Mieruko-Chan “Can You See Them?” Review
Mieruko Chan “Can You See Them?” is the first episode of the much anticipated anime adapted from the manga by the same name. Taken on by Studio Passione, it’s no wonder this is an atmospheric. Slow moving and suitably creepy adaptation. Miko is a normal girl who one day just suddenly starts seeing ghosts. Pretty dark ones too. For her own safety and sanity and for the safety of her friend Hana she ignores them. It seems, for now, they only haunt people who acknowledge them.
Plot
Miko spends the first 15 minutes of this episode going about her daily life. Meeting up with Hana, talking about weird things going on in Hana’s house. Whilst Miko does notice some out of place things and some strange characters taking notice of her. Nothing of note really happens, it’s a normal school day. Until home time and Miko realises she’s left her lucky charm at school. She goes back in the darkness and finds it but not without creepy as hell things happening, shadows in the darkness that disappear in the light, the usual ghost stuff.
She gets to the bust stop and whilst she’s texting Hana, a ghost overtakes her phone and just repeatedly sends the same message until she drops it. Whilst she picks it up a ghastly ghost shows up right in front of her but she pretends not to see it. It eventually gets bored and goes away. From then on the frequency of the sightings increases but Miko knows the best way to deal with them is to pretend not to see them…
Review
What a great first episode and so suspenseful. The hints that are dropped that something is haunting Hana is less than subtle as it is exactly the same as what happened to a lady on the TV in the beginning of the episode but that’s a good thing. It may force Miko to acknowledge the ghosts. This episode had just the perfect amount of humour, horror and fan service that I’m already hyping it as one of my favourites for this season.
Hana is fantastic. Miko is an amazing protagonist. Going out of her way to look bored as hell about life even in the face of horror. I’m hoping to meet new characters in the next episode or perhaps get a clue as to who the girl was that gave Miko the stare down in school. She’s important for sure.
