There’s no doubt that Nazo no Kanojo X (or just Mysterious Girlfriend X) is one of my favorites of the season. Can’t deny that after reading the manga for a while that I knew this would be a solid series. I’m sure the drool aspect to the show will turn away some people, but I do think this is a series that people really need to give a chance to before giving up on it.

The series really does have an old school feel to it. If someone missed the file type you might be able to convince some people this was an anime made back in the 90s. That doesn’t mean it looks bad, but it definitely has a different feel from most of the series that are airing this spring. I personally like the look since it’s done right and it just seems to fit. Despite the effects of the drool the series is very slice of life in the first three episodes. It doesn’t need to look like Eureka Seven AO to look good. You just get pulled into the style they are using for this series. The visuals are the first thing you are going to notice and so I’m glad it’s done right for this series.

Of course the biggest thing in the series is the drool. When you think about it rationally it shouldn’t be a big deal. Anyone who has kissed someone should think about it for a moment. It’s just that the series really points out the drool and makes it pretty thick and thus more noticeable. One thing that might throw everyone off is the big drool gush from Urabe at the end of the first episode. Can say that doesn’t happen in the next episodes nor do I remember seeing it happen again in the manga, so if people are afraid of that they shouldn’t be. In the end the question has to be if people can either not care about that, enjoy it for what it is, or simply endure it. There is a lot of things to like about this series and giving up on it because of drool would be a shame.

Urabe is definitely a mysterious girl there is no doubt about that. The fact that she can have bonds with people via drool exchange is odd to say the least. I’m going to ignore the kind of ‘message from someone’ she received that told her Tsubaki would be the first person to have sex with her, since that’s really out there. This girl doesn’t seem to want friends and does a good job isolating herself from others. For whatever reason Urabe just seems to struggle getting her message across without the drool. Not to mention the fact she carries scissors in her panties like some quick-draw gunner is beyond weird. She’s also pretty protective about her personal space since even her boyfriend can’t simply hug her without being in danger of getting panty-scissored. One thing I’m looking forward to with this series is just getting into her head a bit and trying to understand her. The weird ways she tests things or proves a point keeps the series entertaining since you just don’t know what she might do.

What’s one side of a relationship without the other? Tsubaki is a key part of this series as the more normal part of this pair. Of course this is a guy who has some pretty bizarre dreams and tasted a girl’s drool he saw on a desk. Still, compared to Urabe this guy is the definition of normal. He has a lot of normal urges and desires which of course don’t line up simply with the not so normal Urabe. I liked how he made his confession to Urabe and convinced her to go out with him. He’s a good guy and you just have to root for him in this relationship.

Nothing wrong with a series that gets a couple together in the first episode and makes the series about how their relationship progresses. Just getting to the relationship is only part of the journey after all. The series isn’t afraid to bluntly throw in topics like sex and dreams that would lead to sex. Of course we’re likely not to see anything like that happen, but they aren’t ignoring the topic. Instead it’s showing how there is much more to a relationship than that. In the first three episodes Tsubaki and Urabe haven’t even gotten to the point of a kiss. Things will proceed slowly if only because it’s not so easy for Tsubaki to make a move on Urabe. Everything has to happen at its own pace. A big help to the series is a comparison couple with Tsubaki’s best friend Ueno. He and his girlfriend Oka are bound to be a good measuring stick since they’ve been dating for some time now. It brings some normalcy to the series anyways since Oka is much easier to read than Urabe is.

Voices are solid for the series. I was uncertain about Urabe’s voice if only because it was unfamiliar. But over the first few episodes I think it was a great call. She can really bring out Urabe’s character and I’ll admit it works. Tsubaki is a familiar voice and really for a character who needs to be the normal person here it also fits just fine.

I just have to say nice job on Tsubaki’s dream world. It is even more fantastical than I would have imagined. Imagination is a wonderful thing and Tsubaki apparently has quite a bit of it. Think it captures how some things just don’t make sense if you’d be able to rationally look at a dream. Even better is how if that dream sticks with him having Urabe taste his drool will let her see what happened. Luckily Urabe isn’t the type to get upset at someone for what happens in a dream XD.

OP [Koi no Orchestra] by Ayako Yoshitani: (A-)

I thought the OP was pretty nice for this series. Of course if people don’t get what’s up with the lemons they might be more confused than anything while watching it. Searching around has come up with lemons being a symbol of “love and friendship” so that might be it. The OP definitely focuses on Tsubaki and Urabe. Though at times I wonder if it’s all just a dream of Tsubaki’s since Urabe is much more energetic in certain parts than she’s been in the series to this point. It’s a pretty simple OP visually, but throws in those visuals symbols like flowers, lemons, and of course the legendary scissors XD. It’s a pretty nice song too. Nothing overpowering, just something you can listen to and relax.

ED [Houkago no Yakusoku] by Yoshitan: (A-)

In terms of the ED, I suppose it depends on how you feel about the drool in the series. Since quite literally most of the main girls of the series are shown off and there is drool leaking from their mouths. Overall it’s a pretty simple ED with panning over some still images of the girls in various poses and never forgetting to focus on the mouth. Despite being simple the images are well drawn so it doesn’t feel like a weak ED. The song is nice and relaxing which works for an ED in my mind. With a nice song and solid images the ED is a nice way to end an episode.

It’s easy for me to recommend this series since I’ve enjoyed it so far. While the bond of drool is something pretty unusual, it’s still a good romantic series. Watching the bond between Urabe and Tsubaki as they develop as characters should be interesting. If people want to watch a series a couple and their relationship this has to be it. The big thing is if people can take the bond of drool or not. If they can this should be one of the better series of the spring. A series that has an old school look to it and is just nice to watch. I think people should at least check out a few episodes and not just pass it by.