Before shutting down, the anime streaming serviceFunimationlicensed a horror anime calledMieruko-chanthat’s still renowned for chilling situations involving the series' eponymous girl haunted by grotesque and oftentimes terrifying supernatural creatures. The anime’s unique spin is thatMieruko tries to pretend that she can’t see them, for fear of how they will react. Consequently, later events do justify these fears. Luckily, some force always prevents the audience from witnessing what horrors they would have inflicted on her should they have had their way.
Many veteran horror aficionados still find many of these scenarios amusing, understandably, because the natural lack of interaction that occurs between her and these spirits pales in comparison to more direct, violent horror anime. However, viewers less accustomed to the genre are kept on their toes and left spooked. Moreover, the fact that Mieruko needs to pretend she doesn’t have this special sight forces her into certain situations that require her to stay closer to them for an extended period - and, in some cases, even touch them.
Mieruko-chan Deconstructs Anime’s Usual Depiction of Japanese Horror Effectively
Based on the manga by Tomoki Izumi; Anime Produced by Passione
Of course, the clueless innocence of Mieruko’s friend Hana Yurikawa whose obliviousness to Mieruko’s plight, incessant need to eat, and the sometimes inappropriate ways these beings interact with her (and others) do provide momentary glimpses of humor, along with the later introduction of the ridiculously competitive Yuria Niguredou. These rare comedic reliefs aren’t what makesMieruko-chanmore than a horror flick, however. It’s how Mieruko’s interactions with either benevolent or malevolent spiritsbring peace to those among the living, all of which is complemented by a compelling side storydeconstructing a ubiquitous part of Japanese culturefrom Mieruko’s unique perception.
Regarding the latter,Mieruko-chanessentially asks how her unique sight couldperceive supernatural events that stem from praying at Japanese shrines. Even to viewers outside Japan, the prevalence of shrines in anime helps non-Japanese fans understand their relevance to Japanese culture. It’s therefore very compelling that when Mieruko naturally attempts to cleanse herself and friends of these spirits by visiting a shrine, the anime portrays the resulting phenomena through the same lens as how she normally perceives what haunts her.
Mieruko-chan Revolutionizes How She Interacts with Terrifying Spirits
These Heartwarming Instances Are Mieruko-chan’s True Appeal
This not only adds a new dynamic to the story that helps innovate the anime’s distinctive formula, but serves as a fascinating recontextualization of an already ubiquitous aspect of Japanese culture. However, this is surprisingly notMieruko-chan’s only other distinctive appeal. It’s the aforementioned instances that change how she interacts with these spirits. Rather than just terrifying her, she eventually stumbles upon more benevolent spirits and has the foresight to sometimes inadvertently bring peace to those among the living bydiscretely and even creatively communicating critical messages from these spirits to their loved ones.
These instances don’t occur until later on and become increasingly more frequent until they culminate in the anime’s first big, multi-episode event at the end. Its increased length comes in part to Mieruko’s misunderstanding of the situation, until she realizes that what she’s been seeing is actually the manifestation of a massive haunting on one individual with so many facets that he initially came across as evil. The tragedy of this man’s backstory clearly deserves the extra attention thatMieruko-changives it, adding even more weight to the story’s heartwarming albeit slightly bittersweet conclusion.
An Undeniable Genius That Helps Funimation’s Lasting Legacy Live On
Funimation Was Right to License Mieruko-chan
Unfortunately, many anime viewers who possess less of a tolerance for horror will give up watching by the second episode, if not the first. The anime’s unique formula, depicting Mieruko’s feigned ignorance of and extended forced tolerance for the horrors around her, is quite persistent and sometimes feels like it could last for all 12 episodes. There are truly many scenarios throughout the first installments with very brief reprieves scattered throughout, and the sheer variety of each haunting creates the impression that the manga’s original creator could very well have stayed completely true to this formula indefinitely without any change.
For horror fans, these diverse depictions of every haunting allow them to fully enjoy each one without growing tired of the ostensible repetitiveness, which is critical for those who are initially intrigued by the basic premise. Possessing the capability to elongate the original appeal of an anime is critical, since, sometimes, the eventual shift can sometimes be too jarring for some fans. Regardless, every good story doesn’t stay the same forever, and in the case ofMieruko-chan, the changes that eventually come are what truly make the anime a classic.
It’s this undeniable truth aboutMieruko-chan’s genius that makesFunimation’s eventual closingall the sadder, even to this day. The streaming service’s undeniable ability to recognize the potential of an anime’s worth is why so many trustedFunimation, knowing full well that the anime it licensed would always be quality works of art, andMieruko-chanis no exception.
Mieruko-chan
Cast
Mieruko-chan is an anime series based on the manga by Tomoki Izumi, following high school student Miko Yotsuya, who unexpectedly gains the ability to see grotesque spirits. Despite her fear, Miko attempts to live an ordinary life by pretending not to notice the horrifying entities, blending elements of horror and comedy.
