Season 2 of hit cosplay anime My Dress-Up Darling ended a few months ago, and I remember being satisfied with it at the time. The final episode left us once again circling the 'will they, won't they territory' that's defined the dynamic between frantic male lead Gojo Wakana and playful female lead Marin Kitagawa, but the season as a whole did an even better job communicating the core theme of the story: do what you love and don't let the words of others weigh you down. I'd love to see more, but if the anime does end here, I thought, I'll be content.
It was only after reading the recent English release of the 14th volume of the My Dress-Up Darling manga that I got a hankering for season 3. It's not just that a third season could finally complete the arc that Gojo and Marin have slowly been traversing, though that is part of it. But more importantly, there are scenes in the unadapted manga volumes that are simply crying out for the big screen, as well as key moments for Gojo in particular that I'd kill to see animated.
Spoilers for season 2 of the anime and manga volumes 11 onward.
The highlight of season 2, the moment I rewatched like I would a stellar fight scene in an action series like Demon Slayer or Solo Leveling, was the final creation and reveal of the crossdressing, suited cosplay that Marin wears to a school pageant. Marin is arresting, the enthusiasm of the crowd is infectious, and it's immensely gratifying to see Gojo's skill and effort recognized by his peers, who start to break through the walls he's built around himself out of fear of being branded weird for his sewing and makeup skills.
Volume 13 of the manga has another scene much like this, but the hook is sharper still. After several amateur cosplays and side-job fashion shoots, Marin's magnetic charisma is finally revealed to the world. It could never stay hidden forever. After an impromptu, unexpectedly massive cosplay shoot at Comiket, one of Japan's biggest otaku events, her and Gojo's cosplay rendition of an in-universe manga starlet goes viral, even earning the approval of the series' famously curmudgeonly creator.
Marin is a natural actor, effortlessly and unwittingly commanding the attention of every photographer in her orbit with steely eyes and an uncanny smile that perfectly embody the demonic character she's cosplaying. The public response is electric – a stampede of fandom, the crowd roaring as if staying quiet carries punishment. The author behind the character, reluctant to praise any fan art or even his own anime adaptation, is worn down by her glare.
One page of the manga – carved so clearly onto my brain that I would see it if I rolled my eyes back – beautifully depicts Marin's unspoken demand of the author. She is undeniable. It's a wonderful, surreal moment that leaps off the page, and I'd love nothing more than to see it with motion and color and sound, if only to see it for the first time again.
But in the background, Gojo is a storm of regret and jealousy, afraid all this attention will change his relationship with Marin, that the world of pro cosplay will steal her away. They're dumbstruck by the outfit he made, but the cheers of the crowd are like ants crawling into his ears. His defeatism and complexes pull him under; he doesn't want to put words to what he's feeling. Frustration takes root, and like trapped steam, seeks an escape. It finds a messy one; it explodes, forming a rift between him and Marin, whose accumulated misunderstandings and unspoken pleas finally sour.
It's both satisfying and bittersweet to see that rift mended with long-awaited confessions of love between the two in volume 14. The whole series has been building up to this; a reclusive boy's small world given color and depth by an unstoppable girl. But you do get the feeling, after the abrupt announcement of the manga's conclusion, that there were once plans for more of an ending.
My Dress-Up Darling will fully end in volume 15, giving a potential season 3 – or even a movie, I'm desperate here – about four volumes to work with. And I so dearly hope we get more of the anime. I can tell you right now that I would rewatch that Comiket scene again and again and again.
My Dress-Up Darling season 2 is available to stream on Crunchyroll. For more, check out our list of the best anime to watch in 2025.
