My Dress-Up Darling (2018)

[その 着せ替え人形 （ ビスク・ドール ） は恋をする]

Volume 2

Author/Artist: Shinichi Fukuda
Publisher: Young Gangan Comics

Synopsis:
With only two weeks before the cosplay event, Gojou is feeling the pressure and his life only becomes more complicated from there.

Synopsis:
Poor Gojou. As if it wasn't bad enough that he only has two weeks to finish his first costume project, his grandpa ends up getting hurt and there's also midterms to think about. He's pushed dang near to his breaking point, but then he digs down deep and pushes ahead. Herein lies one of the best things about his character, his ability to buckle down rather than buckle under in the face of pressure. I have to spoil the twist or else I can't cover my next point. Kitagawa never intended for Gojou to finish the costume for the soonest event, but neither side clearly communicated with each other. It's not that she wasn't trying to help out when things started piling up on him. Rather, he never accepted her help or told her that the presumed deadline was too tight. And yet he made it happen anyway, but seeing what he went through and how he wore himself ragged, Kitagawa is brought to tears. Now, a character like her, you might expect to be flippant about things and while she does have her flippant moments, she really cares when it counts and that's one of the best things about her character. So, in other words, in these few chapters we get to see some of the best aspects of both characters displayed and it really cemented my love for this story.

Now that the air is clear between them, Kitagawa tries out the Shizuku-tan costume and being so happy with Gojou's work, decided to go to the event after all. Even though this is a comparatively casual get-together, it's still more of a public event than Gojou is used to, so of course he's uncomfortable, but he's happy to see the fruits of his labor on display. We touch on one of the logistical concerns of cosplaying, which is overheating, leading to some further awkwardness (but to Gojou's credit, he works through his embarrassment to help Kitagawa cool down). Afterward, Gojou's feeling a bit down, thinking this is the end of his interaction with Kitagawa, only for him to learn that Kitagawa's only getting started. With that settled, he can rest easy enough to nod off for a bit, but not before saying that Kitagawa was very pretty. Kitagawa remembers how much that word means to him and how important it is when he actually uses it. Can you say "shot through the heart"? Now, this is a funny bit due to me misreading the Japanese title. For some reason I wasn't paying close enough attention and thought it was "Sono Bisque Doll ni Koi wo Suru" ("Falling in Love with the Bisque Doll") rather than "Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru" ("The Bisque Doll Falls in Love"). Had I been paying closer attention, then it would've been clear that Kitagawa falls first and, boy, does she ever fall hard. When Gojou's grandpa comes back home and realizes what his grandson has been doing (making a costume for a girl rather than crossdressing), he appreciates Gojou's work over dinner while Kitagawa is going out of her head over her love realization. It's pretty funny. Once that's over, we close on a cliffhanger with a certain someone showing up on Gojou's doorstep.

Art:
We go from seeing the tough moments of Gojou's struggles to Kitagawa's regrets over what he's been through to more fanservicey fun with the Shizuku-tan costume. While it's fun seeing Kitagawa breaking character with her exuberance, she is quite striking when she actually gets into the role. And, while I realize the ecchi factor is strong in this series, I can't help but be bothered a bit by introducing a particular character with the camera pointed right up Main Street, but we'll be going beyond that in the near future. Moving on, the faces we get from Kitagawa over the course of the stages of her love realization are amazing.

Other:
We open with a color illustration of what's going on under the dress of the Shizuku-tan costume and have a special illustration at the end of Kitagawa as Shizuku-tan showing off her tongue ring, something Fukuda wanted to show off but never found the right opportunity for. We have a comic of his research at the Acosta venue and what's going to be a running gag of him asking about a scenario from the story and his host saying that wouldn't happen. There's also a special thanks for the aforementioned venue among others.

Conclusion:
If you're anything like me, there was more than enough going on in the first volume to draw you in, but it's here where the hooks dig in and make sure you don't get away. As I said above, some of the best aspects of our two leads are on display here and this first outing really feels like the springboard for great things to come. With the marriage of a good story, great characters and first-rate art, this is well worth having, so be sure to get it.

Rating:
Own It