While fans waited to hear more about Marin Kitagawa and Wakana Gojo, animation director Jun Yamazaki surprised everyone with a much-needed update. There’s no denying that fans have been waiting to hear more of My Dress-Up Darling Season 2. But it’s been two years, and neither the studio house nor Mangaka has commented anything about its sophomore run. It left many to wonder whether their favorite rom-com series will ever return. But don’t worry! We have delightful news for the avid anime watchers.
Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, My Dress-Up Darling follows two high school students who cross paths at a strange series of events. Wakana Gojo, a social introvert, always tries to hide his passion for crafting hina dolls from his classmates. However, a beautiful encounter encourages him to follow his passion and create cosplay costumes for Marin. This slice-of-drama series explores more of the pair’s bonding in every episode. With Marin’s support, Gojo gains confidence in his design.
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2: Is It Renewed?
The TV anime adaptation surprised fans with its light rom-com nature earlier in 2022. As soon as it hit our screens, the series quickly became one of the most popular animes ever in history. Well, there’s no denying that. That’s because the high school rom-com has a separate fanbase. But surprisingly, My Dress-Up Darling was far from being a cliched high school story. It brought a new perspective, and fans loved it too. The pilot seasons quickly received eight solid stars on IMDb and 77% on Rotten Tomatoes.
While fans weren’t surprised by the ratings, they secretly wished for My Dress-Up Darling Season 2. Surprisingly, their wish was granted as the finale hinted at its return. During a special event in Japan, Aniplex announced that the series is back with another season. The official announcement stated that My Dress-Up Darling will return with a sequel anime project. However, fans remained confused about whether the anime would return as a featured film or a sophomore run. That’s because the announcement shared little about the sequel project.
Besides this, the event also shared a teaser clip highlighting the best moments of the pilot season. While it didn’t share what to expect next from the anime, it did reveal that the sophomore run is on its way. Fans can check the short teaser video above.
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2: Production Status
Fans have been head over heels for the anime since its debut. That’s why they eagerly await when the series will return for another season. As soon as the official announcement was made, the official website shared that My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 was in production. That’s brilliant news, right? But wait! Although the official website has announced that the anime is under production, it’s been two years, and we haven’t heard anything about the following season.
CloverWorks, the studio house behind the animation, is busy with other big projects. This has definitely created problems for Season 2 of My Dress-Up Darling. The official website suggests that CloverWorks is currently working on big banner projects. These are Wind Breaker, Black Butler: Public School Arc, The Elusive Samurai, I May Be A Guild Receptionist, and Unite Up! Uni: Birth.
There’s no sign of My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 for its 2024 lineup. So, considering this, we expect the anime will face more delay. Since the animation work takes almost a year or more, it’s likely that the sophomore run will return to production later this year. If this were the case, fans would have to wait longer to see their favorite characters back on screen.
Key Visual Teases Production Has Started
While fans were disheartened by the news that CloverWorks won’t return to animate the series this year, the animation director surprised them with jaw-dropping news. Jun Yamazaki recently took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a series of joyful updates with the fans. On June 6, 2024, Jun shared a new colored artwork of Marin Kitagawa. It features a bubbly Marin saying “Ohisa,” which means “long time no see.”
In addition to this, Jun Yamazaki captioned the drawing of Marin as a “rehabilitation” for him. As soon as the post reached My Dress-Up Darling fans, they quickly showered their love in the comment section. A reader questioned whether they had started working on My Dress-Up Darling Season 2. Another stated that they couldn’t wait for the second run. Yamazaki last confirmed that their Marin succubus artwork was finally turned into a figure, hinting fans can expect more from the anime.
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2: What Will Happen Next?
In the final episode, Marin sweetly confessed her feelings to a sleepy Gojo. As the series ended with their sweet confession, My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 will pick the pace from where it was left off. Marin will stay true to her feelings, undoubtedly bringing some changes between them. But will Gojo learn about his feelings for Marin? Well, there’s also a possibility that Gojo might have heard Marin’s sweet confession, which might have led them to come closer.
If the anime stays true to its source material, we will likely see more of Marin’s cosplay. It will also introduce some new cross-dressing characters like Amane. Well, Amane’s equation with Gojo has yet to be explored. Besides, My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 might cover the school festival arc. It will indeed be a massive shout-out to the duo’s work, and the pair will soon earn recognition from their classmates. Besides this, fans can also expect “sick” episodes from the manga.
Such a narration is a Shojo classic and will definitely bring more to the table. Gojo will be busy caring for sick Marin, which will bring them closer. Marin has already fallen for him, so this “sick” episode might help Gojo learn about his feelings for Marin. However, the biggest twist My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 can bring is introducing Gojo’s childhood friend, who traumatized him. This will indeed bring trouble down the road, but it will help Gojo and Marin bond closer.
Is There Enough Source Material?
My Dress-Up Darling is based on a Japanese manga series, Sono Bisuku Doru wa Koi o Suru. It is written and illustrated by Shinichi Fukuda. The manga started serializing in January 2018 in Square Enix’s Young Gangan and is currently ongoing. As of May 2024, the manga has been compiled into 13 volumes. Not only this, but the manga also broke its own record, as in 2024, it had over 11 million copies in circulation.
While the manga is ongoing, and there’s no sign of stopping, My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 is still out of reach. That’s because the first season adapted the initial five volumes. Although there are 13 volumes in total, returning with another season after season 2 will be challenging. But there’s more than enough material for season 2. Even if the series decides to go slow, it can return with a feature film after its second season wrap-up.
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Cast Details
The studio has yet to reveal the details of the staff and cast. However, we do know that animation studio CloverWorks will return to produce the anime. Jun Yamazaki, the animation director, will also return to the director’s seat. Besides that, we can expect some of the prominent members to return for My Dress-Up Darling Season 2. These are:
- Marin Kitagawa – Hina Suguta
- Gojo Wakana – Shoya Ishige
- Sajuna Inui – Atsumi Tanezaki
- Kaorou Gojo – Atsushi Ono
- Shinju Inui – Hina Yomiya
The sophomore run has yet to announce the other prominent characters and cast members. We will update you shortly after learning the official announcement.
More From My Dress-Up Darling
While My Dress-Up Darling has created a buzz on the internet with its interesting storyline, there’s more to look after from the series. In May 2024, Comic Natalie shared an artwork of Marin dressed as a “Chinese-style waitress.” It was later revealed that My Dress-Up Darling is all set to launch the new collaboration cafe in Osaka and Tokyo. It will be named “My Dress-Up Darling Chinese Restaurant.” As per the official reports, the cafe is set to open in Ikebukuro’s Motto Cafe from August 1 to September 29, 2024. The cafe will hit Osaka’s Motto Cafe on October 9 and run till December 1, 2024.
Earlier in June 2024, Crunchyroll Store started pre-ordering the anime merchandise My Dress-Up Darling Official Anime Fanbook (Hardcover). While it’s set to release on September 24, 2024, Crunchyroll has already started its pre-order. The fanbook features 100 colorful pages of never-before-seen promotional art from mangaka Shinichi Fukuda. At the time of writing, the book cost $19.99. Well, it’s a discounted price. The original price was $24.99. Well, it’s a limited edition book featuring staff commentary on every episode and exclusive interviews with costume designers, character designers, series directors, scriptwriters, and lead voice actresses.
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Release Date
At the time of writing, the studio hasn’t yet wrapped up production. It remains unclear whether the production has just started or will start this summer. So, considering this, it’s hard to guess when the sophomore season will return. But if the anime undergoes production this year, then we can expect My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 to be released later in 2025. This is all for now. Stay with The Anime Daily for more such updates.