Mieruko-chan

[Ryllharu]

I must have missed Godmother saying she was in great danger. Yes, they are unnerving, yes their actions are as suspicious as it gets, but none of them have actually touched or projected any force upon Miko yet, have they? I don't blame her for not wanting to test the theory, but I don't see any evidence that these spirits are both malignant and capable of corporeal harm. Apparently, people are walking into and through them all the time without ill effect, unless these 'auras' are protecting them, which I also am unfamiliar with.

Hana is safe because of her supreme aura, and Miko is admirable for obviously seeing them but ignoring them. We can kind of assume Yulia has a decent aura as well.

So it is inference, not directly stated.

Miko put her face right into the Leatherface style one that same episode, trying to protect Hana (Miko has no idea that they'll cling all over Hana, but can't do anything to Hana).

So, going with traditional Japanese ghost lore, conversing with or admitting you can see one and they notice is the problem.

[neflight86]

I wonder how much I may be missing out of this if those Japanese horror tropes are a shorthand for audience expectation? I wasn't getting those impressions at all (outside of Miko's obvious situation), especially with the groping one wrapped around Hana in the nurse's office and her being none the wiser.

I guess I'm waiting for one to interact with the physical world somehow so I can graduate to 'sticks and stones' from 'words can never hurt me'. That itself could be a powerful reveal the author is saving for later though, so it may be intentional.

[Ryllharu]

I wonder how much I may be missing out of this if those Japanese horror tropes are a shorthand for audience expectation? I wasn't getting those impressions at all (outside of Miko's obvious situation), especially with the groping one wrapped around Hana in the nurse's office and her being none the wiser.

The pattern most typically associated with Kuchisake-onna is the big one and the one you really need to know to get the vibe. See the convo chart on wikipedia especially.

[DarthEnderX]

I'm just not as convinced as you are that the writer is just slavishly following the rules of Japanese folklore.

I'll believe a thing is a certain way when the show tells me it's that way. I'm not just going to assume it's going to be the cliche.

[Ryllharu]

Episode 7
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This is definitely my favorite OP of the season, by quite the margin.

The misunderstanding between Miko and Yulia just gets better every episode. Poor girl has been choked out and suffocated twice now, but she finally has some real friends to call her own.

I am very curious what's going on with the shrine ghost and maiden demons. Is Miko being extra cursed by them, or favored? The shrine maiden demons protected her this time, but it wasn't like the big one was around to feed on the ghost she and Hana had lured.

[DarthEnderX]

8

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8 episodes in and still zero evidence that these things are capable of actually harming people. The only violence they do is on each other.

Anyway, cat murderer is back! Hope he dies!

[neflight86]

Liking the conflict brewing here, because, as mentioned, no indication of ghosts affecting the physical world.

Post credit scene was genuinely heartwarming. I almost teared up.

[neflight86]

9

Her "kya"s were genuinely cute in the haunted house, and the teacher still hasn't been shown being evil- maybe he just forgot to feed his cats?

[DarthEnderX]

Nah, that dude is definitely a serial killer.

He's got, like, a dozen curse cats. If you keep getting more cats after letting the first couple starve, it's clearly not simple negligence.

[Ryllharu]

Hana has also been getting hungrier lately, meaning she is burning and repelling more spirits that are gathering around her. Probably mostly at school.

Yulia's completely unfounded arrogance is always so cute. It's very heartwarming that Hana and Miko keep trying to drag her out of her isolation.

Personally, I thought Miko's screams were weird as hell, not cute.

[neflight86]

I meant that they were very forced, and I thought that was what made them cute- sympathizing with Mieruko.

[Ryllharu]

Eps 10

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Shrimp, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, ham and cheese on brioche (or maybe challah bread)?!

I kind of believe the gyaru on the mouthfeel of the sandwich. It must be rubbery-meaty, crunchy, salty, and sweet.

Yeah...let's just keep pretending they aren't dangerous. Miko finally confirmed to one that she saw it and it went immediately for her to the degree she triggered the shrine maidens to save her. And it wasn't even an overtly scary one. It was more in line with what Yulia usually sees. Godmother seems to see the completely benign ones that are like Miko's dad.

[DarthEnderX]

Yeah...let's just keep pretending they aren't dangerous. Miko finally confirmed to one that she saw it and it went immediately for her to the degree she triggered the shrine maidens to save her. And it wasn't even an overtly scary one.

I'm not saying they aren't dangerous, just that there's no evidence that they are.

Yeah, it went after her. But what happens when it GETS her? Because so far, the show suggests that it's nothing. She's had a goddamn ghost axe in her FACE and NOTHING HAPPENED.

The show really needs to establish stakes by showing someone else seeing a ghost and being hurt by it.


I will say, that kid ghost was cheating.

I wonder if she can replenish her shrine ghosts by making another offering.

[Ryllharu]

Axe ghost didn't know she could see it. So it chopped into her to check for ghosts, but not her. Same thing when Miko stepped into the chain ghost to protect Hana from contacting it (before she knew Hana has a super aura).

That acknowledgement of being seen changes them very quickly to much more menacing behavior. Like granting them permission to interact. She's been safe so far because she keeps convincing them that they were mistaken.

[DarthEnderX]

That acknowledgement of being seen changes them very quickly to much more menacing behavior.

Changes their behavior, yes. But there's no evidence that the behavior change does anything to change their capabilities.

If being hostile doesn't actually do anything about the fact that they're intangible, then they still can't actually do jack shit to her. Other than, I dunno, harass her more emotionally?

[neflight86]

Well, the rules at play here are still fuzzy to me. For instance, how sentient are the ghosts? They can only have malice and repeat simple phrases, but are able to tell that people are probably screaming at the ghost house actors instead of me? Why aren't there other instances of people being attacked by ghosts, like a string of unexplained murders or disappearances? What if a ghost thinks someone sees it because they are daydreaming and happen to be staring into its space- surely there's room for that kind of happenstance. Strange that they expect someone to be able to see them at all, actually, since they constantly ask Mieruko. All we're saying is that some evidence of consequence would really help cement the tension here, as everything so far can be attributed to a fever dream, corporeally speaking.

Animal abuse is sad to see. This is building up to an interesting confrontation; will sensei get his comeuppance, and if so, how will Mieruko's powers play a role in that?

[Ryllharu]

Eps 11

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Worth mentioning that both things Miko's mother and brother suggest feeding to the cat would kill it. Consistent with the background gags all being a bit on the morbid side, including the book they are still reading in class.

I guess the entire theme of the series is seeing things and judging them prematurely from appearance. Both positively and negatively. It is sweet that his friend from childhood kept up their friendship despite Zen's mother forbidding him from doing or engaging with anyone.

The juxtaposition of Miko deeply caring for Hana to Zen taking care of stray cats was intentional and quite funny.

So who is the sociopath running around killing cats?

[DarthEnderX]

So who is the sociopath running around killing cats?

My guess is either the childhood friend, or the grouchy looking neighbor woman.

[Ryllharu]

My guess is either the childhood friend, or the grouchy looking neighbor woman.

The childhood friend is the vet, and he's pretty husky.

We do know it is a guy person with a similar build to Zen from the scene in the alley.

[DarthEnderX]

Misdirection!