"My Dress-Up Darling" is based on a manga serialized in Young Gangan, and is scheduled to be adapted into an anime series starting in January 2022. It's a romantic comedy about a high school boy whose hobbies are sewing and doll making despite his physique, and a high school girl who is the center of attention in her class, but whose otaku hobbies have led her to have a strong desire to cosplay as characters, deepening their bond through their hobby of cosplay. As the story is centered around cosplay, there are scenes within the story that mainly feature cosplay as a theme. We'd like to introduce some of these scenes within the story!
In-game Scene #1: Saint♡Slippery Girls' Academy: The Young Lady's Shameful Club's Indecent Miracle Life 2
Kitagawa Marin's beloved adult game, known as "Slippery Girls 2," is a huge hit and is even set to be adapted into an anime. The story revolves around the principal's granddaughter, who enrolls in a girls' high school and becomes a sex slave, or is made into a sex slave herself. While primarily a rape-focused masturbation game, it also features some tear-jerking moments, making it a tear-jerker. However, it also has elements of a silly game, such as the "Shameful Club" that the school principal orders the protagonist to join, and the character's inability to stop ejaculating during school assemblies.
Shizuku Kuroe
Marie is Marie's favorite character, and the first one she decides to cosplay. At first, she's a character who never smiles, which could antagonize users, but she gradually opens up to the protagonist and apparently becomes a respectable sex slave. Marie's merchandise is scattered throughout her room.
In-game Scene #2: Flower Princess Retsu!!
This anime is aimed at girls and has a total of 126 episodes. While this is a typical magical girl story, conflicts are often resolved through physical attacks rather than magic. The relationships are extremely complicated, and the rival character's sister turns evil when she finds out that two guys are dating and, in a cruel twist, prostitutes her lotus. A magical girl's Flower Jewel (soul gem-like), a symbol of her magical status, turns evil when it becomes completely clouded by negative emotions. The source material seems to be the Pretty Cure series of magical girl anime and Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
Shion Nikaido
Initially, she was a magical girl and genius, Princess Lily, rival to the protagonist Mirai, but when she finds out that her sister Neon has turned evil, she turns evil and transforms into Black Lily. She's brash and uncooperative, and only opens up to her sister Neon. She gained popularity due to her difficult upbringing, hard life, and lack of reward, and is Inui Sasuka's favorite character.
In-game Scene #3: KILLING GIGS
A fighting game. Assassins, gangsters, and other dangerous characters gather to fight in bounty hunts. The characters all have seemingly awful personalities. Based on the name itself, the source material is likely the Guilty Gear series.
Veronica
A prisoner serving a 60,000-year sentence, this character features sullen eyes, tanned skin, exposed lower breasts, and jagged teeth. She's usually restrained. Based on the similarities between her tanned skin and exposed lower breasts, the source material is likely Ramlethal from the Guilty Gear series. It seems that creating a cosplay costume for this character would have been relatively easy, given how revealing it was, but the costume was postponed due to its excessive exposure.
In-story Scene #4: I'm a High-Successful High School Light Novel Writer, and I'm Having Trouble Being Hounded by a Succubus Every Night
This is a slice-of-life, four-panel manga by Kanimiso. The succubus Liz tries every trick in the book to get the protagonist, a light novel writer and night owl, to fall asleep, but her efforts are unsuccessful, as she falls asleep by singing lullabies or is easily lulled into submission with sweets.
Liz
A succubus who tries every trick in the book to lull the protagonist into sleep. Because she's a deformed character, there's nothing particularly erotic about her. She's a half-twin character, and she's the theme of Marin's cosplay. However, because she's deformed, it's unclear what her clothes and body parts look like, so she had to figure it out herself and create her costume with great ingenuity.
In-game Scene #5: Space Idol Cosmo Lovers
Commonly known as "CosLava," this is a training simulation game in which players become managers and train their assigned idols to become the best in the universe while simultaneously dating them. However, if her company, fans, or other idols find out, she'll be fired... Game Over. (And of course, she'll break up with the idol.) The source material is likely an idol-training game, primarily from the Idolmaster series.
Hatsusegawa Subaru
A high school girl attending Hoshimori Idol Academy, she's a confident idol who believes she's the cutest idol in the universe. Despite her gentle face, she's strong-willed, cold toward fans, and devoted to her manager. Despite this, she placed second in the general election.
In-story Play #6: This is Tsukiyono♡Company
Three assassins dressed as bunny girls attempt to kill their targets, but always fail. The characters are all cute and charming, with the most popular being the underboss who assists the boss of the target's gang. His nickname is Kochikan. It's reminiscent of the manga "Kochikame."
Izayoi Arisa
At first glance, she seems cool, but she's a bit clumsy, kind, and caring towards her friends. Of the three girls, Marin is my favorite, and I decided to make her the subject of my cosplay. When trying to make a bunny costume, she struggles to get the clothes to stay in place, but a clerk at her favorite store tells her that adding bones will solve the problem, and she successfully completes the costume.
In-Story Scene #7: The Student Council President is the No. 1 Host
This is a reverse harem romantic comedy. This popular shojo manga has been adapted into an anime, live-action film, and movie. The TV drama in particular has been a hit with both men and women, generating significant buzz. It's abbreviated as "Namahosu," and in the school festival beauty pageant, Marin dresses up as the popular character, Rei Kogami. It's likely inspired by the Ouran High School Host Club.
Kougami Rei
The student council president at the protagonist's school. Beautiful, with excellent grades and an all-around athletic talent, she's a perfect superhuman. However, after the death of her parents and a visit to the club where her brother works, she ends up helping out at the club due to a staff shortage and ends up working as a host. The character, played by a popular actress cross-dressing, becomes the most popular character, surpassing other handsome actors.
[My Dress-Up Doll Falls in Love] Summary of In-Story Plays
We've introduced the in-story plays that appear in "My Dress-Up Doll Falls in Love"! Since the story revolves around cosplay, there are original works, but those in-story plays are also full of references, and some even make you wonder if they were the original source material. I think knowing about these makes the story even more enjoyable!
