Mysterious Girlfriend X anime review

When the oddly peculiar Mikoto Urabe transfers into Akira Tsubaki's class, he finds that life has thrown him the weirdest curve ball ever. Because while Urabe may be an anti-social loner who sleeps on her desk, carries a pair of scissors in her underwear and breaks out in sudden fits of insane laughter, there's something about her that Tsubaki just can't quite put his finger on. Until he accidentally puts his finger in it, and suddenly the phrase "sharing spit with a girl" takes on an entirely new meaning! Before he can wipe her drool off his face, Tsubaki is mysteriously addicted to Urabe, which isn't half as strange as the fact that she not only finds this normal, but already seems to have plans for her new drooling boyfriend.

Okay, let�s not beat around the bush. This show involves the exchange of saliva of boy to girl, girl to boy and girl to girl frequently throughout the shows runtime. Before you ask, that is not kissing, it is saliva going mouth to finger to mouth and if you�re sure that you can�t handle that then stop reading now and look for a different show. Mysterious Girlfriend X is not the show for you.

For everyone else, I apologise for being dramatic but I now wish to carry on the rest of the review without mentioning the word drool or saliva at all anymore. Why? Because I don�t want you to be distracted from the fact that, outside of its aforementioned squick factor, Mysterious Girlfriend X is actually a really good show.

So anyway, MGX is not your typical romantic comedy. There is a tendency to portray romantic relationships as all sweetness and light (� la Shoujo) or silly ecchi fests (no need for examples) or in the serious, angsty way that is common in more �mature� shows but MGX instead strikes an interesting middle ground. Instead of taking itself so very seriously, MGX has that lightness, that sweet fun that makes shows like Fruits Basket so enjoyable, but at the same time does not forget the sexual aspect of high school relationships that we all know exists. In this MGX finds a nice little niche that makes it an unusual experience in terms of anim�, delivering a satisfyingly ideal romance that doesn�t forget the existence of hormones.

In terms of characters, the show really concentrates on its two leads to the shows benefit. Tsubaki and Urabe are a cute couple, na�ve but genuine at the same time, and they are fun to follow over the course of the shows runtime. I have to give extra plaudits to Urabe for avoiding pretty much every established clich� available � she is not tsundere, is not prone to ridiculous misunderstandings and even sports a rather appealing voice courtesy of husky anim� first timer Ayako Yoshitani. In fact, if you take the aforementioned stuff as a really obvious metaphor, perhaps this shows greatest strength is how relatively realistic a depiction of teenage romance this show is: it�s awkward moments, there are problems with trust and Tsubaki�s wandering eye (or mouth in this case) and other normal problems that challenge their relationship.

The general aesthetic of the show also adds tremendously to the unique feeling that this show offers. The art and colouring of the background give the show a subtle but effective strangeness compared to the cookie-cutter depiction of Japanese city life. The dream sequences, in particular, inspire an almost Katsuhiro Otomo styled visual presentation that is completed by the vaguely eerie carnival styled background music that plays over the scenes � giving a sense of fun but also an otherworldly feeling. The plainness of the school uniforms and other forms of dress also give the show a realistic feeling that sits at odds with its content quite often. In all these cases, it is delightful to see a show that has considered its whole visual and audio approach so carefully and succeeded so well in presenting itself.

The show is far from perfect though despite my good will towards it. Even with only thirteen episodes and an OVA, Tsubaki�s and Urabe�s relationship can feel frustratingly slow and laboured thanks to Urabe�s aversion most standard forms of affectionate displays. It doesn�t help either that the show lacks the subtle qualities of a show like Denpa Onna Seishun Otoko or the high concepts of Mawaru Penguindrum meaning it feels rather mundane compared to those really top class shows. Even with my affection for them, the lead couple are simply too simple as characters to really be truly effective at the level of the best romantic anim�.

In any case though, MGX is still a well made and highly enjoyable show. It has fun characters, a uniqueness that goes beyond its premise and an effective aesthetic that makes up for the show�s relative simplicity. I happily recommend MGX to all of you looking for something a bit quirky or who like a good romance, if you can tolerate the premise of course.