“A Line That Made Every Otaku Cry”—Waves of Sympathy for the Series’ Most Memorable Quote That Saved a Popular Cosplayer in Episode 23 of the Anime “My Dress-Up Darling”

Episode 23 of Season 2 of the anime “My Dress-Up Darling” began broadcasting sequentially on September 13. The line delivered by senior cosplayers that saved high school student Sajuna Inui (CV: Atsumi Tanezaki), who was struggling with whether she should give up cosplay, has elicited a flood of emotional responses online, with comments such as “the most memorable line in the series” and “every otaku cried.”

In Episode 23, titled “I Never Thought Anything Good Would Happen in My Life,” “Juju”—Sajuna Inui, a popular cosplayer—confesses her anxieties: “Even if I want to continue (cosplay), someday I’ll have to stop,” and, “How long is it okay for me to keep doing this?” as she grapples with these worries.

To the troubled Sajuna, Miyako Honda (CV: Mayuko Kazama), a veteran in the world of cosplay, smiles and tells her, “People say you can only do cosplay when you’re young, but since you spend a much longer time as an adult in life, isn’t it such a waste to stop having fun?” Suzuka Ito (CV: Marie Miyake), Miyako’s friend, also encourages Sajuna by saying, “If you love it and want to do it, it’s okay to keep going or start no matter how old you are.” Miyako then adds, “When it comes to hobbies, you really don’t need to worry about a thing.”

It seems that viewers were equally encouraged by the two characters’ words, with reactions spreading online such as “the most memorable line in the series,” “every otaku cried,” and “as expected, the older duo’s words hit so hard.”