Nazo no Kanojo X -- Review ★★★★☆

This is pretty much the perfect Anime Hipster series, so I'm making it my first proper review. Part of the general appeal of anime is that it's weird. Japan is weird..... But occasionally an anime will come along that is REALLY off the wall, in a decidedly controversial, divisive way. Usually, we call those lolicon anime, but that's not what's going on here. This is something much more subtle.

We live in an era dominated by generic moe rom-coms and K-ON! ripoffs, which I guess is fine cuz people seem to be into that stuff, but I love it when a unique moe rom-com rolls in to mix things up. That's not to say that genre conventions are absent from Nazo no Konojo X; in fact, quite the opposite is true. Rather, it utilizes those conventions in innovative ways. For example, it's certainly true that Urabe Mikoto is yet another entry into the long list of characters that fit the Ayanami Rei archetype, and aspects of Rei's character design are just as present in Urabe as they are in Nagato Yuki. However, no other Rei-esque character keeps a weaponized pair of scissors in her panties and communicates emotions with her boyfriend by tasting each other's drool.

Ah, drool. The real cornerstone of this series, and that which repulsed just as many viewers as it managed to impress. One might be tempted to write this series off as some sort of obscure fetish show only fit for the most repugnant of otaku, and indeed that was likely the gut reaction of many who abandoned the series after the first episode. But that's totally not the attitude this series means to convey. While unusual and somewhat gross, Urabe's bond with Tsubaki via drool really comes to symbolize a deeper emotional connection that transcends verbal communication, which frankly neither of these characters are particularly good at.

Drool isn't really sexualized here either. Urabe and Tsubaki have a very innocent relationship that progresses SUPER slowly. Granted, this is still a fairly service-heavy series, but it's light-hearted and actively avoids getting too down 'n' dirty. In fact, this innocence is key to creator Ueshiba Riichi's writing philosophy. Ueshiba considers himself a fairly old-school manga writer, and with Nazo no Kanojo X, he was really leaning into nostalgia for the days of his own adolescence, which was largely before the recent teenage sexual revolution (though sexual activity is now on the decline again among Japan's youth). This sense of nostalgia is also prevalent in the show's visual aesthetic, which is really a fusion of old and new anime art styles, but definitely draws inspiration from anime of the late '80s to mid '90s. Similarly, many of the show's key scenes take place at dusk, adding an almost sepia look to those moments. Add some slightly retro sounding music (i.e. non-J-pop) for the OP/ED, and this show pretty much nails the aesthetic of classic anime.... except for a handful of gloriously detailed, 3D-animated dream sequences

Ultimately, Nazo no Kanojo X is a solid, adorable series that pretty much anyone who's into romantic comedies should check out. Don't be stupid and miss a great, original show just because the premise is a little outside your comfort zone. The out-there premise is what makes this series work as well as it does. There's a lot to like here that just isn't quite the same anywhere else.

--The Anime Hipster