Mieruko-chan vol 1 by Tomoki Izumi

Miku suddenly starts seeing really gruesome evil spirits. Instead of reacting to them, she’s convinced that if she pretends she can’t see anything, they’ll go away. It works for the most part, but it doesn’t stop Miku from feeling terrified every time one of them shows up. Miku and her friend try to live normal lives — getting tea, going shopping, but Miku’s constant moments of fear start to freak everyone else out. Miku buys some prayer beads to hopefully keep the spirits away from her, but every strand she puts on breaks and scatters beads everywhere. A vendor and spiritually powerful fortune teller gives Miku her best set of prayer beads, which also breaks, forcing the fortune teller into retirement in disgrace. All the fun and games are pushed aside when Miku comes down for breakfast, and finds much more than a terrifying spirit in her kitchen.

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The basic storyline for this series is actually really interesting, and the place we leave Miku in at the conclusion hints at some really heartbreaking things coming down the road for Miku. However, there is some super problematic fan-service that really mars the rest of the book. We get constant panty shots from Miku's friend, and she is often talking about or accentuating her overly large bosom. These moments aside, this take on the horror genre is really enjoyable, and that's coming from a wimp who doesn't like scary things!

I really enjoyed the different moods Izumi has in the illustrations. Miku and her friends are drawn in a very typical manga fashion with lots of details, but when the evil spirits come into play, everything is extremely different. The spirits are drawn really chaotically with your classic horror details, like severed limbs or bulging eyes. The terror on Miku's face is palpable, as really showcased on the cover of this volume. 

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Publisher: Yen Press
Publication Date: November 17, 2020
ISBN: 9781975317577 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Horror, School Age, ​Paranormal