centerpiece of Marin’s Arisa Izayoi cosplay from the anime We Are Tsukuyomi Company ( TsuCom ). When trying to create the outfit, the top half of the bodysuit refuses to stay upright. Marin suggests using clear straps, but Gojo doesn’t like the idea because it’ll ruin the cosplay’s silhouette. RELATED: How My Dress-Up Darling Taps Into Cosplay Culture By Being Grounded In Reality While shopping for clear straps, an elderly storekeeper tells them that their bunny suit’s drooping problem can be solved by inserting boning, just like in a corset. Upon hearing this, Gojo’s first instinct is to berate himself. He’s made a corset before, so why couldn’t he think of this simple fix? The storekeeper offers him the warmest of smiles and says, “There’s no need to be so hard on yourself. I believe that you should be able to enjoy your mistakes, too.” Mistakes are part of the process; meet them with humor and self-compassion rather than cruelty. Every forgotten bobbin or fried wig can be a moment of levity if you let it. Remember, cosplay is about joy, self-expression, and community, not perfection. Don’t Just Dress the Part, Act It Too As Gojo scrolls through the pictures he took of Marin in her Shizuku cosplay, something feels off. Marin is absolutely beaming, throwing up peace signs as her usual bubbly self, rather than embodying Shizuku’s quiet, melancholic demeanor. The illusion just doesn’t hold. There’s no suspension of disbelief. It’s just Marin in a nice costume. When Gojo recommends Marin pose more like Shizuku would, it’s a game-changer. Taking his advice, she looks into the camera with massive doe eyes and strikes a bashful pose. Suddenly, it’s as if Shizuku herself has stepped into the frame. To really make your cosplay pop, study the character’s personality, mannerisms, and expressions, then practice adopting those traits. Act as if you’re training for a role. Get into character, look into the camera, and transform! Of course, it’s not required, but it adds to the fun. Cosplay is costume and play, after all. Adjust Your Silhouette to Match a Character’s Physique Whether you’re going for a more masculine or feminine silhouette, tools like hip padding, breast forms, or waist cinchers can help shape your body. Makeup, contouring, and brow shaping can also make a huge difference in gender presentation. Timid middle-schooler Shinju Inui confides in Gojo that she wants to cosplay Soma Tengeji, a male character from the anime Flower Princess Blaze . But Shinju’s ample bosom and girlish figure make achieving a masculine silhouette feel next to impossible. RELATED: Dollmaker Or A Cosplayer — Which My Dress-Up Darling Hobby Should You Try? Gojo recalls how sarashi wraps were traditionally used under kimonos to flatten the chest. They give it a try, but it doesn’t fully bind her bust. Pivoting their approach, they search online and discover the B‑Holder, a hooked chest flattener. Thanks to the sarashi, the B‑Holder, and Gojo’s careful styling, Shinju becomes a flat‑as‑a‑board bishounen hottie, so convincing that even her seasoned cosplayer sister doesn’t recognize her. PSA: Quick Chest Binding Safety Tips The term “binding” refers to the process of flattening one’s breast tissue with a tight top called a “binder” and is both a cosplay technique and an important practice for many gender-diverse people. Double-binding, wearing more than one binder at once, is unsafe. It puts excessive pressure on your chest and ribs, more than a single binder is designed to handle. This can make breathing difficult and may cause discomfort or long-term injury. Do not bind with materials like Ace bandages or duct tape. While they might seem like quick cosplay hacks, they can seriously restrict your ability to breathe and move. To bind safely, always use a properly fitted binder. Avoid wearing it for more than eight hours a day, and if you’re under 18, try to limit wear to around six hours. Cosplays Do Not Have to Adhere Strictly to Canon “People making cosplays think hard about their costumes, and go by their own interpretation, so everyone’s is totally different. But that’s what’s awesome about it. It’s that freedom that makes cosplay fun.” — Marin Kitagawa Deviations from canon aren’t mistakes; they add a unique charm to your cosplay, a certain je ne sais quoi , making it memorable, meaningful, and distinctly yours. Gojo’s creative problem-solving comes in clutch when the source material for the character Marin wants to cosplay doesn’t give him much to work with. That character is Liz, the adorable succubus from her favorite manga, I’m a Mega–Best Selling High-School-Student Light Novel Author That Has a Succubus Thirsting for Me Every Night and I Don’t Know What to Do , or SuccIDK for short. Gojo stares in horror at the manga’s simplified chibi style, where many of Liz’s costume details are either obscured or missing altogether. He realizes that he’ll have to fill in the blanks himself. RELATED: 10 Closet Cosplay Ideas For Anime Fans Gojo studies succubus lore to better understand the character archetype and guide his creative decisions. Succubi are usually demons who seduce men and wear ultra-erotic, barely-there outfits, but SuccIDK subverts that by leaning into cuteness over sex appeal. He imagines Liz as a real person, and considers what she’d actually wear. Because Liz is so face-smooshingly darling, he adds coquettish details like pearl buttons and a heart-shaped collar that matches Liz’s tail, along with delicate lace embellishments. Gojo’s creative choices add texture and personality to what would’ve been a bare bones cosplay. When source material offers only minimal detail, it’s not necessarily a dead end. Think of it as an opportunity to make it your own. Cosplay with Cultural Sensitivity in Mind One of Marin’s cosplays is Veronica, the shark-toothed baddie from her favorite fighting game, Killing Gigs . Veronica is Ganguro-inspired. A substyle of gyaru, Ganguro was a ’90s alternative fashion trend that rebelled against Japan’s traditional beauty standards. Rather than conforming to the pale-skinned, understated, and demure ideal of Japanese femininity, ganguro gals embraced bold, transgressive glamour: bleached hair, heavy makeup, and extremely tanned skin. Marin, always one to go all‑in when it comes to accuracy, covers herself head to toe in brown foundation to match Veronica’s ganguro-coded complexion. Another example of her going all-in is when she suggests using eye tape to imitate Shizuku-tan’s downturned, defined eyelid crease. RELATED: What Is 28 Days of Black Cosplay? Reflecting on 10 Years of Excellence With Founder Chaka Cumberbatch Outside of Japan, especially in places like the U.S., techniques like these have been serious topics of conversation in the cosplay community. Cosplay is a fun foray into escapism, but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Even well-meaning cosplay choices can inadvertently alienate others. While My Dress-Up Darling doesn’t go into detail about the discussions on these practices, it's important to listen to people in the community to make sure your cosplay isn’t harming others. To help ensure cosplay remains a space of respect and inclusion, please keep empathy in mind when making your costume.
