English Dub Review: Mieruko-chan “Don’t Look”
Overview (Spoilers Below):
When Hana’s hunger spirals out of control, Miko comes to a frightening conclusion about the cause. But how can she help when that same cause makes it impossible for her to focus?
Our Take:
Is it possible to solve a problem without actually looking at someone or something? That’s the question Miko is setting out to answer in today’s episode. Here, we see Miko struggling to pay attention in class when a large female ghost appears to tell the students not to look at Zen. To make things worse, Hana’s cheerfulness is suddenly affected by her constant hunger for food, which could be connected to her life aura. Later on, Miko learns a shocking discovery involving the shrine spirits and what it means for her protection.
When there’s an episode that’s one step closer to the finale, it’s easy to see that shit is about to get real, and “Don’t Look” happens to be no exception. The beginning of the episode showcases more on Zen outside of school, where we see that he has blood on his hands. More importantly, Zen’s neighbor says that someone is going around the neighborhood murdering innocent cats. So it’s possible that Zen might be the main suspect based on his hand and the demonic cats swarming around him.
This episode works wonders in building up the mystery surrounding this character and making specific moments suspenseful. One of the examples of this was the sequence involving Miko not looking at the giant female ghost and Zen. The series has constantly provided a healthy amount of intensity and comedy amid Miko’s encounters with the ghostly beings this season. I’m glad to see that “Don’t Look” manages to continue this trend with ease.
Another example is near the end of the episode, where the shrine maiden spirits save Miko from a hostile ghost posing as a child. What made it intense for me was not just the small-scale battle between the shrine spirits and the ghost but the aftermath. With Miko discovering that the good spirits can only protect her three times, it left me to wonder what would happen if they helped her one last time. The thought alone makes this scenario engaging for me, and I hope it continues in the last couple of episodes.
Overall, “Don’t Look” marks a solid beginning of the end of the show’s first season. The execution for its intense moments helps deliver another satisfying and terrifying chapter of Mieruko-chan. In other words, this is something that’s worthy of your attention.
