Mieruko-chan

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This manga is honestly one of the best mangas I've ever read. The story revolves around a girl named Miko who is able to see terrifying and disgusting monsters that no one else can see. Although this story seems generic, it really isn't. Instead of the MC fighting the monsters and becoming some op hero, Miko puts on a poker face and attempts to ignore them. The story develops and gets very intense, it's not just a collection of standalone chapters. The story gets more fleshed out and introduces very interesting characters that leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering what kind of ... development will come next. The art is beautiful, the characters are very funny and lovable, and the manga as a whole is fantastic and absolutely worth the read.

Mieruko-Chan is a collection of mostly stand-alone chapters about a girl (Miko) who can see monsters that no one else can see. At this point you must be thinking that you've already seen the "girl sees things no one else can see" thing done a million times, right? Well, actually that's not entirely the case with Mieruko-Chan. This isn't your feel good story about a girl becoming the "heroine that fights and beats the monsters that she can only see" nor the "girl helps the spirits so they can finally cross to the other side instead of lingering on this earth". Mieruko-Chan is an authentic ... black comedy, derived by the absolute terror Miko feels when encountering those monsters in every place imaginable (from her classroom to the girls' locker room and from her bathroom to her own bed).

These monsters whose origin is still to be determined, are drawn in the most horrifying way possible. The designs are vague, as they are mostly deformed masses of flesh with some eyes and mouths thrown in there for good measure, but they get the job done in two levels: 1) It scares the living hell out of our heroine and 2) they make for an interesting visual contrast between the horrific monsters and the girls that are drawn in the most attractive way possible (and in the first few chapters, with a lot of fan-service thrown there for good measure).

It's still early in Mieruko-Chan's run (only 8 chapters out so far) but there are definitely some concerning trends should this series go the distance. After eight chapters the formula of Miko being extremely terrified for an entire chapter is getting a bit repetitive and you would like to see the story move forward in some how or way. The repetitiveness in Mieruko-Chan's formula makes its characters feel a bit shallow and stereotypical up until this point in the story (Miko's best friend Hana is your stereotypical attractive happy-go-lucky girl who has no idea what is actually going on around here, Miko's little brother is your stereotypical younger brother who is kind of concerned with his sister and her erratic behavior).

It will be interesting to see if Mieruko-Chan can find a way to build upon its formula and get closer to any sort of progress in its story and depth on its characters, because the comedy in Mieruko-Chan is not as good at this point to overcome its repetitiveness; a reaction face can only be funny for so long.

Mieruko-chan is one of a kind. A manga that shines brighter than most manga. It’s what we would call an hidden gem. It’s something you didn’t know you needed but were still looking for. First of all, let’s be clear that what I sad applies for horror fans. This is a love letter to all of us, bored with all of those what-so-called horror books, those that they never leave an impression to you, and you just give up on the genre. Ladies and Gentlmen, Mieruko-chan gave to all of us readers hope. So yeah, without further distractions, let’s get into it and see what’s ... it about.

In horror manga usually the plot point is a let down. It never gets interesting, nothing is ever explained, and if did, it’s poorly done. Mieruko-chan strength consists in episodic events and in an overarching plot. It’s very slow, it gives you hints here and there about the real main plot, but without giving away too much. This alone, in my opinion, will keep your interest strong not knowing what the real deal with this weird manga is. The mystery element is very important in this one. It’s an unpredictable story. Thanks to the excellent writing, the author will never let you predict what’s gonna happen next. All you have are some at first seemingly filler chapters, but truth is that they are not. No time is wasted here, each ghost helps the story moving forward. What you will do will be trying to figure out what’s going on. And I will repeat myself. This overarching plot is an unpredictable one. So if you’re looking for a manga that transcends the usual, boring, repetitive, uninspired and predictable story, there you go, Mieruko-chan exists.

You could argue that the story is the most important factor in a manga, and I’ll gladly tell you that it’s not. The art is one of the strongest points of this book. Its fluidity and skill to switch from a cute drawing to an horrific one, is truly impressive. Each ghost has its own story to tell just by their looks. The attention to make the most horrifying and detailed monster is omnipresent. I might even go as far as saying that it rivals Berserk’s creativity. Ghosts, monsters and so on, every and each one of them is something you would never want to have in your dreams. The artwork gives life to them they almost feel real. If you want to have nightmares, go ahead and read this. By the way, there are some emotional events. Mieruko-chan also has that.

If this wasn’t enough, Mieruko-chan takes the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” and makes it relevant. The main characters might not be so complicated and developed, but that’s not the strongest point. What I can say is that the main girl has finally shown a little bit of progress, but that’s not what I want to talk about. The ghosts ARE the highlights of this specific department. Although they might look scary, some of them have emotions and a story behing their terrific appearance (some of them are also inspired by more famous monsters). Behind their appearances lies a meaning. This is when the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” comes into play. Yeah, they are scary, but some of them are more than that, not every ghost that the main heroine will meet will try to kill her. So, is it a good ghost or is it a bad ghost? That’s something unpredictable and you will only know the answer at the end of the chapter.

As for the enjoyment, Mieruko-chan will make sure to give you the best experience you can have. Most of it comes from the strong contrast between the fun and slice of life moments to the horror ones. This is what makes this manga so special, it lets you breath through all the horror with some good comedy. The expressions of the main heroine are pure gold, especially when she starts crying, so like, in most chapters. Trust me when I say you’ll never get bored while reading this. It’s pure fun and horror and what Mieruko-chan does is taking both and turn them in their most perfect form. That’s just how good the manga is.

Overall, Mieruko-chan is an extremely underrated manga, recommendable to most people and for every age and gender. Please, do yourself a favor and if you still haven’t did it, go read this manga now. You won’t regret it!

Mieruko-chan is one of the best mangas I've had the pleasure to read recently. It's a very young publication, and there are only abut a dozen chapters out. Despite that, it is already showing a lot of potential and talent.
The story is episodic in nature. It's not concerned with how the main character got her power to see ghosts, or her progression in skills. It is more like a weekly fill of horror and comedy. Currently it's difficult to judge the story right away since the manga has barely started, but like I said, it's showing potential that it can achieve something substantial even ... with its episodic nature. For example, chapter 4 + 4.5 melted my heart. While he characters and plot were predictable, the execution through pacing and art made it brilliant.
Plus the main character, Mieruko-chan comes across as admirable and brave. She always seems to make the best choice in a given situation, and so, as a reader, you naturally admire her. Even the supporting cast is distinct. Her best friend, a younger brother and a rival. They support the story without ever being an annoyance.
My favorite thing about this manga has to be the art. It is simply beautiful. One of the best illustrations of ghosts and monsters I've encountered. Not only the grotesque imagery, but also how the reveals are handled in a panel format is genius. I can't praise the artist enough for how disgusting and primordial he makes his creatures look. Especially in chapter 11. It's a show of ambition, with the talent and skill to back it up. Additionally, the human characters are well drawn every time. Especially their reactions. Although the designs of the characters borders on cliche, but the author imprints his own style so that it remains unique.
Overall, I would highly recommended checking out this manga regardless of your tastes. The only caveat is this: Don't go into the manga expecting a deep story or a dark and twisted plot. While the concept of having to see ghosts everyday might sound inherently spooky, this manga isn't trying to scare you. It's not about that. It's a humorous manga, with strong horror elements, and the humor aspect is derived from Mieruko-chan trying her best to ignore these (incredibly drawn) abominations in her everyday life.
I can't wait to see where the series will go from here, and I hope you join me for that ride by checking out this manga.

Before reading this manga I never would have thought that horror and comedy could actually successfully mix. The closest thing to it might be the movie Cabin in the Woods, but even that doesn't manage to be genuinely scary enough to really be called horror. However, Mieruko-chan is somehow both genuinely funny and genuinely scary, and actually uses each genre to highlight the other.

I'll start with the horror, and the thing that stands out the most to me is how grotesque and terrifying the monster designs are. I'd say the worst of the spirits in this manga beat out even the worst apostles of ... Berserk or the worst devils in Chainsaw Man in terms of their sheer ability to creep me out. The author is also a master at using panels transitions as jump scares, with perfectly lighthearted scenes commonly leading into double page spreads of disfigured demons. Now this isn't to say that Mieruko is Junji Ito levels of horrifying, but it's most definitely scarier than I expected.

On the other side of the spectrum, the comedy in this manga consistently lands for me. I'm particularly fond of comedy where characters act as though strange events are perfectly normal, and this series hits the nail on the head with that. Seeing the MC's friend smiling happily next to a demon holding a butcher's knife, or another medium being confident in their abilities but failing to notice spirits devouring each other right next to them manages to make me laugh every time. Just FYI though the beginning has some kind of awkward fanservice, but it mostly stops after the first couple of chapters.

TL;DR - Mieruko-chan somehow blends horror and comedy in a way that each genre makes the other better. I've never seen another series quite like this before, manga or otherwise, and I'd 100% recommend this to both fans of horror and to anyone who's looking for something new and unique.

I'll be honest, at first it caught my interest because of the artwork but I was worried that the story wouldn't have been as good. I am so glad to admit that my worries were for nothing, as this is by far one of the most well-balanced manga I've ever read - easily in my top 3. Here I'll try to explain you why I think so.

Let's start with a thought about its classification, what's the prevalent element in this manga? You'd think it's the horror one, but is it really true? I find that, while reading it, the amount of horror is an additional ... part to a slice of life manga, in which the comedy elements are perfectly placed to balance out the scary parts. In more than a few chapters I found myself exquisitely surprised at how well they go together, bringing an impressive mixture of fun and terror.

So, what about the story? What makes it so great? I'll try to be as generic as I can to avoid spoiling anything. Initially, the story begins with the main character starting to experience paranormal activities and acting accordingly to make them stop, but as time goes on the focus shifts more on the characters growth and it makes it so that you can relate to them on what they're feeling and thinking in almost every situation. To put it simply, reading this manga feels like reading about a person trying to overcome a mental illness through a journey full of hardships and to me this is marvellous and a bit poetic.

As for the characters, even though some of them aren't really anything special you can tell that you need to have this contrast between wonderfully written characters, such as the main character, and someone more "normal" like her best friend for the story to keep the balance between the real world and the more obscure paranormal one. Also, I'm also very intrigued by the development that some side characters are going to have in the next chapters, but I'll stop here for now and say nothing more. Just be sure to look forward to it.

Lastly, the part that attracted me the most and got me to read this incredible manga: its art. The art style used for drawing the characters is one to be expected of a normal slice of life manga, with charming and soothing traits that make you think of having a good time reading a relaxing story about some everyday stuff. On the contrary, the monsters are gross-looking, surreal but so detailed that they almost look real at the same time, just like they should look like in a great horror themed painting. The greatness of the art shines when the two are shown together; the contrast gives off an atmosphere of darkness and despair hardly achievable with other techniques. Obviously, an all-realistic style is more fitting for an horror, but since the main objective of this manga is not to scare the reader, rather to make them feel uneasy, I believe that it achieves its purpose splendidly.

In conclusion, this manga is a roller coaster of emotions: it can make you feel sad, anxious and scared as well as happy, relieved and amused. I'm so glad I got to find such an unexpectedly brilliant manga. I am convinced that if it keeps up with this pace, it's going to be a true masterpiece, something that you shouldn't miss no matter what.

Mieuruko-chan is rather unique. It's a story about monstrous spirits that has little to no action whatsoever. There are definitely shows and manga that have taken unique spins on the idea of spirits–such as MP100–but none in the way that Mieuruko-chan has, at least from my experience.

Of course, a unique idea does not guarantee an interesting story, but this manga does not fail there either. Mieruko-chan being (mostly) episodic works for its own favour very well, exploring a lot of different ideas and settings.

However, there are two areas that Mieruko-chan excels at above all else: character building and comedy. ESPECIALLY character building. The ... entire cast is extremely lovable, which leads to the humour working very well. When I first started reading this manga, I read essentially all the available chapters in one sitting. Despite the horror themes in this manga (which reminds me - the art for this manga is also incredibly phenomenal), it is a very comfortable series. I would absolutely recommend it to everyone.

This is an absolutely fantastic manga, but requires you to give it a chance before it really shines, because the author takes a little bit to pick it up. Once it does take off, it goes straight to Jupiter.
At first, it does really seem initially aimless. The art is pretty much the only good part. There's some fanservice, but nothing out of control (sadly the anime adaptation does exaggerate it). At first, I was only reading because I thought the art was good and I wanted to see what kind of monster designs and strange scenarios the author would come up with, but later, I ... found myself genuinely invested, as plotlines began to start and characters began to be established more thoroughly.

If there are two themes Mieruko-chan revolves around, it's our relationship with death and family, as well as to learn how to not judge things by their cover. This is honestly very refreshing for horror, though I'm not a big horror nut, so it may be more common than I think. It's often the case that horror generally revolves around feelings of helplessness, of smallness, of despair. Horror often showcases the powerlessness of humanity, as well as its capacity for cruelty. But Mieruko-chan often has a positive message, despite it all, that people often genuinely care for each other and seek their own peace, and that familial trauma and abuse CAN be overcome, and does not have to follow you like a ghastly shadow. Through the stories of those spirits, and of the people around Miko, we learn that the world is often not as terrifying as it may seem on the surface, and the ones we shouldn't trust are often the ones that seem the most innocent. The terrifying, grotesque monster may just be seeking its own form of happiness, rather than your suffering. It's a genuinely emotionally effective story, and rather than comedy or horror, this kind of message is easily Mieruko-chan's greatest strength.

Anyone expecting serious worldbuilding and a complex explanation for all things, as well as bombastic, larger than life characters, will likely be disappointed. You follow the story alongside Miko, who for all intents and purposes is a completely ordinary girl without any huge issues, a juxtaposition to the strange tales that happen around her as consequence of her 'curse'. Miko's main role consists of accidentally playing therapist to the much, much more screwed up people around her, as she learns that both the spirits and the humans can have their own complexities. You learn what little there is to learn with her, but it's clear even the more experienced characters have a poor understanding of what they're dealing with, and simply picked up on some tricks through dealing with the supernatural for much longer than she has. In a way, the mystery of what exactly the spirits are not only enhances them as threats, but also serves as an ongoing hook. The reader is invited to come up with their own interpretations of the strange logic of the ghosts, just as Miko has to in order to survive. Even the mere idea that the ghosts could directly hurt you is really just an assumption, though a fair one.

The comedy is probably the weakest part for me. Other reviews mention that it's the "one joke", which is true. It's somewhat repetitive, and generally speaking, not that interesting. Once the story opens up, though, I believe the comedy becomes more of a secondary priority. While the manga does try to keep a lighthearted tone throughout, when it's time to get serious, it does. I do believe that the tone of the story does serve to further characterize the characters. Ultimately, Miko is a normal girl in a world that perceives itself to be normal, and the main draw are her attempts to live normally despite her condition, lending the manga some SoL characteristics in a bit of a twisted sense. Almost like it could've been one, but is continually disrupted by things Miko has no choice but to deal with. In a way, the more consistent characterization, though criticized by others, to me allows a sense of normality and downtime that is desperately needed in-between the tense encounters with the ghosts. Seeing Miko's peppy, happy-go-lucky friend get up to her usual antics is a huge relief, and it allows both the reader and Miko to breathe. And besides, some of the characters do grow, and we learn more about them as people. It's just a lot more subtle than other stories where characters openly declare the lessons they've learned.

The author clearly takes cues from Junji Ito, with particular inspiration taken from Ito's tendency to 'jumpscare' readers through first establishing a scene that seems normal, or perhaps a little off, and then as the reader turns the page, revealing something utterly horrifying with no leadup and preparation (we've all seen THAT scene. Nobody is ever prepared for THAT scene). It's really the kind of horror that is only possible in manga.
The art itself, even aside the panel and page compositions, is amazing. The spirits have a grotesque, scratchy look to them, which deliberately contrasts with how simple and ordinary the human characters look. When the ghosts choose to reveal themselves, you can clearly tell, alongside Miko, that they do not belong. They are immediately apparent as threats, even if sometimes, they may not be. However, the humans' capacity for expressiveness cannot be understated. The author sells me completely on how terrified Miko is, even as she tries desperately not to show it in order to avoid attracting the ghosts' attention.
Also, just look at some of those page spreads, man. They're crazy!

Ultimately, Mieruko-chan is a great story. Its biggest weaknesses is that it takes a while to get going (even as this review is being written, the story continues to improve and reach new heights, and as such has almost certainly not reached its 'final form' yet. I thought the last arc had an amazing conclusion, but the current one at time of review could be even better! It has me hooked, and I'm dying to see each new monthly release), the comedy isn't amazing, and there is occasionally some unwelcome fanservice (the author kind of seems to have a thing for scared girls? Sure reminds me a lot of Corpse Party... even the bits about having to go to the bathroom). But if you can put up with that, and you stick with it, and you give the story the faith and the chance that it requires, it'll reward you, and it'll touch you almost as much as it can scare you.

Mieruko-chan is great so far. As a fan of both horror and the Slice of Life genre, this series depicting the mundanity of everyday life spliced with the unearthly experiences of wandering creatures on earth gives a sense of personal connection to the reader.

For the every day person, who may have had meta-sensory experiences in areas as dark places, or places with creepy atmospheres, that have ever invoked that seemingly irrational but heavy "gut feeling" in them, the reader who relates can rationalize those experiences with the creatures depicted in this manga as spirits who could be roaming on earth, all unseen by the every ... day person's naked eyes.

For those who claim to be "mystics" here on earth, practicing meditations or rituals to achieve mystical experiences as with tarot or ancient practices, this manga may be a refreshing reminder of their journey practicing such rituals in the modern setting.

But in the manga itself, the story feels slow in its progression, as it leeways often to novelty rather than its focus on the plot. But this novelty still remains enjoyable and relate to the essence of the manga's focus: on the creatures roaming around the world, unseeable to the normal person's eyes.

The art of the creatures are perfect with their grotesque but real features, the main characters of the story in their design and personalities are memorable.

I'm very excited for its anime adaptation, with how the creators will incorporate sounds and color to enhance this manga's impact on these creatures and this meta-sensory experience.

One of the best mangas I have read, and so very impactful. Yeah, looking at the covers I also expected an edgy slice of life with schoolgirl pantyshots – and maybe this manga even was it for the first half of the first chapter. But then the author fell victim to his dirty desire to make a good horror story, and Mieruko-chan degraded into a supernatural thriller to behold. There’re two main things on which this unexpected greatness rests:

The first is that the heroine tries to live her normal life while constantly internally screaming. That’s what made me finally pick this manga up. I mean ... “normal” life is indeed hard as nails and horrifying, I cry inside silently every day for hours. I felt the premise in my bones and I was not disappointed, the mood and the irony of the unending utter terror Mieruko-chan must at all costs contain felt fresh and delicious. Interestingly it’s what most seers actually do, from what I know. No one has no time to deal with hostile astral entities, so they screen, tone down, and hide.

The second is the power and the energy of monster designs. It’s hard to stress this enough, since commending monster designs in so par of the course with manga, I myself do it for many other works, but the monsters here are genuinely one of the best in the medium. The main qualities that distinguish them are:

The style. The author underlines the otherworldliness of monsters by drawing them differently – with expressive dynamic black strokes, as if scratched by a terrified hand on paper. They seem to shimmer and warp slightly from panel to panel. The rest of the manga is done in a clean detailed modern seinen artstyle that allows for a great contrast.

The presence. When the monsters become visible, they are very much in the space, interacting with the environment, active, and aware. They are very dangerous, and the rule of the fictional world dictates that if Mieruko-chan as much as acknowledges them, they will likely attack, so they are a constant palpable danger just a hair away, which creates tension and drives the events of the manga.

The malice. Again, it is difficult to experess it believably, but the designs are just so fully realized and so strong, that you don’t need to make any effort to feel that they are scary, you don’t need to be understanding or to suspend your disbelief – the scary comes naturally. These are mean terrifying bad bad things you never want to meet, you can’t do anything about, you just can’t – yet here they are in all the disturbing glory.

To place them on the chart: There’re monsters by Ito – a mindfuck between Lovecraft and an anatomy theater, covered in offensive surrealism. There’s eroguro with its body horror, damaged sexuality, and the joys of irreversible defilement. There’re urban legends of, say, Seeds of Anxiety. There’re demonic fighters of action series. And there’s subversion for every type. Manga simply has a lot of monsters to offer. In this manga the monsters are reminiscent of Silent Hill – they are terrifying unholy shapes that used to be human souls but then degenerated into otherside predators. The mangaka doesn't use cheap tricks like sexual details or subverted childhood imagery too much, these are simply dead people ground to the pulp and mixed up with the evils of human dwellings to reemerge as some huge cursed beasts. The designs are complex, varied, and plentiful. If we continue to reference games, this manga shows off elaborate horror bosses in every second chapter, sometimes several of them at once. It’s hard to not respect the amount of imagination and work invested, it’s difficult to not admire the results.

Furthermore, while the manga is initially slicey, it has a plot. The major, overarching story is forming as of now, but in previous arcs the author has established a sturdy cast of characters with their own quirks and complex relationships, laid down hooks for suspense. Even the schoolgirl mains end up being relatable and human-like, without excessive schoolgirl fetishism. The girls are somewhat sexualized, the author likes to draw their bodies, but it’s not disrespectful or lecherous.

The main criticism that can be directed towards the narrative is that the heroine seems weirdly inactive in looking for the cure for her condition. But it’s also shown that there’s not enough info to go by, she expects the “sight” to go away as it has appeared, by itself, and this is absolutely a series that grows a plot out of the initial slice-of-life status quo. There’re many chapters dedicated to the initial situation before the characters start to actively move. The initial setup is complex enough and deserves it however, plus there’s also a subplot to follow now and then. There’s also a side of very black comedy to this work, which can come onto the forefront at times.

The author is actually also an expert in subversion of expectations. This manga plays with perception in multiple ways. It does focus on perception as a topic, cause the characters have different points of view and abilities to view, which the mangaka uses to create alternative panels (a thing in one pov, the same thing in another pov), and the plot also carefully builds and then betrays the expectations of readers.

For me this manga has a lot of things that I tend to enjoy: dark tension-filled mood, black humor, elaborate meaningful monster designs, urban fantasy, mysticism, relatable down to the earth characters, mind games, compelling plot, ability to genuinely surprise me. I switched the lights in my corridor at nights way more often during the week when I read it! I urge readers with a taste in topics similar to mine to give it a chance. The only thing you are to watch out when picking it up is that it's actually scary. (This manga is also very recommended to people with a fetish for scared girls, obviously.)

Mieruko-chan is a clever nightmare fuel with great art and outstanding monster designs. It is a rare work that deals with urban mysticism head on – with proper esoteric rules, stakes, and dangers. Narratively, it may start slow and have unneeded ecchi in the first chapter, but it quickly gains impressive storytelling depth, emotional range, and power. Even the main characters are likeable and make sense. This is a disturbing, great, and genuine manga I heartily recommend to all readers except for the easily scared who also don’t want to be scared, and maybe even to them on this Halloween night.

damn so I started reading this at like 5 am one time and I enjoyed it! It started a little bit out of context and moved forward onto being a pretty good manga.

The story - In terms of the story its basically a girl who can see weird creepy shit everywhere she goes. inc her own home. she goes on to pretend not to see these things. Later she meets others who can also see what she can. It gets pretty interesting sadly the chapters come out really slow.

Art - The art is really good! its not using some shitty re - print on the ... monsters/spirits. Every character has their own unique design and traits. Especially the spirits. Spirits are drawn after incidents that take place in the manga.

Character - The main character is really cool. as more of a fact a badass. If I were in her shoes i'd lose my shit considering she is viewing some terrifying stuff. She makes brave faces and treats days as if it was normal.

Enjoyment - Not much to say in terms of enjoyment but the manga is great its good to read on a car/bus ride, library idk man just some place to chill.

Overall - Would recommend if you're into spirits and dark themed manga. I enjoyed the manga so far its really good one down side is that you have to wait on chapters that take a while to be released.

This Manga is a Horror/Comedy/Slice of Life also my favorite manga of all time! It is a fantastic, refreshing, and unique combination of horror and comedy. The story follows Miko-chan (the MC), she is a simple high school girl with the ability to see ghosts. She has no desire to confront/attack them instead she pretends not to notice them, hoping to blend into the background and ignore the horrors that surround her. While the anime adaptation does follow the plot of the manga. There are some fanservice, but the anime has a bit more fanservice than the manga.

This Manga is a perfect balance of horror ... and comedy. The art style is both detailed and amazing!!! It is capturing the creepy presence of the ghosts and some ghosts have terrifying and amazing designs and that makes Miko grow more uneasy. *very scary* There are some moments of humor that arise from Miko's exaggerated facial expressions and comical body language it makes me want to enjoy reading more. Her interactions with her friends and family further enhance the comedic elements. Despite her supernatural experiences, she remains deeply connected to those around her, offering them support and friendship.

Then we have Miko the MC herself. Miko is cute, determined and a great MC with a strong mental fortitude/resilience. Despite her extreme fears, she remains determined to maintain a normal life, even if she’s constantly denying the spirits/ghosts around her. She endures constant paranormal encounters every time, from scary apparitions to unsettling/creepy whispers, without losing her composure entirely.

The manga is well-paced, with well-crafted suspense, and provides both horrifying and humorous moments for its creativity to keep the reader engaged. The stories vary in length and tone, offering an actual progression and development of its world mix of short self-contained encounters and longer suspenseful arc-driven narratives.

Mieruko-chan is a must read or should I say incredible. I really recommend those people who loves horror with comedy. You will really love it of the scary moments and uniqueness in comedy of this manga. Readers will be drawn to Miko’s relatable struggles and the manga's ability that blend horror with comedy. It's a manga that will make you laugh and entertain.

I would rate Mieruko-chan a solid 10 out of 10. *thumbs up*, I really loveee it, it's a unique and interesting manga that blends horror and comedy well, with well-developed characters, fantastic artwork/terrifying, and refreshing an unconventional way of the supernatural.

Mieruko-chan is by far the best manga that I have read! It was super enjoyable as with the dozens of chapters that released. The characters are written well where the main and the side characters are developing throughout the story. There are even parts that gives me straight up chills. And the art man, the art style is amazing what made reading it even better.

This manga is great for some 3 am nightmare fuel as it has disturbing, horrific scenes that gives a fright.

Well, overall this manga I recommend to people all ages who enjoy some midnight binge
and horror that can offer.

*minor spoilers for a couple of gags and basic joke/character structures for the early chapters*

this is a manga that starts off with one joke and a bizarrely leering camera, that eventually turns into something that is pretty good and interesting.

in it, an extremely normal teenage girl inexplicably gains the ability to see ghosts, much to her immediate terror, and decides that the best thing to do is to simply pretend that she can't see them. this is easier said then done, as it turns out that the dead are an ever-constant presence and can appear in the most unlikeliest and uncomfortable of places, like cockroaches. ...

the humor deriving from the comically obtuse, inconvenient, and often visually horrific ways in which the main character is impeded from doing normal everyday things with the people around her, and her attempts to casually side-step them while also maintaining her stoic façade to trick the ghosts around her into believing she can't see them. her effort's to no-sell the ghost's terrifying presence often leaving her panicked and on the verge of tears as the cracks start to show in her resolve through each encounter, never being as stalwart as she hopes she can be, much to the humorous befuddlement of both the living and the dead. these episodic situations being carried on the backs of just how visually terrifying and dangerous these spirits are, which helps sell how comically helpless the main character is throughout.

this is its one joke, and it is a fairly decent one.

unfortunately it is also like, kind of really skeevy about it? at least early on.

its not rare or unusual for a manga/anime to be like, Horny, which under normal circumstances is like, yeah sure whatever, ya'know? anime. but it is unusual in the weirdly specific brand of Horny this manga starts off as. there is a weird sense of voyeurism through the way that the camera frames the main characters, leering shots of their butts with the impressions of their underwear visible through their clothing, situations where they're in various states of undress while a ghost lingers in the room, an early chapter dealing with a ghost who is mostly made up of arms and hands that won't stop groping high school girls.

its kind of A Lot, honestly, like the level of detail consistently paid to making sure you can see a characters bra or panties pressed up through their clothes is not something you typically see outside of something that is like, explicitly sexual; and the vulnerability displayed by the main character during these moments only serves the enhance the skeevy and leering feeling those early chapters left me with. like i was being pulled along for a ride as the author indulged in their fetish of taking creepshots on the street or something. the fact that this work isn't horny in any way otherwise, and doesn't even really deal any sort of romantic element at all just makes it stick out even more as like, doubly bizarre and kind of gross.

which i think is why i dropped it when i first trying to read it a few years back? but i got the itch for some Ghost Shit again, so despite my reservations i went back to it the other day on my way to starting Dandadan and actually had a fairly fun time.

the gross fanservice stuff tapers off indefinitely after about the first ten chapters or so, which is around the time that the series gets a second joke in the form of a slightly younger (or at least, significantly shorter) novice medium who becomes obsessed with the main character after she inadvertently caused her spiritualist mentor to quit her job on the spot, mistaking her awkwardly casual trepidation for the incomprehensibly high-level magical techniques of a master exorcist. the humor coming from the younger girl's brazen confidence and insecurity in attempting to "one-up" the main character coupled with her utter inability to detect any supernatural activity aside from the smallest and weakest entities getting them both in potential trouble with significantly larger, more dangerous ghosts, which the main character has to then scramble to find a way out of having to deal with, (their initial encounter ending in the main character choking her out with a wrestling move, causing the girl to start reading literally everything the main character says and does to her as an active threat of physical violence from a powerful shaman.)

again this is a fairly decent joke.

but i'd really be burying the lede here if i didn't talk about the actual star of the show here, which are the ghost designs. they're pretty great? the thing that this series really understands is how to convey a monstrously horrifying otherness; it knows how to bloat and disjoint a corpse, how to stretch skin tight over a space that's too big for it until it begins to tear, how to make a design that just screams in quiet agony until its finally able to burst open like a rotten gourd. it knows how to warp flesh and twist limbs and dilate eyes until what's left is only a vague mockery of what a person is supposed to be in the form of a twisting, gaping maw. the comedy that its mostly archetypical and cookie cutter characters deal in is only able to be sustained through the continuing presence of some genuinely disturbing, threatening and moreover, creative monsters, ghosts that you look at and go "wait, that used to be a person?" it might seem obvious to say, since they're the main selling point of the manga, but the comic probably wouldn't continue to exist without them looking as gnarly as they do? they're fantastic.

that isn't to say i don't enjoy the human characters, but they are expressly sold as a zip-lock bag of character traits to be placed into different gag scenarios in. the main character, Miko, is a nice, quiet girl who is overall, very normal. her understatedness and passivity used to highlight just how extraordinary the events she finds herself trapped in are. her friend Hana is a bubbly air-head who loves to eat constantly and is completely unaware of any of the weird bullshit around her. Yuria, the novice medium, is literally just Scrappy-Doo if Scrappy-Doo was a teenage girl. like they're fine, they're cute, idk. for what this manga is for the first sixteen chapters, they're perfectly serviceable for its function.

because eventually, after a fairly ample amount of time it spends setting up all these little dynamics and gags, the manga finally begins it's first major story arc. and its like, actually pretty good? it is genuinely really sweet, with some fun plot reveals and mix-ups that gives its characters something to actually act as characters against that's not just a one-note gag. because it turns out the other thing that this series really understands when given the opportunity, is that it knows what ghosts are. they are what gets left behind at the end of human connection: they are the words left unsaid, things left undone, desperate pleas gone either unheard, ignored or otherwise misunderstood. they are the invisible material weight of regret and pain that weigh upon living as it slowly sinks them both down into the dirt; the final rotting epitaph of the trauma's you give and the trauma's that you take, left to fester in forgotten places until they can finally stand up and look at you and ask "Can You See Me?"

this isn't the first time that the series considers its subject matter like this, there are a couple moments in it's establishing chapters that do bring in moments of melancholy tenderness, but this is the first time that the series really brings into focus like this.

and its from this folding in of the central gimmick ideas of ignored presence, repeated miscommunication, and just a general inability to tell each other what they truly need or who they truly are, into the core themes of the series as it continues to build on through it's next two story arcs is what makes this, i feel, a really promising series actually, despite its uh, rough start.

so yeah! overall pretty good, seems to update monthly though, so i'm probably gonna' forget about it for a few years before i remember it and catch up again.

oh uh, one other things that really fun is that the adult mentor characters are all various flavors of scam artist, and only moonlight sometimes as genuine spirit mediums, ones a mostly phony street stand fortune teller and another is a fucking Tim Burton-ass occult youtuber/video game streamer that's constantly asking his audience to buy his expensive useless occult trinkets and to like, comment, and subscribe to his channel and his monthly-subscription based website. pretty good bit.

also the little sprite ghost characters that would be cutesy mascot characters in any other series are, in here, nasty little old naked gnome men, and i kind of love them, they're so grossly off-putting that they wrap back around into being very cute.

STORY:
The story is quite simple. Girl can see monsters. Girl tries to avoid monsters. There's some story progress like with Granny and Romm, but for Miko, it's mostly non-existent. In a way, I can say that the ones driving the story are the people and ghosts around Miko. And Miko just wants to have some peace and quiet!

ART:
I sometimes hesitate reading this at night because I might get nightmares.

CHARACTER:
The highlights of the characters all have to do with the supernatural. But aside from that, they're pretty normal people. However, as mentioned above, Miko doesn't have much to her aside from just wanting to get ... away from it all. Most of story progression involves the other characters that get involved with her. And sometimes I wish Miko would just stop running away. I don't mean this should be a manga about fighting and exorcising monsters, but it'd be good if she becomes a little more proactive.

ENJOYMENT:
Monsters are spoopy!

OVERALL:
I recommend this manga for those interested in the mysterious, occult, paranormal, etc. Not the best but it is very good.

Thanks for reading my review and God bless.

This Manga is one of the best I've read in ages.

The concept is a simple one on the surface, a girl sensitive to spirits opted to ignore them so as not to attract their attention.

The situations she's put in... that girl has nerves of steel. It's impossible not to feel for her.

Like all good tales though the more you read the more complex and layered the story becomes. One thing the manga doesn't do though is hold your hand, quite a few locations have had their names slightly changed but in all other aspect are a reference to a real location in japan rumored ... to be haunted. There are also some details in the artwork that will give you a hint regarding the specifics of a spirit, again the manga doesn't tell you this, you'd only catch it if you already knew and if you didn't then the story works anyway.

One example from the first few chapters is this, Mieruko finds a stray and is looking for someone to adopt it. She refuses a few people until she comes across a person haunted by cats that have their tails split down the middle.

In Japanese folklore a cat that's lived a good life and died of old age will turn into that specific yokai so as to be with it's beloved owner.

The manga takes aspects of yokai lore, combines it with very creative visuals to create very unique monstrosities with A LOT of attention to detail.

The artwork = 10/10
Characters = 9.5/10
Plot = 9/10

A very unique take on the horror genre making it extra special.

Starts off as some sort of collection of gags about a girl who sees "creepy stuff". So far so good right? Sounds like a plain horror-com that doesn't lead up much to anything, and only gets as amusing as Miko's (our main character) reactions.

Well, not really.

I was personally about to drop it after like, 6 chapters because this was exactly what I thought: Plotless. I kept reading and, to keep this spoiler-free, there *is* a plot. Around chapter 10-11, things get pretty *interesting* as there seems to be an actual story and it's building up to something that (seems) to be good.

This is all ... built off speculation because there isn't much material to go by anyway (38 chapters as of yet). But I'd say give it a shot, read up to at least chapter 11 before giving a final verdict.

Final note: If you're wondering about character development, it's very subtle and very gradual but it *is* there. Which gives a bit of a realistic feel to Miko (but not the other characters), you can't expect someone who was suddenly able to "see things" to be able to immediately be okay with it.

Happy reading :3

Man do i love this. The Artist is Very good At making Both Cute characters, and horrifying Monsters.

In he beginning, The story May be focused a bit on horror and have too many Vague Aspects, But that Changes Along the run

Miko Gradually gets used to her fqqed up life, And tries to Go beyond that, And Side characters Really have a turn to play here, So There's little to no Space for Redundant Scenes As the Story goes forward.

i just hope everyone enjoys This tho, Pretty good Manga if u want to Skip a beat once or twice, And very Wholesome As Well

Volumes 1-4 review: 3.5/5
Some of the fanservice early on rubbed me the wrong way, and it's so far hard to tell where this story is going (if anywhere). So far it's mostly a slice of life, while some things imply some sort of overarching plot going on.
The concept however is fucking great. This teen girl can see all sorts of dangerous(?) and powerful spirits, which no one can, and she's absolutely terrified, but she tries to pretend everything's fine in hopes that the spirits will not harm her. Occasionally she gets to help others out in matters of lost family members and there's some heart-warming ... moments but mostly this poor girl is just suffering and trying to find help.

A moe slice of life with a spice of horror.

This series is carried on the back of the titular character. Let's not get anything twisted here, this series is about cute girls doing cute things. It just so happened that the cute thing is supernatural encounters and being scared to tears. And the series is at its strongest when they are committing to that slice-of-life bit. It tries to set up pieces for a longer narrative at the moment, but they don't seem to click yet. And the plot that we have right now is unfortunately not as entertaining as the more "mundane" stories.