Despite the plethora of new anime that released in 2021, Mieruko-chan stood out as an incredibly fresh and unique seinen series. It combines the best of the genre -- young teenagers dealing with seemingly mundane day-to-day drama paired with a vastly supernatural horror storyline that is more terrifying than one may think.
With any quality anime content, the question really becomes about whether to read the manga or watch the anime first. Especially since only one season of the anime has aired thus far, it's up to the reader/viewer which direction they want to go first. Here's a handy guide to help source legal ways to read the Mieruko-chan manga and watch the popular anime.
The Plot Of Mieruko-chan
Mieruko-chan follows the story of a teenage girl who is suddenly able to see ghosts and spirits all around her. Miko Yotsuya is forced to go through normal things like school and hanging out with friends, all the while seeing horrific ghosts that seem to follow her wherever she goes. Instead of telling anyone she has this problem, mostly because she's scared no one will believe her, Miko decides to pretend she doesn't see them -- even when they scare her the most.
Alongside her friend Hana Yurikawa, Miko tries to remain a normal teenager as best she can. She ends up meeting a fellow schoolmate named Yulia Niguredō who can also see ghosts, though she doesn't see the giant, terrifying ones that Miko does. Miko's experiences with ghosts range from passive to active; sometimes she can see how they haunt people and decides to intervene. Mieruko-chan combines the best of horror with the seinen genre, keeping fans engaged with its lighthearted yet, at times, meaningful story.
Where to Read the Mieruko-chan Manga
Those who want a physical copy of the Mieruko-chan manga won't have to look very far. Most book retailers like Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Indigo (in Canada) will carry hard copies of the manga. Six volumes have been released in English so far, and all are available at these retailers for around $10-$15 per volume. In addition, your local comic book shop will likely carry a copy or two, and if they don't, they'll be able to place an order for it.
For those who prefer to read a digital copy, the options are wide open as well. All of the above retailers, minus the local comic book shop, sell an e-book version of the manga available on their respective e-readers. Additionally, the digital versions are often cheaper. The e-book is only $6.99 at Barnes and Noble compared to the $13.99 for the hard copy. Unfortunately Mieruko-chan isn't yet available on Viz or Shonen Jump, so fans will have to source an e-book from a licensed retailer in order to legally read a digital copy.
Where To Watch the Mieruko-chan Anime
Season 1 of the Mieruko-chan anime finished airing in early January 2022 so it's still pretty fresh, but only Funimation has the goods for now. Newcomers looking to watch the anime will need to have at least a Premium account on Funimation in order to access their entire library, including Mieruko-chan. Starting at $5.99 monthly, a Premium account will let fans enjoy the entire first season of the anime, ad-free.
While the Blu-ray and DVD versions are not available quite yet, Season 1 of Mieruko-chan will soon be available to purchase as a hard-copy disc. For those who like to own physical copies of their anime, it will eventually become available in North America through retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Right Stuf Anime and other stores that sell Blu-rays and DVDs.
