I thought it would be a good idea to touch base quickly on Mieruko-chan, for a couple of reasons.  Although I didn’t cover it last week I am still watching it, and as such saw this week’s episode.  Since it was comfortably the best of the series so far, it seemed only right to make note of that.  I won’t say it’s enough to make me officially pick up the series, but it was sufficient to spark my interest enough to watch for at least a couple more weeks.

The fanservice?  It’s still there, though it hasn’t been quite as crude and calculated these last two eps.  Where the show has made progress is that it’s started to explore the larger plot a bit more, what with the shady old fortuneteller and the prayer beads and all.  Also, this week’s focus on Miko’s family was a big step up, I thought.  These interactions feel much more natural and less pandery than the stuff with Hana – night and day really.  I like Kyousuke (the little brother), who despite being five years younger takes a rather protective (tinged with jealousy) attitude with his sister.

The big reveal this week, of course, was with another member of the family.  The “Sixth Sense moment” was certainly a game-changer, all the more so as it was quite unexpected (or would have been had I not been spoiled).  It begs a lot of questions – was Miko already seeing apparitions even before losing her father?  Even if she was, what impact did his passing have on her sight?  While it’s implied it’s also not made clear, expressly, that Miko can see him at all – if she can’t it would be sadly ironic to say the least.  If she can, it’s interesting that she chooses not to interact with him just as she does with the others.  That would welcome some exploration to be sure.

Where I’m still struggling (in addition to the fanservice) is that the plot itself still plays as pretty one-note to me.  Miko just can’t catch a break, literally – this horror show doesn’t cut her any slack.  How long can a person retain their sanity when faced with visions like this non-stop – and is that a (the?) question Mieruko-chan is going to seriously explore?  It’d be interesting to find out, but this one could still go either way for me.