Director: Ayumu Watanabe
Starring: Ayako Yoshitani, Miyu Irino, Misato Fukuen, Ryou Hirohashi, Yuuki Kaji, Genevieve Simmons, Josh Grelle, Brittney Karbowski, Carli Mosier, Greg Ayres
Running Time: 300 minutes
Certificate: 15
Stick any high-school relationship-centric anime in front of me and I am already concerned regarding the potential sexism and fan service. Mysterious Girlfriend X is thankfully very different. It still finds time for plenty of perversions, most notably the saliva swapping that results in special powers etc. But it always does it in an innocent way that highlights the raging hormones of the teenage characters without always making it an exploitative and sensual affair.
The sweet depravity is found throughout, and the contrast between males and females is made without ever becoming offensive. Yes, boys do think about sex a lot and make inappropriate comments, but at least the girls aren’t seen as nothing but objects for their affection. We find ourselves at a realistic halfway point between angsty sexual tension and sweet and fluffy cuteness. This perfect tone results in a minimization of eye rolling sexcapades.
Females are also allowed to flourish as characters themselves, often being given scenes away from the males. It shows that thought has gone into striking a balance between the two potential audiences,without having to compromise story. The more surreal aspects of the show, such as revitalising saliva, also work well as both interesting plot devices and well thought out metaphors. Despite longing for the touch of a girl, our protagonist Akira soon finds he becomes overly reliant on her spit to stay well. The want becomes the addiction.
Many anime could learn a lot from this well balanced series. It doesn’t hold back on being sexy or risque, but it does it in an agreeable and understandable way from all perspectives. A droll art style makes it more simplistic than many shows in a visual sense, but that only adds to highlight the bizarre but relatable nature of the story.
[usr=4]Mysterious Girlfriend X is out on DVD now via MVM.
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