My Dress-Up Darling was one of the most popular and memorable anime series of the entire 2022 Winter anime season, a shojo-style seinen animated series starring the shy doll-maker Wakana Gojo and his lively new friend, the cosplay enthusiast Marin Kitagawa. Together, they'll make the best cosplays the world has ever seen, one stitch and wig at a time.
There is a lot to love about this anime, from its surprisingly tasteful fan service to its educational value where cosplay and tailoring are concerned. Of course, the best part of My Dress-Up Darling is Marin Kitagawa herself, whose outgoing and carefree personality makes her easy to like.
10 Marin Has A Lot Of Initiative
A proactive character will drive the story along and make things happen, and that is always appealing in a story of any genre. While Wakana Gojo is fairly meek and passive, his new lady friend Marin Kitagawa is a go-getter who doesn't merely wait for good things to happen.
Instead, Marin likes to take charge of her personal life and her hobbies, to the point she tried making an amateur cosplay despite having limited resources and even fewer skills. Her cosplay did look cheap, but at least it proves she can take charge of things. It's better than just daydreaming about cosplay.
9 Marin Is A Total Genki Girl
There are a number of anime terms to describe a character's personality, from a prickly tsundere to an aloof but caring kuudere and the dumb but lovable "himbo" type, such as Son Goku and Monkey D. Luffy. Then there's the category of "genki girls," which is what Marin Kitagawa belongs to.
Genki girls are beloved for their energetic and cheerful personalities, and they are like a ray of sunshine in any scene they take part in. As long as they're not overbearing or obnoxious, genki girls like Marin can steal any scene and win over any viewer's heart.
8 Marin Readily Admits Her Faults
It's good for anime protagonists to be confident and make use of their strengths, but they should also be humble and honest about their weaknesses and shortcomings, which can add serious appeal to the character. Marin Kitagawa is like that, too — genki girls aren't necessarily in denial of their worst aspects.
Marin is a cheerful and enthusiastic cosplayer, but she's also smart enough to keep herself in check and admit her deficiencies with cosplay, which is why Wakana is willing to help her. Marin is also honest enough to admit when she's behind on summer homework, rather than hiding her incomplete homework out of shame.
7 Marin Has A Charming Color Scheme
Some anime characters are fairly monochromatic or lack vivid colors, such as Bleach's Ulquiorra Schiffer or Naruto's Kankuro. By contrast, Marin Kitagawa is a fashionable girl who knows how to be colorful without being gaudy, and it makes her stand out that much more.
Marin has vivid reddish-pink eyes, to begin with, and her hair is a rich shade of blonde that fades into a charming pinkish color near the tips. No doubt she put a lot of effort into dying her hair, and it paid off. She's stylish, but not garish.
6 Marin Is Realistic About Money
Marin may not be an accountant in the making, but she is still reasonably responsible with money, and that is commendable. Many adolescents and young adults go wild with their modest paychecks and blow their limited savings on whatever goodies they want, but Marin is better than that.
Marin spends only as much as she can afford on cosplay items, and she also believes in getting her money's worth from absolutely everything, which is smart of her. She also plans on saving up the cash for a fancy cosplay camera, and no doubt she'll reach that financial goal sooner or later.
5 Marin Uses Funny Slang
In any work of fiction, the author can "curve the language," or define a character through their choice of words and their vocabulary. This can reveal a lot about the character, and the same is true of Marin Kitagawa. Her words alone say a lot about her, and fans love it.
Marin is fond of using goofy but familiar slang terms, colloquialisms, and figures of speech, which help reinforce her genki girl persona and her playful personality in all the right ways. This also boosts her appeal among younger anime fans without totally alienating older ones.
4 Marin Teases Wakana Without Taking It Too Far
Marin isn't just a genki girl or cosplay enthusiast. She also lives up to the "sadodere" archetype, describing a character —often a female one — who expresses their fondness for another person with teasing and obnoxious behavior. A good example is the troublemaker Hayase Nagatoro, not to mention Uzaki-chan.
Marin is also a sadodere where Wakana is concerned, and she often teases him in PG-13 ways to take advantage of how innocent and naive Wakana can be around girls. It's amusing to watch, and best of all, Marin restrains herself when doing this. She's trying to toy with Wakana, not torture him.
3 Marin Loves Watching Anime
There are a few manga/anime franchises starring characters who also like watching anime, such as the closeted geeks of Wotakoi and a few characters in Lucky Star. Meanwhile, My Dress-Up Darling's Marin Kitagawa is a huge anime fan, and that gives her real-life fans something to relate to.
Marin's bedroom is covered in posters and wall scrolls of her favorite magical girl and slice-of-life anime series, and she sometimes invites over Wakana Gojo to watch her favorite series both for fun and for cosplay reference. It's wonderful to see Marin enjoy her hobbies so much.
2 Marin Doesn't Try To Change Wakana
Many works of fiction depict a shy and quiet character like Wakana Gojo who is encouraged by the other characters to come out of their shells. Stories often involve turning introverts into extroverts, but it rarely goes in the other direction, which may feel unfair to some anime fans. Marin, however, doesn't take part in this trend.
Marin is a playful and lively extrovert, but while she gently teases Wakana, she never tries to change him or break his mental shell for him. Instead, she respects Wakana and lets him be himself, with no complaints. She sets a good example that way.
1 Marin Has Wholesome & Uncomplicated Romantic Feelings
It's common for characters in rom-com and slice-of-life anime series to develop a crush, but they don't always express these romantic feelings properly. The character might be in denial for too long and wear out the viewer's patience, or they might act in less-than-wholesome ways and make a fool of themselves.
But not Marin Kitagawa. Her crush on Wakana Gojo is an innocent and uncomplicated one, which is actually refreshing. Marin may not be throwing herself at Wakana every chance she gets, but she is at least honest with herself about her amorous feelings, and these feelings make her happy. She will soon express them when she is good and ready.