Nazo no Kanojo X is the last of my spring anime viewing list that featured the strange girlfriend theme.
You would think that nothing can top Tasogare Otome x Amnesia's ghost and Sankarea's zombie girlfriends, but this one outranks them in terms of weirdness. I continue to marvel at how I am still surprised by the Japanese imagination despite the amount of anime I watch. While it makes for fun viewing, titles like Nazo no Kanojo X does pose one heck of a challenge in making it appealing to those who would read reviews about it.
One day, Tsubaki Akira's high school class welcomes transfer student, Urabe Mikoto, who is considered to be weird by everyone, with her messy hair that covers her eyes. Urabe is a loner, sleeps during free time and suddenly starts laughing in the middle of their class. After a few days, Tsubaki is about to leave for home when he finds Urabe still sleeping at her desk and decides to wake her up. After Urabe leaves, he realizes that she drooled on her desk and, on impulse, tastes the saliva. Tsubaki finds the drool to be sweet and thinks nothing of it until he suddenly becomes mysteriously ill a couple of days later. Urabe visits him at home and, after confirming that Tsubaki tasted her drool, informs him that he is not sick, but is actually suffering from an addiction to her drool. They begin a ritual of Urabe letting Tsubaki taste her drool every day after school, until Tsubaki realizes that he actually likes Urabe. Urabe agrees to become his girlfriend and the two embark on an unsual relationship stemming from their drool bond.
Now, I wish I didn't have to type the word drool so much in the summary, but it's pretty vital to the storytelling of Nazo no Kanojo X. If you're still reading this despite the abundance of drool mentions, then great. Because this is an anime title that is so much bigger and better than it's rather disgusting sounding premise.
When you first watch the anime adaptation of the manga by Ueshiba Riichi, you would think that it would be all bat-shit crazy, especially with all the drool related activities and the weird dream sequences that have a creepy vibe. Yet, there was a spark in the first earnest conversations of Tsubaki and Urabe that will make you think otherwise, especially when you take the time to get over the queasy feelings and watch more than one episode of the series.
When you give the series a chance, you realize a few episodes in that it's more than just a strange relationship with a strange girl. The drool bond will always be a continuously strange aspect of the series, but it does have a significant role in their relationship. Aside from making sure that Tsubaki doesn't get sick from withdrawal, his drool bond with Urabe creates a unique opportunity for them to communicate as a couple. Instead of groping for the right words to say, which is what high school students new in love are apt to do, Tsubaki and Urabe can know what the other is feeling or get a sense of what the other is thinking by tasting each other's drool. Even injuries can become a shared experience with their unusual bond. The drool bond becomes an instrument, instead of a crutch, as they both try to understand what it really means to be in a relationship.
Yet, despite the benefits of their drool bond, there are plenty of challenges for the couple, particularly for Tsubaki. While the intimate nature of their saliva exchange is apparent, their physical relationship have never progressed beyond the occasional accidental hugs and compromising positions. Urabe dictates the proximity of their relationship with an iron fist or more specifically, a pair of scissors.
One of the reason why Tsubaki has never tried to instigate any physical contact, unless he can't help it, is because of Urabe's scary scissor skills. Urabe keeps a pair of scissors with her at all times, which, since this is an unusual and ecchi anime, she keeps in her underwear. Tsubaki's quick thinking to give Urabe another target is the only thing that saves him from getting cut to literal pieces.
Despite Urabe's rather unkempt appearance and weird proclivities, she actually turned out to be a more viable romantic interest than Yuko from Tasogare Otome X Amnesia (multiple personality disorder) or Rea from Sankarea (weird father issues). She has a clearer understanding of what makes their relationship work, which she shares with Tsubaki, but she is also open to the idea that she herself is learning what it means to have a boyfriend. As for her personality, the audience eventually learns that she doesn't suffer from the insecurities and ignorance of social norms that a person as alienated as her would normally experience in other anime series. In fact, Urabe is a confident, intelligent and adaptable girl, and more attractive and hotter than her classmates originally thought of her. And throughout the series, these positive qualities are shown to Tsubaki, their classmates and the audience, giving a clearer picture on why their relationship actually works.
Most of the series focuses on Tsubaki and Urabe, but there are a few notable supporting characters in the series. Their classmates Ueno Kouhei and Oka Ayuko, who are also secretly dating, are the ones who give the two advice, even if Ueno doesn't really know who Tsubaki is dating. Oka, who develops an interest to become friends with Urabe, is the one who usually teases her about Tsubaki, giving Urabe food for thought about the more physical aspect of relationships. There's also Youko, Tsubaki's sister, who has a penchant for reminiscing her high school days and swears that she will not get married until Tsubaki has graduated and gets a job.
Nazo no Kanojo X turned out to be more than the weird anime that people pegged it to be, gaining good feedback from those who could get past the whole drool bond concept. The series features well-placed humor and a progression of a relationship that isn't cloying or saccharine to watch.
In the end, despite its unusual beginnings and rituals, Nazo no Kanojo X is able to show audiences a relationship that is actually grounded in genuine emotions and real connections.
Just try get past the fact that there will be a lot of drool.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Adaptation, Anime, Ecchi, Must-Watch, Nazo no Kanojo X, Romance, Slice of Life, TV
