She sees dead people, and doesn't want them to know that she can see them. It's pretty much the manga version of the movie, The Sixth Sense, and for those old enough to remember this movie (OMG I feel ancient, feel old with me everybody!), the premise of Mieruko-chan is similar to the movie. High schooler Miko finds herself surrounded by horrific-looking ghosts desperate for her attention. She has no idea why they need her (or does she?), and does her best to ignore them while trying to figure out why they are contacting her. It's a new story that is obviously influenced by the movie I mentioned above, which includes a shocking twist that I didn't see coming and has me invested. No spoilers, but the only hint I can give is that it involves someone very close to Miko. Now, is this story good? In a way, it is. It does have flaws that I can get over, but the major flaw I just can't ignore and is a trope I despise the most, is the fan service involving minors. Like I mentioned before, this story centers on a high schooler. There are a couple scenes involving Miko and her very busty friend, Hana, that made me very uncomfortable. There's a shot directly at Miko's crotch where you can clearly see her underwear though her pajamas. Another sequence that almost made me throw this book was where Hana is being groped by a perverted ghost with multiple limbs as she is playfully using a stethoscope on Miko under her shirt. Was that really necessary?! I actually had a guy try to "explain" to me how harmless this scene was. Really. "It's not like she knows they're there." "She's a teenager." "They're not hurting he-" "SHE'S A F****** MINOR!" This was an actual conversation. Some of you of the male persuasion disappoint me sometimes. Despite my gripe, the cliffhanger at the end does have me hooked and need to know more about Miko's connection with these spirits. I guess I'll have wait until I read volume 2, or watch the anime that is currently streaming on Funimation. In addition, the art work in Mieruko-chan is amazing, especially with the ghosts. Some of them were Junji Ito level, so much that I couldn't read this book at night. I give Mieruko-chan a 3/5. The story is engaging and makes you want more. What I don't want more of is the underage fan service. Just... no.
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Who am I?The Library Lady is a Young Adult Librarian and reviewer. She's also a music, anime, and film nerd. Archives
January 2024
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