Mieruko-chan Manga Is Great at Building the Mystery Around Michiru

Mieruko-chan is an interesting sort of manga series, as the mainline volumes can sometimes feel like they have slice of life elements or you could sometimes jump in at any time. (Not to mention we also get things like the Mieruko-chan Official Comic Anthology.) But as the series has gone on, we start to see more threads come together and things build up due to new relationships, leading to some truly compelling mysteries as Miko Yotsuba deals with things. With the ninth volume of Mieruko-chan, we’re really learning more about what’s going on with Michiru Ichijou.

Editor’s note: There will be spoilers for the events of volume 8 of the Mieruko-chan manga, as well as light references to events in volume 9.

Michiru, a teenage model, joined Miko’s class ahead of volume 9. While everyone is enamored with her beauty, Miko seems to be the only one who notices something is wrong. Her entire head is obscured by some black, formless, huge face with black tendrils coming off of it. As a result, she’s also able to notice that Michiru’s behavior is a bit off. Rom tasked Miko with getting pictures of Michiru to do further investigations, though Michiru’s sister/manager Yoh insisted it wasn’t possible.

While previously, we’ve mainly seen Michiru from the outside in the manga, Mieruko-chan volume 9 gives us the first chance to really see what’s happening in the model’s personal life. Frankly, it’s just as shocking as the revelations we’ve seen regarding her Spirit Form. This entry begins with a shock showing exactly how close Yoh is to her younger sister/employer. The degree of control and helicopter nature is concerning. So much so that I felt the coldness of the model in past chapters might be a reaction or even trauma response due to the overbearing control over her life. It even makes me wonder if, rather than a potential villain, she’s someone who’s become susceptible to or has her supernatural secret due to being a victim.

It’s such that when we see her confide in her pet and the obsession with Miko, it feels like a learned reaction to being exposed to Yoh for so long. How can someone know how healthy relationships work when they don’t have good role models and they aren’t allowed opportunities to socialize. Of course that kind of obsessive behavior directed at someone, as well as not being allowed to do things on one’s own, will result in them being awkward or behaving poorly.

But the insights don’t just involve us learning more about Michiru and making the mystery around her behavior more compelling. We’re also getting new insights into her spirit form and capabilities due to Miko’s increased interactions with her. We see them together both at school and at Miko’s home with Hana and Yuria for a study session. This means we see how other spirits respond to her and her potential powers. The insights especially from gleaned from the moments there make what’s happening to this young woman more curious.

Of course, the thing that really caps things off is how the ninth volume of the Mieruko-chan manga ends with this incredible cliffhanger surrounding Michiru. We’ve spent a whole volume learning more about what her life is like, as well as seeing new interactions with Miko that hint at her capabilities. Then, it closes with a situation that promises even more revelations, and perhaps even danger. It’s like we’re so close to some truths, but at the same time Miko and maybe even Michiru might be in danger.

Volume 9 of the Mieruko-chan manga is available now, and there’s no English release date for the volume 10 yet.