“Thrice. Three times. Those creepy shrine maidens saved Miko from three encounters with murderous ghosts… but what happens now? Well, Miko's about to find out! In an effort to thank and appease the strange spirits who protected her, Miko is determined to bring an offering back to the shrine where she first met them. The only problem? The area looks a bit different from the last time she visited…” (Yen Press)
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“Mieruko-Chan” has proven to be an entertaining series, due to the ghoulish art and light humor of Tomoki Izumi making for a work that will appeal to a broad range of manga fans. However, the series was straining under its episodic approach with the previous three volumes lacking a strong direction and only teasing at the possibility of greater narrative depth. Far into the story of the troubled teen, the title seemingly had settled into retreading the same formula only to rely on its creator's visual direction and comedic charm. As such, it felt positioned to succeed on just doing the minimum to keep audiences engaged and add little in way or lore. In a surprise turn, the fourth volume focuses entirely on adding depth, giving a detailed back story and introducing new key characters (better late then never).
Consequently, the various elements that made the series so appealing previously get a welcome boost with more importance behind the occurrences and interactions that happen around Mieruko. In particular, the artwork of Izumi, which offered up frightening visions of distorted abominations, leaves a stronger impression as there is now lore and reasoning behind their existence. Explaining the differences between the simplistic humanoid monsters and the nightmarish behemoths gives the reader reason to show interest in the creatures beyond just their menacing appearance.
The growing cast brings back a previous character along with a new one, both of whom have a deeper understanding of what is transpiring and what the gift of seeing these monsters entails. This adds to the seriousness of the situation and allows a deeper exploration of the deeper consequences of having the ‘gift' of being able to see the otherworld. Furthermore, the new eccentric personas bring with them ways to combat the monsters, making it seem like the book is pushing past that formula of just focusing on Mieruko only being able to cope by pretending their existence is not there. As the series did start off at a crawl, there is still reason to be hesitant in believing that the story will progress at a fast pace moving forward, but the fourth volume finally gets the needed progression.
Fans already following “Mieruko-chan” will already be aware of the strengths and weaknesses, but if it is a series that lacked that pull to keep you entranced past the first few volumes, the fourth volume is a welcome change of pace. In addition, the franchise will see new popularity due to the release of the anime adaptation, and while the anime has its charms, this is certainly a case of the manga being the quintessential way to indulge in the outlandish world that Tomoki Izumi has crafted.
Personally, my own enjoyment of the series was waning with each subsequent release as the series fell short of the greater narrative it was teasing throughout the first three volumes. However, this recent outing in the series has revitalized my faith in the work – I am once again enamored by the devilishly dark charms of “Mieruko-chan” and am positive other readers will feel the same.
