WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 5 of Mieruko-chan, "She Sees Them, Too," now streaming on Funimation.
Miko has been alone in dealing with her sudden ability to see the dead throughout the series so far. Aside from the fact that she doesn’t want to acknowledge what she’s seeing, Miko knows that people likely won’t believe her should she tell them of what she’s been experiencing. The return of a character teased in the first episode finally gives her someone to open up to. But just as with everything having to do with the spirit world, Miko isn’t quick to accept this new relationship.
One of Miko’s schoolmates, Yulia, seems much more into the occult than she is and is revealed to have been a regular at the fortune-telling shop before Godmother closed it down. When she finds out that Miko was the last customer the elder psychic had, Yulia decides to learn more about her unassuming peer.
Yulia has the ability to see ghosts herself, having been gifted with the ability since childhood. As she's more accustomed to seeing the dead, Yulia appreciates her powers much more than Miko does, and strives to become a better psychic. But while Yulia can see the smaller, weaker ghosts that roam the world, she’s just as oblivious to the stronger, scarier types Miko has to endure seeing on a daily basis.
Yulia chooses the worst time to confront Miko, calling her out while in the presence of a massive and terrifying ghost. Not willing to acknowledge her abilities in front of the ghastly specter, Miko keeps true to form and outright denies her. Yulia’s boasting attracts the ghost’s attention, and in a panic, Miko ends up subduing her with a wrestling move.
Yulia seems like the complete opposite of Miko. She’s proud of her abilities and actively tries to improve them, taking an interest in the occult and welcoming any potential encounters with spirits. Though their first encounter came to a hilariously disastrous end, Yulia will no doubt continue to pester Miko going forward.
As much as she doesn’t like to acknowledge her abilities or the things she sees, having someone who has more experience in dealing with the spirit world to talk to should be a massive relief for Miko going forward. She might try to keep a stoic veneer in front of the ghosts surrounding her, but the endless horrors Miko has been seeing have gradually been taking their toll. Meeting Yulia is one of the best things that could have happened to Miko, though she might not know it yet.
