“To see…or not to see? Until Miko met Yuria, the pretend-not-to-see ghosts plan seemed like the best course of action. But the new substitute teacher is that creepy guy from the park—the one haunted by a bunch of ghost cats! It can't be a coincidence that Hana's life aura starts draining whenever he's in the room. Can Miko really leave her best friend to fend for herself against enemies she can't see…?” (Yen Press)
But This Title
Two volumes in have seemed to set the groundwork for Mieruko-chan, a student troubled by visions of horribly contorted creatures reflecting the inner demons of others (along with some free roaming monsters). Contrasting the perturbed teen is her best friend Hana whose never-ending optimism draws these vile creatures. Essentially, the series has repeated the same set-up of friend in peril and Mieruko-chan having to figure out a way to keep her safe. Additionally, the first two entries confirmed a few things that have helped make the series notable among horror fans; ghastly creature creations and an intriguing mystery behind the powers. So how has the series progressed now we are in volume 3? Not much is the simple answer, but this entry is easily the best of the series, through a slightly shifted focus.
Still feeling episodic in its story telling, only to interject a few new characters here and there, the recent adventure gives the series its first engaging story arch. Spanning the entire volume, the mystery surrounding a new teacher to the school sees the focus shift away from mini-stories that dominated the previous volumes. As a result, Mieruko is given some room to further establish her identity beyond balancing her fear and her heroism towards her friends. Consequently, the climax is an emotionally charged reveal that marks the most memorable moment in the series to date.
Visually, Tomoki Izumi's art still lingers in the realm of horror due to the wonderfully ghastly creations. However, where the previous entries focused on quantity, volume three focuses in on one particular morbid phantom. Not only does this give the reader time to focus on a single entity and admire the aestehtic of Izumi, but it leads to a more defining story which has been previously lacking. There are still new designs that will make the readers skin crawl, but this consistent form of storytelling is a welcome change.
Easily the best entry in the series thus far, volume 3 gives a glimmer of deeper narrative that the previous volumes barely touched on. There is certainly still room for development, and overall, the series would benefit from deviating more from its episodic approach to cement Mieruko as an interesting protagonist. Overall, the series stands strong on its creature design, character relationships and mystery but this formula needs a shift to cement “Mieruko-chan” as an iconic title in the horror genre. Regardless, the series is still one of the most exciting horror releases currently running – essential reading ahead of the anime debut!
