There is a certain gap f0r me with Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru in that the more it’s obsessed with cosplay, the less I’m engaged by it. That’s not a criticism, as it does the cosplay stuff very well. It’s just a concession to my own relative lack of interest in the subject beyond the superficial level. To a certain extent this is a series for true believers, but it has to be able to do other things to reach a broader audience. If this sort of episode were the only thing the show did well, I’d have dropped it by this point. But in context of those other things, it doesn’t bother me so much.

Basically what redeems Bisque Doll for me, in addition to a general sense of fun, is what we saw with Chitose here. Cosplay in and of itself – makeup, wigs, fake boobs – I could care less about. But the experience of being passionate about something is always interesting to watch on-screen. Especially, as is the case here, when a series spins it in such a way to promote a spirit of acceptance and inclusiveness. The messaging with Bisque Doll can be a bit heavy-handed but its heart is always in the right place.

It’s obvious to anyone interested in the hobby I’m sure, but someone like Amane who cosplays mainly (or exclusively) as the other gender has to approach the experience differently. He’s truly transforming into someone else. Self-expression is a big motivating factor for every serious cosplayer I’m sure, but it seems like it’d be an even bigger deal for someone like Chitose. Marin is pretty and popular and successful as “Marin” (though that’s more complicated, in truth). For Chitose, this is the only time he really feels comfortable with who he is.

Chitose sharing his personal story with Marin and Wakana is a profound display of trust. And it was quite an involving tale. He’s lucky to come from an “open-minded” family, but his experience with his first girlfriend is probably pretty typical. Fortunately he made the right choice when she forced him to – many probably can’t find the courage to do so in that moment. Chitose may be a bishounen in Marin’s words (or a biseinen in Wakana’s thoughts) but in his own mind that version of him comes up short. Might one argue that in order to be truly healthy emotionally he should find a way to embrace Chitose as well as Amane? Absolutely. But at least this way he has a chance to express himself.

I wouldn’t presume to psychoanalyze why people do cosplay, or any other hobby for that matter. Perhaps there’s an element of insecurity involved in it in many cases, I don’t know. But especially in adolescence it’s important to find ways to feel good about who we are, and it’s nice that there are places like Cospa that exist to help people do so using this avenue. As glamorous a teen as Marin seems, the truth is even she struggles with confidence – being a hard-core otaku isn’t something everyone accepts and approves of. We still have the larger issue of how unexplored Wakana is, really – he exists mainly as an appendage to Marin, and as long as that’s the case it severely limits Sono Bisque Doll’s upside.