“A Standout Scene in My Dress-Up Darling” — Wakana Gojō’s Intense ‘Artisan Mode’ Expression Draws Major Reactions, Episode 18 of the Anime

Episode 18 of the anime "My Dress-Up Darling" Season 2 began airing sequentially from August 9. With Shōya Ishige voicing Wakana Gojō, the episode features the moment Gojō decides, “I’ll make sure Kitagawa comes in first place,” and applies makeup to Marin Kitagawa (voiced by Hina Suguta) for the beauty pageant. This scene has moved viewers and sparked enthusiastic responses like “One of the most iconic scenes in My Dress-Up Darling!!!” and “This was the scene I most wanted to see animated!!!”

In Episode 18, titled “I, With My Own Hands, Absolutely Will,” Wakana ends up doing Marin’s makeup for her appearance in the cultural festival’s beauty pageant. Due to a certain event in his childhood, Wakana has always lacked confidence and hasn’t really fit in with his class. Under mounting pressure from his classmates’ expectations, he becomes anxious, thinking, “Everyone’s worked so hard aiming for first place, but if I mess up here... If it's my fault...”

However, Marin’s words — “Gojō-kun? Are you okay?” — snap him back to reality. His expression, once clouded with anxiety, transforms completely. Steeling his resolve, he says, “As long as I can make Kitagawa come in first, I don’t mind being in the background. I’ll do it. I’ll absolutely, with my own hands, make sure Kitagawa comes in first,” and continues his work with a determined and dignified look.

This series of scenes, depicting Wakana’s emotional growth as he overcomes his trauma, is highly popular with fans of the original manga as well. Online, fans have been overjoyed, posting comments like “The best scene in the series is here,” “This is the scene I really wanted to see animated! It’s perfect!” “Here comes one of My Dress-Up Darling’s standout scenes!!!” and “He refuses to compromise. Totally has that professional vibe — so cool!”