Review "Sexy Cosplay Doll" by Shinichi Fukuda: Between tradition and cosplay

Passed rather unnoticed in France while it has been published for more than a year by Kana editions, Sexy Cosplay Doll, from its Japanese title Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi o suru, is nevertheless a real hit in Japan, both with women and men. However, it finds its audience here and everyone who has read it is raving about it, but why?  Wakana Gojo's dream is to become a hina doll craftsman like her grandfather and take over the shop that makes so many children's eyes shine. This misunderstood high school student will meet Marine Kitagawa, a colorful classmate who is very careful about her physique, passionate about cosplay, but who is absolutely not good at sewing. Then begins an unexpected partnership that will bring together the traditional Japan of Wakana and the modern Japan that is westernized of Marine.

A more mature than average romantic comedy

The romantic comedy, called "romcom", has been on the rise in recent years with titles like Kaguya-sama, Love is War or Rent-a-Girlfriend, series that are at the top of the sales charts with each new release of volumes, but they are above all carried by quality anime. Sexy Cosplay Doll who does not yet have this Grail, which would not be long since the adaptation was announced recently, has still managed to stand out thanks to a more mature and realistic angle than what fans are used to seeing in the genre. Although it is a first love for Wakana, who has almost no contact with women, as well as for Marine who appears more experienced with her appearance of self-confident gyru, their innocence gives rise to zany and sexy scenes. They are high school students like so many others who live their first emotions but whose passion for a niche art will bring them together and give a much more serious aspect to events sometimes any. Humor is of course very present whether with misunderstandings or more ecchi moments totally involuntary. Some scenes are already cult, keeping in mind like the completely hallucinatory discussion when the couple comes out of a café talking aloud about an eroge but the people around think it is their daily life. Shinichi Fukuda masters both laughter and his drawing, which is simply sublime.

The meeting of two opposite but similar worlds

Wakana descends from a line of craftsmen who work in the world of hina dolls, an art very little known outside the Japanese borders but which perfectly represents Japanese traditions. Very complex and requiring great sacrifices, it is necessary to be able to master precision painting, sewing but also evolve with the times in order to be fashionable on certain models. This ancestral craft requires regular work over several years before being able to make a doll of great beauty, something that Wakana wants more than anything. Hina dolls are the stars of the "Hina matsuri", a traditional Japanese festival held every year on March 3 that little girls look forward to. A few days before the date, the children arrange their precious dolls representing the imperial court of the Heian era in a specific order on stands. These dolls are mostly passed down from generation to generation and therefore very well maintained. However, girls are often offered one of their chosen works of art. Marine is far from this very Japanese universe with her love for cosplay that is often wrongly associated with this country. Cosplay (contraction of costume and play) was born in the United States in 1939 before reaching its peak between the 70s and 80s thanks to Star Wars and Star Trek fans who dress up as their favorite character at various conventions. While the USA is the cradle of this hobby, Europe has pushed this art to its climax with a desire to dramatize the character to its maximum, as well as by giving a much higher level of quality of sewing work. Japan followed this line, without the idea of cosplay contests very dear to Western countries. In the land of the rising sun, it is a shameful pastime that most fans hide from their loved ones, although it is there that the staging is pushed the furthest, with breaks and very sexy outfits. The typically Japanese contradiction in all its glory. Marine is against the current of the common practice of cosplay, making no secret about her desires on the contrary. Juju represents much better the typical Japanese cosplayer with his shyness combined with his willingness to bring his darlings to life, but always, separating the two. Wakana will flourish in this whimsical world thanks to his gifts as a couturier that he has refined over the years by making the tiny outfits of hina dolls. Sexy Cosplay Doll is an ode to tolerance and difference, a message that Shinichi Fukuda has perfectly conveyed through the theme of cosplay. There is a real background work on the part of the mangaka. The knowledge about hina dolls and cosplay is sharp, but popularized just enough for it to be telling, both to connoisseurs and amateurs. The incredible adventures of Wakana and Marine are addictive and hope that the animated series will allow her to be in the spotlight as they deserve.