Mieruko-chan (Season One)

One day Miko sees something strange, but rather than panic, she decides to try to ignore it. Surprisingly, it works and the ghost wanders off. It’s a good plan for one ghost, but what if they’re everywhere?

What did you watch?

I watched the first episode of Mieruko-chan back when it aired and really enjoyed it. However, I had a full schedule and didn’t have the time to fit it in, so I put it on hold. That’s worked out rather nicely for me as I’ve been able to binge the entire season in a handful of days. I’ve seen some grumbles about the usual complaints such as too much fan service or one-trick pony. I didn’t see it that way and I’ll do my best to explain why in the following review. Let’s just dive in and you should beware of spoilers. You can try to ignore them, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there…

Mieruko Chan Episode 7 Miko amd Hana scared

What happened?

Miko’s life suddenly changed. She was at the bus stop when her phone started to act strange. So strange that she dropped it to the ground and jumped back. She composed herself and picked it up. Everything seemed normal once more… well, other than the enormous grotesque ghost standing before her asking if she can see it. Inside, Miko panicked. She completely freaked out but managed to remain calm and still. Maybe it would go away if she ignored it. It did!

However, that wasn’t the last of it. There were ghosts everywhere and they all wanted to know if she could see them. Some were bigger and scarier than the others, some were tiny and mischievous, but if they realised that Miko could see them things changed. How was Miko going to continue a normal life with these things popping up everywhere? She would have to be on guard because the slightest reaction might be enough to tip them off.

Mieruko Chan Episode 3 The ghost sees that Miko Yotsuya isnt a threat

What did you think?

I loved it. There was a great blend of comedy and horror, which isn’t surprising as both follow fairly similar ideas. There’s a set-up that builds and builds. Then, when you think you’re going to get the payoff, something else happens. You’re body automatically relaxes which is when the scare/joke emerges and catches you when you least expect it. So, let’s quickly address one of the major concerns – too much fan service. To be honest, there wasn’t even that much and what there was was pretty tame, especially by horror standards. I can only assume these comments come from people that haven’t yet seen a horror movie or much TV in general. This really shouldn’t be a concern. This series was great and kept me glued to the screen the entire time.

Mieruko Chan Episode 6 Miko Yutsuya and Hana Yurikawa take a selfie

What was your favourite moment?

Let’s look at one of the other criticisms – one-trick pony. I’ve read reviews and comments that try to claim that this is a story about a girl pretending not to see ghosts and that is its only joke. If that’s really how you feel, you must have made that opinion in the first episode as it showed us how Miko handles the ghosts and convinced yourself there and then. Every time after that, you could pat yourself on the back and marvel at how clever you are. Sadly, that’s wrong. Yes, Miko ignoring ghosts was a pretty key part of the story, but it evolved.

One of my favourite moments was when Miko was in the bath and she saw a ghost. It wasn’t funny, it wasn’t packed with fan service. It showed the absolute terror that Miko faced. She didn’t want the ghost to see her that way. She didn’t want to have to try to ignore it. The situations got harder and harder, showing how much mental energy Miko was having to put out there just to survive. It was harrowing and none of it was more so than my favourite moment – the train ride.

Miko had been shopping with her brother to buy a present for their mother. On the train home, her brother fell asleep. Then, she saw it. A ghost appeared at the end of the carriage. It had an axe which it drove into the head of one passenger. Then, it moved to the next one and the next one. Miko had to sit there calm and silent as the axe-wielding ghost moved closer and closer to her. She wasn’t expecting pain, but how would she hold back her urge to scream or move. That was terrifying.

Mieruko Chan Episode 8 Miko Yotsuya doesnt flinch with ghost axe

What was your least favourite moment?

This series is packed full of great moments that will leave your skin crawling. This moment wasn’t my least favourite, but it was probably one of the saddest moments. Miko came down to breakfast to find a giant hairy ghost occupying her kitchen. All of her family were there. She tried not to react, but this was too much. Then, it licked her breakfast. Guess she’s not eating anymore. Then, her brother brought up the fact that there was a pudding in the fridge and he assumed it was hers. He recommended that she put her name on it after the last time. Her father protested, asking that they didn’t bring that up again.

Miko got up and headed for the door. Her family said goodbye and wished her a happy day at school. She paused and then ran back to the fridge, grabbed her pudding and took it to the shrine dedicated to her father. He had died sometime in the last year, but she had seen him since her ability appeared. She couldn’t react to him even when he tried to apologise for eating her pudding that time. She couldn’t acknowledge his apology. All she could do was listen. Utterly heartbreaking.

Mieruko Chan Episode 4 Miko Yotsuyas father is a ghost

Who was your favourite character?

It has to Miko. She was a fantastic character as we saw so much growth and development from her. The way she was thrown in at the depend with these ghosts and still managed to trust her instinct to ignore them was impressive. However, she soon learnt that not ghosts are the same. Some were trying to help, such as the ghost that gave her the code to open the safe or her father. We saw her go through hell and then come out the other side. The scene in the haunted house allowed her to have fun for the first time in ages, but it also reminded us that she can’t let her guard down, much like the child with the balloon. Then, in the final arc we got to see Miko step up to protect her friend and do what was right by her teacher despite how scary it must have been. Miko is braver than any shounen protagonist I’ve ever seen.

Mieruko Chan Episode 4 Miko Yotsuya thinks the tiny old man ghost under vending machine is cute

Who was your least favourite character?

It was definitely her brother. There were some funny moments with him, but his assumption that Miko must have a boyfriend and how that mattered to him was bizarre. Even to the point that he was prepared to walk into the bathroom naked in an attempt to see if she had any hickeys! Ultimately, he was just kind of annoying. Thankfully, he wasn’t in it too much, so it didn’t have much of an impact on things.

Mieruko Chan Episode 4 Kyousuke Yotsuya hiding from Miko in book store

Would you like some more?

I would love more. They wrapped up quite a few threads in the final episode of the season, but there were so many unanswered questions. I loved this series and would definitely watch another season or two. If they don’t come into existence, I will be picking up the manga. There’s a chance I might do that anyway because I really need to know more. This series was so much more than one joke done over and over again.

Mieruko Chan Episode 12 Hana surprises Miko

What have you learnt?

Another element that gets used quite a bit was the idea of misunderstandings and how that can influence a story and a character’s actions. Yuria was guilty of this so many times because Miko didn’t want to say anything out loud about her ability, even if she understood what Yuria was getting at. That left Yuria to make a lot of assumptions that ended up being completely false.

It’s not just the characters that can succumb to misunderstandings. Take the teacher Zen Toono for example. We were shown enough clues to believe that he was a cat killer. It all added up and it made some scenes incredibly tense. Of course, he wasn’t a cat killer, so we all let out guard down. He’s actually a decent guy… hang on a minute. He could very well be a serial killer! Only time will tell us how much we’ve been misled, but it’s an interesting idea and I loved how they did it.

Mieruko-chan (Season One)