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Netflix's Ranma 1/2 continues to shine with the third and fourth chapters, "Because There's Someone He Likes" and "The Hunter." Here's why...
Posted in: Anime, Crunchyroll, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: anime, Crunchyroll, My Dress Up Darling, opinion, Review
My Dress-Up Darling: Refreshing Anime Still Can't Shake Our Concerns
The last episode of My Dress-Up Darling aired on Crunchyroll and it was the perfect finale for all the cuteness we were blessed with. So much so, it left me having to go read the manga and catch up. The animation and character designs are pretty cute, and it is pretty much impossible to pass up. It was a refreshing slice-of-life anime that was just adorable. From storyline to the characters— it just made me feel relaxed every time it was on. I love anime with chill vibes that just give you a sense of peace.
My Dress-Up Darling is one of the few slice-of-life anime that have come out in the past few years that I have really enjoyed and come to love. The main characters are loveable and very down-to-earth. I found them pretty relatable and reminded me of my high school and college years. The animation is insanely cute and just makes me want to draw and cosplay. Despite not agreeing with Marin and Juju, I still like the statement it makes on fandom and cosplay. I think stuff like this helps make these subjects more normalized and cut down on the bullying mentality there is in the community. Who cares if you do not look like the character you are cosplaying as long you are enjoying bringing to life the character you so love? The storyline was pretty sweet and brought me lots of smiles every weekend.
However, I can really like something, yet still dislike parts of it. Right? I read a lot and watched a lot of anime and shows growing up that made adults at the time ask a lot of questions. Thankfully, I had amazingly open-minded parents that, instead of complaining about what was playing on TV, would rather sit with us and talk about what we were watching and liked, and also explain to us why certain things were uncomfortable for them to watch. However, most of the books that talked about being young and exploring sexuality as it starts arising as a young adult were pretty preachy at the time or very self-help-ish. In a lot of aspects, I do wish I had just manga and books to enjoy about characters like me, my age, experiencing life as I was. It is one of the reasons I think My Dress-Up Darling was pretty relatable and a great watch.
That said: I have now reached the point of adulthood where I have come to understand other perspectives and issues that I was not aware of at a younger age. Certain things now make me pause and ask questions and even get uncomfortable with it at times. Especially when it comes to portrayals of women and sexuality. Struggles of budding sexuality can be conveyed without needing to focus on a 16-year-old undergarment and boobs for extended periods. I am aware of the genre and I am aware it is an anime, however, it still happens, it still made me uncomfortable, and there is no better way to improve or understand if they are not discussed.
Which brings me to reconsider so many others I loved growing up (and still do) like Ranma 1/2. I watched it growing up and it was not censored in my country— I still remember when my parents realized what they were sitting through and how they laughed it off. I always loved that they never got mad at us for loving what we did. However, I have been questioning myself this past week as to why I never really saw any of the little problematic things I have become hyper-aware of now. Once again, I know the genre and it will not change my love for it, it simply just raises a lot of questions as it should.
Anyway, despite the issues I have with it I found My Dress-Up Darling incredibly cute with relatable, down-to-earth characters that I grew to love. As I had mentioned before, it really made me go read and catch up on the manga because I needed more of it. I mean, sometimes you just have to know where things go. I hope they continue the story with a second season *cough* still waiting for Yona of the Dawn season two *cough*. I will definitely be here for it.
My Dress-Up Darling Season One
8/10
The last episode of My Dress-Up Darling aired on Crunchyroll and it was the perfect finale for all the cuteness we were blessed with. So much so, it left me having to go read the manga and catch up. The animation and character designs are pretty cute, and it is pretty much impossible to pass up. It was a refreshing slice-of-life anime that was just adorable. From storyline to the characters— it just made me feel relaxed every time it was on. I love anime with chill vibes that just give you a sense of peace.
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