REVIEW: ‘My Dress-Up Darling’ Season 2 Episode 8 — “The Only Way I Can Think to Express That Gratitude Is With Money”

CloverWorks’ My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 8, “The Only Way I Can Think to Express That Gratitude is with Money,” follows Marin (Hina Suguta, Unicorn Overlord) and Gojo (Shoya Ishige, Blue Protocol) as they attend a cosplay event. While the former searches out their friend Himeno (Ayumu Murase, Ragna Crimson), the latter seeks out the prop maker Akira to learn about the designs that have come to captivate him.

This episode spends much of its time split between its two leads. For Marin, her journey focuses on her continuing exploration of photography. While she manages to get some fundamentally sound shots of the cosplayers, she quickly learns how much change can come from seemingly simple tricks like changing the angle of a shot. 

The best thing about this sequence is how it calls attention to what we can easily overlook. When we see Marin’s shot, it looks really good. You are unlikely to think about improving upon it. But the moment we see the effect of shifting the angle lower, we can instantly appreciate what the adjustment does for the energy and dynamics of the image. 

My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 8 is a great reminder of how art is about creativity.

Through this, My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 8 calls attention to art’s inherent creativity. It’s not enough to see something and appreciate it. To be great at art, you have to look for more. To see it and then say “What if we added/changed/tried this?” This creativity can easily go unnoticed, as it is often invisible in the final creation. We just see a thing and know it’s great, without ever wondering what it took to fully realize the result. 

While Marin learns about the nuances of camera work, Gojo gets to meet Akira. After a brief moment of confusion when they each realize who the other is, Gojo begins fanboying hard over Akira’s designs. However, he is surprised to hear the creative put down their own work as unimpressive and lacking originality. Gojo quickly responds to the self-deprecation, informing Akira that her work is great to him. 

Just as Marin’s story reminds us of an element of art that observers can overlook, My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 8 uses Gojo’s story to explore a facet of art that creators can struggle with. Whatever they may think of their own work, there is likely someone who thinks the world of it. What they create, even if some see it as derivative or “run-of-the-mill,” to others, it’s inspiring and groundbreaking. 

Himeno in My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 8 ends on an unexpected cliffhanger for Akira.

Eventually, the two groups meet up to go to an after-party once the cosplay convention closes. Which brings us to the episode’s only significant stumbling point. A couple of times during the story, the episode is interrupted so a term that is mentioned can be explained for the audience. While visually cute in its delivery, these moments feel completely unnecessary.

Explaining what an after-party is seems like a waste. Even if a viewer wasn’t already informed, they can probably surmise its nature easily enough. With characters as strong as this show has, inserting a time waster like this feels like a poor use of screen time. We could simply be getting more of Marin and Gojo, instead.

At the party, we see Marin, Himeno, and some other cosplayers begin planning a group cosplay that has everyone but Akira excited. As everyone’s anticipation for the coming shoot grows, Akira becomes enveloped by a disturbing aura the likes of which is generally reserved for shonen antagonists. Before things come to a head, however, the episode ends, leaving the scene on an unexpected cliffhanger. 

My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 8 delivers more of its great cast, while quietly working in some low-key lessons about how art is made, and how we all view it differently. Despite some unneeded elements, it brings fun and enjoyment in plenty.

My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 8 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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