WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 8 of Mieruko-chan, "The Things She Sees," now streaming on Funimation.
Poor Miko seems to go through supernatural ordeal after ordeal with each passing episode of Mieruko-chan. Though one might assume she’d get used to it after some time, there sadly doesn’t look to be any adjusting to the casual horrors she is subjected to on a daily basis.
Episode 8 really puts Miko through the wringer, as her various outings are once again hindered by the persistent undead. At this point, she has seen spirits just about everywhere she’s been throughout her daily routine. Miko's train ride home is disturbed by an aggressive ax-wielding ghost, and she notices the spirit of a deceased child haunting her teacher while helping out after class -- but that’s not the worst thing she encounters while at school.
Miko once again runs into the man haunted by cat spirits, discovering he’s the substitute teacher for her class. Though he seems perfectly normal and sociable on the outside, there’s more to Zen than his external persona suggests. Miko suspects as much thanks to her powers, though, as with everything else related to her abilities, it appears she would rather ignore the issue instead of getting herself involved.
Up until now, ghosts have served as Mieruko-chan’s primary antagonists. Though the majority of them merely creep Miko out, some of the bigger, more powerful spirits have been shown to be hostile to weaker spirits and the humans around them. Zen is the series’ first human villain, and while the show has yet to divulge much about the character, he hasn’t been painted in the best light since being introduced.
Miko has noticed a good number of spirits lingering around humans throughout her unwanted escapades in the paranormal world. Some have had good intentions, like her father or the old man spirit, while others like the jealous ghosts haunting the unfaithful couple seemed more malicious. But the cats around Zen hint at something much more sinister.
A lot of Mieruko-chan’s comedy comes from Miko’s unwillingness to acknowledge the unbelievable horrors staring her in the face. The series is lighthearted enough that there aren’t any real stakes with each episode, but Zen’s potentially increased involvement in the narrative might force Miko to become more active going forward. It’ll be interesting to see how the story utilizes Zen in future episodes, and whether he’ll play a larger role as Mieruko-chan starts to wind down.
