MIERUKO-CHAN
STATUS
RELEASING
VOLUMES
Not Available
RELEASE
Invalid Date
CHAPTERS
Not Available
DESCRIPTION
Serialisation of the original Twitter comic.
A NORMAL GIRL WAS LIVING A NORMAL LIFE—UNTIL SHE WASN’T.
One day, she could see…everything. What’s a girl to do when hideous monsters appear no matter which way she turns? And on top of that, nobody else can see them! Obviously, there’s only one thing that makes sense—ignore them. Kinda hard to put theory into practice, though, when the ghosts know she’s watching…
(Source: Yen Press)
CAST
Miko Yotsuya
Hana Yurikawa
Yulia Niguredou
Zen Touno
Touko Yotsuya
Kyousuke Yotsuya
Michiru Ichijou
Romm Shindou
Mitsue Takeda
Mamoru Yotsuya
Kido
Satoru
Gozuka
Zen no Haha
CHAPTERS
RELATED TO MIERUKO-CHAN
REVIEWS
DoorSSBM
A serviceable slice of life with horrifying creature designContinue on AniList__This is a review of chapters 1-28 (current at time of review)__ The image that got me interested in the manga 
Story Mieruko-Chan is the story of a girl that suddenly is able to see monsters/demons/spirits everywhere. As far as she knows, she is the only that can see them. If she gives any sign of being able to see them, they will attack her so she must continue to act as normal as possible in the face of the terrifying creatures. Often they will try to get a reaction out of her, and most of the tension comes from her holding it all inside.
The first half is a fairly repetitive pattern of Mieruko-chan doing some normal activity, a demon appearing, her going wide-eyed but not reacting, then the demon leaving and Mieruko-chan crying out of relief and pent up fear. This pattern got relatively old, but the varied and unique creature design kept me intrigued until the story began to explore the world and mechanics more. Without spoiling anything, the manga begins to explore questions of why these demons are there at all, can anyone else see them, are they all bad, and what is/are their goal(s)? Since we are only 28 chapters in right now, I am pleased to report that the story and world is developing at a nice pace and there are most likely answers on the horizon.
I think the story so far is serviceable to deliver the horror creature designs very well and the intrigue of the world is good enough to string these scary moments together. The slice of life aspect is decent, the character interactions are decent, and there is even the slightest hint of ecchi in there if you are into that. Overall as of right now, the main reason to read this is for the creature designs, but if the story continues to develop at the current pace, I could easily see that being a draw as well.
Characters The main cast is fairly bland and fits into a stereotype of unaware best friend, loli tsundere, stock younger brother, etc. Some of the more recent characters are getting better back stories, but overall the characters are not too memorable as of yet.
Art This is why we are all here. The creature design at best makes the back of my spine uncomfortably itchy, and at worst is just generic zombies. When the situation calls for it, the creature design steps up to the plate and knocks it out of the park. I recommend not looking up any of the art if you are interested as the reveals of them are very well executed in context.
What I enjoy most about this series is stark contrast between the cute slice of life, light, rounded world and characters to the textured, shadowy, and dripping creature designs. The art alone is worth reading the manga for if you enjoy visual horror and unique creatures. Some are more simple and some are overwhelmingly grotesque and complex, but combined with the unnerving minimal dialogue they say, I felt all the creeping eeriness and disgust I look for in horror manga.
Overall While the story and characters are nothing special at the moment, the art and unique setting are too good to pass up. If you are okay with amazing art in the way of truly terrifying creature design, and a story that strings it all together well enough but is slowly gaining my genuine interest, I'd recommend checking Mieruko-Chan out.
I plan to stay up to date on this manga, but most likely will not be returning to update this review.
Kuma187
The dark side of Ghost WhispererContinue on AniListThe current review was written after chapter 15. Nothing special about it but considering the type of work, I thought this was good enough for a review.
I'm not exactly someone who falls for things that are popular. In fact, a lot of popular works tend to make me wonder why people like those so much, and I was going in Mieruko-chan with a bit of a blasé attitude. However, sometimes, you can be surprised by those findings, and since I don't want to make a lengthy, egocentrical intro about me, I will simply skip the plaisanteries and outright say it: Mieruko-chan surprised me.
The pitch idea holds on a metro ticket: a normal girl wakes up one day and start seeing monsters around her.
Of course, people seeing ghosts/monsters is nothing particularly amazing in fiction, the Sixth Sense did it, Ghost Whisperer did it, and many more, I'm sure. So where does Mieruko-chan stand exactly in this "sub-genre" where the ? If you're like many others, you've probably already seen some pages/strips of the manga on forums or Discord servers, and especially the designs of the monsters. And let's just say the obvious: the monsters are really amazingly done. The sheer monstrosity of their anatomy, the details of their appearances, the terrifying aspect of their... appendices (for some) is really a sight to behold. It's obvious that the mangaka is really skilled, as their appearances always range from satisfying to downright blood-chilling.
On the other hand, Miko, our protagonist, has a normal life: she eats breakfast, goes to school, hangs out with her friend Hana, goes shopping, buys presents for her family, helps people. She's a bit of a shy, slightly standoffish girl with nothing that really stands out about her appearance. And this is where Mieruko-chan's primary appeal lies:
Contrast
Of course, contrast is nothing unheard of, especially in anime. A very popular example (and similar in design) would certainly be Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, where the cutesy designs of Ume-sensei and bland architecture of SHAFT are cohabitating with the otherworldly appearance of the witches and their labyrinths, courtesy of Inu Curry getting inspiration from old Russian-style animation, for a very striking effect. The concept is the same here: the normal basic (but still pretty) representation of Miko's everyday life is invaded by the creatures/apparitions who look like they came from a horror manga drawn by the late Kentaro Miura (R.I.P.), and both sides elevate the other.
This contrast extends beyond the great visuals of the manga: This Slice of Life series that flirts with the supernatural also offers a surprising variety in its chapters, be it in tone or scope. While the horror feeling generally prevails, some chapters harbor a more comedic aspect that plays a lot with misunderstanding, which is only natural given the pitch of the manga. Other short stories offer a more emotional content slightly akin to the aforementioned Ghost Whisperer, albeit all played without any syrupy drama or tears and entirely in undertones, which makes it even more touching. All this content manages to drive off the feeling of boredom that usually come after repetition. That being said, some chapters can appear slightly duller in content compared to the hair-standing quality of others, but nothing near average so far.
To answer to those apparitions, Miko does what is the wisest thing but that which most people would probably never have the force to do: nothing. Therein lies another contrast: in such stories, usually, you would have the protagonist try desperately to fight off those creatures, elaborate plans to face them, probably even discover underground organizations that fight against them (that may still happen though), but nothing of that here. She just pretends they're not here, while still trying to avoid whatever horror might stand in her way without looking like she might see them. Because there lies another appeal of Mieruko-chan:
Doubt
In every chapter, you know some... thing is going to appear. But you never truly know what, and neither does Miko. Is it a ghost or a monster? Is it dangerous? What does it want? How can Miko avoid it without appearing suspicious? Both Miko and the reader don't know exactly what to expect. A shimmering effect near a pregnant teacher? A gigantic creature behind Hana? The idea of doubt is so ingrained in the manga that Miko is even showing concerning signs of paranoia at times, due to being constantly tortured mentally by her situation. And why is this happening to her even? The mystery is complete so far, and the Slice of Life aspect really plays into it by repetition, making the reader wonder if Miko will be able to avoid the worst, or if she can get a breather for this next chapter. Some (like myself) might also be concerned that Miko's sanity might not hold for much longer...
Horror
Much like other recent works like Re:ZERO, Gakkou Gurashi and more, Mieruko-chan plays its cards straight on the table. However, what really drives forward the horror and the aspect of fear is obviously our protagonist. Miko, not just by being a defenseless girl that doesn't know anything, but also due to her pacifist stance on the situation, is legitimately driven into a corner for every single encounter, much like your average protagonist in a horror scenario like Amnesia: The Dark Descent (very remote from action horror like Dead Space 3), and her reactions to the situation, as well as her empty stare as she's trying to ignore the absurd abomination standing right next to her, really convey a strong feeling of terror that the reader cannot ignore. She's fully aware of her complete vulnerability, and her act of pretending that everything is normal, which started off as a way to wait until everything went back to normal, becomes her greatest shield against the creatures, said shield she somehow manages to abuse of with ingenuity in order to create situations that allows her and her friends to avoid a gruesome end.
In short, Mieruko-chan is a melting pot of many aspects in cultural supernatural/horror works that also manages to be inventive and varied so far by using contrast as its main "gimmick". Whether or not the manga will be able to keep the charade working for long is another story, however. But it's a genuine page-turner that really displays the mangaka's skill and creativity.
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SCORE
- (3.85/5)
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