DESCRIPTION

CAST

CHAPTERS

ANIME ComedySono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru
ANIME ComedySono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru Season 2
MANGA ComedyBisque Doll de chu

REVIEWS

• 

  saulgoodman

  80/100
  A gyaru cosplayer and a doll-maker walk into a bar

  The last few years have seen an explosive gyaru trend in manga. Why? I have no fucking clue. This 90s born trend has apparently been on the decline in the past decade, but its relevancy in animanga is just the opposite. Recent and popular series like Komi-san wa Komyushou Desu, Gal Gohan, Yancha Gal no Anjou-san, Hajimete no Gal, among many others, feature some variant and substyle of gyaru, making this otherwise esoteric and fading trend known outside its mother country. Perhaps its appeal lies in the usual moe trope, where it writes the gyaru character sometimes behaving in an innocent manner directly contradicting the flirtatious, loose stereotype they possess.

  Well, anyways, this is all just a skippable preface. Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru features one such character with gyaru roots and is currently my favorite gyaru manga.

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  ~__Don't ~~Fetish Hobby-shame__

  Sono Bisque almost immediately captured its bestowment as my favorite gyaru manga with its unique and interesting premise. That is, the cosplayer-tailor relationship between two otaku. The first few chapters intrigued me, curious to find out what would conspire out of a semi-casual, semi-professional, semi-??? relationship between two individuals with a massive personality and social gap. Needless to say, it's been an entertaining one and fulfilling to see how it's affected both parties.

  Gojou is, evident from the get-go, a doll otaku. The first chapter alone paints how socially reclusive he is due to his sole interest in something as esoteric as doll-making. Despite his huge physical stature, Goujou is quite emotionally fragile and soft-spoken. He can't assert himself in social situations, stammers in front of Marin and sweats profusely in straining situations. Needless to say, Gojou was unable to open his heart up to anyone besides his fellow doll otaku grandfather. That is, until he has a chance encounter with Marin and the two learn of each other's unique hobbies. From there on, their strangely wholesome relationship and the world of cosplaying changes Gojou from the root up. While he learns explicit and new things, primarily relating to cosplaying, Gojou's implicit growth is the highlight of his character. This new world that Marin guides him by the hand into, shows Gojou what else there is besides dolls. New experiences gather under his belt that he wouldn't have an inkling about had he continued to reside in the doll workshop. His character takes leaps of determination when it comes to supporting Marin and learning more about cosplaying. Though his fragile personality and doll otaku-ism still haven't budged a bit, it's part of what gives his relationship with Marin charm.

  Marin is, on the other hand, a cosplay and anime otaku. However, her assertive, social and strong-willed personality depict a very different character narrative from Gojou's. Her social circle has the width of Mars, almost always garnering a small crowd of friends and curious bystanders whispering about her doll-like looks. Though she has no one to talk to about her interests, Marin still manages to talk freely with just about anyone she bumps into. Add on top of that, a comfort in her otaku nature and interests. Contrastive to Gojou, who'd choose death than revealing his doll-making interest to anyone, Marin is open about her interests and even reprimands those who jokingly mock her for them. Even more than that, Marin empathizes with other otaku, such as Gojou. She's the first to know about his doll obsession, besides his grandfather, and proves to be the best one to confide his secret. Though she knows next-to-nothing about doll making, Marin understands Gojou's undying love for it and helps him understand that it's something he shouldn't be ashamed about through her strong will and determination in cosplaying. Perhaps their relationship sounds somewhat one-sided in favor of Gojou, but Marin also benefits from it. In that, Gojou helps her realize and brings her cosplaying dreams to life. Even though cosplaying is her hobby, Marin takes the same newborn steps into the cosplay world as Gojou thanks to him. And not just through his custom tailored outfits, Gojou reciprocates her support by giving his all in whatever they do.

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  Informative

  An interesting supplement to the otaku-centered premise is the technical explanations. Tidbits of cosplay information spring up time to time, though generally unnecessary to read for those who aren't interested. From make up techniques to cosplay convention necessities to photographer and cosplayer etiquette, it came as a bit of a surprise of the extent of cosplaying. I certainly wouldn't go as far as saying the author's primary goal is teaching the foundation of cosplaying, but these informative tidbits are often great detailing and illustrate that the author has gave in effort.

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  Doll-Like

  I mistook this series as shoujo upon first glance, from how pretty and glamorous the character designs were. Fitting in with the doll motif, the characters are all very beautified and smooth. Females and males alike have a blushing sheen on their faces, luminous eyes with beautiful luster and a soft yet shape facial structure. Their faces often pop with vivid expression, most frequently seen with Marin's blinding smile and Gojou's comedically distressed face. Considering the cosplay premise, something often and strongly associated with beauty, this art-style works perfectly. Marin's cosplay outfits are crucially detailed and joyous to see, making Sono Bisque a great fashion series, as well. Going off that tangent, take note of the ecchi tag. Though there's nothing extremely explicit or any nudity, Marin's cheeky gyaru side is brought out with loose clothing/outfits, large skin exposure, etc. The fanservice definitely lends itself to a wink, wink nudge, nudge nature, more so than sexual.

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  Conclusion

  Sono Bisque is nothing short of an entertaining and casual read. With its unique premise, I believe many will be get hooked to witness how Gojou and Marin's relationship will unfold and evolve. The two possess amusing personalities that complement each other's all the more entertainingly as they spend more time together. With brief and occasional bursts of drama, there's also steady character development in the works.

  The character designs are a glamorous spectacle to gaze at. The author does a fine job visually characterizing Marin with her bulbous and luminous eyes and cheeky smile. And needless to say, the art nails the cosplaying aspect right on the head with gorgeous detailing on Gojou's custom costumes.

  Gyaru connoisseurs are rejoicing with each passing chapter. This blend of a unique and warm relationship, glamorous art-style and entertaining story has won my heart, and likely yours if you'd like to give it a try.

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• 

  LiyuuSix

  90/100
  A story about what it means to share love for the same thing.

  Sono Bisque ranks high in my rankings of biggest and best surprises in terms of anime and manga because of its unique premise : cosplaying with a shy introverted kid and a gyaru; what could ever go wrong? Will this be the average bad and crappy romcom about a gyaru teasing a poor kid? No, this is a story of two kids following what they love and even defending what they truly love. There is no such a thing like doing what you want to do and loving it.

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  #__The shy and quiet love story__ If there is a thing that I love about this manga is how the story develops : there aren't many filler and useless moments, everything is perfectly paced with realistic every day moments and the characters are lovable. If there is a way I can describe the start of the manga I would say engaging, because I felt exactly this way; I was extremely interested in such a formula and the fact that we have an interesting main character and such a fantastic main girl it made everything more more and catchy to follow. This is a romcom; and what makes this even better than the average romcom is how the funny situations are, nothing feels out of place and extremely cringe thanks to the unique personality of Marin, the main girl, because she is a dumbass but in an extremely good way and Gojou, a shy and quiet MC, who always has to compensate the lack of brain with Marin. These two are such a great matching together, completely different but they share the same important thing, doing what exactly you love and defending it. The highlight of the manga must be the amount of effort these two kids put in each cosplay : Gojou puts so much efforts in making them to not let Marin down and make her sad while she does her best to give the best possible feedback to the costumes maker; Gojou often keeps making costumes at late night to not exceed the deadline while Marin worries a lot about him and does his best to find the materials and keep him in shape; they often share time together by doing a common thing, which can be watching the related cosplay anime or playing the related game or even reading the related work, just to find the point of connection between the two of them.

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  #__There is no character who is out of place__ I really love to praise good works with no stupid character placement, there is no meaning in putting a character in the story just to gift random chapters and then make it disappear without a real effect on the story ~~right Rent a Girlfriend?~~ I can start off the bat with Marin, the main girl, and tell how unique she is : she is very very stupid but such in a great way that she entertains the reader and makes him love her, because she is meant to be loved, and on top of that she is bilateral; as I said Marin is dumb because she rushes things, buying a 2000$ camera just because the name has the letter 'M' just like your name is hilarious and stupid, but on the other side of the coin she really cares about things and you can just think about how she met Gojou at the very first characters by showing her costume work, it was incredibly bad but she cared a lot about it. I cannot exclude the fact of how hilarious she is as she often forgets important things on the day of the cosplay or even about the cosplay itself and all of this often ends up with a funny situation, just fantastic. Gojou, as I said, is the complete opposite of Marin because since he was a kid he used to love, and still loves, making the Hina dolls, despite the fact he thinks everyone hates such a thing but as soon as he saw Marin shared such a love, not for Hina dolls but for cosplaying, he found himself in her. I personally love how much he cares about her and her dream about dong cosplays, and the way he is putting efforts in helping her is just golden, I love it. The side characters are great, finally, and so far they find a great spot in the story without ruining it but instead improving it and, most of all, improving the bond between Marin and Gojou. Sajuna Inui made up some great chapters alongside her big boobas sister Shinju and their arc was absolutely lovable, it didn't lose the great pacing of the comedy and of the story leading to a sweet ending of the respective arc and, even if they are both a stereotype of the average loli and big boobas sister, they were absolutely fantastic; I absolutely love to see when a side character has good interactions with the main ones. Then yeah we have simply one of the greatest traps ever to shatter my heart, fooled like a few times.

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  #Great arts for a great story I love the arts, even if sometimes I close an eye on them, but drawings are really sweet and the gag faces are really on point. The portraits of the faces on a close panel are great and oh my god Marin is incredibly beautiful and hot. ~

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  #Do I love it? YES I DO In conclusion this is a fantastic manga that I absolutely love, it engaged me right from the very first chapters and never bored me. I love every character and I love reading every chapter of it, the arts are nice and the story is one of my favourites in the romcom genre (and I finally find a great romcom). Marin is a legend, Just read this manga. Story : 8/10 Characters : 8/10 Arts : 8/10 Personal Enjoyment : 9/10
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• 

  Az0reign

  95/100
  My Dress Up Darling Review - Manga (Non-Spoiler / Spoiler)

  ____My Dress Up Darling Review - Manga (Non-Spoiler / Spoiler)________~~~~~~ Non-Spoiler Section: My Dress Up Darling presents itself as a horny, ecchi, young romance, comedy. I was exposed to My Dress Up Darling through memes and images floating around the internet of best girl Marin Kitagawa and her various cosplays. I went to my anime streaming platform and watched season one. After completing season one of the anime I found myself captivated with the story & characters and rushed to find a way to read the Manga. My Dress Up Darling is a Manga / Anime with alot of fan service as it is about a girl who dresses up in questionable cosplays to be true to herself by dressing as characters she loves. My Dress Up Darling draws in viewers with the blatant sexualized depiction of the main character, Marin, but quickly turns into something that offers more. We get to see the life of a classic shy, loner MC get turned completely around by an outgoing, vibrant, bubbly female counter. This all sounds incredibly standard for romance stories but My Dress Up Darling provides something different in the way each character is defined and motivated throughout the story. My Dress Up Darling is perfect for people who don't want alot of heavy drama or heavy backstories. My Dress Up Darling focuses more on how the main characters grow and learn with one another and how their shared experiences make them closer. Watch / Read My Dress Up Darling if you are looking for something with low stakes & enjoy playful banter as you watch the two main characters navigate their feelings for one another as they grow closer to the inevitable "will they, wont they" moment. Spoiler Section: I would like to just take a moment to rant and dive deeper into characters and the story for those who have finished My Dress Up Darling. You have been warned! __Wakana Gojou:__ Gojou starts the story as our MC. He is quiet, shy, and very withdrawn due to some past trauma from a childhood friend who made fun of his passion for Hina Dolls. Gojou moves through life thinking that everyone will judge him and not be accepting of his hobby and love for Hina Doll creation. Gojou has no parents and lives with his Grandfather who is a professional Hina Doll maker. Gojou is shy. people around him barely notice him and if they do it is only to take advantage of him. Wakana sees Marin as being in a totally different world than him and he has no chance with someone like her until one day the two have a fateful encounter where Marin finds Gojou's Hina Doll love and exposes her own hidden love for cosplay. Gojou is forced out of his shell by the outgoing Marin as the two team up to create cosplays where Gojou is the designer and creator and Marin is the model. As Gojou moves through the series he faces his shy, withdrawn nature as Marin exposes him to what life has to offer. Everything Gojou has been shutting himself away from is suddenly being opened to him and it changes his outlook on life completely. Gojou soon realizes that Marin Kitagawa, someone who lived in a completely different world than him, was actually in the same situation as him. As the two join forces and work together they realize there is something more between them than just making cosplays. Gojou has always had a liking for Marin throughout the series but obviously chooses not to say anything as to not effect their closeness. As the series moves to its completion Gojou realizes that people looking at Marin in her cosplays makes him uncomfortable and jealous. Gojou faces these feelings and chooses to confess to Marin knowing that no matter what happens things will never be the same between them. Marin Kitagawa: Marin starts the story as our female MC, counter to Gojou. Marin is popular and close to what you could call Gyaru (over-the-top westernized feminine look). She styles her school uniform differently, her hair is long and died blonde with pink tips. She wears long pink finger-nails and bright pink contact lenses. Even in Marin's personal life she is _Dressing Up_. Marin has friends, is outgoing, has loads of self-confidence and absolutly no shame when it comes to showing off her body. The one thing Marin does not have is someone who understands her love for anime, manga, and cosplaying. Marin has been attempting to create custom cosplays on her own but doesn't posses the talent to finish them in the way she wants. This is when Marin and Gojou cross paths. Gojou has always been able to create clothing, style hair, and do makeful for his Hina Dolls but the one thing he can never get right is creating the faces for his dolls. Marin sees Gojou's love for Hina Dolls and doesnt make fun of him or judge him like he was so afraid of. Marin immediately connects the dots that they both have a hidden love for something that others don't understand. Marin recruits Gojou to help her create and style cosplays for her and the two set off on a journey where they grow close and develop feelings for one another. Marin and Gojou compliment each other as being what the other is missing. Marin gives Gojou confidence, ambition, a way to speak his mind and the ability to advocate for himself while Gojou brings Marin down giving her a dose of reality with deadlines, expectations, and hard work. Marin finds someone who is passionate about making her dreams come true no matter the cost and Gojou finds someone who is willing to accept him no matter what. Marin can't create cosplays and Gojou can't create faces. In the end Marin becomes Gojou's _Dress Up Darling_ as the two fulfil each others desires for what they want in life. 10/10 All the laughs, all the feels, rushed ending with only a single _epilogue_ chapter. The story is short, sweet, to the point, and ends before it overstays its welcome.
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