From that day forward, Wakana constructed a fortress of solitude. He avoided eye contact, spoke in whispers, and convinced himself that his interests were shameful. His first real relationship, therefore, was not with another person but with his craft. He poured every ounce of yearning for connection into the tiny, serene faces of the hina dolls. They never rejected him. But they never spoke back, either. Wakana’s first genuine human bond was with his grandfather, the hina doll master. This relationship was quiet, steeped in lacquer, silk, and shared silence. His grandfather never mocked him; instead, he taught him patience, precision, and the art of seeing beauty in small details. When his grandfather passed away, Wakana lost his only emotional anchor. The grief was profound, but it also tethered him more fiercely to the craft. He promised himself he would carry on the legacy—alone, if necessary. No friends. No distractions. Just dolls.

The first hint of romance appears during the beach episode—a classic trope subverted. While other series would throw in fanservice, My Dress-Up Darling gives us Wakana frozen in panic as he sees Marin in a bikini, not because he’s a pervert, but because he realizes she is a girl . Not a client. Not a friend. A girl. His heart pounds. His face burns. He has no name for this feeling yet, but the reader knows: this is the birth of his first love. Wakana’s most significant romantic milestone does not happen under cherry blossoms or a starry sky. It happens in a sterile hospital room, after Marin collapses from overworking herself for a cosplay contest. Wakana sits beside her unconscious form, and for the first time, he speaks his truth aloud—to no one but her sleeping ears. “I want to keep making your cosplay. Not because I have to. Because I want to see you smile.” This is Wakana’s first confession of love, even if he doesn’t use the word “love.” It is raw, selfish, and utterly sincere. He is not confessing to receive an answer; he is confessing to relieve the pressure in his chest. This scene is a masterclass in quiet romance. No dramatic music. No tears. Just a boy, a hospital chair, and the terrifying realization that someone else’s happiness has become his own. Obstacles on the Loom: Jealousy, Insecurity, and the Other Woman No first love is without turbulence. Wakana’s romantic storyline introduces a gentle rival: Nowa , Marin’s bubbly friend, and later the more serious threat of Akira (in the manga). But the real obstacle is not another suitor—it is Wakana’s own insecurity.

What makes this "first relationship" so unique is that it is neither romantic nor platonic at the start. It is transactional . Marin needs a costume maker. Wakana needs a purpose outside his grief. But the transaction quickly dissolves into something far more intimate: mutual recognition. Marin is the first person to look at Wakana’s doll-painting skills and say, “That’s amazing!” rather than “That’s weird.” For Wakana, this is revolutionary. Most romance anime would have the protagonist fall head-over-heels within two episodes. Wakana Gojo does not. His romantic storyline is a study in delayed realization . He doesn’t recognize his feelings for Marin for a long time because he has no framework for romantic love. His entire emotional vocabulary has been shaped by rejection and solitude. When Marin leans close to him, when she texts him late at night, when she laughs at his deadpan remarks—Wakana interprets these as kindness , not affection.

When popular male classmates invite Marin out, Wakana retreats into his shell. He tells himself, “She belongs in their world, not mine.” His first instinct is always to let go, to sacrifice his own happiness for what he perceives as Marin’s best interest. This self-sabotage is painfully realistic for someone with childhood trauma. Wakana’s romantic arc is not about winning the girl; it is about learning that he is allowed to want her.