Warning: This review contains spoilers for the first episodes of Season 2 of My Dress Up Darling. My Dress Up Darling is an anime and manga series about romance and cosplay. I think you know that very well. Season 2 of the anime came out this summer and although I really enjoyed season 1 there was one huge drawback that spoiled the story for me a little: the fanservice. Little review of season 1 I started watching MDUD very late given how popular the anime is but after a while I decided it was worth watching. I like anything romantic but the cosplay culture didnt really appeal to me at the time. I had heard a lot of buzz on the internet about how this series had a lot of fanservice content and I have to admit that it was true. The romance between Gojou and Marin is a beautiful one but it was spoiled by jokes that were sometimes repetitive and predictable and although Im not against fanservice it did take away from the story a little bit for me. My expectations for this season. I had no expectations for season 2. I naively thought I would find lots of fan service and somewhat childish content to please the audience and show boobs but still with a touch of humor and warmth that MDUD has. Spoiler alert: I was really far from reality. A slap in the face. We start off strong with episode 1. Although the first part of the episode follows the humorous and lighthearted formula of season 1 we quickly notice a change in tone in the second half of the episode particularly in the karaoke scene. https://media1.tenor.com/m/crWs8UaObWwAAAAd/mydressupdarlingsonobisquedoll.gif Although it remains very humorous and in this case the jokes are much better written and delivered the episode hits us in the gut when Gojou is asked why as a boy he knows how to apply makeup to Marin. Gojou surprised by this question mopes at the idea that he might be judged for this girly activity before the rest of the gang explains the situation and says that men are good at doing this This is followed by a very melancholic and slow scene allowing us to fully understand how Gojou feels at that moment accompanied by karaoke with powerful music to amplify the situation before a humorous break to lighten the mood marking the end of episode 1. Fanservice is put aside. Ill tell you right now: yes there are a few fanservice scenes but they are very minimal and almost nonexistent compared to season 1. Some will say that there werent enough but personally I really liked and appreciated this approach of putting fanservice on the back burner in favor of the story and characters. An extremely poignant message. https://media1.tenor.com/m/Kgo4QmZ8zsAAAAd/mydressupdarlingsonobisquedoll.gif Chitose Amano 20 is a man who loves crossdressing. Yes you read that right a man. The anime makes this clear with a great deal of humor in episode 3 before surprising the viewer with an unexpected flashback that breaks the rhythm of the comedy. We learn that Chitose has always loved wearing womens clothes passing himself off as a very androgynous person or at worst a truly feminine person. One evening a drama unfolded when his girlfriend was at his house and discovered his pile of womens clothes. She believes he has cheated on her and refuses to hear the truth claiming that it is impossible for him to have done such a thing. To get through it all and continue pursuing his passion he decides to take up cosplay in order to regain his selfconfidence and try to accept himself after this drama. The anime is filled with moments like the one I just mentioned with characters who are all equally poignant conveying messages that are very revealing of our current society which oppresses peoples differences pigeonholes and categorizes everything and anything and judges what society deems to be abnormal. Beyond just having a message hidden in a comedy it is above all a very clean and meticulous script that manages to make us understand the joys of having a passion of accepting ourselves behind our flaws of just accepting the fact that despite all our differences even if this society is shitty every person in this world is still a person and still human regardless of their tastes hobbies pleasures... https://media1.tenor.com/m/5FC13D9FUdsAAAAd/mydressupdarlingphotographyanimekiss.gif A world in which every human being can do what they want because it is their right is the main message behind season 2 of My DressUp Darling. It is a truly poignant and touching message that makes so much sense in the world of cosplay. Because yes it is also a cosplay anime. And what about the romance? To find out you should watch the series. Conclusion. My Dress Up Darling season 2 really blew me away and blew my mind. Beyond everything Ive mentioned I havent talked much about the quality of the animation the music or even the omnipresent comedy which is much more polished and developed than in season 1. We let ourselves be surprised we let ourselves be drawn in and even when its predictable we manage to get into it. Although many are hesitant to watch this season after Season 1 and the abundant fan service Season 2 is absolutely worth it and takes such a different angle from Season 1. Obviously its a matter of personal taste but I can only recommend it especially in these times when our current society and world are heading for disaster. https://diamant.ink/wpcontent/uploads/2025/09/screenshot2025092018.54.26.png?w=1024