Is My Dress-Up Darling an Ecchi or Romance Anime?

Not many people at the start of 2022 thought we would be talking about a show about a cosplaying gyaru, but anime has a habit of throwing surprises!

The story of an introverted boy and an extroverted girl who bond over a shared love of crafts has become one of the biggest anime sensations of the year so far. It’s so popular that people who at first looked away from the bright and bold series are now discovering that there’s much more to this show than meets the eye.

If you’re thinking about diving into this show but want to know if My Dress-Up Darling is an ecchi or romance anime, we’ve got you covered with this article!

Related: Is My Dress-Up Darling Any Good?

What is My Dress-Up Darling About?

My Dress-Up Darling follows Wakana Gojo, a quiet high-school student and aspiring hina doll craftsman under his grandfather’s guidance. Ever since his childhood friend criticised his love of dolls, he’s kept himself quiet and isolated until one day, in the textiles room, his hobby is found out by Marin Kitagawa.

Marin is seemingly the polar opposite of Wakana. One of the most popular people in his class, she is bright, outgoing and hugely passionate about her interests. When she sees Wakana making textiles, she tells him about her passion for cosplay but lack of skill for making outfits.

Marin convinces Wakana to help her create a cosplay outfit, and as they work together, Wakana suddenly finds himself pulled into Marin’s bright, energetic world.

Is My Dress-Up Darling Ecchi?

Yes, there are definitely ecchi themes in My Dress-Up Darling. However, the show isn’t designed to be purely male fan service and uses these moments in a more comedic way than shows such as World’s End Harem.

My Dress-Up-Darling is seen as a comedy by some fans, and this is the impression you get from the series’ ecchi scenes. Any moments like this in the show play on the awkwardness of Wakana more than the looks of Marin.

One of the biggest tropes of an ecchi series is the unawareness of the show’s focus as to the sexual nature of appearances or dialogue. My Dress-Up Darling largely avoids these moments.

Marin’s attractiveness (or ‘ecchi-ness’) is seen as part of her unyielding confidence compared to the shy and uncertain Wakana - there are almost no ‘sexual shots’ that Marin is unaware of or uncomfortable with, for example.

Is My Dress-Up Darling a Romance?

My Dress-Up Darling looks like an obvious romance story at the start. However, it’s not until later in the series that it starts to become a genuine romance anime.

At the start of My Dress-Up Darling, the focus is on how the two very different characters interact with each other in different situations. However, as they slowly get used to each other, the gap between Wakana and Marin closes, and they begin to grow feelings for each other.

Related: Do Gojo and Marin End Up Together in My Dress-Up Darling?

Whether you see My Dress-Up Darling as an ecchi, romance, comedy or slice-of-life, it’s definitely a series worth watching! We guarantee that it will surprise you, just as it has done for so many fans so far this year.