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Mieruko-chan Episode 5 Review – Quick Summary
In Mieruko-chan Episode 5, “She Sees Them, Too,” Julia Niguredou was dead-set on becoming Mitsue Takeda’s apprentice. In fact, Julia badgered the old woman about it so much that in and effort to get rid of Julia, the old woman gave her some cheap prayer beads. But Julia, being Julia, thought the gift mean she was now the older woman’s apprentice! So it was with disbelief that Julia tried to visit again and saw the “closed” sign on Mitsue’s old booth. Even worse, a worker nearby said Mitsue had retired to the countryside. There could be only one explanation: Miko Yotsuya and Hana Yurikawa, the last two people to visit, must have done something. But what? And is it true that Miko can see ghosts — the same ghosts that Julia sees?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Mieruko-chan Episode 5
I have to admire Hana’s single-mindedness! Capture from the Funimation stream.
I felt sorry for Julia in this episode. She’s clearly a lonely young woman. Her ability to see the undead has made her feel isolated. Worse, she doesn’t have a spiritually-glowing friend like Hana to light her life. So, she’s been on her own.
She had just learned, to her dismay, that Mitsue had left town. A worker indicated Miko and Hana, who happened to be walking by, as the last two to see the older woman.
Can you guess what Hana was talking about? I bet you can if you think for a second.
Yep. Butt buns.
“I dreamt you bought me butt buns,” Hana said to Miko (04:57). “Endless piles of them, too!”
Hana seems to have a fixation on butt buns. And you know what? I’m completely okay with that!
Best in Show Moment for Mieruko-chan Episode 5
And I think my job can be stressful! I cannot imagine what this poor young woman is going through. Capture from the Funimation stream.
Setup: Stands Up to Comparisons to Great Films
This is the second time that Mierko-chan has reminded me (favorably) of a movie. This time, it was Die Hard, of all things. Mieruko-chan came up with its own take on dual understandings of a situation. It’s a scene where one character thinks they know what’s up and tries to get the other to do something. But the second character knows a lot more about what’s going on and tries desperately to save the first.
Do you remember the scene from Die Hard? A less than scrupulous executive, Harry Ellis, thought he could broker a deal between the terrorists (lead by Hans Gruber, played by the fantastic actor Alan Rickman) and the main character, John McCane (played by the nearly as fantastic actor Bruce Willis). Ellis thought that the situation was dangerous, but he didn’t think the terrorists were, well, terrorists. So Ellis, wanting to be a hero, simply tried to talk McCane into surrendering.
McCane tried desperately to save Ellis’ life. I sincerely hoped Miko would have more luck than McCane did! Capture from the Amazon stream.
Meanwhile, McCane knew the risk Ellis had really taken. The scene was a masterwork of building tension. Ellis kept trying to trade on his relationship with McCane to make him surrender (so Ellis could be the hero). McCane kept trying to convince the terrorists that he didn’t know the guy (so the terrorists wouldn’t shoot Ellis).
The tension continued to build, because Ellis really wanted to be a hero, and McCane knew he could not surrender. Finally, the scene ended — with a single gunshot.
I got exactly the same vibe from my favorite scene in this episode. And just for the record? Miko’s voice actor, Sora Amamiya, turned in another wonderful performance.
Delivery: Miko Tread a Fine Line
Julia, desperate to make contact with someone else who could see the ghosts, set up a snare. She spread some shiny caps around the floor in the school gym equipment room. She did that because the tiny ghosts would be attracted to them. Julia planned to use them to trick Miko into admitting she could see ghosts, too.
So, Julie asked Miko to help her clean up after gym class. As Miko helped put the volley balls away, she noticed but ignored the little dude ghosts she saw. Then Julia closed the doors to the gym and said, “I’ve been watching you,” she said.
That’s not creepy or anything! Miko, already adroit at ignoring what she thinks is dangerous, tried to play dumb. But Julia had been watching her too long. Julia had seen Miko dodge the ghosts herself, or help Hana dodge them. Julia knew for a fact that Miko could see them. All Julia wanted was for Miko to admit it, not only so Julia would have a professional confidant, but also so she could have personal validation. She’d been alone for so long. I can only imagine how hungry she felt to have someone else acknowledge her. To have someone else tell her that yes, what she saw was real, and that she was not imagining things.
There was something about the situation that Julia didn’t know. Capture from the Funimation stream.
But Julia didn’t know something. And that something was that Julia could not see the bigger ghosts. So even as Julia practically begged Miko to confess, Miko saw an enormous ghost, one of the dangerous one, emerge from an equipment locker. It paused, sensing that one or both of them might be able to perceive it. It poised, ready do something. We don’t yet know what, but we have a clear idea it’s probably not pleasant.
“C-Calm down!” Miko told herself, trying to think of what to do (10:48). “What do I do here? Oh, jeez!”
She eventually came up with an idea — a pretty good one, too! — but for me, that moment of tension was sublime. I felt Miko’s panic. I felt Julia’s need for affirmation. And I thought I felt the ghost’s need for recognition. This show continues to surprise and delight me, and scenes like this are why.
What did you think of Miko saying, “Bad girls get Serpent Dropped!” What were your favorite moments in the episode? Please feel free to let me know in the comments!
Mieruko-chan Episode 5 Review: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Mieruko-chan – Episode 5 discussion
- RABUJOI: Mieruko-chan – 05 – Of Moms and Manjuu
- Random Curiosity: Mieruko-chan – 05
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Mieruko-chan Episode 1: Can You See Them?
- Mieruko-chan Episode 2: She Can Totally See Them
- Mieruko-chan Episode 3: She Still Sees Them
- Mieruko-chan Episode 4: Yep, She Sees Them
- Mieruko-chan Episode 5: She Sees Them, Too
- Mieruko-chan Episode 6: She Sees Real Crazy Ones
- Mieruko-chan Episode 7: Did You See That?
- Mieruko-chan Episode 8: The Things She Sees
- Mieruko-chan Episode 9: Things She’s Seen Before
- Mieruko-chan Episode 10: Don’t Look
- Mieruko-chan Episode 11: She Looks
- Mieruko-chan Episode 12: The Girl Who Sees, Mieruko-Chan
Myself, I liked the part where she helped a ghost pass on a final message which gave one good night to his mentally-afflicted wife and their daughter, and the ghost thanked her. Thought the part where said ghost went and let itself get eaten is an interesting tidbit.
That was a great moment!
I had to wonder — do regrets keep ghosts chained to this reality? Unfinished tasks? And was that ghost that ate other ghosts (like the one you mentioned) a recycler? Sending ghosts to the after life?
I hope this show explores those ideas!
Indeed. I’m also hoping it explores whether all these spirits really are harmful or not. Because we’ve not seen any of them influence anything other than each other, really, yet we’ve also seen a ghost lingering because he’s trying to pass a message to his wife, and another scream in the face of a malicious young man who’d set his sights on a kitten. But that godmother character felt Hana’s shining aura would both attract monsters and keep her safe, and she did everything in her power to give Mieruko some safety, which would indicate that there is something they need to be kept safe *from.* So what’s out there that can actually threaten the living? Is Mieruko being paranoid, or is she being smarter than even she knows?
That’s an outstanding question.
And I think it’s great the show supports that kind of question. This show is a lot more subtle than I’d hoped, and I’m really enjoying that.