(L) Mysterious Girlfriend X (Nazo no Kanojo X) [anime]

[sa547]

Finally got to watch this episode, and glad it's just right for summertime. Left me laughing, all the while I felt I was pulled back to my high school days, of unrequited love and the should-haves, could-haves and would-haves.

Assuming that most readers said that the original material took too long, I hope this adaptation be better, like getting to the point while entertaining its audience.

This one's for keeps.

[Malkuth]

That was the less surreal episode yet... save for that creepy pareo.

[CGrascal]

Just finished watching episode 3. And is it just me, or did I expect Tsubaki to not lick Urabe's drool that he poured out of the beaker, but lick the beaker itself?

[FredFriendly]

Spoiler for episode 6 and manga chapter number comparisons but no actual content spoilers:

This episode had my head spinning more than usual. And not because of anything to do with the actual plot, but, like last episode, the anime staff was playing hop-scotch (or should I say skippity-doo-dah?) with the manga yet again.

Last episode they skipped ahead ten chapters from manga chapter six to chapter sixteen. But this episode they skipped back one to chapter fifteen for the first half of the episode, then they skipped back another thirteen to chapter two for the last half of the episode.

I'm not sure if the scene with Tsubaki and Ueno in the first half of the episode was anime original or if they yanked it from some other chapter, as it was not in chapter 15 of the manga where it logically should have come from. Having only watched the raw, and only understanding about a dozen words of spoken Japanese, I'm not sure what the conversation actually entailed.

I suppose all this skipping around doesn't matter very much since it seems to me that there's really about zippo progression in Urabe and Tsubaki's relationship between manga chapter two and manga chapter sixteen.

[SolarAquarion]

This anime is the anime of all friend zoned guys.............

[Malkuth]

Girls usually have it tougher (in the rare instance that it occurs)... just cry at the friend/family-zoned Wanko@Sankarea

[Guardian Enzo]

That was unabashedly sweet, I thought. In many ways this show is like Jormungand in a totally different context - using absurdity to enlighten the human condition. As weird as these characters and the relationships are, this episode was totally relateable.

[FredFriendly]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

That was unabashedly sweet, I thought. In many ways this show is like Jormungand in a totally different context - using absurdity to enlighten the human condition. As weird as these characters and the relationships are, this episode was totally relateable.

Well, I've not watched Jormungand, so I can't comment on the comparison, but as far as absurdity enlightening the human condition goes, it finally dawned on me today what this anime (particularly the background music, but especially Tsubaki's dream segments) reminds me of: the movies of Federico Fellini. Symbolism, weird characters and weird relationships: Fellini was the 20th century's preeminent artist of using these to weave masterful storytelling into a visual format.

This anime certainly seems to reflect this description of Fellini's films from wikipedia:
"Personal and highly idiosyncratic visions of society, Fellini's films are a unique combination of memory, dreams, fantasy and desire."

It makes me wonder if the mangaka was, like so many others, profoundly influenced by his works.

Spoiler for episode six and manga comparisons:

As to episode 6, itself, it was good to see that the production staff, for the most part, followed the two specific chapters of the manga that the episode was based on.

The first half of the anime, except for the anime original scene with Tsubaki and Ueno (uneccessary filler in my opinion; what was the point?), was adapted from manga chapter fifteen. The second half was adapted from manga chapter two. The production staff did an excellent job of portraying the look, feel, and emotional impact of both of these chapters.

My only real gripe would be that we didn't get to see the great scissor-work portrayed at the end chapter two when Tsubaki complained about Urabe not smiling when he took her photograph. Instead of the scene with Tsubaki and Ueno, I would have much prefered that scene to have been animated.

What's interesting to me is that, if you have not read the manga, you would not realize that the second half of episode six takes place over a year before episode five. Episode five takes place during the second summer vacation since they met, yet the relationship between Urabe and Tsubaki has progressed so little that the second half of episode six seems to follow the first half as if it was, in fact, sequential.

[psycho bolt]

nice picture of Mi....mi.....Mikoto!!!

[whitecloud]

Oka has quite a personality....a bit slutty an devilish I guess and have a big physical asset hehe...

Would you guys want a girlfriend like her?
A question ? If you guys rank the current girl who do you pick? Me is oka second urabe and the third is the new girl the crush girl

And do you mind short girl like her? For me it's bit of a problem 147cm? But she got big rack and other feature so probably compensating I guess

[Fenrir_valindri]

I wouldn't call her anything close to slutty, she is just a tease.

[ookamigirl]

Ayu & Akira accidental meeting and ice cream gave him something to think about.
Urabe & Ayu, that girl sure had an agenda to bring Urabe & Akira even closer.
The photo thing was kind of a downer...
Looks like even she can get jealous ^^"
At least she caved a bit and gave him a different photo face ^^

[MAX_COLA_POWER!]

I gotta say, the way Tsubaki described Oka when he looked at her, makes me think she was pressed down during her lifetime, that way, her height got shorter and her boobs popped out-v-;;. Seeing her makes me think that Oka is the one that makes the moves in her relationship with Kouhei and Kouhei is the one that takes his time. He's the sentimental type and she's the, are we gonna stand around here doing nothing, or are we gonna get down to some getting down? I wonder if any fan will recommend a foursome ending-v-, or a trio ending with Tsubaki, Urabe, and Oka?

[frubam]

It's nice to see Tsubaki converse with someone other than Urabe and Ueno for once. Oka has just the right personality to talk to Urabe, but it was nice to see how she would talk to Tsubaki. Given the ending, and how Urabe felt about the Hayakawa thing, I wonder if she would have felt the same way seeing how Oka was teasing Tsubaki.

Loved the ending to ep 6 =03. You usually get the impression that Urabe wouldn't be fazed by much, but the end showed that she can have a normal girl's worries in a relationship.

The music during that scene(when Tsubaki was crying) was very touching; it fit the mood perfectly. I don't pay attention to in-show music too much, but they're really using the right tunes to complement the scenes in this show =03.

On a minor note, that "BAD CAT" logo is really awesome X03!

[Sackett]

The first time when Tsubaki asked Urabe to let him take a picture, and he was all happy, and then she refused to smile, and then walked off leaving him there-

This song started playing in my head:

Shot through the heart. That's the only way to describe the expression on his face.

[ttdestroy]

This guy is terrible with women. But it does make me recall high school. Never knowing what the right and wrong things to say are.

If I asked my lady how she'd feel if I got Starbucks with an old crush, and while I was waiting on her, I'd be f****d.

[Flower]

Originally Posted by ttdestroy

This guy is terrible with women. But it does make me recall high school. Never knowing what the right and wrong things to say are.

If I asked my lady how she'd feel if I got Starbucks with an old crush, and while I was waiting on her, I'd be f****d.

It's interesting that you say that - I feel the anime does an excellent job of conveying the "realisticness" that young men like Tsubaki go through.

I wonder what the women who are watching the anime think about Urabe's behavior, though? Does it strike them as very convincing and real? Of how they felt or thought about or responded to things in high school? (And of course I am not referring to literally carrying scissors around and cutting up things.)

For me one of the things that is coming across the most regarding Urabe is that there is a side to her that is clueless regarding a large part of the sexual tension her actions create on Tsubaki. In that sense she may be one of the places where her tsundere behavior that pops up at times comes from: she doesn't quite know what to do with the intense feelings she has when they rear their head.

Tsubaki's honesty and straightforwardness is a perfect match for me in this regard, I think. Plus despite everything else he really does seem to be a genuinely good guy.

[Vexx]

This is working hard to be my favorite of the season.... remarkable for a series which has a "classic retro" art style and its hook is ... drool.

Good stuff so far.

[Malkuth]

Originally Posted by Vexx

This is working hard to be my favorite of the season.... remarkable for a series which has a "classic retro" art style and its hook is ... drool.

Good stuff so far.

Hm... if it wasn't for the retro-style, and the viscosity drawn for spit*, it would have been my favorite

* At least show/draw/animate what it is implied to be

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Vexx

This is working hard to be my favorite of the season.... remarkable for a series which has a "classic retro" art style and its hook is ... drool.

Good stuff so far.

If this weren't such a strong season it might very well be my favorite too - it's certainly in the top tier. I adore the retro style (Hoods really went all-in with it) and the show is not at all what it appears to be on the surface.