Honda Miyako

Honda Miyako is an adult office worker and highly skilled cosplayer who has been active in cosplay for around ten years.

She is known among characters for her expert-level makeup techniques and staging ideas that allow her to convincingly portray both female and male characters despite her own physical differences from the characters she loves.

She is close friends with Ito Suzuka and Akira Ogata, and is introduced to Marin Kitagawa and others through a cosplay event in Ikebukuro.

Miyako often plays a supportive role, using her long experience to encourage other cosplayers and help them overcome insecurities about their looks.

Name: Honda Miyako

Gender: Female

Work: Office worker (implied from her daily-life scenes)

Series: My Dress-Up Darling

Cosplay Name: “Miyako”

Height: Around 160 cm

Bust: AA-cup bra size

Voice Actress (anime): Mayuko Kazama

Miyako is friendly, down-to-earth, and very open about her own past struggles with appearance and cosplay.

She uses these experiences to gently reassure and motivate other cosplayers who feel they do not “fit” a character physically.

She has a strong perfectionist streak when it comes to cosplay, but it is rooted in love for her favorite characters rather than vanity.

Instead of giving up because of her physical limitations, she channels her energy into technique, planning, and creativity.

For “peace of mind,” Miyako constantly carries merchandise of her favorite characters, especially dolls and figures.

This habit resonates with Wakana Gojo, who used to carry a doll head from a set of Hina dolls with him, and the shared quirk helps them emotionally connect.

Despite being a working adult, Miyako is still an enthusiastic otaku.

At one point she mistakes a credit card charge for fraudulent billing, only to realize it is actually a result of her own past otaku expenditures.

Miyako began cosplaying around her first or second year of middle school and has about ten years of experience by the time she appears in the story.

She uses the cosplay name “Miyako,” and Marin Kitagawa refers to her as “Miyako-san.”

Her first and central “push” (favorite character) is Tsukasa Rindo, a nearly 190 cm tall, strongly featured, handsome high school boy from the in-universe basketball manga “Double Clutch.”

Miyako’s first meeting with Marin happens while Miyako is cosplaying as Tsukasa Rindo, which immediately showcases how seriously she commits to male character cosplay.

When Miyako started, she was shocked to see that her initial efforts looked like she had “just put the costume on” without truly embodying the character.

She felt guilty and even apologetic about cosplaying Tsukasa Rindo because of the huge differences between her and the character: her shorter height, slimmer build, and softer, less sharply defined facial features.

After accepting the unchangeable facts of her own body, she switched her mindset to “closing the gap” as much as possible.

This push to get closer to her ideal led her to develop outstanding skills in makeup, photo composition, posing, and angle selection.

Thanks to these efforts, Miyako becomes capable of convincingly portraying both male and female characters.

Her expertise is considered “master-tier” in the series, and other characters rely on her knowledge of how to “show” a character in photos rather than simply wearing a costume.

Ito Suzuka and Akira Ogata

Miyako is friends with Ito Suzuka and Akira Ogata, and all three were in the same seminar at a junior college.

Suzuka affectionately calls her “Miya-chan,” highlighting their close and casual relationship.

Together with Akira, Miyako participates in cosplay events and photoshoots, with Suzuka generally acting as the photographer.

These three form a core adult cosplay circle that later mixes with the younger characters like Marin Kitagawa and Wakana Gojo.

Wakana Gojo

Miyako meets Wakana Gojo through Suzuka and Akira, although their first appearance at the same event is somewhat disconnected.

Initially, Wakana does not realize that Miyako is the other friend Suzuka mentioned, even while he is learning prop-making techniques from Akira at the same event.

Later, Miyako works directly with Wakana during the “Coffin” group cosplay, where she even assists him on set when she is not in front of the camera.

Her habit of carrying favorite character dolls resonates with Wakana’s habit of carrying a Hina doll head, and this shared oddity creates a subtle mutual understanding between them.

Marin Kitagawa and Other Cosplayers

Marin immediately respects Miyako as “Miyako-san,” recognizing her as a veteran cosplayer.

Miyako in turn becomes a mental and technical support for Marin, Sajuna Inui, Shinju Inui, and others, especially when they struggle with matching their favorite characters.

She uses her own story about failing to resemble Tsukasa Rindo and working through that gap to encourage others.

Her approach is always affirming: she does not deny the differences, but she shows them how to still create convincing and satisfying cosplay through effort and technique.

First Appearance: Ikebukuro Cosplay Event

Miyako’s first appearance is in chapter 69 (volume 9) of the manga.

She attends a cosplay event in Ikebukuro as a friend of Ito Suzuka and Akira Ogata, where she meets Marin Kitagawa and Amane Himeno, another cosplayer.

Wakana Gojo is also at this event accompanying Marin, but they act separately at the venue.

At this time Wakana is learning about prop-making from Akira Ogata, unaware that Miyako is the other friend Suzuka had mentioned.

After the event, during an after-gathering, the group begins talking about a planned group cosplay based on the in-universe horror visual novel “Coffin.”

Initially, the plan is for Suzuka to be the photographer while Miyako and Akira participate as cosplayers.

When they realize that a proper “Coffin” group requires six people, the team is expanded.

Marin, Amane, Sajuna Inui, and Shinju Inui join as cosplayers, while Wakana and Akira take charge of props and small items.

“Coffin” Group Cosplay and Black Lobelia Surprise

For the “Coffin” group cosplay, Miyako cosplays as Charlotte, one of the game’s characters.

During breaks and when she is not being photographed, she acts as Wakana Gojo’s assistant, supporting him in adjusting costumes and settings.

The day before the “Coffin” shoot, Miyako and Suzuka plan a separate surprise “recon” session that doubles as a special gift for Sajuna Inui.

They involve Marin and Shinju and ask Sajuna to cosplay as Black Lobelia, a character from the in-universe magical girl anime “Flower Princess Reitz!!”

Sajuna initially resists the idea of cosplaying Black Lobelia.

She feels that, although she wants to, her own appearance does not match the character, and this mismatch makes her uncomfortable and reluctant.

Miyako responds by sharing her own painful early experiences with Tsukasa Rindo cosplay and the guilt she once felt.

She explains how she accepted her limitations and then spent years developing techniques to bridge the gap between herself and her favorite character.

With her ten years of accumulated cosplay know-how, Miyako demonstrates makeup strategies, angles, and presentation techniques.

She eventually convinces Sajuna that she can indeed portray Black Lobelia, successfully turning the plan into a heartwarming surprise and an emotional victory for Sajuna.

Winter Comic Market

During the winter Comic Market, Miyako attends as a general participant rather than cosplaying.

She goes together with the other members of the “Coffin” group cosplay, except for the Inui sisters, who are away on a family trip, and Marin, who is attending in cosplay with Wakana as her handler.

At this event, Miyako witnesses Marin’s cosplay of Haniel, a character from the in-universe fantasy manga “Tenmei.”

It further underscores how the shared cosplay community binds together characters of different ages and backgrounds.

Later Ikebukuro Event and “Flower Princess Reitz!!” Group

After Wakana and Marin move up a school grade, another cosplay event takes place in Ikebukuro.

This time, Miyako cosplays as Neon Nikaidou, a character from “Flower Princess Reitz!!,” forming a themed group.

She joins Marin, Amane, and Shinju in a full “Reitz!!” character lineup.

Shinju makes her cosplay event debut here, highlighting Miyako’s ongoing role as part of the wider supportive network of cosplayers.

Wakana again accompanies Marin as her handler and costume support, while Suzuka attends as photographer.

Sajuna does not cosplay this time and instead participates as a photographer, and Akira Ogata is absent from this particular event.

Miyako’s central philosophy is that physical differences from a character are real but not barriers.

She believes that effort, creativity, and technique can close the visual gap enough to create a convincing portrayal and, more importantly, to honor the character.

Her strong focus is on “showing” the character rather than merely “wearing” the costume.

She carefully studies poses, angles, lighting, and facial expression, treating each photoshoot as a kind of performance and visual illusion.

Her long-term devotion to Tsukasa Rindo in particular shows that Miyako is willing to work for years to approach her ideal cosplay.

This long-running project is what pushed her to achieve her “expert-level” makeup artistry and photo-planning skills.

By openly sharing her difficult experiences with others, Miyako helps create a more inclusive cosplay environment.

Her presence in the story highlights that cosplay is about love, craft, and personal expression, not just natural resemblance.