My Dress-Up Darlingwas nothing short of a huge hit when the anime adaptation debuted in Winter 2022. Based on Shinichi Fukuda’s beloved manga,Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suruis a romance that also dives wholeheartedly into cosplay, a topic that precious few anime have explored beyond introducing it as a side character’s passion.
My Dress-Up Darlinghit its first season out of the park, with CloverWorks delivering animation that compares favorably to just about any other show currently on the air. While the premise of an outcast being “saved” from their loneliness by a popular love interest is cliche,My Dress-Up Darlingdoes the trope well by actively establishing a common interest between Wakana Gojou and Marin Kitagawa. Fans should check out a fewromance anime likeMy Dress-Up Darling while they wait for that show’s sequel to debut at some point in the future.
Updated June 28, 2025 by Mark Sammut:My Dress-Up Darling season 2 is in the works, with a 2025 release seeming to be on the cards. Still, the sequel has yet to announce a season, which means Spring 2025 is out of the question at this point. Consequently, fans looking for something else to watch might wish to check out two new shows that have been added to this discussion: More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers and Honey Lemon Soda.
Our Dating Storycan, at a glance, be mistaken for aMy Dress-Up Darlingcopycat since Runa Shirakawa’s appearance is reminiscent of Marin; however, the shows are fairly different overall. WhileMy Dress-Up Darlingtakes a slow approach to build up its core romance,Our Dating Storyjumps head first by establishing Runa and Ryuto as a couple in its opening episode.
From there, the anime focuses on exploring the teenagers' budding dynamic, and they have a charming and innocent rapport for the most part. Ryuto might be slightly polarizing with viewers who are tired of the “unpopular guy” trope in romance anime, but he is harmless. Runa is likable, and she has a unique backstory for the genre.
Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!andMy Dress-Up Darlingshare a few key things in common, even if they are ultimately quite different. Born and raised in Tokyo, Tsubasa is moving to Hokkaido to live with a relative, and he is a bit nervous about starting this new chapter. However, those fears subside when he meets Minami, a gyaru with a warm and welcoming personality. The two become fast friends, with the girl helping the shy guy settle into his new life and school. Similar to Marin, Minami is very outgoing and uninhibited; meanwhile, Gojou and Tsubasa are both introverts who tend to slip into the background.
Now,Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!eventually transitions into more of a harem, expanding Tsubasa’s friend group with the introduction of Sayuri and Rena. They are nowhere near as magnetic as Minami and arguably distract from the show’s pretty cute core dynamic. Still, likeMy Dress-Up Darling,Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!keeps its romance as subtext for the most part, at least during the available episodes.
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutiereceived quite a bit of hype prior to its Spring 2022 debut, inciting murmurs that it could be the show that fills in the void left byMy Dress-Up Darling. First things first, do not approachKawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-sanexpecting it to be exactly likeSono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suruas they are quite different types of shows.
While the latter focuses on the build towards a relationship, the former starts with its main couple already together. They both have slice of life elements, butShikimoriis far more slow-paced since its early chapters (and episodes so far) are devoted to just following around the central characters, with little in the way of growth or development.
Still, people who enjoyed the adorable dynamic between Marin and Gojou inMy Dress-Up Darlingmight appreciate Shikimori and Izumi’s sweet relationship in this sweet anime. Doga Kobo’s animation is also vibrant and pretty, matching the somewhat carefree tone of the story.
In some ways,Honey Lemon Sodais like a role reversal ofMy Dress-Up Darling. The latter is a seinen romance that can have a wish-fulfillment aspect, with Gojo being broken free of his isolation by Marin, even if he also contributes greatly to their friendship and is by no means a self-insert.Honey Lemon Soda’sUka went through middle school without making any friends and being pretty much constantly bullied, which completely shattered her confidence.
Entering high school, she not only hopes to turn things around but also wishes to get closer to Kai, a popular guy in her class. Initially targeted by the same bullies as in middle school, Uka finds the spirit to stand her ground, a step supported by Kai. While she is kind of “saved” by Kai, Uka constantly shows agency throughoutHoney Lemon Soda, actively pursuing all her social advancement. The main couple’s romance slowly builds throughout the season, but the focus is far more on Uka finding a group of friends and enjoying their company.
Except for the cosplay angle,More than a Married Couple, but Not LoversandMy Dress-Up Darlingare surprisingly similar. Both shows pair up a relatively unpopular guy with an attractive gyaru girl, and they spark a friendship over a shared interest. Well, kind of.More than a Married Couple, but Not Loversrevolves around a weird school program where two students are forced to live together and pretend to be a married couple, and they have to dedicate themselves to the cause.
As she wishes to be paired up with a specific guy, Akari wants nothing to do with her assigned partner, the ordinary Jirou; conversely, the male lead would prefer to play house with his childhood friend. While things are initially awkward between them, they gradually start to form a connection, and they have surprisingly great chemistry.
This set-up is obviously very different fromMy Dress-Up Darling, but Akari and Jirou’s dynamic is similar to Gojo and Marin.
My Dress-Up Darlingis not just a romance anime, as it is also aslice of life.Working!!delivers a similar mix, just with the focus being on a family restaurant rather than the cosplay scene. Split into multiple seasons, the romance aspect grows more pronounced as the anime progresses, with several relationships being explored. Mahiru Inami and Souta Takanashi’s dynamic is the most similar to Wakana and Marin’s inMy Dress-Up Darling, at least in the sense that it involves an outgoing character helping a more reserved person to come out of their shell.
Wagnaria!!is unfortunately not available on any streaming service, however, its spin-off,WWW.Wagnaria!!, is on Crunchyroll and VRV. Although this series does not feature much romance, its humor is similar to the main show.
InMy Dress-Up Darling, Marin and Gojou connect thanks to their different but somewhat related passions; inInsomniacs After School, Isaki and Ganta’s relationship is built upon a shared plight. Both teenagers have spent years suffering from insomnia in silence, causing them to believe they cannot talk to anyone about their issues. However, one day, Ganta stumbles upon a sleeping Isaki in their school’s observatory, sparking an adorable friendship that steadily ventures into romance territory. Similar toMy Dress-Up Darling,Insomniacs After School’s main pairing grow closer through their normal everyday interactions, which gives the anime a slice of life feel.
To retain access to the observatory, Isaki and Ganta decide to restart the Astronomy club, causing them to explore a field they are not particularly interested in. While the romance is the show’s selling point, it is also a blast to see the protagonists slowly become more passionate about astronomy, even if they never quite reach Marin or Gojou’s love for fashion or hina dolls respectively.
OK, this series goes in a slightly different direction than cosplay.How I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixerfollows three fledgling couples who are slowly walking the road to romance. The catch is that the three girls work at a cross-dressing bar, and they often keep their male looks even when outside their place of employment. When they initially meet the girls at a mixer, the guys are a bit surprised by their fashion sense; however, they fairly quickly adapt to their circumstances.
How I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixeris just a fun little rom-com with slice of life elements. All the main characters are likable, and the couples have unique banter that allows them to all stand out. There is not all that much actual romance in the currently available season, but there are plenty of cute moments.
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFUstrikes a distinct tone toMy Dress-Up Darlingsince it takes a more philosophical approach to its characters, particularly in its final season. However, the two shows share a few things in common. Hachiman and Wakana’s loner statuses stem from negative past experiences and are largely self-imposed, although the years of isolation have shaped the characters quite differently.
Both anime revolve around students coming together over a common cause, be it cosplay inMy Dress-Up Darlingor the Volunteer Service Club inMy Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU. More importantly, these anime take generic romance tropes and make them feel fresh, albeit in quite different ways.My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU’s later seasons dive deep into their characters' personalities, delivering introspective analysis of their anxieties, fears, and dreams.
Spring 2023 was absolutely packed with fantastic romances, andMy Love Story With Yamada-kun At Lv999,Tonikawa: Over The Moon For You, andInsomniacs After Schoolare all easy recommendations for fans of the genre. In comparison to those shows,The Dangers in My Hearttook a while to fully reveal its brilliance; however, by the end of its run, the anime compared favorably to all of its peers, before surpassing all of them during its Winter 2024 season. Kyoutarou is an edgy teen, at least within his own mind. He tends to fantasize about killing his classmates, particularly a bubbly and endearing girl named Anna Yamada. In reality, Kyoutaro has a crush on Anna and uses these thoughts to distance himself from his own feelings.
As the story progresses, Anna gradually pulls Kyoutarou out of his shell, all the while still coming across as a three-dimensional character in her own right. Despite their differences, both characters are coming to terms with their feelings for each other, and it is adorable and charming to watch them accept and embrace their emotions.The Dangers in My Heartis one of the best romance anime ever.
