Title: Mieruko-chan Vol. 5
Author: Tomoki Izumi
Publisher: Yen Press
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
Genre: Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Horror
Publication Date: May 24, 2022
The Story
The fifth volume of Mieruko-chan deals with Hana getting sick. Miko and Yuria pay her a visit. They feed her and feed her and feed her some more and something shocking happened. Hana said that she might have eaten too much! Oh, and there was one of the dead things hiding in the fish tank behind her that kept trying to zap her aura but… SHE SAID SHE ATE TOO MUCH! This is a major revelation of epic proportions! It has been confirmed that even Hana’s stomach has its limits!
After that, Rom and Mitsue take center stage. Yuria decides to check out one of Rom’s tours of haunted places. It’s pretty obvious there is a lot of conning going on here but when Yuria gets affected by a spirit she cannot see, Rom saves the day. Yuria seems to believe that Rom might be a key in leveling up her ability so she can stand side-by-side with Miko.
Rom then reaches out to Miko. She convinces her to go back to the shrine; however, he really wanted Hana to tag along. When Miko showed up alone, Rom wonders where Hana is when Mitsue intervenes. She stopped off someplace and picked up something from her past. We end our volume with Mitsue telling Miko to go home but she’s being defiant!
The Characters
When it comes to character development, the only real development here is with Rom. He is beginning to play a more prominent role in the series but there is still a bit of mystery to unravel here. It’s pretty clear that he’s masquerading as a con man but he does have the ability to sense spirits or at least know of them. His ties to Mitsue are still a mystery as well. With Yuria possibly taking an apprenticeship under him, he’ll be involved a bit more heavily going forward so I’m sure some questions will get answered eventually.
Mitsue had some development but I’m not quite sure how to put it. It’s like she developed but didn’t develop at the same time. She is still surrounded by a bit of mystery even though we know she’s more than just some fortune teller. What her connection is to the shrine and some of the spirits aren’t fully clear but she is well aware that things there are very dangerous.
However, I must restate that the biggest development in manga history occurred. Hana has a limit to how much she can eat!
Final Thoughts
Last volume, things did a complete 180 and it doesn’t seem to be changing direction. We did get some moments that kept everything in line with the first two volumes but we’re also diving deeper into things with both Rom and Mitsue now.
This opens the doors for some interesting things. I know that I’m already intrigued by what’s happening as this feels really fresh as if it’s giving the manga some direction. In my last review, I stated that a series like this needed a change of pace, otherwise the premise would have gotten stale. Just seeing these spirits and finding awkward ways to avoid or ignore them would have gotten old after a while. In fact, by the end of the third volume, I felt that the gag was a bit stale. Then, this comes along and adds a whole new twist to it!
Now, I’m wondering about the shrine guardians, how Mitsue knows of them, what Rom wants to accomplish there, what it has to do with Hana, and why everyone seems to be tied to one another. This has definitely become one of the most interesting series I’ve read as of late and to think that this is the mangaka’s first series AND it got a television anime… it just shows that he’s doing everything right!
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This item was provided for review by Yen Press
