Saliva is a basic necessity for most animals. It provides humans with a way to break down food, aids in protecting our teeth, and allows us to have the ability to swallow easily. It's so ingrained in our daily lives that, for the most part, we pay it no mind. However, once it leaves the mouth, it usually goes from a friendly companion to a disgusting byproduct. In short, while saliva is seen as a benefactor to our everyday lives, drool is not. But this anime, Mysterious Girlfriend X, would like you to think otherwise.
STORY
Mysterious Girlfriend X begins rather cliche but then takes a rather interesting turn. Urabe is a new transfer student who gets close to no one and is usually found sleeping. One day, for whatever reason, our MC Tsubaki tastes the drool left behind on her desk.
As far as premises go, X certainly stands up there as one of the more unique. Essentially, the connections that are established between the characters are based on the drool that they consume. In a metaphorical sense, drool represents love. Drool is this liquid, slimy, and foreign substance that isn't particularly appealing to someone unless that person desires it to be. Love isn't a liquid, but it certainly "flows" like one, cascading through and between people, taking shape in whatever form it has to. It's not particularly slimy, but it manifests itself as these rather strange feelings that are quite unlike anything else. And while we say we know what love is, it's definitely foreign to those of us who have yet to give or receive it in a deeply emotional way.
I could go a step further and say that the pair of scissors Urabe is so fond of is a physical representation of her emotions. She hides behind it when she feels scared, threatened, or jealous, are used with tactical precision depending on the situation, and are worn "on her sleeve" despite her appearance. Maybe I can make another leap and argue that the X in the title isn't the scissors, but is instead the x-chromosome that, like love, is "shared" between Tsubaki and Urabe.
The last one is probably too much of a stretch. But here's my point; where is it appropriate to draw the line between simply making connections and discovering the true intentions of the writer and producers? What I've said before may sound pretty good, but if its just some reviewer's attempt at making the message sound nice then that isn't being fair to the anime in question.
Let's diverge for just a moment and talk about the more obvious. X does something quite well, and that is demonstrating a mature relationship. Whether it be through drool or through words, both Tsubaki and Urabe almost always "communicate" in a respectful and realistic manner. There aren't any major misunderstandings, no one is fumbling around for words, and neither of them act particularly wishy-washy in the way they interact. Simply put, they are a believable couple.
Tying this back in with the first few remarks, is it fair to say that X's overall theme is that drool is a lot like love? I believe so. While one is a physical entity and the other is a spiritual feeling, what this show is trying to get at is that the premise, like love itself, doesn't have to make sense. It's this strange occurrence that often pops up out of nowhere, usually when we least expect it. And while it may seem embarrassing to deal with in the beginning, over time everything more or less "drips" into place.
ANIMATION
When first looking at Mysterious Girlfriend X, the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" comes to mind. From the outside it looks rather old or outdated. While these descriptions aren't entirely accurate, they do have some basis. Both the character designs and the locations are nothing extravagant. Rather, they appear to be something taken from the late 90's instead of the early 2010's.
In regards to actual animation, there isn't much attention given to it outside of two areas: Urabe's furious cutting and the drool. The former has at least a pretty cool effect attached to it where she seemingly moves faster than sound. The latter, understandably being the focal point, sees much glistening, movement, and fluidity.
One small note is that on a handful of occasions, the animation was "wrong." In other words, things happening with the left hand suddenly were happening with the right hand. This may be nit-picky, but catching it in more than one instance is definitely something against the show.
CHARACTERS
Mysterious Girlfriend X focuses mostly on two characters, Tsubaki the boyfriend and Urabe the girlfriend.
Tsubaki is particularly interesting for his competency, his straight-forward behavior, and his willingness to trust Urabe. At certain points in the show, he may let his feelings or desires somewhat get the better of him, but instead of finding this perverted or possessive, it seemed rather natural. He's a high school boy, with the first girlfriend he's ever had, sharing a connection with someone on a deep level. Of course he is going to want to embrace Urabe, feel her, or keep her for himself. As a character, it felt like I was watching an adolescent boy experience his first true love. In short, as his sister would say, "he's at that age."
Urabe most definitely earns the moniker of mysterious. Quiet, kind, and seemingly simple, it's revealed quite quickly that this isn't necessarily the case. Her hair hides her face, she always carries with her a pair of scissors, and her drool has a supernatural power. At certain times, she is asked why she is like this. Her answer, while small, speaks volumes: "That's just the way I am." This offhand and non-explanatory comment is further evidence for the ideas presented previously. Love isn't something that is easily describable, nor is it something that needs to be. It's this feeling that is born out of nowhere, often times without a specific moment to attach to. Nobody questions why Urabe is the way she is, and her character demonstrates this same approach towards love.
SOUND
The OP for Mysterious Girlfriend X is rather generic. It doesn't attempt anything new, and while the vocalist does have small moments at the beginning and the end it isn't enough to warrant recognition.
The ED suffers the same fate, but is probably worse both as a song and with the visuals attached to them. The song itself is "relaxing" in its beat and gives off a feeling of being mellow. This coincides with the visuals, which are rather unappealing not because of the drool but because they are simple still shots without much life.
The soundtrack is mostly forgettable except for the circus track that plays. It's most often used during the dream sequences and when Urabe is being her usual weird self. I thought the piece fit well with the show's general air of strangeness and mysteriousness.
Voice acting has no notable mentions to be had.
ENJOYMENT
When first delving into this one, I will admit that the drool aspect was pretty gross. "But Banjo, things like kissing involve saliva and sex has even more fluids involved!" That's true, and I agree, but I think its the context of the situation. I would like to believe most couples aren't offering their drool-covered finger on a daily basis. As an onlooker, that just seems rather silly. It took an episode or two, but eventually me being perturbed by it went away.
What came as a surprise was the show's "Ecchi" tag. It's not in your face about it for the most part, but there are shots of the girls involved being naked, dreams of playing with breasts, and a few panty-shots here or there. For the most part, the eroticism is supposed to be derived from the eating of the drool and the sucking of the fingers. Minus that, the fan-service overall seemed quite tame given the genre it fell under.
At its core, the anime is a romance story. It's definitely not your typical one, but there is blushing, stuttering, and lovey-dovey moments abound. Tsubaki and Urabe's relationship is almost too real, which is most likely why they are not often talked about. Besides the drool they share, what they have is so common it just doesn't standout. That's not a bad thing, it just makes them less memorable overall.
In the end, Mysterious Girlfriend X starts off with a peculiar premise, dealing mostly in drool. But by the show's conclusion, Urabe, her relationship with Tsubaki, and the show's final message are no longer mysterious. Instead, they are all quite apparent for any fan of anime to see.
SUMMARY
Story: Good, drool is love surrounding a mature couple
Animation: Bad, old art style with boring actual animation and a few hiccups
Characters: Good, "believable" high school kids
Sound: Bad, bland OP, ED, soundtrack, and VA work
Enjoyment: Fine, quite the weird romance story
Final Score: 5/10
