Shinichi Fukuda

A warning to young readers and parents of young readers: this is a sexually explicit romantic comedy. At first glance, there may not appear to be much graphic material, but it actually has quite a few.

That being said, for those still interested and perhaps even more so now, this series is quite good! The story follows two main characters, Gojo and Kitagawa, as they develop a love for cosplay and costume making.

During the process of costume-making, quite a few sexually explicit or ‘ecchi’ scenes come about. The type of scene that will ‘peak the interest’ of any avid reader seeking such scenes. Side note: I haven’t seen a character’s masculinity depicted in such detail in a non-pornographic context in quite some time.

The unique interest of Gojo has caught my attention. It’s nice to see a traditional art appearing as something someone is so passionate about, like Hina dolls and their construction. My favorite part of the story is that he is the one who is in the handicraft aspect. She is pretty inept at all of this!

The cosplay details and costuming touches were nice. The narrative incorporates them reasonably well (it’s not just an information dump).

It's fun to watch people with different personalities bond over their unique hobbies and get excited about their interests. I find it lovely that he enjoys doing handicrafts. The story includes both humorous moments and character growth.

The negative aspects are about to be discussed.

One of the biggest problems is the sexual overtones. The series warrants parental warning labels. Marin’s first costume is based on a BDSM ero game.

The first image in the book is straight-up fan service. This girl is only 15 years old! She is still extremely young, and the naivete and inexperience and (truthfully) obliviousness you can see shows. She sees nothing wrong with Gojo taking very intimate measurements for her costume. Nipple measurements aren’t necessary for a 15-year-old!

I'd like to see less fan service, the age of the character, and more focus on preventing sexual harassment and respecting bodily autonomy.

For contemporary Japanese rom-coms, Dress Up Darling is a standout. It’s still a noteworthy series, although I wouldn’t give it a high rating. Before buying or going all in, read a few chapters to see if the book is for you.… (more)