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• Source Material: Manga
• Studio: Passione
• Genre: Comedy, Horror, Supernatural
• Synopsis: “Miko is a typical high school student whose life turns upside down when she suddenly starts to see gruesome and hideous monsters. Despite being completely terrified, Miko carries on with her daily life, pretending not to notice the horrors that surround her. She must endure the fear in order to keep herself and her friend Hana out of danger, even if that means coming face to face with the absolute worst. Blending both comedy and horror, Mieruko-chan tells the story of a girl who tries to deal with the paranormal by acting indifferent toward it.” -MAL Rewrite

First Impression:

*WARNING: THIS ANIME IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. IF YOU DON’T LIKE SCARY THINGS, PLEASE DON’T READ THE REST OF THIS.*

It’s been a while since I had to put a warning sign at the top of a first impression! But really, the anime is pretty scary so if you’re not good with ghosts, or disturbing images I would suggest looking for a different show…but if you love those things (like I do!) then I welcome you with open arms! That being said if you really want the full effect of the anime’s thriller aspect, I would watch it BEFORE reading this first impression! Let’s dive in!

Before we get into the “juicy” parts, let’s talk about the fundamentals! I love the adorable character designs, if I didn’t know this show had a dark side I would’ve thought this was just another “cute girls doing cute things” show! I also like how versatile the designs are because while they are cute, the tone changes with the background when it goes from warmer to cooler colors can drastically change the mood. The designs still feel right with both atmospheres, there’s a nice balance between everything.

While it seems like there aren’t a lot of significant areas that the characters will explore, the places that are shown are pretty slick. Miko’s modern style home is quite nice and on the other hand there’s her school which looks pretty old, which matches the darker vibes that the show focuses on in the later half of the episode.

Composition is EVERYTHING with this show. The positioning and timing of elements in the scene can really make or break the fear factor! And I have to say, it’s brilliant. Each scene is so well thought out, like when Miko peaks out towards the hallway and it’s hard to see anything but her and the light source from the classroom to emphasize the atmosphere of the empty school or the shot of her being face to face with the bus stop monsters which shows both Miko, the monster, and the bus stop sign to establish the scale of just how big and terrifying the phantom is.

Make sure you don’t watch this show right before bed (and if you see anything under the covers…just ignore it!)! I love the line work and sound design that goes into making these monster feel scary. Anime monsters typically don’t have a fear factor to them as the style demands a different type of aesthetic, but boy does the style work here. Last time I was this freaked out was when I on a Junji Ito manga binge! I also love that even though I know the monsters are coming, I know where they are, they also manage to surprise me at every scene!

And if terrorizing Miko in her own home wasn’t enough, here they are following her to school!

Recommendation:

YES

If you love horror and you love anime then this is one of the best out there! The aesthetic, careful composition, and uncanny artwork makes each scene a terrifying experience. Of course, this isn’t for everyone and like I said at the beginning, if you don’t like horror or disturbing images THIS ANIME IS NOT FOR YOU. As for me, this will easily be one of the favorites in the season and I hope that the anime will adapt the entire manga (if not then it’s time I buy the manga set)!

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