Mieruko-chan - A Surprisingly Fun and Scary Anime

It is not common for me to review an anime without first watching the entire show from start to end. But this show has changed my perspective a bit. I want to introduce to you a new segment, A Review So Far. This is to showcase the current series that just started airing at the beginning of the season after watching a few episodes. Mieruko-chan is the first of possibly many Review So Far segments. This is just to illustrate some of the concepts of the series. No grades. Not ratings, just a first look into the series.

Have you ever felt happy and bubbly one second, only to switch to instant dread the next and then back to happy and bubbly? What if I told you that Mieruko-chan will give you those types of feelings. The Fall 2021 Anime Season is in full swing, and I have watched a handful of shows. Still, of all those that are currently airing, Mieruko-chan has been the only one where I was compelled to watch the newest episode right away. This show caught me by surprise, and so far, it has been a wild ride.

When you often think of dread, what are the elements used to create that powerful feeling? Typically, it's dark or washed-out imagery, combined with low strings music or sounds held on a long note. In Mieruko-chan, those music elements are present, but the dark greyed imagery is surrounded by happy, vibrant colors. Now you have that feeling of dread and happiness at the same time. Mieruko-chan does a fantastic job of combining these two elements simultaneously while constantly switching off and on like a child flipping a light switch really fast. I am currently watching the Junji Ito Collection, yet I feel more dread watching Mieruko-chan.

The opening sequence is fun, upbeat, and doesn't really prepare you for what is to come in the series. Granted, if you read the manga, you have a pretty good idea of what will happen. But for newcomers, Mieruko-chan is a fun and exciting experience. The ending sequence still has the upbeat music but also combines the imagery of the ghosts and, on occasion, throws in some hard metal. You can check out both the opening and ending sequence below.



Overall, Mieruko-chan delivers by making you have two conflicting feelings at all times. You get that sense of happiness with Mieruko-chan and her friend while also keeping that nameless fear and dread in the back of your heart. This so far has been one of, if not my favorite, show of Fall 2021, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Only 3 episodes have aired so far, and I eagerly await the next one. If you haven't watched it yet, you can check it out on Funimation. I highly recommend this show.

*Images are from Kin201 from the Mieruko-chan Wiki Fandom. Video is from YouTube Channel KADOKAWAanime. We do not own any of these images. Credit to all artists of the images and credit goes to the creators of the anime series.