Michelle Topham 
Honestly, the best part of my anime week lately is when a new episode of My Dress-Up Darling hits the streaming services.
Today, that time has come, with this week’s episode My Dress-Up Darling, Episode 5, “It’s Probably Because This Is the Best Boob Bag Here” arriving a couple of hours ago. (Love that title, btw!)
So, let’s dive right in to the My Dress-Up Darling, Episode 5 recap and review, to see what Marin and Gojou are up to now.
My Dress-Up Darling, Episode 5, “It’s Probably Because This Is the Best Boob Bag Here” recap
The episode started with a recap of last week’s ending scene, in which Gojou gasps when he sees how stunning Marin looks dressed as Shizuku-tan.
Marin, of course, is not only ecstatic about how she looks — the length of the dress being perfect, and how Shizuku-tan’s garters can just be seen under the hem of the dress — but she is thrilled Gojou made the absolutely perfect ‘boob bag’ for her cosplay character.
Because that’s important, right?
Gojou then suggests they take photos of Marin dressed up as Shizuku-tan. The problem is, while most cosplay players try to look as much like their favorite character as possible, Marin will never look like Shizuku-tan as she can’t stop grinning.
Then again, I’d grin too if someone had made me that amazing cosplay outfit.
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Marin finally calms down though, and gets in a Shizuku-tan mood. And boy, does she look stunning.
So stunning in fact, when she has enough photos, Marin opens a social media account and uploads her first cosplay photos — leading her to suggest something to Gojou he is surprised about.
“Why don’t we go to tomorrow’s cosplay event, eh?”, she says.
Of course, that cosplay event could never possibly be easy for Gojou, who is frozen on the spot and panicking the minute they arrive.
Why?
“There are just so many ladies around… should I really be here?”
Because, you know, Gojou still has the mental age of an 8-year-old when it comes to girls. And that kind of sentiment is difficult to shift.
Marin isn’t at the cosplay event long, though, before a line of people has started. People who want to take her photograph, as her Shizuku-tan outfit is so adorably cute.
Soon Marin is getting into the feel of things, with even Gojou commenting from afar as she poses, “She looks like Shizuku-tan”.
Then, as he looks around, it suddenly dawns on Gojou how much fun everyone is having at the event.
It is then he realizes it’s because everyone can relax playing their favorite cosplay characters, as they are not forced to be their usual more reserved selves.
Then he starts having fun as well.
Read: What is the Japanese name for My Dress-Up Darling? It’s not the same as the English title
But, as he admires how wonderful Marin looks posing for photos, he realizes he has fulfilled the promise he initially made to her — that he would make a Shizuku-tan cosplay outfit for her.
That means all the fun he had hanging out with Marin, as they came up with ideas for the cosplay outfit, has now come to an end.
For someone who has never had friends, and never felt relaxed enough to just hang out and have fun, that must have made him feel so incredibly sad.
To get a peek at a world he didn’t know about, and then have it so quickly taken away from him.
Suddenly Marin turns away from the people waiting to take her photograph, and searches the crowd for Gojou. As she finds him, she smiles as widely as it is possible to smile, and Gojou finds his heart skipping a beat.
As she runs towards him smiling, Gojou stands and stares as his face becomes increasingly redder, only to have Marin say, as she arrives in front of him breathlessly,
“Thank goodness. I thought you disappeared on me, and I panicked”.
Being Marin, of course, this isn’t all she wants as she rapidly continues on, “My clothes are about to come off”.
“Huh?” responds Gojou, only to find out Marin had looked at the photos they took the previous night, decided Shizuku-tan’s boobs were bigger than her dress made hers look, and so wore two bras so she could push them up.
Bras that are now causing the dress to strain at its seams, and threaten to burst.
“Well, of course, they would” barks Gojou. “I made them to fit you perfectly, not for a bra as well”.
But that isn’t Marin’s only problem, as she now admits she is dying of heat, both from the heat-causing dress and the wig.
Gojou being Gojou takes that problem on himself deciding, because he chose thicker fabric than Marin had originally picked, that is why she is about to have a heat stroke.
A quick trip to the air-conditioned mall, a cold drink and some cooling pads help cool Marin down, but Gojou is still worried and so searches the net for ways to kick the cooling efforts into high gear.
Ways that include unzipping her dress, and wiping the sweat from her back, so her body can cool off — which, you guessed it, leaves Gojou with a red face. Again.
On their way home, Marin asks Gojou if they can go back to the cosplay event quickly.
Once there, she finds the woman who was waiting to take her photo when she rushed off because of the heat, and allows her to take one now.
But, this being Marin, nothing ever goes to plan either, and she soon finds herself in a situation she didn’t quite expect.
A situation both the woman and Gojou are embarrassed about, whereas Marin is upset about something else entirely. (Watch the episode to find out what that was).
On the train going home, Gojou thanks Marin for the experience and admits he had a lot of fun. She responds she had fun too.
Gojou then realizes the experience is almost over, and his face drops.
Until Marin suddenly exclaims “So, what should we do for my next cosplay?”
And doesn’t that make Gojou the happiest he has been for a long time!
Of course, though, My Dress-Up Darling Episode 5 wouldn’t be complete with a really lovely, then quite shocking ending.
But.. I am going to make you watch the episode so you can see for yourself, as it really will grab at your heart.
My Dress-Up Darling, Episode 5 review
Just like all of the episodes of My Dress-Up Darling so far, Episode 5 was cute and funny, but also quite touching as we are shown just how much Gojou enjoyed spending time with Marin.
And how he believes that time was only meant to be short, before he will be forced to go back to the lonely life he had before.
Like always, though, Marin shows how sweet and lovely she is by immediately telling Gojou she wants them to work together on another cosplay project.
Done, I believe, not only because she is enamored of the cosplay world, but also because she enjoys spending time with Gojou as much as he does her.
And because, deep down, she understands how solitary and lonely his life was before he met her, and doesn’t want him to ever experience that again.
Along with the touching storyline, Episode 5 of My Dress-Up Darling is also the most beautiful so far.
From the scenes of Marin dressed up as Shizuku-tan, to the people at the cosplay event itself, the garden in which the photos are taken and the train scenes at the end.
Read: Why is anime aired late at night in Japan?
All of it was stunningly drawn with vibrant colors that pop off the screen, and with characters whose facial expressions are so precious.
In fact, five episodes into My Dress-Up Darling and this superb anime has not disappointed once yet.
From the anime’s wonderfully sweet characters to the stunning art style, beautifully carried out animation, and to just about every scene putting a big smile on your face from beginning to end.
That My Dress-Up Darling has quickly become the anime of Winter 2022 to watch then, isn’t remotely a surprise.
Other My Dress-Up Darling recaps and reviews to read
Episode 4, Episode 3, Episode 2 and Episode 1.
And finally – My Dress-Up Darling ending theme song is very catchy, and its music video is adorable — Watch!
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