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Mieruko-chan Episode 7 Review – Quick Summary
In Mieruko-chan Episode 7, “Did You See That?,” Yulia Niguredou ruminated on the humiliation she received at the hands of the arch mage Miko Yotsuya. At least, that’s how Yulia saw it. So, when she saw that Hana Yurikawa suspected a hidden talent for photography, Yulia used that as an excuse for a trip to the scenic (haunted) mountains. Surely, Miko would have to let on that she could see the ghosts that Yulia planned to exorcise! Then, seeing Yulia’s skills, Miko would have to acknowledge her! But Yulia did not count on Miko’s awesome display of power — which is to say, Yulia completely misunderstood what happened next! Which was probably good for her sanity…
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Mieruko-chan Episode 7
It doesn’t seem that Yulia liked the reminder any more than Miko did! Capture from the Funimation stream.
Hana is a delightfully pure character. She’s this massive spiritual force, yet she’s completely unaware of it. She takes joy in the smallest things, like enjoying snacks with Miko. She wants to have a special talent, so she weeps with joy when Yulia praises her talent for photography. At the end of the episode, seeing that her two friends were feeling down, so she pulled them into a big embrace and took a picture.
And she’s a magnet for apparitions.
She also has a talent for understatement. Or maybe she just has no idea that her honesty borders on frightening? Because she seemed oblivious when her statement painted Miko as someone who was guilty of attempted murder.
During a break in class, when Yulia broke into their conversation and Hana tried to remember who she was, Miko said she was “Yulia-chan.”
“Oh!” Hana said, remembering (05:32). “The girl you tried to murder!”
Well, at least Hana remembered who Yulia was!
Best in Show Moment for Mieruko-chan Episode 7
It just takes a second to show a tiny weakness, or emotion, or… something in a character. But it can make all of the difference in the world. Capture from the Funimation stream.
Setup: Yulia, Not a One-Trick Pony
Yulia’s not a real person. She’s a fictional character. I know — and the sky is blue (when it’s not cloudy) and water is wet. I’m not trying to be profound, I’m trying to set the stage to make a point. So please do bear with me for a moment.
It’s not uncommon for characters to be unidimensional, or to show little to no character development. Take Orihime Inoue, for example. She’s a beloved character from Bleach, but she has the character depth of your average piece of photocopy paper. She’s very, very pretty, and she’s a kind soul. But Orihime at the start of Bleach is Orihime at the end of Bleach. She’s very much “what you see is what you get.”
Yulia as “Misunderstanding Girl” isn’t a bad thing. But, it could be more. In this episode, it became more! Capture from the Funimation stream.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Writing entertaining fiction is tough, and presenting a well-loved character at all is a major accomplishment. As a reader or viewer, I can even say I enjoy those characters.
Yet, when I remember the great characters of anime, do I think of Orihime? No, I don’t. That’s not because I think she’s a bad character. It’s because — for me, at least, and I realize that saying I’m an “outlier” is a kind way of putting it — I want more. I want development, or multi-dimensions. I want something more than just pretty, or just nice, or just… whatever.
That’s why I picked this Yulia moment as my favorite in this episode.
Delivery: Yulia Just Clicked a Button…
Yulia has completely misunderstood Miko. Miko’s sole motivation in her interactions with Yulia is to keep the girl alive. Miko has realized that Yulia can see the little ghosts, but not the bigger, more dangerous ghosts. Or, at least the ghosts Miko perceives as dangerous.
But Yulia has interpreted all their interactions through a completely different lens. Yulia thinks that Miko sees Yulia as a spiritual competitor. Yulia thinks Miko choked her to eliminate a threat. Just as Yulia thinks that in this episode, Miko used a warding spell to set up a barrier to protect them from ghosts. Or that Miko exorcized a lesser ghost to impress Yulia. In reality, Miko could only stare in horror as a greater ghost consumed the lesser.
And may I just say how fantastic the sound effects were at that point in this episode (around 14:00)?
Well, the greater ghost thought that Miko and Yulia could both see it, so it moved to attack. Would its aggression have hurt our heroes? We still don’t know. But what we do know is that the awesome attendants from the previous episode reappeared to drive the greater apparition back.
There’s something about these characters that I find almost infinitely compelling. I want to know more about them! Capture from the Funimation stream.
Yulia misunderstood that, too, but something changed. On the bus ride back, Hana took a selfie with Miko and Yulia, then texted it them. Yulia’s thoughts suggested she still suspected Miko. But even as she thought those things, she clicked the button to make that picture her phone’s wallpaper — replacing that of her idol, Mitsue Takeda (20:36). Her eyes, when she looked at her new wallpaper, were blurry with tears.
Yulia has been alone for so long. Seeing her take that little, tentative step — making Hana’s picture her wallpaper — changed her from a one-note “Misunderstanding Girl” to someone who’s loneliness has made a deep impression on her soul. An impression that Hana and Miko just might be able to heal.
Well, assuming they all survive, that is!
What did you think of the attendants holding up one finger after they saved Miko? What were your favorite moments from this episode? Please feel free to let me know in the comments!
Mieruko-chan Episode 7 Review: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Mieruko-chan – Episode 7 discussion
- RABUJOI: Mieruko-chan – 07 – Tunnel Visions (of Horror)
- Random Curiosity: Mieruko-chan – 07
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
