Wakana Gojou è un liceale molto introverso e timido, che evita di aprirsi ai suoi coetanei per paura che scoprano la sua passione per le bambole giapponesi e la sua incredibile bravura nella sartoria. Un giorno, però, la sua maestria con ago e filo viene scoperta da Kitagawa, una bellissima e socievole gyaru con una passione altrettanto insospettabile: il cosplay. Nasce così un'amicizia atipica, creativa e molto... movimentata! Il costume di “Fato” meticolosamente realizzato da Wakana è completo e il Comiket invernale è finalmente iniziato! Marin è entusiasta del suo primo Comiket. Con un costume e un make-up fantastici, doveva essere un giorno felice, eppure…
There’s something about a monkey’s paw scenario that I just love. Or, really, any story beat where a wish is granted or desire fulfilled in a way that turns out to twist the knife super hard into a character’s metaphorical back.
Which means, basically, that the series finally rockets back to life after a couple of good, yet imperfect, entries. The plot at the end of the last volume, where Gojo was killing himself even more than normal to make the perfect Haniel costume for Marin, forms the launching pad for this one.
We already know that Gojo is a genius at designing costumes. We already know that Marin has the body and the attitude to embrace a character. Gojo is so intent on getting Marin to be the perfect Haniel that he gives her instructions that turn out to be exactly on point.
And suddenly, in a breathtaking sweep of a moment, everybody knows what Gojo and Marin are all about. They go viral for their work and Marin charms everybody, gets some help from her friends, is basically discovered, even. What could go wrong?
Naturally that part happens to her with poor Gojo stuck on the outside looking in as his work makes the girl he doesn’t yet realize he likes become the belle of the ball. Suddenly he’s not the only pair of eyes on her and he’s being pushed to the outside. No longer special.
Except he is special, the big dope, and he doesn’t realize it. And his reaction is to turn inward, which makes sense given his withdrawn nature, and just mope about it. I don’t love miscommunication, but between Marin not being clear and Gojo being shy, it’s narratively sound.
This is a beautifully natural and logical progression of what’s been done before. With her looks, and Gojo’s designs, there was no way Marin could stay a secret. Having it suddenly explode in the moment makes it a lot to handle for anybody. It takes guts to make a single person standing in place the focus of most of a volume; it takes skill to make it a narrative fulcrum.
After the longest train ride ever, once more the result of very poor conversational abilities, we see the ripples of the event continue to spread outward. It’s just piling on the pressure resulting from this viral moment, but I still found it very engaging.
The last section brings in Marin’s dad, who is a lot, but his loud style of parenting is wonderfully contrasted with Marin’s ‘so over this’ attitude to him and how much of the conversation between them has her represented in chibi form. It makes her look even more immature, which is a clever use of it.
Still, her dad is very supportive of her activities, up to a point, and that was nice to see too. He worries about her, even if he’s being played to the rafters for comic effect. The way the story is quietly making Gojo out to be the perfect housewife is also a lot of fun.
This was way better than I was expecting; we’d absolutely hit an apex in terms of quality and I felt we wouldn’t get there again. However, I was as surprised as Gojo with the results of this one and the aftermath spiralling out of it should be exciting stuff.
5 stars - that’s more like it and, ironically, it shows the least amount of skin in the series to date while it’s doing it.
The whole Haniel arc had me glued from start to finish and it honestly felt like watching Gojo and Marin level up as a team in the most satisfying way. Gojo asking Marin to be his Haniel wasn’t just another cosplay request, it felt personal. You could tell he knew he couldn’t perfectly copy the original character but that wasn’t the point. He wanted to create his Haniel and he trusted Marin to bring that vision to life.
One of my favorite bits was when Marin was doubting herself about pulling off the expression he asked for and Gojo just fired back without missing a beat that she could. No hesitation, no “maybe” just pure faith.
And of course, when she walked out as Haniel, the crowd couldn’t help but gather around. She didn’t even have to do anything, she just stood there and did the exact expression Gojo told her to do. That’s when it hit me though, seeing that look in Gojo’s eyes again, that quiet, almost hidden feeling that she’s somehow way out of his league. It’s the same kind of expression he had back at the start and it stings because we know it’s not true. Marin’s whole shine wouldn’t exist in this moment without him but he still sees her as this star that’s just out of reach.
Honestly, this volume had everything—heart, trust, a little heartbreak aaaaaa PEAK!
When mining the depths of our fractured relationships for some grain of meaningful connection, we tap the vein of selfishness one too many times. Is it from instinct, obligation, or fear? And do we ever properly own the consequences that result?
MY DRESS-UP DARLING v13 veers from the path of an obvious love letter to the world of manga/anime fandom and onto the less-trodden, interminably bramble-infested trail of obsessive-compulsive affectation. Not as an oddity, but as a caution. Not as a curiosity, but as an interruption. Not as a commitment to unexpressed sentiment, but as a warning against overrelying on the brittle emotions that guide seemingly novel experiences.
And thus, readers find themselves attached to Wakana and Marin's first trip to Comiket. Cosplaying as the archangel Haniel, the ever-enthusiastic Marin is up to the challenge despite having no real clue as to what she's doing or how she's actually going to go about doing it. Wakana, as always, is along for the ride. The Comiket experience opens their eyes to the miraculous network of collaborative cosplay, while yet endangering them both when it comes to how fast (and large) those networks can grow when self-interest outpaces raw humility.
Almost the whole volume of MY DRESS-UP DARLING v13 takes place in a single scene, on the grounds of Comiket. And yet, readers will be hard-pressed to dispute the story doesn't warrant the remarkable focus. The creative team wields many unique tools to show how Marin's cosplay captivates, through changes in shading, perspective, and an occasional turn toward a more realistic art style (e.g., a photographer is genuinely terrified of the cosplay). Marin fully invests herself in the experience, pulling forward Wakana's advice on embodying the character, and as a result, the power of cosplay fandom is on full display. But what about the consequences?
Publicity? Celebrity? Virality? Part of Marin smiles sheepishly at these results, but when she realizes these results can all be had at the cost of her time with Wakana, she falters. She succeeds because he succeeds. The girl worries he resents her for it.
The young man is no better. A frail bitterness simmers beneath the surface. Marin is good at what she does; she's pretty, she's affable, and she's kind. People want her photo. People want to work for her. People want her. The renown Marin (as Haniel) receives at Comiket quickly becomes legendary. Surely, the girl deserves everything she gets. But the boy worries: He wanted her to succeed in a way that makes them both smile, but does she even need him anymore?
Readers will find themselves buoyed by the book's humor (e.g., Masami, Marin's father, is overprotective and shouty) and tickled by singularly surprising bouts of modesty (e.g., the editor, animator, and manga artists behind the Haniel character's creation react in near-real-time), but it's not enough.
MY DRESS-UP DARLING v13 isn't about inserting tacky, convenient, misdirected notions of romance-comedy that most stories of this type kindly rely on. MY DRESS-UP DARLING v13 is about masking the sincere greed that crowds out humility on the eve of success. The manga is about grumbling against the known, corruptive forces of jealousy, of interiority, smitten with the realization that what once was may never be again. The consequence? A sullen gaze. An incredulous laugh. A dismissive smile.
I LOVED this volume. There were so many good panels. All the shots of Marin as Haniel were done so well, and really conveyed just how good of a cosplaying duo Gojo and Marin are. Also, Gojo's game face is so intense for a guy that is always so soft. I love the duality of it.
However, this big shift happens in this volume. Gojo has felt real jealousy for the first time in his life. It's hard to make out, because the words are scribbled over, but his inner thought of 'act in a way that will captivate everyone is something I never should have said hits hard. He's always liked Marin, but he kind of had her to himself since she also likes him, and he just hasn't figured that out. Now, everyone knows about her, and, our boy is shook. Meanwhile, poor Marin has no idea what is going on. Ugh, the drama is so good. I can't believe we are heading into the last volume soon. I can't wait for this part of the series to be animated.
The Haniel cosplay is one of my favorite arcs, though it makes me sad knowing (from reading unofficial translations) that we’re nearing the end of this series. It doesn’t feel properly tied up, but at least there are some sweet moments to look forward to. Marin takes Comiket by storm, and dazzles everyone with both her costume and her portrayal of Haniel. TBH every time they explain Mandate of Heaven it sounds very confusing, and it doesn’t help that they say the author’s works are like admiring fossils, but obviously it has a lot of fans.
Wakana seems to have awakened to something and is currently in brooding mode. Marin’s dad is hilarious when he sees how she’s been eating so well, and then is horrified at the creative meals she makes herself…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a rather interesting volume because while Gojo and Marin didn’t interact as much with each other, a lot still did happen between them on a more subtle level. Gojo definitely is seeming to get in his head at all of the attention that Marin was/in getting while i’m cosplay. Speaking of, I have mixed emotions about the entire instance at Comiket where Marin got very much trapped by all of those photographers while I’m cosplay. I’m thankful that nothing bad happened to her but the way that we got to see some insight into a few of the photographers and how intense things seemed to get towards the end, I was getting really worried that Marin would become overwhelmed by everything. Also, I found it pretty cute to see Marin’s father interacting with Gojo and Gojo’s grandfather.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I haven't commented on one of these for a while except to give a rating. This one, I felt I had to put in a bit of extra effort.
Maybe Haniel got to me like s/he got to the characters in the book. I have no idea why I felt this particular volume was so good, but it really just hit me. The framing, the flow, whatever. I felt this volume was just particularly well done. I would love to see this animated, but I can't imagine that this will make it into the second season of the anime. Done right, it's going to look amazing, so I really hope to see it at some point.
This Volume is all about how amazing Marin looks in her Haniel cosplay. She steals the Comiket cosplay pic area by gathering the largest circle crowd EVER, even more than most pros. She gets a business card from an organization asking her to go pro with them, and even generates TONS of buzz on social media, from all around the world. When her Dad finds out about Gojo making all her cosplays, he goes to their house to beg forgiveness for Marin's demands. By the end, I think even he can see Gojo's love for her.... Looks like 2 more Volumes... might have to jump online and finish it rather than waiting. And the anime needs to come back! Recommend.
This would have gotten a star higher if this wasn’t the second to last volume. Knowing that this was ending this year made me so sad but so hopeful for the last 2 volumes. This did not live up to that hope. We spent 100-120 of the book as filler at a convention that could have been simply in 20 pages and given us so much more before we lose the story of these characters. I love the convention content but knowing this is almost done made me want more fulfilling story lines rather than the filler slice of life stuff I gave 5 stars to in previous volumes. Promising last 15 pages though for looking into the character’s more distant future.
I think this one was my l least favorite of all in the series. The whole book was practically the photographers at the comiket just taking pictures of her and to me their behavior was creepy and borderline stalker like with how they all acted so obsessed. I felt like there was hardly any pages of marin and gojo together. like what??? the only interesting thing was when there was a huge crowd around marin and gojo wishes he never said anything about captivating everyone because to me it gave vibes like jealousy and sadness that maybe he wishes it was just them. it gave vibes of him finally starting to realize his feelings for her.
Not to sound super harsh, but I think this is the only good volume to come after the school festival arc. The weight loss arc immediately following the festival almost made me completely lose interest in this series. The only reason I continued at all was because Gojo was the the voice of reason (thought it was not beyond my notice that he was the ONLY voice of reason). Though if im really thinking about it, I think i was more interested in the cosplayed character this arc then the actual manga plot line (though Gojo's realizations this arc were top tier). 4/5 Stars, pretty much juat for Gojo.
Capisco perché mi piace questo manga! ♥️ i personaggi sono felici per cose semplici! Gioiscono come bambini nella creazione di un vestito, elencandone tutti i dettagli come se fosse un tesoro✨♥️ mi fanno una tenerezza assurda! Mi stupisce alle volte su che dettagli si soffermino, cose che normalmente non facciamo mai caso…si descrivono un sacco le espressioni facciali, e si fanno complimenti per cose che sembrano banali♥️ Questo volume mi è piaciuto perchè c’è stata la fiera e quindi c’è stato molto movimento e soprattutto il vestito ha fatto talmente tanto scalpore da non sembrare quasi reale, e solo merito di gojo che non riconosce mai il suo talento😍
Por fin Gojo terminó el cosplay de Haniel y fue todo un éxito en la convención, aunque debo decir qué la parte en la que le tomaron fotos se me hizo un poco larga, pero me intrigó mucho el momento en el qué todo termina y Gojo tiene una mirada extraña ¿Serán celos? Espero averiguarlo en el siguiente tomo. También me gustó que el cosplay llegara al creador original del personaje, espero qué haga algún comentario y le llegue a Gojo, sería la mejor recompensa por su gran trabajo y le daría más confianza en sí mismo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Quasi tutto il volume é lei che si fa fotografare e fa "lo sguardo". Tutti la cercano, la repubblicano e le offrono un lavoro come cosplayer professionista. In tutto questo gojo è triste per ragioni non troppo chiare. Forse perché non ha visto marin posare, fare lo sguardo o perché ha capito che lei si sta allontanando swmpre di più man mano che ottiene più fama (?) Volume vuoto e che mi ha cringiato varie volte. Mi dispiace scrivere solo cose negative, ma non riesco a trovare neanche una scena che mi abbia fatto scattare un sorriso
The biggest cosplay is here! The Archangel Haniel cosplay is here!
Finally, I caught up to the latest volume. It was honestly great. The cosplay was superb. The volume was full of reactions. The story was short, yet it felt good. Gojo is feeling something different.
Tbh, the whole round circle photo shoot was good but kinda messy. The chapter with Marin's dad was funny-ish.
anche questo volume carinooo. I disegni mi sono piaciuti particolarmente e penso che questo sia stato uno dei cosplay meglio riusciti della serie. non riesco bene a capire il motivo per cui gojo sia depresso ma va bene così. magari nel prossimo volume si saprà. per quanto riguarda il romance zero sotto zero e penso che arrivati a questo punto della storia non succederà nulla :( ho già qui con me il 14esimo volume che leggerò a breve.
El cosplay en el que Gojo ha invertido tanto tiempo es admirado por muchos, sin embargo algo en él parece oscurecerse. El arcángel Haniel es un éxito .
Solo voy a quejarme del mal control de calidad de editorial Panini México por darme una edición con manchas en las hojas, en las partes más importantes que es Marín con su cosplay, y una hoja rota
I still adore this series, but I'm a little bummed that Marin put her confession on hold for this cosplay. It's so cute how passionate Gojo feels about this costume, and his dedication is admirable, but I want to see some romance! I'm sure I'm not the only one, and this is typical for manga, but I'm seriously getting impatient. Marin looks amazing in this costume though. Another great volume.
This volume just felt a little flat for me. There didn't seem to be a whole lot going on between the main characters, and certain points felt like they dragged on longer than they needed to. That being said, I can see why this part is going to end up being so important to the overall story, I just wish we got more character/relationship development as well.
There is something about this installment which really stays with you after you read it. This might be how Marin finds a way to achieve a costume which is so good, everyone knows it. She immediatley becomes the attention of everyone and the energy in the air is palpable. The dreamlike atmosphere is probably why I'm giving it such a high grade.
It's perfect. I don't know what else to say. It's the perfect transmission of a flash, am event, a deer in the headlights I've seen in manga. The art is just exquisite and if you don't feel at least one of the character's reactions in the pit of your stomach, I dunno what to tell you. This might end up being what I remember from the series the most.
This was so amazing, I finished the volume in one sitting because I could not put it down. Marin and Wakana pushed themselves to new heights to put on an amazing cosplay. It was all so surreal. Kinda sad, though, that amidst all the excitement that Marin never found the time to let Wakana know how she feels.
SHITTTTTT AUUUUGHHHHH It’s so satisfying to see the result of all their hard work!!!! Leave it to me to finally fully enjoy the volume that’s basically all cosplay and no romance 😭💔 Marin’s hit the big time… but what will come of all this?? And is it worth the cost of their relationship? I’m looking forward to finding out!
For once, the dressing up part really interested me and, oh my, it was done so great. Marin looked so great people were saying they were happy to be alive to see this lol.
Gojo is so jealous, this guy needs to man up and just confess already and it seems like he will because it’s starting to bother him.
It’s an adorable cute romance manga that constantly has the main characters questioning if they like/ love eachother while exploring cosplay for one of the main characters. I’m sad that the series didn’t go longer than intended due to some problems. However, it gives enough story and development to be meaningful and wholesome!
A disappointing volume. Save for the last chapter, the whole volume was just others talking about Marin. I get the importance of that for their story, but dropping the heart of the series—Marin and Gojo’s relationship—made me feel distanced. Gojo’s sudden mood swing is out of character and forced.
Por el comportamiento de Wakana (el Gojo que sí me importa) me doy cuenta de lo cerca que estamos del final. Lástima que no pudimos ver a Marin vestida de Haniel mirando a su verdadero amor en la Comiket.
I love this series and volume 13 was awesome: Costume, emotional buildup, photo shoot, after effect, just great. Where are they going from here? Will they confess their deep emotional connection…. Phew…