FROM MANGA TO VIDEO GAME: Mysterious Girlfriend X

Mysterious Girlfriend X is one of the most adorable manga series out there. It’s filled to the brim with cute, unique characters that somehow gives me a warm feeling inside. Each time a new chapter was released, (which was rare at the time) I got a feeling of joy + excitement that I usually don’t get from the other manga I read. Not even One Piece gives me that(that’s a different type of excitement). Maybe it’s because of the long space of time between releases of those wonderful chapters that built up that feeling of longing, like a lover that you have not seen for months. Maybe, I’m not sure, what I’m sure about is that this series would make for a great game.

The story of Mysterious Girlfriend X follows two young lovers Urabe and Tsubaki who share a very strange link via their drool. They are able to feel emotions that the other is feeling all through tasting each other’s drool, oh and they don’t kiss. Oh no they taste the drool by putting their finger into each other’s mouth and then tasting all that good stuff.

LOL I know, you’re probably thinking that good old Q has gone insane from all that curry he eats. I mean he’s telling you that this manga is so amazing yet it’s all about people doing all sorts of gross stuff. Well I’m not gonna spoil the entire plot because it’s something you need to experience yourself. I recommend you checkout this wonderful manga yourself. Just get the first volume, I promise you won’t regret it.

Pleased be warned this manga is 18+ rated

OK so now for the reason you’re all really here, to find out how I’d conceptualize a Mysterious Girlfriend X game.

If you’ve been guessing it would be a dating sim then you’re right. If you’re guessing a dating sim in the traditional sense then you’re absolutely wrong. To make a game that is true to the style and atmosphere of this wonderful manga there will have to be some changes to the formula. For one our protagonist will not be chasing after numerous female characters as is the norm in dating sims. He will in fact dating only one girl, Urabe. What this means is that unlike the regular dating sim where the character is tasked with acquiring a girl from a select few, you’ll only have one choice. The player will be required to follow through with a full pre-established relationship with Urabe and manage the keep her.

I picture the game being similar to the style of Persona 4 excluding all the fighting of course. Giving the player an open city to explore with progressively unlocked locations will allow the player to not only explore their relationship with Urabe, but also those with Tsubaki’s friends and family respectively. For example the player can spend some afternoons with Ueno at the arcade and while there run into Oka who would probably then take away her boyfriend.

The player may then choose to explore a bit more in depth in the relationship of his friends via a series of txt bobbles and pre-recorded anime cut scenes. Characters in the game can even borrow more from the persona formula by using a similar feature to its Social link system. By doing this the player will be required to not only focus on Urabe but in fact choose how to balance healthy relationships with other characters in Tsubaki’s life along with her. This then adds possibility for jobs and activities to earn rewards that can then be spent or given to another character to increase their social standing with Tsubaki.

Working With Fun Perimeters

By adding Jobs and other activities the developers may now be able to add mini games to mix up the gameplay and add some diversity. As you may know what most gamers hate is repetition in their games. It’s the reason why the Persona games are so fantastic if played as intended. When I think about how to implement jobs, the mini games from No More Heroes 2 come to mind. They were simple yet engaging and very repayable without feeling tedious. They don’t need to be the same 8bit style, but the foundation that they represent should remain the same, simple yet fun.

Keeping With The Mysterious Girlfriend X

The Romance of our title should remain on the level of the manga. This means no full frontal nudity, Shagging or any of that kinda stuff. MGX is not Futari Ecchi or Nozoki Ana. It’s a cute love story that has its ecchi moments, but they’re still at the kiss and peck level. If it were to stray from that I think fans of the source material would reject the game. How the game can handle ecchi is similar to the Persona Series.

LOVE ME SOME PERSONA

Have a Beach Stage

Every anime has to have a beach episode. It’s anime 101, and this is basically a concept of an anime you can play. By having a beach stage/ section it allows for the use of ecchi moments like Urabe & Oka in bath suits. There can even be more mini game dynamics that can capitalize on fan service, example; the Dead or Alive beach volleyball games. Yes guys picture it now … the girls from Mysterious Girlfriend X playing volley ball.

“mmmmm… yep sounds about right”.

Oh wait sorry about that I seem to have gotten lost in my thoughts of this titles ecchi, shameful display. (I make no excuses for my desires as a man)

Anywho MGX is a wonderful manga and it can be turned into many types of games. Even though I chose a dating sim RPG for my concept I’m sure that it can be made into an action game, 2D beat em up, or maybe an app based game with Urabe cutting stuff up with those scissors of hers (think fruit ninja). The possibilities are numerous.

Manga: Mysterious Girlfriend X
Publisher: Kodansha
Mangaka: Riichi Ueshiba
Genre: Romantic comedy, school story,slice of life, supernatural
Concept Game: MGX: Tsubaki Sim
Genre: 3D dating Sim RPG

This is my proposal for Mysterious Girlfriend X: the Game. Would you buy it? Did I miss anything?