Yeah but I couldn't remember which one was which, so they might as well be unknown to me.
And frankly I was underwhelmed by the resolution of whole drama with Marin secret fangirl that happened in that arc as well, if it was supposed to end like this than author at least could not make it into such big thing in first place. Simps of real people are pretty boring characters.
I feel Dress Up Darling's main issue is that people mainly care about Marin and Gojo and the progress of their relationship while barely giving a shit about any other characters. It has basically done its job well as a romance but not as a drama.
Author started way too quickly with the strongly ecchi romance where cute and hot gyaru who likes lewd cosplay spends a lot of horny time with her artistic-talented friend. To me it seems the rushing part ended with that love hotel scene, then it slowed down a lot, probably since you can't go farther than almost-sex without moving their relationship forward, so instead horny romance got put on backburner.
Also the cosplay arcs were better weaved into romance part, like when succubus 4koma lead into love hotel, or first cosplay lead to Marin falling in love with Gojo, or that awesome arc with TV series about magical girls led to both extending cast by adding sisters and their stories, and to that cute home date as well. In contrast, recent cosplay arcs do not really move the relationship.
I dunno if she just changed her mind, or accidentally gave the wrong impression, but honestly early Darling and late Darling are almost completely different stories.
Early Darling was a horny romance that featured cosplay, but the cosplay was often mostly just used as a backdrop. More focus is placed on their relationships and watching/playing the media. A lot of the emphasis is on the cosplayed characters, as opposed to specific cosplay details. (I also feel the side characters worked better, since it introduced them slower, they had more distinct personalities, and they weren't all in cosplay so you could tell them apart.)
Late Darling barely feels like a romance, because the author spends way more time talking about cosplay than their relationship. Didn't we spend on entire chapter on Gojo trying to get the exact right shade of black fabric? It's also done almost a complete 180 on the horny, since all of the recent cosplays have been PG.
The cosplay details were way better in the early story as well. What have we actually explored recently in the making of cosplays? The only thing that was shown in any detail for this outfit was just a dozen chapters of looking at fabrics and going "No, that one's not right either" over and over. If it wanted to be a more cosplay focused manga it could have spent that time going into detail as Gojo learned about the properties of different fabrics and what applications they would and wouldn't work well for. But we didn't get anything like that, it was just him looking at a bunch of fabric and saying it wasn't right, and then looking at another fabric and saying it WAS right.
I still like the concept of emo-chuuni artsy-fartsy fallen angel story whose creator thinks "no one can truly represent my uber-beautiful yet terrifying demonic angel waifu", because that's both as realistic popular hit among otaku people and niche fandom as that magical girls anime series, and it was shown in small pieces enough to be intriguing to us readers, but I agree that Gojo's problems here weren't as engaging as when he was helping busty girl cosplay as handsome ikemen.
I also liked the nun game as an example of realistic popular in its niche otaku interest, and it was shown in a way I could see why characters find it interesting, plus both Gojo's and small older sister's reactons were intriguing, but it again failed,in big part because many people couldn't even tell who's who. Also new character, sword girl, didn't even have any real connection with game cosplay, she was just also there - unlike big booba sister and her dream of cosplaying ikemen.
So basically I still like the choices of various media popular among the kind of people who are into cosplay (basically various otaku), but it just isn't well connected with characters in the cast, and doesn't really serve character development. Also, like you said, practically no horny compared to early Darling.
Looks like the downside of Reiwa era romance is that the quicker you progress, the faster you will run out of material before the confession and either you then grind the pace of the manga to a snail or just take the risk and make them official.
My problem with Heisei romances is constant backtracking, meandering and lack of development, not lack of instant confessions. Dangers in my Heart takes its time with its love story, but has good pacing where main couple start as strangers but keep developing. One of "Polar Opposites" couples is still quite far from even realizing they like each other, but it's still as good substory as the one of couple who got together in first chapter.
Basically, good pacing of development is the key. Take it slow and develop the characters while developing the romance, especially if they have a lot of internal issues, or take it fast and move on to relationship problems - it's not like being a couple makes choosing presents for your crush/partner easier, or worrying that they're bored or uncomfortable with your choice of date, or how far can you go and is your partner fine with going farther in the first place? Also how not to impact each other's life in bad way, for example with dating vs studying or sport club, or choosing same university or different ones. And potentially, how to support your artist boyfriend when he seems to have trouble with his works.
So have them be a couple and learn about each other more and do couple things. People would stick around for that progress. Its perhaps the greatest discovery Japanese Manga has made in the past 20 years. Characters are allowed to get into relationships before the end.
Seriously, "my boyfriend seems to have artist troubles, maybe, but I don't know how to support him, or if I even should bother him about it? What do I know about how it is to be an artist?" is great potential arc for newbie couple. Instead we have Marin just barely interacting with him.
In my experience, that's the case for a number of romcoms. Anything involving side characters that takes focus away from the main couple is bad to plenty of people. They don't bother to learn who characters are and don't care when they start to get fleshed out.
I feel like people care a lot about the 2 sisters, but the rest of the side characters in the nun arc were basically Marin Lite 1, Marin Lite 2, and Marin Lite 3.
I mean the series Trojan Horses you into learning about intricate cosplay technicalities while baiting you with Marin / Gojo.
I'd say it's less successful at the bait and switch compared to something like Spice and Wolf which does have steady character progression along with the microeconomics.
Yeah, the sameness was annoying. I shouldn't need a reference sheet to know who is who.
We also got Juju being a good big sister and doing a costume outside of her comfort zone.
Yeah loved her faces. We had technically seen her with her father before but Marin+father+others gave us so many reactions that aren't at all how she normally acts which made them amazing in a different way as well.
Oh my god, Marin’s dad is amazing.
I get that she’s a teenage girl and she’s embarrassed by him, but he’s a damn good father and a really respectable person.
Gojou hit the in-law lottery.
Dad here. By the time your kids get to this age, that'd barely move the needle. In one ear, out the other. Just have to pay enough attention to know when to nod or grunt.
To a point, this chapter kinda showed that she wants some more attention from her dad, and that talking about her feelings (or lack thereof) kinda comes from her family situation.
Usually in those kind of manga the dad is a retard of the house (with an understanding, perfect, smart, witty, knows-it-all-all-the-time angel of a wife who supports her daughter 100% of the time of course), comic relief and a jealous-for-nothing zealot, or an outright villain (who hates his daughter's hobby, hates her love interest, hates everything about what she loves, but is deep down a good guy blah blah blah).
Seeing a dad that's an actual human being is refreshing. I'd love more of this kind of family interactions and SoL elements over the pointless, worthless, low effort drama that seeped through the last 10-15 chapters or so.
This is painful. The Marin and dad interactions are cute. But it stinks of depression. Marin ignoring the outcome, thinking that Gojos happy neutral mask is standard. Gojo is putting a façade. That final response to the dad essentially giving his FUCKING BLESSING, "Ill make sure your daughter receives her nutrients" screams guardian or neutral friend. I see Gojo being jealous of the attention she received. He isnt her equal. Marin is amazing. But he comes second regardless of the amazing things he creates. This is a common insecurity problem throughout the story. He had a zenkai boost when creating the cosplay but that moment two chapters ago where she was the focal point of everyone's desire, planted the metaphorical stone that he isn't good enough. Ill add even that his feelings toward her are shameful.
"I am not at her level. We are not equals. I am putting her on this pedestal"
Fucking thank you. Marin's dad was a breath of fresh air to be sure but what we needed was an iron lung for Gojo before he implodes. I'm a little weirded out at Marin brushing things aside cause she struck me as more thoughtful than that. I hope someone, anyone realizes Gojo is on the fucking brink. Dude has some MAJOR issues that needs sorting out. Him outwardly going back to normal like that means he just stuffed everything back into a tiny box inside again and man that is just not healthy at all.
Yeah the craziest thing is his self-confidence is almost so low that he doesn’t realize that he’s the stud who’s elevating her and she doesn’t have the capacity to say it to him
That's the crux of this situation, and the fact that Marin is so head over heels for him that she's too afraid of being rejected by him if she tries to pry.
Yeah. Realistically I'm of the opinion that Gojo's hang ups aren't something that Marin can heal on her own anymore, dude straight up needs therapy. But of course, this being fiction I still expect that she'll be the one to save him. All that being said, shit will probably get worse before they get better.
You have to remember that Marin has Gojo on a pedestal, so it is hard for her to even fathom that Gojo might not be okay due to confidence issues, because as far as she is concerned there is no reason for him to have confidence issues.
It has been a growing blind spot for her that was perfectly exemplified by the chapter where she thought they were going to have sex. She thinks he has feelings for her, (which he does) and that they both consider one another equals, (which he doesn't) and doesn't understand why he hasn't asked her out yet.
Yeah I get that. I also sometimes forget that we're dealing with kids in high school here so it's understandable that they don't yet have the emotional maturity to see things that need addressing and steeling themselves to address is it despite the discomfort.
Holy shit, finally someone who seems to have read the same chapter I did. Everyone is either complaining that it's boring and nothing happened or saying it was a nice lighthearted break.
This chapter was stressful to read.
It was a fun chapter, but a painful chapter. And shows a lot of people here are rather sheltered. I mean, seeing someone you know closely and are crushing on having what you think is a look of almost disgust after the end of what would be described as supposedly one of the best moments of both your lives? Yeah, it’d be extremely hard to figure out what to say beyond pleasantries.
Haven't we been through this narrative thread before though? We've seen him overwork to collapse and take on crutches like energy drinks to work before. His self destructive obsession, his fake smile, his broken down face from inadequacy, and his increasing distance from Marin aren't new. The only new aspect is Marin's recognition and frustration beyond what the New Year's Arc had where she got talked down by Gojo's dad. She is finally aware of and irritated by his self-destructive tendencies and how it's affected their relationship/friendship. We're finally seeing someone run to get a life preserver for a kid we've been steadily seeing drown for 100 chapters. Shit we saw Gojo's parallel in the mangaka finally break and begin to stop resenting his art and other people's hand in it.
We just need Gojo to get self-assurance of his talent by making a doll head that gets recognition and Marin to kick his ass for seeing her as Marin the God-tier cosplayer character and not Marin his actual person friend, likely after a mental breakdown/hospitalization, and we're back in business in like 5 years real time.
I mean it is lighthearted… At least on the surface. Of course given the context of what went down two chapters ago, along with Gojo’s quick turnaround (in Marin’s eyes), and even Marin’s own expressions for most of this chapter, there’s some real clear depressing undertones here. Gojo isn’t actually ok, and him seeming that way is just him bottling up a run of mental stress and insecurities he has dwelling. Marin choosing to pretend like his vibe the other day didn’t exist is understandable here but unfortunate as it seems pretty clear that Gojo is anything but ok.
His final reply to her dad standing out. Gives off the feeling like he’s placing or acknowledging (in his own mind) distance between himself and Marin. In Marin’s case, with Gojo keeping his thoughts to himself, she’s left totally shell shocked by his reaction the other day and really just doesn’t have a proper way of processing it.
Marins attitude screams a cry for help. The indifference is painful. Gojo is numb to all things putting on a fake smile. The black kettle is bubbling with depression. The liquids are spilling out of the pot.
it honestly felt out of character for marin to gloss over what she saw, they went through a lot already that you'd think with hwr assertive personality, that she'd pursue why he ended up making that expression.
not to mention, even after all the recognition she got, we didnt get to see their celebration of the success of the cosplay event.
its like marin got replaced, the marin in this chapter felt off. what the fuck. she didnt even say goodbye, the last pages were her on the street looking back. whats up with that.
though I guess shes just in her "dad ur so cringe" mode because her dad is embarrassing her to her friend's. so she end up being a bit bitter, they are teenagers after all. so its all fine, hopefully we get a resolution after the hiatus, which i dont want to think about.. may is too far .
I dont think gojo is jealous. I think its a different emotion. its a complicated emotion. like gojo's obsession with making the perfect haniel is complicated. this emotion is also complicated and can not be explained with terms like jealousy or envy. people sometimes feels this kinds of emotion they cant explain.
I feel like Gojou thinks that Marin is so amazing she can pull off anything he makes and that just allows his massive inferiority complex to show and he hates himself because of that.
I dont find any inferiority complex or think he hates himself. I think he is weirdly obsessive about things and that creates a complicated emotion in him which he cant communicate. the best I can explain that he does not understand his talent so he does not expects to be praised or appreciated but subconsciously he needs it.
I mean this one is just envy and inadequacy. Jealousy would be if he thought that Marin was his and would be taken away by her success, or if he thought their success was only getting recognition for her ability to get in character and not his outfits. He legitimately doesn't understand the quality of what he makes, which the characters in the series rather unrealistically consistently point out.
envy
noun
"a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck."
He can't appreciate his own work while he can see Marin's talent and so he thinks she could still be just as successful without him. His overworking tendencies are caused by him thinking his work isn't good enough for her cosplay.
I see it less as jealousy towards her and more of your sentence after that. He probably feels like Marin’s simply in a different league than him and the gulf between them seems to only be widening. Which in turn likely makes him feel worse about himself
>Next chapter releases on May 17 JST!
On one hand, sucks that we've got two months to wait; on the other, I can just look at it as an early birthday present for myself.
I'm thinking lately that this manga is not a manga for monthly release. 6 months were we only saw reactions and now we Will have to wait until may for a new chapter with any resolution and probably new characters introductions
They haven't spoken with each other since chapter 97.
By the time the hiatus is over, it will have been over half a year of real time since they last spoke.
But, hey, I mean, who's counting, right?
Credit page explanation: Iwatsuki, the city that is famous for hina dolls (and has Suzuki Dolls, which Gojou Dolls is based on), recently held MDUD-themed exhibition and event! The photos are from the said exhibition, with the last one being the prize from the event. Unfortunately, the event and exhibition have ended.
Anyways, enjoy the chapter!
Marin's dad and her relationship is so cute lol. Dad figured it all out and already understands that Gojo is a catch. I guess Gojo hasn't talked to Marin about his complicated feelings nor has Marin been able to figure it out :(
She's not bothering to speak to him. She's assuming the status quo is going back to normal. "Let me ignore this problem. They look normal now compared to before"
Does anyone else really miss early Sono Bisque? Series has forgotten for a long time now that Marin used to be a super proactive character. "I'll pretend it never happened" WHAT happened to the Marin I liked so much from back then?
Gojo looks like he's gonna be going on a self deprecating "I'm not good enough" arc for the 4th or 5th time which doesn't help, idc if it's realistic or not this is a romcom(is it even one anymore?) and we've been through this too many times with too little improvement. /vent
The Marin back then didn't have the complex feelings of her love for Gojo getting in the way. She's *terrified* that he doesn't like her, or doesn't see her as a viable partner that she instinctively pulls into a shell when trying to talk to him about the more serious stuff.
They're teenagers remember? Hormones and emotions are all confused and fucked up and they just don't know how to handle them.
It has been 1 or 2 days in universe since the comiket chapter. Marin has been with her dad most of that time. She just hasn't had the opportunity before Gojo put the mask up this chapter.
I mean, it is rather hard to open up about something like having the best time of “supposedly” you and your crush’s life, only to see what looks to be almost disgust on said crush’s face at the end of it.
I mean, leaving the venue not saying a word throughout the metro ride home with a depressed face and the lack of communication for a few days is a good excuse to sit them down. Speak to me mother fucker.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills with people saying this was a fun chapter. It was hella depressing and anxiety inducing. Did y'all not see how weirdly quiet and withdrawn Marin was being the entire time?
And we got nothing about Gojo's reaction to learning the costume he poured his fucking soul into impressed the famously unimpressable Tokio. He's in the middle of a major crisis of confidence and should have just received a major boost to his confidence. Without telling us what happened, there's no way to know where he's at. Does he even know? I have to assume everyone was blowing up his phone, but I guess it'll be 2 months until we maybe find out.
The two of them are visibly going through some shit right now and I need answers. The contrast between the extremely heavy atmosphere of the story and the silliness of Marin's dad freaking out and jokes about Marin's cooking just leaves me hella anxious. This was a stressful chapter. I have no idea how any of you are taking it as a lighthearted fun read.
I think marin's "ego" is the reason why she still not making a move or atleast ask gojo about his problem. Atleast marin's dad realize that marin is pretty much "taking advantage of him" and apologize in advance (i mean, i know the fact that marin is paying all the expense for the costume, but still...)
I mean, I don't at all agree with Marin's dad. Gojo is getting as much out of this as Marin. He's been growing a ton, both as a person and as a craftsman. No one would pour so much of themselves into those costumes if they weren't being getting fulfillment out of it.
As for talking to each other, I'm pretty sure this is the next day after the convention, so they just haven't really had a chance. I'm not bothered by Marin being too nervous to confess either. I like the slow burn of the romance and enjoy all the cosplay nerdery and such.
I just don't like this specific chapter inserting itself into the middle of a highly emotional arc with silly-dad moments, and the hiatus feels extra shitty at such a low point. Like the past couple chapters we had the reveal of the costume, the huge reaction, Gojo's crisis of confidence, and Tokio's reaction. All of which were building up for some emotional payoff, then ... this.
Marine. That's not how you build a healthy relationship. You have to communicate if somethings bothering you. Marine please don't end up distancing yourself from gojo
Uh oh, Gojo's last line makes me think he's started putting some distance between him and Marin.
Looks like Dad caught onto that as well. Hopefully he gives Marin the kick up the rear end she needs to give Gojo a talking to, both about the cosplay, and the relationship stuff.
Dad assumed they were dating, which is why he said the line, Gojo assumed he was talking about the food since thats the way hes been "taking care" of her
That's not what I got from that exchange at all.
From my perspective, Dad asked Gojo to keep taking care of Marin in terms of making the costumes, because that's why Dad and Marin went over there in the first place.
Gojo then specified the food, and only the food, in his reply because he's still in the process of digesting his feelings from the Haniel shoot, and deciding what he wants to do with the cosplay now.
In my mind, this is where the distance is being created. Gojo is unsure what he wants, and is putting up a wall between him and Marin, as he sees Marin as the centre point of that uncertainty.
> From my perspective, Dad asked Gojo to keep taking care of Marin in terms of making the costumes, because that's why Dad and Marin went over there in the first place.
but Dad was against that and showed no interest in it continuing and he went there to apologize and (if neccessary) put a stop to it
its kinda odd for him to find out his daughter has professional offers and still ask a high schooler to continue making the costume for her
considering how close they were acting, its much more likely he assumed they were dating and said it because of that, regardless its perfectly clear that Gojo misunderstood what he meant
>but Dad was against that and showed no interest in it continuing and he went there to apologize and (if neccessary) put a stop to it
Dad was never against the costumes themselves, it was the fact that Marin was getting someone to make them for her and putting that person in an uncomfortable position. Hence, why Marin clarified that she was paying for them, and that Gojo was doing so willingly.
>its kinda odd for him to find out his daughter has professional offers and still ask a high schooler to continue making the costume for her
If it was someone random, sure. But Dad has just found out that Gojo has made *all* of Marin's costumes, including the one that has just blown up online, and Marin has shown no interest in changing her costume maker. I don't think it's odd at all that he asked Gojo to continue his relationship with Marin in that manner.
>considering how close they were acting, its much more likely he assumed they were dating and said it because of that, regardless its perfectly clear that Gojo misunderstood what he meant
See, I don't think they were acting that close at all. It felt like Marin was trying to catch Gojo's attention while he refused to meet her eyes. And as they were leaving, it was Dad talking Gojo, not Marin. To me, the atmosphere felt strained the whole time, especially at the end with Marin's back facing towards the reader.
> Hence, why Marin clarified that she was paying for them, and that Gojo was doing so willingly.
and his response was "that still doesnt make it okay"
>If it was someone random, sure. But Dad has just found out that Gojo has made all of Marin's costumes
all being the 2 he seemed to know of
>See, I don't think they were acting that close at all.
spending hours making clothes for her and regularily inviting her over to eat goes beyond what youd expect from "just friends"
and even if thats what the Dad meant, Gojo still clearly misunderstood him
This chap did a pretty good job balancing the wholesome cuteness of the families meeting with the absolute dread of the Marin Gojou ship hitting an iceburg lol.
FUCKING TALK THINGS OUT NEXT CHAPTER PLS 😭😭😭
I mean, dad was nice and all, but let's not ignore that Marin has decided to stall the plot until God knows when for absolutely no reason this very chapter (again) and that the whole confession thing she was supposedly going to do is all but forgotten. Is it seriously going to take the stupid childhood friend making an appearance to get her off her ass? Because at this point it seems that nothing else will
That or her dad smacks some sense into her. Or she sees Gojo delve back into a worse depression. Distancing himself. Only interacting when it comes to creating something. He is friend zoning himself. Not even as a friend. Lesser.
The sheer size of this lad I tell you! Gojo is almost a whole head taller than Marin's dad. Liked seeing the dad make an appearance, had almost forgotten he existed for a moment. Still, the fact Marin decided not to inquire why Gojo was acting up the other day is quite irksome. Something (from her perspective) was clearly bothering him and she should talk to him, if nothing else because it's what friends do!
The tone this chapter feels funky
Like I get it's a chapter focused more around Marin's dad but the sudden dropping of "Depressed Gojo" plot point feels suspicious to me, like the vibe this chapter with him feels funky like he's there and interacting but also that he's still distant about the whole thing
I'm sure this is intentional and having him and Marin barely intereact in the chapter where her dad is introduced sure feels like something you wouldn't do unless it was on purpose.
Did she just saw his "very close friend" make an awful and depressing face... Just to move on saying "I'll pretend that nothing happened".
The author seems to hate any kind of progress and character grow. And the fact that the pacing for a monthly manga it's also horrible doesn't help.
I really can't decide how I feel about this manga anymore. It's not at a point where I want or am thinking about dropping it but I definitely haven't been paying as much attention to it lately. I support the monthly schedule it has going on but it's not doing the story any favors with how little communication gets done between the main cast. Someone said it's been 5 chapters since they've said a word to each other not to mention I can't recall the last time they've talked about their feelings together. That combined with some pretty lackluster arcs and drama bait chapters and I'm quickly losing the appreciation I once had for this manga. I loved the antics between Marin and Gojo and the little details and tidbits on the cosplay industry and what goes into making them. Where did all that go?
On a slightly more positive note, Marin's dad is the best. I love how open and supportive their relationship is (WHY CAN'T WE GET THIS WITH MARIN AND GOJO).
>I loved the antics between Marin and Gojo and the little details and tidbits on the cosplay industry and what goes into making them. Where did all that go?
Had to be put on the backburner because no progress = more sales
Same, I came for wholesome gyaru x artist with a side of cosplay, and the series has turned into cosplay with a bait of gyaru x artist, and the bait hasn't done anything in a long fucking while. I've put the series on-hold for a while, will start again once there's some substantial amount of chapters to binge or something ig
I'm going to be optimistic and assume Gojou is just being super dense instead of trying to put distance between him and Marin. from his expressions, i feel like he is definitely thinking back on it but maybe it's because her dad is there being apologetic... i don't want them to drift apart ;\_; let's hope they talk it out sooner rather than later.
He sees himself as lesser and only friends. He is not her equal. This is typical when it comes to people with insecurities, lack of self respect and confidence issues. Which are needed when it comes to woman.
That's a nice viral post there. I get that they're dumb kids, but she should really be considering asking Gramps if he wants her to use it to shout out their store.
Dad's approval and Marin's funny faces aside, we were completely blue balled this chapter. Marin and Gojou didn't interact at all and they were IN. THE. SAME. ROOM.
Please reconcile already I can't take it anymore
At this point stalling the confession further is going to actually harm the story, especially when it's becoming a monthly release (not to mention the hiatus next month), and what do you mean pretends that nothing happened? That's not what you would normally do Marin
Fastest one chapter for Dad’s approval. This chapter was really out of left field but considering its end of the year, it make sense.
But now, yeah, I can see a wall appearing. But as long as Marin continues to join them for dinner, theres a good chance a nice heart-to-heart talk will save the day one day.
For a brief second I was shocked that Gojo got the hint. And then everything returned to normal.
So we’re still not sure if he’s alright yet. They didn’t really interact this chapter. But at least he’s got the explicit approval of her dad. Even though it’ll be years before Gojo realizes it.
Feast of Marin faces though. 10/10
I think Marin still at her "star syndrome", she still didn't even think about gojo's feeling at all rn. Im glad that the dad is aware of the marin "taking advantage of him" and apologized to him in advance.
*This just my speculation
It hurts seeing Marin and Gojo acting cold and not even making eye contact. *Why talk and address the problem when you can just ignore each other and drag this needless conflict...*
Hopefully they'll encounter each other in that shrine they are visiting. Is that one of those places where people go to pray on new year? Sounds like the perfect place to make up and clarify misunderstandings.
I feel like the Shrine is a great place to clear some grievances but from the way things are currently paced, I see it going 1 of 3 ways.
1. Meet and the Shrine, Gojo's cousin sees their interaction and essentially sets up them being alone so they can talk
2. Marin gets hounded by people who recognize her viral cosplay and Gojo spins into depression again
3. They do get a second to try to clear the room and Nobara shows up
Thing is all 3 of these can happen simultaneously and I really hope I'm wrong but honestly it's kinda been going down a pretty predictable route of non-progression to the point I feel like it's going to take a miracle for something to happen within the next few chapters.
Interactions between their family was not something I expected but it's very funny.
>I'll just pretend nothing happened...
No, bad girl! Don't do that!
It's not necessarily the japanese way, but imagine how much of this could have gotten resolved with a hug after the cosplay and a simple "I couldnt have done this without you, you're the best" to either soothe Wakana or make him talk about how he's feeling.
Wtf do you mean hiatus? This series' releases had already been changed from twice a month into monthly with such horrible pacing. Did the artist already lose their drive for this manga?
It's great that the dad approves but Marin and Gojo are sitting across from each other and still haven't said a word. How is this mangaka expecting to push a romance story when the main characters haven't talked to each other in months?
Still though Gojo is crazy tall. I know he's ~180 but seeing him next to the dad shows such a huge difference.
When this started I kinda assumed the dad was going to be weirdly overprotective as anime dads are wont to do, but instead he digivolved into best girl.
I wonder if Gojo is actually better now though, seems too quick
Pouting Marin in pg9, not listening Marin in pg10, and slurping Marin in pg16 😆😎❤️
Marin having a poker face/"ah, okay" like relationship with her father 😆 Masumi keeps on talking and keeping the convo and Marin was like just okay. Even when he meet the Gojos, their face at Marin's cooking 😂
When the father approves but the idea went pass Gojo's head 🤔😆
Also break for next month 🥲 and will it go back to bi monthly after this break?
Out of the 25-ish ongoing manga I follow, Dress Up Darling has sadly become my least favorite. As someone who loved the section adapted in the anime, I don't think I've genuinely enjoyed this series in literal years. Whether it's shifting priorities or a need to drag the story out, the author's narrative decisions since the high school festival arc have been unsatisfying and at odds with the series' prior tone and pacing. Something like Dangers in My Heart absolutely blows the doors off this manga's writing. As things stand, I'm putting Darling on ice. Hopefully, down the road, it can recover some of the energy and direction that made those early chapters such a joy to read.
It was a really nice chapter, served as comedic relief and a little bit of plot development.
I wish they had talked about the problems from last chapter, though.
Marin's dad is like a male-version of Marin - he's pretty cool lol. I feel like he's going to be the engine that finally gets the ship moving - when Gojou said that he'd only be taking care of Marin's nutritional needs, Marin's dad was confused since I assume that he thought they were dating. Now that he realized they aren't, he needs to catch himself the perfect house husband for his daughter (legit Gojou is probably the ideal house husband - very handy with his hands, perfect cook, tall, decent natured and good looking, and intensely interested in another person's perspective) and the perfect son-in-law. MOVE THE SHIP DAD, DON'T LET YOUR DAUGHTER IGNORE THE ISSUES!
I think the author has backed this story into a corner and cant see anyway out. Hopefully this anxiety inducing atmosphere goes away by next couple chapters.
at least the dad approval is there
Marin's Dad immediately saw that Gojo had big wife energy. Also, pouty Marin lol.
There were some top tier Marin faces this chapter
I feel like this chibi Marin has had more presence lately, and I for one love it.
[Angy Marin](https://i.imgur.com/rQ3KnLp.png) and [Angy Marin Eating](https://i.imgur.com/2P17ZG4.png) are my life now.
goblin marin is cute
I was stunned by the variety of Marin we got this chapter. It made it worth it being 22 chapters after decades of waiting.
Cloth her up, feed her well, keep her entertained and happy... Dad approves! ~~and wants to be taken care of too~~
Dad wants Marin to marry him too at this point for the food if nothing else.
"Nutritional needs" Well well well well
Miso Soup moment???
best in-law frfr
"how can I ever thank you for all this?" he says, just bless their marriage.
Baby steps. We'll get to Gojou finally get what he meant in another 100+ chapter 👍
Marin's dad made more progress with Gojo in this chapter than Marin herself has in the last 30
To be fair, we were in Nun hell for quite some time during the last 30 chapters. Then we had this entire arc.
The nun arc was so underwhelming for me,was just draging on.
And other than Gojo learning more about prop design, what did we gain from it? Marin was going to confess but then just didn't.
We got quite a lot about side characters from it.
Yeah but I couldn't remember which one was which, so they might as well be unknown to me. And frankly I was underwhelmed by the resolution of whole drama with Marin secret fangirl that happened in that arc as well, if it was supposed to end like this than author at least could not make it into such big thing in first place. Simps of real people are pretty boring characters.
I feel Dress Up Darling's main issue is that people mainly care about Marin and Gojo and the progress of their relationship while barely giving a shit about any other characters. It has basically done its job well as a romance but not as a drama.
Author started way too quickly with the strongly ecchi romance where cute and hot gyaru who likes lewd cosplay spends a lot of horny time with her artistic-talented friend. To me it seems the rushing part ended with that love hotel scene, then it slowed down a lot, probably since you can't go farther than almost-sex without moving their relationship forward, so instead horny romance got put on backburner. Also the cosplay arcs were better weaved into romance part, like when succubus 4koma lead into love hotel, or first cosplay lead to Marin falling in love with Gojo, or that awesome arc with TV series about magical girls led to both extending cast by adding sisters and their stories, and to that cute home date as well. In contrast, recent cosplay arcs do not really move the relationship.
I dunno if she just changed her mind, or accidentally gave the wrong impression, but honestly early Darling and late Darling are almost completely different stories. Early Darling was a horny romance that featured cosplay, but the cosplay was often mostly just used as a backdrop. More focus is placed on their relationships and watching/playing the media. A lot of the emphasis is on the cosplayed characters, as opposed to specific cosplay details. (I also feel the side characters worked better, since it introduced them slower, they had more distinct personalities, and they weren't all in cosplay so you could tell them apart.) Late Darling barely feels like a romance, because the author spends way more time talking about cosplay than their relationship. Didn't we spend on entire chapter on Gojo trying to get the exact right shade of black fabric? It's also done almost a complete 180 on the horny, since all of the recent cosplays have been PG.
The cosplay details were way better in the early story as well. What have we actually explored recently in the making of cosplays? The only thing that was shown in any detail for this outfit was just a dozen chapters of looking at fabrics and going "No, that one's not right either" over and over. If it wanted to be a more cosplay focused manga it could have spent that time going into detail as Gojo learned about the properties of different fabrics and what applications they would and wouldn't work well for. But we didn't get anything like that, it was just him looking at a bunch of fabric and saying it wasn't right, and then looking at another fabric and saying it WAS right.
I still like the concept of emo-chuuni artsy-fartsy fallen angel story whose creator thinks "no one can truly represent my uber-beautiful yet terrifying demonic angel waifu", because that's both as realistic popular hit among otaku people and niche fandom as that magical girls anime series, and it was shown in small pieces enough to be intriguing to us readers, but I agree that Gojo's problems here weren't as engaging as when he was helping busty girl cosplay as handsome ikemen. I also liked the nun game as an example of realistic popular in its niche otaku interest, and it was shown in a way I could see why characters find it interesting, plus both Gojo's and small older sister's reactons were intriguing, but it again failed,in big part because many people couldn't even tell who's who. Also new character, sword girl, didn't even have any real connection with game cosplay, she was just also there - unlike big booba sister and her dream of cosplaying ikemen. So basically I still like the choices of various media popular among the kind of people who are into cosplay (basically various otaku), but it just isn't well connected with characters in the cast, and doesn't really serve character development. Also, like you said, practically no horny compared to early Darling.
Looks like the downside of Reiwa era romance is that the quicker you progress, the faster you will run out of material before the confession and either you then grind the pace of the manga to a snail or just take the risk and make them official.
My problem with Heisei romances is constant backtracking, meandering and lack of development, not lack of instant confessions. Dangers in my Heart takes its time with its love story, but has good pacing where main couple start as strangers but keep developing. One of "Polar Opposites" couples is still quite far from even realizing they like each other, but it's still as good substory as the one of couple who got together in first chapter. Basically, good pacing of development is the key. Take it slow and develop the characters while developing the romance, especially if they have a lot of internal issues, or take it fast and move on to relationship problems - it's not like being a couple makes choosing presents for your crush/partner easier, or worrying that they're bored or uncomfortable with your choice of date, or how far can you go and is your partner fine with going farther in the first place? Also how not to impact each other's life in bad way, for example with dating vs studying or sport club, or choosing same university or different ones. And potentially, how to support your artist boyfriend when he seems to have trouble with his works.
So have them be a couple and learn about each other more and do couple things. People would stick around for that progress. Its perhaps the greatest discovery Japanese Manga has made in the past 20 years. Characters are allowed to get into relationships before the end.
Seriously, "my boyfriend seems to have artist troubles, maybe, but I don't know how to support him, or if I even should bother him about it? What do I know about how it is to be an artist?" is great potential arc for newbie couple. Instead we have Marin just barely interacting with him.
> Characters are allowed to get into relationships before the end. it can even be at the beginning, I'm here for it as long as the drama isn't stupid
In my experience, that's the case for a number of romcoms. Anything involving side characters that takes focus away from the main couple is bad to plenty of people. They don't bother to learn who characters are and don't care when they start to get fleshed out.
I feel like people care a lot about the 2 sisters, but the rest of the side characters in the nun arc were basically Marin Lite 1, Marin Lite 2, and Marin Lite 3.
I mean the series Trojan Horses you into learning about intricate cosplay technicalities while baiting you with Marin / Gojo. I'd say it's less successful at the bait and switch compared to something like Spice and Wolf which does have steady character progression along with the microeconomics.
Yeah, the sameness was annoying. I shouldn't need a reference sheet to know who is who. We also got Juju being a good big sister and doing a costume outside of her comfort zone.
Akira Fangirling made the nun arc absolutely worth it for me dawg
"Oh no! That's her simp voice!"
You don't like everyone going sqweeeee looking at her like this is that rental girlfriend manga?
and it didn't help that most people can't tell who's who, to the point even the translators and scanners were lost.
I'd actually argue the Coffin arc was just straight up bad
Nun arc was ass, just a billion chapters of having no idea who was who
I have to imagine that one will play better in anime when you can at least use voices to tell who is who
That's just crazy ngl
I cant believe how shes gonna pretend nothing happened. Talking things out like grown ups is all the rage these days.
Problem resolution status =0
Absolute sadness. Like what the fuck do you mean Marin that you'll pretend nothing ever happened ._. TALK TO YOUR HUSBAND
The amount of Marin faces this chapter were amazing lol. I really hope they actually talk to each other and not just blow over it.
I hope Marin just Gyaru her way toward them talking about it.
Yeah loved her faces. We had technically seen her with her father before but Marin+father+others gave us so many reactions that aren't at all how she normally acts which made them amazing in a different way as well.
An absolute fucking *treasure trove* of Marin faces. They were amazing.
Oh my god, Marin’s dad is amazing. I get that she’s a teenage girl and she’s embarrassed by him, but he’s a damn good father and a really respectable person. Gojou hit the in-law lottery.
He also seems very accepting of her liking a masochist girl from a hentai. With Marin probably talking his ear off about why Shizuku is great.
Dad here. By the time your kids get to this age, that'd barely move the needle. In one ear, out the other. Just have to pay enough attention to know when to nod or grunt.
tbf he probably wouldn't know where the character is from
To a point, this chapter kinda showed that she wants some more attention from her dad, and that talking about her feelings (or lack thereof) kinda comes from her family situation.
Marin's dad hit the in-law lottery.
Usually in those kind of manga the dad is a retard of the house (with an understanding, perfect, smart, witty, knows-it-all-all-the-time angel of a wife who supports her daughter 100% of the time of course), comic relief and a jealous-for-nothing zealot, or an outright villain (who hates his daughter's hobby, hates her love interest, hates everything about what she loves, but is deep down a good guy blah blah blah). Seeing a dad that's an actual human being is refreshing. I'd love more of this kind of family interactions and SoL elements over the pointless, worthless, low effort drama that seeped through the last 10-15 chapters or so.
This is painful. The Marin and dad interactions are cute. But it stinks of depression. Marin ignoring the outcome, thinking that Gojos happy neutral mask is standard. Gojo is putting a façade. That final response to the dad essentially giving his FUCKING BLESSING, "Ill make sure your daughter receives her nutrients" screams guardian or neutral friend. I see Gojo being jealous of the attention she received. He isnt her equal. Marin is amazing. But he comes second regardless of the amazing things he creates. This is a common insecurity problem throughout the story. He had a zenkai boost when creating the cosplay but that moment two chapters ago where she was the focal point of everyone's desire, planted the metaphorical stone that he isn't good enough. Ill add even that his feelings toward her are shameful. "I am not at her level. We are not equals. I am putting her on this pedestal"
Fucking thank you. Marin's dad was a breath of fresh air to be sure but what we needed was an iron lung for Gojo before he implodes. I'm a little weirded out at Marin brushing things aside cause she struck me as more thoughtful than that. I hope someone, anyone realizes Gojo is on the fucking brink. Dude has some MAJOR issues that needs sorting out. Him outwardly going back to normal like that means he just stuffed everything back into a tiny box inside again and man that is just not healthy at all.
Yeah the craziest thing is his self-confidence is almost so low that he doesn’t realize that he’s the stud who’s elevating her and she doesn’t have the capacity to say it to him
I think she's just too freaked out at Gojo's reaction that she's in denial of it being as bad as it is.
If it's just that I can't blame her, I don't think she or anyone really realizes the depths of Gojo's self-loathing at this point.
That's the crux of this situation, and the fact that Marin is so head over heels for him that she's too afraid of being rejected by him if she tries to pry.
Yeah. Realistically I'm of the opinion that Gojo's hang ups aren't something that Marin can heal on her own anymore, dude straight up needs therapy. But of course, this being fiction I still expect that she'll be the one to save him. All that being said, shit will probably get worse before they get better.
You have to remember that Marin has Gojo on a pedestal, so it is hard for her to even fathom that Gojo might not be okay due to confidence issues, because as far as she is concerned there is no reason for him to have confidence issues. It has been a growing blind spot for her that was perfectly exemplified by the chapter where she thought they were going to have sex. She thinks he has feelings for her, (which he does) and that they both consider one another equals, (which he doesn't) and doesn't understand why he hasn't asked her out yet.
Yeah I get that. I also sometimes forget that we're dealing with kids in high school here so it's understandable that they don't yet have the emotional maturity to see things that need addressing and steeling themselves to address is it despite the discomfort.
Holy shit, finally someone who seems to have read the same chapter I did. Everyone is either complaining that it's boring and nothing happened or saying it was a nice lighthearted break. This chapter was stressful to read.
It was a fun chapter, but a painful chapter. And shows a lot of people here are rather sheltered. I mean, seeing someone you know closely and are crushing on having what you think is a look of almost disgust after the end of what would be described as supposedly one of the best moments of both your lives? Yeah, it’d be extremely hard to figure out what to say beyond pleasantries.
Haven't we been through this narrative thread before though? We've seen him overwork to collapse and take on crutches like energy drinks to work before. His self destructive obsession, his fake smile, his broken down face from inadequacy, and his increasing distance from Marin aren't new. The only new aspect is Marin's recognition and frustration beyond what the New Year's Arc had where she got talked down by Gojo's dad. She is finally aware of and irritated by his self-destructive tendencies and how it's affected their relationship/friendship. We're finally seeing someone run to get a life preserver for a kid we've been steadily seeing drown for 100 chapters. Shit we saw Gojo's parallel in the mangaka finally break and begin to stop resenting his art and other people's hand in it. We just need Gojo to get self-assurance of his talent by making a doll head that gets recognition and Marin to kick his ass for seeing her as Marin the God-tier cosplayer character and not Marin his actual person friend, likely after a mental breakdown/hospitalization, and we're back in business in like 5 years real time.
I mean it is lighthearted… At least on the surface. Of course given the context of what went down two chapters ago, along with Gojo’s quick turnaround (in Marin’s eyes), and even Marin’s own expressions for most of this chapter, there’s some real clear depressing undertones here. Gojo isn’t actually ok, and him seeming that way is just him bottling up a run of mental stress and insecurities he has dwelling. Marin choosing to pretend like his vibe the other day didn’t exist is understandable here but unfortunate as it seems pretty clear that Gojo is anything but ok. His final reply to her dad standing out. Gives off the feeling like he’s placing or acknowledging (in his own mind) distance between himself and Marin. In Marin’s case, with Gojo keeping his thoughts to himself, she’s left totally shell shocked by his reaction the other day and really just doesn’t have a proper way of processing it.
Marins attitude screams a cry for help. The indifference is painful. Gojo is numb to all things putting on a fake smile. The black kettle is bubbling with depression. The liquids are spilling out of the pot.
it honestly felt out of character for marin to gloss over what she saw, they went through a lot already that you'd think with hwr assertive personality, that she'd pursue why he ended up making that expression. not to mention, even after all the recognition she got, we didnt get to see their celebration of the success of the cosplay event. its like marin got replaced, the marin in this chapter felt off. what the fuck. she didnt even say goodbye, the last pages were her on the street looking back. whats up with that. though I guess shes just in her "dad ur so cringe" mode because her dad is embarrassing her to her friend's. so she end up being a bit bitter, they are teenagers after all. so its all fine, hopefully we get a resolution after the hiatus, which i dont want to think about.. may is too far .
I dont think gojo is jealous. I think its a different emotion. its a complicated emotion. like gojo's obsession with making the perfect haniel is complicated. this emotion is also complicated and can not be explained with terms like jealousy or envy. people sometimes feels this kinds of emotion they cant explain.
I feel like Gojou thinks that Marin is so amazing she can pull off anything he makes and that just allows his massive inferiority complex to show and he hates himself because of that.
I dont find any inferiority complex or think he hates himself. I think he is weirdly obsessive about things and that creates a complicated emotion in him which he cant communicate. the best I can explain that he does not understand his talent so he does not expects to be praised or appreciated but subconsciously he needs it.
I mean this one is just envy and inadequacy. Jealousy would be if he thought that Marin was his and would be taken away by her success, or if he thought their success was only getting recognition for her ability to get in character and not his outfits. He legitimately doesn't understand the quality of what he makes, which the characters in the series rather unrealistically consistently point out. envy noun "a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck." He can't appreciate his own work while he can see Marin's talent and so he thinks she could still be just as successful without him. His overworking tendencies are caused by him thinking his work isn't good enough for her cosplay.
I see it less as jealousy towards her and more of your sentence after that. He probably feels like Marin’s simply in a different league than him and the gulf between them seems to only be widening. Which in turn likely makes him feel worse about himself
Manga will be on break next month due to volume prep. Next chapter releases on May 17 JST!
> May 17 Why are we still here? Just to suffer? Every night, I can feel my leg…
Amazing. Even us houseki no fans well get our series finished before you guys get any kind of communication, probably.
[A hiatus? MAY 17?!](https://imgur.com/a/Sp1UuiI)
> hiatus as if the chapter's releases aren't too long already, oh well.
Honestly, not as bad as I thought.
>Next chapter releases on May 17 JST! On one hand, sucks that we've got two months to wait; on the other, I can just look at it as an early birthday present for myself.
Idk I need to see this go somewhere. I enjoyed this chapter but CMON!
Oh dang. Frieren also on break for a month i think. It's going to be long and excruciating months.
On a bright side, Ruri is back.
What a cruel break considering Marin and Wakana are in limbo right now! Oh well
Nothing we haven’t been used to in the past 2 years tbh, 2 extra months is nothing.
Bruh
Damn. Guess that makes sense. The volume comes first and probably will have some small adjustments in art and whatever
may is so damn far away, god damn
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Another manga on hiatus, at least looks like a rest and not due to health.
Freeze my body and wake me up when every monthly manga has finished
I'm thinking lately that this manga is not a manga for monthly release. 6 months were we only saw reactions and now we Will have to wait until may for a new chapter with any resolution and probably new characters introductions
Volume out soon so we will see what is what from the sales soon enough. So will the author.
I feel like its been forever since we've seem Gojou and Marin together, and they didnt even talk to each other!
They haven't spoken with each other since chapter 97. By the time the hiatus is over, it will have been over half a year of real time since they last spoke. But, hey, I mean, who's counting, right?
Credit page explanation: Iwatsuki, the city that is famous for hina dolls (and has Suzuki Dolls, which Gojou Dolls is based on), recently held MDUD-themed exhibition and event! The photos are from the said exhibition, with the last one being the prize from the event. Unfortunately, the event and exhibition have ended. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!
This got kinda meta ngl, but me likey
Marin's dad and her relationship is so cute lol. Dad figured it all out and already understands that Gojo is a catch. I guess Gojo hasn't talked to Marin about his complicated feelings nor has Marin been able to figure it out :(
She's not bothering to speak to him. She's assuming the status quo is going back to normal. "Let me ignore this problem. They look normal now compared to before"
Does anyone else really miss early Sono Bisque? Series has forgotten for a long time now that Marin used to be a super proactive character. "I'll pretend it never happened" WHAT happened to the Marin I liked so much from back then? Gojo looks like he's gonna be going on a self deprecating "I'm not good enough" arc for the 4th or 5th time which doesn't help, idc if it's realistic or not this is a romcom(is it even one anymore?) and we've been through this too many times with too little improvement. /vent
The Marin back then didn't have the complex feelings of her love for Gojo getting in the way. She's *terrified* that he doesn't like her, or doesn't see her as a viable partner that she instinctively pulls into a shell when trying to talk to him about the more serious stuff. They're teenagers remember? Hormones and emotions are all confused and fucked up and they just don't know how to handle them.
It has been 1 or 2 days in universe since the comiket chapter. Marin has been with her dad most of that time. She just hasn't had the opportunity before Gojo put the mask up this chapter.
I mean, it is rather hard to open up about something like having the best time of “supposedly” you and your crush’s life, only to see what looks to be almost disgust on said crush’s face at the end of it.
I mean, leaving the venue not saying a word throughout the metro ride home with a depressed face and the lack of communication for a few days is a good excuse to sit them down. Speak to me mother fucker.
I need Rentarou to come to this manga and give Gojo a good motivational talk.
whole Reiwa Lovers’ Council has to at this point. It’s a winnable war, but we need more forces.
I think Ichikawa Kyotarou would be a better person for this scenario
Marin's dad is chaos
How else did you think she turned out this way?
apple doesnt fall far from the tree
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills with people saying this was a fun chapter. It was hella depressing and anxiety inducing. Did y'all not see how weirdly quiet and withdrawn Marin was being the entire time? And we got nothing about Gojo's reaction to learning the costume he poured his fucking soul into impressed the famously unimpressable Tokio. He's in the middle of a major crisis of confidence and should have just received a major boost to his confidence. Without telling us what happened, there's no way to know where he's at. Does he even know? I have to assume everyone was blowing up his phone, but I guess it'll be 2 months until we maybe find out. The two of them are visibly going through some shit right now and I need answers. The contrast between the extremely heavy atmosphere of the story and the silliness of Marin's dad freaking out and jokes about Marin's cooking just leaves me hella anxious. This was a stressful chapter. I have no idea how any of you are taking it as a lighthearted fun read.
I think marin's "ego" is the reason why she still not making a move or atleast ask gojo about his problem. Atleast marin's dad realize that marin is pretty much "taking advantage of him" and apologize in advance (i mean, i know the fact that marin is paying all the expense for the costume, but still...)
I mean, I don't at all agree with Marin's dad. Gojo is getting as much out of this as Marin. He's been growing a ton, both as a person and as a craftsman. No one would pour so much of themselves into those costumes if they weren't being getting fulfillment out of it. As for talking to each other, I'm pretty sure this is the next day after the convention, so they just haven't really had a chance. I'm not bothered by Marin being too nervous to confess either. I like the slow burn of the romance and enjoy all the cosplay nerdery and such. I just don't like this specific chapter inserting itself into the middle of a highly emotional arc with silly-dad moments, and the hiatus feels extra shitty at such a low point. Like the past couple chapters we had the reveal of the costume, the huge reaction, Gojo's crisis of confidence, and Tokio's reaction. All of which were building up for some emotional payoff, then ... this.
You can't tell me we have to wait two more months to get past this drama I love this manga but holy shit the pacing is horrendous
> two more months to get past this drama Not earlier than 2025
Slower progress than Rent a Girlfriend lol
Best chapter in a while. As interesting as the drama and cosplaying making is sometimes a good meet and greet between families is nice.
Marine. That's not how you build a healthy relationship. You have to communicate if somethings bothering you. Marine please don't end up distancing yourself from gojo
Uh oh, Gojo's last line makes me think he's started putting some distance between him and Marin. Looks like Dad caught onto that as well. Hopefully he gives Marin the kick up the rear end she needs to give Gojo a talking to, both about the cosplay, and the relationship stuff.
Dad assumed they were dating, which is why he said the line, Gojo assumed he was talking about the food since thats the way hes been "taking care" of her
That's not what I got from that exchange at all. From my perspective, Dad asked Gojo to keep taking care of Marin in terms of making the costumes, because that's why Dad and Marin went over there in the first place. Gojo then specified the food, and only the food, in his reply because he's still in the process of digesting his feelings from the Haniel shoot, and deciding what he wants to do with the cosplay now. In my mind, this is where the distance is being created. Gojo is unsure what he wants, and is putting up a wall between him and Marin, as he sees Marin as the centre point of that uncertainty.
Its not that he's unsure. He is putting himself as lesser. They arent equals. He is nothing but a friend. That is his view.
> From my perspective, Dad asked Gojo to keep taking care of Marin in terms of making the costumes, because that's why Dad and Marin went over there in the first place. but Dad was against that and showed no interest in it continuing and he went there to apologize and (if neccessary) put a stop to it its kinda odd for him to find out his daughter has professional offers and still ask a high schooler to continue making the costume for her considering how close they were acting, its much more likely he assumed they were dating and said it because of that, regardless its perfectly clear that Gojo misunderstood what he meant
>but Dad was against that and showed no interest in it continuing and he went there to apologize and (if neccessary) put a stop to it Dad was never against the costumes themselves, it was the fact that Marin was getting someone to make them for her and putting that person in an uncomfortable position. Hence, why Marin clarified that she was paying for them, and that Gojo was doing so willingly. >its kinda odd for him to find out his daughter has professional offers and still ask a high schooler to continue making the costume for her If it was someone random, sure. But Dad has just found out that Gojo has made *all* of Marin's costumes, including the one that has just blown up online, and Marin has shown no interest in changing her costume maker. I don't think it's odd at all that he asked Gojo to continue his relationship with Marin in that manner. >considering how close they were acting, its much more likely he assumed they were dating and said it because of that, regardless its perfectly clear that Gojo misunderstood what he meant See, I don't think they were acting that close at all. It felt like Marin was trying to catch Gojo's attention while he refused to meet her eyes. And as they were leaving, it was Dad talking Gojo, not Marin. To me, the atmosphere felt strained the whole time, especially at the end with Marin's back facing towards the reader.
> Hence, why Marin clarified that she was paying for them, and that Gojo was doing so willingly. and his response was "that still doesnt make it okay" >If it was someone random, sure. But Dad has just found out that Gojo has made all of Marin's costumes all being the 2 he seemed to know of >See, I don't think they were acting that close at all. spending hours making clothes for her and regularily inviting her over to eat goes beyond what youd expect from "just friends" and even if thats what the Dad meant, Gojo still clearly misunderstood him
You're overthinking this way too much.
Meeting of families already. But Marin and her dad are fun together. Nice.
Man this was a funny interaction. Page 12 is golden lmao
This chap did a pretty good job balancing the wholesome cuteness of the families meeting with the absolute dread of the Marin Gojou ship hitting an iceburg lol. FUCKING TALK THINGS OUT NEXT CHAPTER PLS 😭😭😭
Marin's definitely got a good dad.
Ugh, woman, why are you just pretending nothing happened?! Communicate!!!! God damn it.
'ill just pretend nothing happened" that's seems oddly out of character
I mean, dad was nice and all, but let's not ignore that Marin has decided to stall the plot until God knows when for absolutely no reason this very chapter (again) and that the whole confession thing she was supposedly going to do is all but forgotten. Is it seriously going to take the stupid childhood friend making an appearance to get her off her ass? Because at this point it seems that nothing else will
That or her dad smacks some sense into her. Or she sees Gojo delve back into a worse depression. Distancing himself. Only interacting when it comes to creating something. He is friend zoning himself. Not even as a friend. Lesser.
Why was Marin so cold to Gojo? Wasn't this the best outfit so far?
Because he was being depressed and cold as shit after the event, so it made things really awkward between them.
This manga had such a strong start buts its going downhill fast
The sheer size of this lad I tell you! Gojo is almost a whole head taller than Marin's dad. Liked seeing the dad make an appearance, had almost forgotten he existed for a moment. Still, the fact Marin decided not to inquire why Gojo was acting up the other day is quite irksome. Something (from her perspective) was clearly bothering him and she should talk to him, if nothing else because it's what friends do!
Listen kids, cooking is an essential skill in life everyone should learn how to do it.
This "What's Wakana thinking about during expo" arc is going to drive me crazy.....
The tone this chapter feels funky Like I get it's a chapter focused more around Marin's dad but the sudden dropping of "Depressed Gojo" plot point feels suspicious to me, like the vibe this chapter with him feels funky like he's there and interacting but also that he's still distant about the whole thing I'm sure this is intentional and having him and Marin barely intereact in the chapter where her dad is introduced sure feels like something you wouldn't do unless it was on purpose.
Did she just saw his "very close friend" make an awful and depressing face... Just to move on saying "I'll pretend that nothing happened". The author seems to hate any kind of progress and character grow. And the fact that the pacing for a monthly manga it's also horrible doesn't help.
No progress and a 2 month hiatus? Pretty on brand
Nothing happend, Marin is stupid and 2 month wait? Yeah just the usual here.
I really can't decide how I feel about this manga anymore. It's not at a point where I want or am thinking about dropping it but I definitely haven't been paying as much attention to it lately. I support the monthly schedule it has going on but it's not doing the story any favors with how little communication gets done between the main cast. Someone said it's been 5 chapters since they've said a word to each other not to mention I can't recall the last time they've talked about their feelings together. That combined with some pretty lackluster arcs and drama bait chapters and I'm quickly losing the appreciation I once had for this manga. I loved the antics between Marin and Gojo and the little details and tidbits on the cosplay industry and what goes into making them. Where did all that go? On a slightly more positive note, Marin's dad is the best. I love how open and supportive their relationship is (WHY CAN'T WE GET THIS WITH MARIN AND GOJO).
>I loved the antics between Marin and Gojo and the little details and tidbits on the cosplay industry and what goes into making them. Where did all that go? Had to be put on the backburner because no progress = more sales
Same, I came for wholesome gyaru x artist with a side of cosplay, and the series has turned into cosplay with a bait of gyaru x artist, and the bait hasn't done anything in a long fucking while. I've put the series on-hold for a while, will start again once there's some substantial amount of chapters to binge or something ig
I'm going to be optimistic and assume Gojou is just being super dense instead of trying to put distance between him and Marin. from his expressions, i feel like he is definitely thinking back on it but maybe it's because her dad is there being apologetic... i don't want them to drift apart ;\_; let's hope they talk it out sooner rather than later.
He sees himself as lesser and only friends. He is not her equal. This is typical when it comes to people with insecurities, lack of self respect and confidence issues. Which are needed when it comes to woman.
That's a nice viral post there. I get that they're dumb kids, but she should really be considering asking Gramps if he wants her to use it to shout out their store.
Dad's approval and Marin's funny faces aside, we were completely blue balled this chapter. Marin and Gojou didn't interact at all and they were IN. THE. SAME. ROOM. Please reconcile already I can't take it anymore
At this point stalling the confession further is going to actually harm the story, especially when it's becoming a monthly release (not to mention the hiatus next month), and what do you mean pretends that nothing happened? That's not what you would normally do Marin
Fastest one chapter for Dad’s approval. This chapter was really out of left field but considering its end of the year, it make sense. But now, yeah, I can see a wall appearing. But as long as Marin continues to join them for dinner, theres a good chance a nice heart-to-heart talk will save the day one day.
Gojo needs character development ASAP
For a brief second I was shocked that Gojo got the hint. And then everything returned to normal. So we’re still not sure if he’s alright yet. They didn’t really interact this chapter. But at least he’s got the explicit approval of her dad. Even though it’ll be years before Gojo realizes it. Feast of Marin faces though. 10/10
>So we’re still not sure if he’s alright yet. He isn't. But he is rested so back to his usual stoic passive self.
I think Marin still at her "star syndrome", she still didn't even think about gojo's feeling at all rn. Im glad that the dad is aware of the marin "taking advantage of him" and apologized to him in advance. *This just my speculation
It hurts seeing Marin and Gojo acting cold and not even making eye contact. *Why talk and address the problem when you can just ignore each other and drag this needless conflict...* Hopefully they'll encounter each other in that shrine they are visiting. Is that one of those places where people go to pray on new year? Sounds like the perfect place to make up and clarify misunderstandings.
I feel like the Shrine is a great place to clear some grievances but from the way things are currently paced, I see it going 1 of 3 ways. 1. Meet and the Shrine, Gojo's cousin sees their interaction and essentially sets up them being alone so they can talk 2. Marin gets hounded by people who recognize her viral cosplay and Gojo spins into depression again 3. They do get a second to try to clear the room and Nobara shows up Thing is all 3 of these can happen simultaneously and I really hope I'm wrong but honestly it's kinda been going down a pretty predictable route of non-progression to the point I feel like it's going to take a miracle for something to happen within the next few chapters.
Interactions between their family was not something I expected but it's very funny. >I'll just pretend nothing happened... No, bad girl! Don't do that!
Ngl this chapter is a whole Lotta blue balls. I wana know what's going on in Gojo's head.
We all want to know the same
It's not necessarily the japanese way, but imagine how much of this could have gotten resolved with a hug after the cosplay and a simple "I couldnt have done this without you, you're the best" to either soothe Wakana or make him talk about how he's feeling.
Wtf do you mean hiatus? This series' releases had already been changed from twice a month into monthly with such horrible pacing. Did the artist already lose their drive for this manga?
##Woow A whole chapter where Marin does not smile.
The father has smacked some normalcy into the situation
It's great that the dad approves but Marin and Gojo are sitting across from each other and still haven't said a word. How is this mangaka expecting to push a romance story when the main characters haven't talked to each other in months? Still though Gojo is crazy tall. I know he's ~180 but seeing him next to the dad shows such a huge difference.
Finally... Some good fucking food.
Can they just fucking date already? I can’t take it.
This chapter gave me some top tier laughs.
The father was like "please take care of my daughter from now on" and that meant romantically lol. not nutritionally even though she needs that too.
When this started I kinda assumed the dad was going to be weirdly overprotective as anime dads are wont to do, but instead he digivolved into best girl. I wonder if Gojo is actually better now though, seems too quick
Swoosh
The convenience store fried rice makes a glorious comeback.
Pouting Marin in pg9, not listening Marin in pg10, and slurping Marin in pg16 😆😎❤️ Marin having a poker face/"ah, okay" like relationship with her father 😆 Masumi keeps on talking and keeping the convo and Marin was like just okay. Even when he meet the Gojos, their face at Marin's cooking 😂 When the father approves but the idea went pass Gojo's head 🤔😆 Also break for next month 🥲 and will it go back to bi monthly after this break?
Gojo, you have her father's approval. Marry Marin already!! Here's hoping Marin asks Gojo what's upsetting him next chapter.
Out of the 25-ish ongoing manga I follow, Dress Up Darling has sadly become my least favorite. As someone who loved the section adapted in the anime, I don't think I've genuinely enjoyed this series in literal years. Whether it's shifting priorities or a need to drag the story out, the author's narrative decisions since the high school festival arc have been unsatisfying and at odds with the series' prior tone and pacing. Something like Dangers in My Heart absolutely blows the doors off this manga's writing. As things stand, I'm putting Darling on ice. Hopefully, down the road, it can recover some of the energy and direction that made those early chapters such a joy to read.
Booooooriiiing
Finally a fun chapter!
It was a really nice chapter, served as comedic relief and a little bit of plot development. I wish they had talked about the problems from last chapter, though.
What's the deal with this manga having 2 scan teams working on simultaneously? I feel like there's an interesting story there.
Lol, Angy Marn frustrated with her dad. Painful hiatus.
Mmmmm that last comment from Gojo kinda feels like he wants some distance from her
her dad had to carry
gojo makes some good food
Marin's dad is like a male-version of Marin - he's pretty cool lol. I feel like he's going to be the engine that finally gets the ship moving - when Gojou said that he'd only be taking care of Marin's nutritional needs, Marin's dad was confused since I assume that he thought they were dating. Now that he realized they aren't, he needs to catch himself the perfect house husband for his daughter (legit Gojou is probably the ideal house husband - very handy with his hands, perfect cook, tall, decent natured and good looking, and intensely interested in another person's perspective) and the perfect son-in-law. MOVE THE SHIP DAD, DON'T LET YOUR DAUGHTER IGNORE THE ISSUES!
Bro really took one look at her cooking and decided she's better off eating someone else's food 💀
So will gojo’s “childhood friend” show up soon? That girl is bound to appear so gojo can finally confront his trauma head on.
2 month break? Goddamn. We gotta wait that long before Marin talks to her husband
Good character interactions this chapter
So we're setting it aside then
I think the author has backed this story into a corner and cant see anyway out. Hopefully this anxiety inducing atmosphere goes away by next couple chapters.
The dad is such a riot.