One of Funimation's Best Anime Series May Be Chilling, But There's More to It Than You May Realize

Before shutting down, the anime streaming service Funimation licensed a horror anime called Mieruko-chan that's still renowned for chilling situations involving the series' eponymous girl haunted by grotesque and oftentimes terrifying supernatural creatures. The anime's unique spin is that Mieruko tries to pretend that she can't see them, for fear of how they will react. Consequently, later events do justify these fears. Luckily, some force always prevents the audience from witnessing what horrors they would have inflicted on her should they have had their way.

Many veteran horror aficionados still find many of these scenarios amusing, understandably, because the natural lack of interaction that occurs between her and these spirits pales in comparison to more direct, violent horror anime. However, viewers less accustomed to the genre are kept on their toes and left spooked. Moreover, the fact that Mieruko needs to pretend she doesn't have this special sight forces her into certain situations that require her to stay closer to them for an extended period - and, in some cases, even touch them.

Mieruko-chan Deconstructs Anime's Usual Depiction of Japanese Horror Effectively

Based on the manga by Tomoki Izumi; Anime Produced by Passione

Of course, the clueless innocence of Mieruko's friend Hana Yurikawa whose obliviousness to Mieruko's plight, incessant need to eat, and the sometimes inappropriate ways these beings interact with her (and others) do provide momentary glimpses of humor, along with the later introduction of the ridiculously competitive Yuria Niguredou. These rare comedic reliefs aren't what makes Mieruko-chan more than a horror flick, however. It's how Mieruko's interactions with either benevolent or malevolent spiritsbring peace to those among the living, all of which is complemented by a compelling side story deconstructing a ubiquitous part of Japanese culture from Mieruko's unique perception.

Regarding the latter, Mieruko-chan essentially asks how her unique sight could perceive supernatural events that stem from praying at Japanese shrines. Even to viewers outside Japan, the prevalence of shrines in anime helps non-Japanese fans understand their relevance to Japanese culture. It's therefore very compelling that when Mieruko naturally attempts to cleanse herself and friends of these spirits by visiting a shrine, the anime portrays the resulting phenomena through the same lens as how she normally perceives what haunts her.

Mieruko-chan Revolutionizes How She Interacts with Terrifying Spirits

These Heartwarming Instances Are Mieruko-chan's True Appeal

This not only adds a new dynamic to the story that helps innovate the anime's distinctive formula, but serves as a fascinating recontextualization of an already ubiquitous aspect of Japanese culture. However, this is surprisingly not Mieruko-chan's only other distinctive appeal. It's the aforementioned instances that change how she interacts with these spirits. Rather than just terrifying her, she eventually stumbles upon more benevolent spirits and has the foresight to sometimes inadvertently bring peace to those among the living by discretely and even creatively communicating critical messages from these spirits to their loved ones.

These instances don't occur until later on and become increasingly more frequent until they culminate in the anime's first big, multi-episode event at the end. Its increased length comes in part to Mieruko's misunderstanding of the situation, until she realizes that what she's been seeing is actually the manifestation of a massive haunting on one individual with so many facets that he initially came across as evil. The tragedy of this man's backstory clearly deserves the extra attention that Mieruko-chan gives it, adding even more weight to the story's heartwarming albeit slightly bittersweet conclusion.

An Undeniable Genius That Helps Funimation's Lasting Legacy Live On

Funimation Was Right to License Mieruko-chan

Unfortunately, many anime viewers who possess less of a tolerance for horror will give up watching by the second episode, if not the first. The anime's unique formula, depicting Mieruko's feigned ignorance of and extended forced tolerance for the horrors around her, is quite persistent and sometimes feels like it could last for all 12 episodes. There are truly many scenarios throughout the first installments with very brief reprieves scattered throughout, and the sheer variety of each haunting creates the impression that the manga's original creator could very well have stayed completely true to this formula indefinitely without any change.

For horror fans, these diverse depictions of every haunting allow them to fully enjoy each one without growing tired of the ostensible repetitiveness, which is critical for those who are initially intrigued by the basic premise. Possessing the capability to elongate the original appeal of an anime is critical, since, sometimes, the eventual shift can sometimes be too jarring for some fans. Regardless, every good story doesn't stay the same forever, and in the case of Mieruko-chan, the changes that eventually come are what truly make the anime a classic.

It's this undeniable truth about Mieruko-chan's genius that makes Funimation's eventual closing all the sadder, even to this day. The streaming service's undeniable ability to recognize the potential of an anime's worth is why so many trusted Funimation, knowing full well that the anime it licensed would always be quality works of art, and Mieruko-chan is no exception.