WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Mieruko-Chan, "She Totally Sees Them," now streaming on Funimation.
In Mieruko-chan Episode 2, Miko’s living nightmare continues as the soft-spoken girl is hounded at every turn by her new ability to see ghosts. You can’t help but feel sorry for the stoic medium, though her unusually grounded reactions to each encounter make for some great comedy. The series has shown the downside of Miko’s ability so far, but Episode 2 showcases at least one benefit her newfound powers bring to the table.
School is hard enough on its own, but Miko’s ability to see the dead has turned it into a terrifying place. Now the building seems to be a popular haunt for a variety of spirits, and Miko encounters plenty of them throughout her day. Whether it’s in class, the hallways or changing rooms, there’s no shortage of ghastly creatures lurking around.
For the most part, Miko is able to keep her composure throughout these encounters. It’s an impressive feat, but even she can’t keep a straight face for long. The spirits she sees are terrifying, and while Mieruko-chan is more comedic than it is scary, the ghosts' designs have been a highlight so far. Every new spirit brings a sense of unease to the table, and you can tell Miko has trouble ignoring some of the more grotesque ones.
After an eventful day at school, Miko and Hanna come across a stray kitten. While Hanna is occupied with tending to the little feline, Miko notices yet another ghost – this one seeming to be very attached to the abandoned cat. The two set out to find a new home for the cat and are soon approached by two men.
The first of the two has various scars on his face, a blank look, and isn’t all that personable when approaching the two girls. He’s far from the ideal candidate and doesn’t really give Hanna or Miko much confidence. The second man is young, handsome, and seems like a better choice. Hanna is set on giving the kitten to him, but Miko senses something's off and sees various cat spirits around him. Like the other ghosts Miko has seen up to this point, they're grotesque and have an intimidating aura. Realizing he’s not what he seems, Miko insists that Hanna not give the kitten to him.
The scarred man is also surrounded by cat spirits, but unlike the handsome man, these spirits are almost angelic in appearance and look over him lovingly. Miko is convinced that despite his appearance, the first man will make the best foster parent for the abandoned stray.
Most of the ghosts seen in Mieruko-chan have been grotesque amalgamations of body horror. The introduction of the two cat spirits – alongside the scarred man’s wife at the end of Episode 2 – confirms that Miko has just had rotten luck and encountered some of the less desirable ghosts the world has to offer. Despite it turning her life into a living nightmare, Miko’s ability to see the dead has proved to be useful in a limited capacity. Mieruko-chan will undoubtedly continue to play off her reserved reactions to the horrifying sights in front of her, but there’s potential for more than just comedy to be worked into the narrative going forward.
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