About “My Dress-Up Darling” in a few words:

My Dress-Up Darling follows the story of Gojou, a high school student with a passion for making traditional hina dolls. His life takes a turn when he meets Marin, a lively classmate who loves cosplay. As they bond over their shared interests, Marin encourages Gojou to help her create elaborate costumes. Together, they explore the world of cosplay, face personal challenges, and deepen their friendship, all while learning to embrace their true selves and talents.

Meet the cosplay skill levels from My Dress-Up Darling

Beginner

Beginner is the wide-eyed, glue-stick-wielding newbie who watches a thousand tutorials at 2 a.m. and still manages to cut fabric like a tornado — but in a charming way, honestly. They’re endlessly optimistic, a little messy, and will absolutely try painting weathering techniques without knowing what “weathering” technically means (but it looks cool). Loves fandoms so hard they name their first sewing machine after a character, and also somehow keeps mistaking pins for paperclips — or was that just once? They’re excited, learning fast, and will show up to a con with a backpack full of snacks and half-made props, beaming like it’s the best day ever.

Intermediate

Intermediate is the cosplayer who actually figured out a pattern and can finish a piece without sobbing every time (most of the time). They can sew a decent hem, foam-smith a decent helmet, and will happily explain why seam allowances are a life-saver; also they’re probably guilty of using hot glue for everything because it’s efficient and slightly rebellious. Confident but still experimenting, they switch between meticulous planning and last-minute improvisation — which somehow works a surprising amount. They’re that friend who brings a mini tool kit to repairs and will judge your bias tape choices lovingly.

Experienced

Experienced is the person who makes things that make you pause and stare and then ask awkward questions about materials, construction, and how many late nights. They have a system (really, a system), know when to invest in good tools, and can turn reference shots into wearable patterns — although they still Google “how to hem invisible zippers” sometimes, like, out of habit. A perfectionist with a sense of humor, they’ll spend an hour getting armor edges right and then forget where they put the paintbrush (classic). They mentor others, hoard rare fabrics, and have a signature trick that makes everything look professional even when they’re tired.

Expert

Expert is the person you point at and say “oh yeah, that’s the one who does the stunning builds” — their stuff looks polished, intentional, and occasionally a little theatrical in the best way. They can do structured corsets, realistic props, and weathering that tells a story; also they will rant passionately about the correct resin mix ratio while eating instant noodles. Really confident in technique but secretly loves silly details like mismatched socks on purpose, or adding tiny hidden pockets no one notices until later. They lead workshops, rescue cosplay emergencies with a shocking array of adhesives, and somehow make complex armor look comfortable.

Master Artist

Master Artist is basically myth-level; everyone has a vague memory of a cosplayer at a convention who could turn foam, metal, and fabric into a living painting and also brew espresso with a drill? (not sure where that came from). Their work reads like a character study — layered, intentional, and emotion-packed — and they’ll obsess over the smallest historical trim while also casually inventing new techniques in their sleep. They teach, innovate, and occasionally disappear into a studio for weeks, emerging with something that ruins your grip on reality (in the best way), yet they might be terrible with social media captions. Revered, intimidating, and endlessly creative, they make the rest of us want to level up and also take a nap.