After a three-year wait since its first season in 2022, the popular anime “My Dress-Up Darling” is officially back! To celebrate its return, we interviewed Hina Yomiya, the voice of Shinju Inui, who shared her feelings about Season 2, stating “is a grateful wait” for the show’s return. In this interview, Yomiya also delves into the charm of the series, behind-the-scenes stories from the recording studio, and what she learned about "one way to be an actor" through her role as Shinju, giving us a peek into the very heart of this captivating show.
The second season of “My Dress-Up Darling” began airing in July 2025 and is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
What Scene Made Yomiya's Heart Flutter?
── Season 2 is airing after about three years since Season 1. Did you personally find yourself waiting eagerly for it?
Hina Yomiya, the voice of Shinju Inui (hereafter, Yomiya): I certainly did! (laughs) I never imagined I would get to play Shinju-chan again in Season 2, so I felt like I would wait as many years as it took! It wasn't a long, difficult wait, but more like a grateful wait.
── How did you feel when you heard about Season 2?
Yomiya: I was incredibly happy, and I felt like, "Wow, miracles really do happen!" For an anime to continue, many conditions have to be met, so it felt like a dream come true.
── It feels like Season 2 has become even more lively, with new characters like classmates joining the cast.
Yomiya: I think "My Dress-Up Darling" is a very natural and realistic work. People feel comfortable asking their friends what they're curious about, and new developments emerge from those conversations. In the upcoming scenes, there are many moments that feel very true to Marin-chan's friends, so I'm really looking forward to them.
── What was the atmosphere like at the recording studio for Season 2?
Yomiya: Since the pandemic restrictions have eased, I was able to work with a lot more cast members. Maybe that's why it was so hectic (laughs).
The number of people at the voice-over sessions was high, partly because Shinju-chan's scenes were for the "group cosplay." Specifically, Suzuka-chan and Miyako-san were… I guess you could say they went wild (laughs). There were so many memorable scenes, and since I had more opportunities to talk with everyone, it felt livelier than Season 1.
── I heard that director Keisuke Shinohara's personal goal for Season 2 was to make it "more friendly" than Season 1.
Yomiya: When you say friendly, I definitely think it was (laughs). Personally, there were a lot of things I wasn't used to during Season 1.
Even while waiting, my shoulders were tense, and I had so many questions like, "How much should I talk?" and "How should I act?" This time, I was more relaxed and felt like I was able to get to know everyone better than before.
── Since you were able to record with everyone, were there any particular performances by your fellow cast members that left a strong impression on you?
Yomiya: Everyone's performances are so memorable that if I were to go into detail about "this person's, this performance," I'd end up with a story for every single one of them.
You can feel it even when watching the anime, but the characters' personalities just explode and overflow. It might be a synergy with the direction, but there’s an overflow of emotion from everyone standing in front of the microphone.
Even just looking at Marin-chan, there are times when she's quiet, and other times she's all smiles and brings everyone along with her. It’s like each character has both a "0" and a "100" performance... In a good way, the acting isn't contained. So, the one who left an impression is everyone. I can say that with certainty.
── What about from the perspective of their presence in the recording studio?
Yomiya: That's a good question... Ayumu Murase-san left a big impression. I think Amane Himeno is a very difficult character to play. He understands women's feelings but also has the straightforwardness of a man.
There's a scene where Amane-san and Akira Ogata-san are talking about Marin-chan, and I saw Murase-san's dedication to his "listening posture" for Amane-san. I was inspired and learned so much from seeing him go through multiple takes to get the approach right.
"I think it's one way to be an actor."
── Please tell us about the points you focused on when playing Shinju in Season 2.
Yomiya: My voice has changed from when I did Season 1. As a result of my core muscles getting stronger, my voice has become more powerful than I intended it to be when I try to make Shinju-chan's voice with the same feeling I had back then. So, to get Shinju-chan's unique sound, I intentionally weakened my vocalization and made my articulation a little softer.
In Season 1, I focused on making my voice a bit stronger towards her older sister, with the feeling of "because we're family." But if I used the same approach this time, my voice would have sounded too forceful because of how my vocalization changed over three years, making her seem like a more aggressive girl. So I had to change the mindset I had back then to create Shinju-chan's tone of voice now.
I was putting in a completely different kind of effort than in Season 1. If I let my guard down even a little, Shinju-chan's personality would change.Even in conversations, if I reacted too much to the other person's performance, my voice would come out too strongly, so sometimes I had to consciously switch off from that.
For me to play Shinju-chan now, I felt that I had to look at her more objectively, rather than trying to become her myself, in order for her to be the Shinju-chan that everyone knows.
── You, as an actor, have experienced three years since Season 1, but the character hasn't.
Yomiya: That's right. I think it's one way to be an actor. It was my first time experiencing this.
As I mentioned earlier, my voice has changed, and from the perspective of how I live my life, I think I've become better at talking to people than I used to be. With these changes, it's become harder for me to make Shinju-chan's voice. If I were to project my own emotional changes onto Shinju-chan, she would become a completely different person.
── Were there any specific directions from the director that were particularly memorable?
Yomiya: I remember the word "flower garden" being used frequently. I would say it was difficult to figure out how to adjust my own feelings to reach the ideal performance based on the direction I received from Akiko Fujita-san.
When Shinju-chan talks about the things she loves, her world is a "fluffy world," so to speak. It needed to be sweet, like a flower garden, and cute without being sickly. And yet, if it was only cute, her "love" for it wouldn't come across. I wanted to convey that "love," but my own feelings couldn't be too aggressive. That was my mindset.
Normally, I want to fully internalize the direction I'm given, but when I did that, the question was, would Shinju-chan's voice come out? It was challenging.
Yomiya: Fujita-san understood my feelings, and she was considerate, saying things like, "It must be difficult to breathe when you make your voice like that." It wasn't the ideal solution, but there were scenes where we would stop and record it cut by cut.
Because we put so much care into each and every scene, I am confident that the Shinju-chan that reaches everyone feels like she's living in the moment, without any interruptions in time. I believe that's because we worked together to create the role with who I am now.
── What were your impressions of the opening and ending themes that color the anime, including the visuals?
Yomiya: I thought, "This is so My Dress-Up Darling...!" The opening theme, "Ao to Kirameki" by Spira Spica, is a wonderful song, just like in Season 1. I can't quite put it into words, but the more you listen to it, the more you think, "This is it!" (laughs). It feels like the kind of song you need for “My Dress-Up Darling” to begin.
The opening animation is also so cute, and I'm happy to see Marin-chan in so many different looks. In the beginning, there's a scene where Marin-chan makes and wears the costume for Shizuku Kuroe herself. That scene also made me think, "This is where it all starts." She tries it herself, it doesn't go well, but she loves it so she wants to continue... I felt like I was watching the beginning of the story, and it really captured the essence of “My Dress-Up Darling.”
The ending theme for Season 2 has a new kind of cuteness, a charming vibe unique to “My Dress-Up Darling.” "Kawaii Kaiwai" (Cute Community) is a new thing, right? It has a cute atmosphere, like being in the clouds, and Marin-chan is so cute too. I was also happy to see the unique art style of the ending.
"I hope you can receive it with a sense of comfort."
── In reference to Gojo-kun's line, "What was that?," could you tell us what in Season 2 made you say, "What was that?" in surprise?
Yomiya: Hmm... at the recording studio, I was in work mode, so there was nothing that made me want to retort with "What was that?" But after watching the anime, there were so many scenes that made me think, "What was that?" Like the part with the tongue click.
── (laughs).
Yomiya: Marin-chan finally kissed him...! Then he said, "So what was that sound just now?!" I feel like, 'you shouldn’t ask her that!' (laughs)
── Lastly, please tell us about any points you think people should look out for in the rest of Season 2.
Yomiya: For those of you who have watched this far, I'm sure you already know that many more great scenes are coming, and there are so many scenes that will resonate with you and make you want to rewatch every episode. Even if I say, "You're definitely enjoying it!", I think you would all just say, "Of course we will."
When we finished recording the final episode, I let out a sigh of admiration. “Ah…” the finale is a signature “My Dress-Up Darling” finale, so I would be so happy if you could watch until the very end. Just as I put my heart and soul into playing Shinju-chan, all the cast members have poured their hearts into every last bit of their performance until the very end. I hope you can receive it with a sense of comfort.
[Interview and Article: Shuntaro Nishizawa / Photography: Ryo Ogawa / Editing: Tomoki Ota]
About "My Dress-Up Darling" Season 2
Synopsis
A chance encounter leads Kitagawa Marin and Gojo Wakana to deepen their friendship through cosplay. There are still so many costumes they want to wear and create!
As they interact with their classmates and meet new cosplay friends, Marin and Wakana's world continues to expand. And will there be any progress in Marin's heart-pounding crush on Wakana?
The popular manga by Fukuda Shinichi, serialized in "Young Gangan" and "Manga UP!" (both from Square Enix), is once again being adapted into an anime by CloverWorks!
A world that expands through cosplay, discovering oneself—
Marin and Wakana's heartwarming cosplay adventure continues!
Cast
Marin Kitagawa: Hina Suguta
Wakana Gojo: Shoya Ishige
Sajuna Inui: Atsumi Tanezaki
Shinju Inui: Hina Yomiya
Kaoru Gojo: Atsushi Ono
Amane Himeno: Ayumu Murase
Nowa Sugaya: Larissa Tago Takeda
Daia Yahiro: Yuka Amemiya
Rune Yamauchi: Akira Sekine
Kensei Morita: Shuichi Uchida
Shiki Kashiwagi: Shohei Komatsu
Akira Ogata: Maki Kawase
Miyako Honda: Mayuko Kazama
Suzuka Itou: Marie Miyake
©Shinichi Fukuda/SQUARE ENIX,Kisekoi Committee
*Some parts of this text have been translated using machine translation
