English Dub Review: Mieruko-chan “She Looks”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Miko bolsters her resolve and takes action. The horrifying truth behind her teacher’s spirits comes to light.

Our Take:

Remember that little game we started where we avoided looking at the teacher and his creepy cat spirits in the previous episode? Well, this episode decided to switch to a new game. It’s called, “What is Up with That creepy-ass Teacher?”

The episode begins with a flashback showcasing Zen being abused by his overbearing mother. It then cuts to the present day, where Miko attempts to search for evidence of Zen being the suspect for murdering stray cats. However, it turns out that Zen may not be as creepy as we thought he would be.

The episode goes in a much different direction as it ditches the comedic elements from the previous chapters in favor of a more dramatic and horrific affair. Seeing that it’s the second-to-last episode of Mieruko-chan, I believe it’s better off for it. One thing that makes “She Looks” another great episode is how it develops Zen. Ever since the second episode, the show showcases this character as an ominous and shady person regarding his demonic cat spirits and the giant ghost lady telling everyone not to look at him. Because of this, it leads viewers to believe that Zen is the overall antagonist of the series.

However, this is not the case in “She Looks”. Instead, the episode further expands on this character through some enticing flashbacks of Zen’s miserable childhood. They reveal that Zen loves cats, and the reason why he’s acting so mysterious is that he was traumatized by her mother murdering a stray cat he brought home. But wait, there’s more. The giant ghost lady surrounding him is actually the spirit of Zen’s mother.

“She Looks” offers plenty of plot twists to keep the characters interesting and the arc’s climax engaging, and the result is pretty satisfying, if not terrifyingly enjoyable. The absence of its humor is immediately noticeable, but that doesn’t hinder the intrigue that the episode delivered. Its excellent use of tension, especially during the finale, and the direction towards the character development make this second-to-last chapter a sight to behold. Not only that, but it also signifies big things to come in the season finale, especially regarding Miko herself.