Meiruko-chan (2025) Film Review – Serviceable, if Not Flawed

Posted on by Jim Cox

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Meiruko-chan is a 2025 Japanese supernatural horror/slice of life film written and directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura. Beginning his career with the horror film series Honto ni Atta! Noroi no Video, Yoshihiro Nakamura would proceed to write and direct the first seven films in the series–later returning to the series to narrate films eleven through to the most recent entry, Honto Ni Atta! Noroi No Video 106 (2024), as well as direct the series’ 100th entry. The film is based on the popular manga/anime of the same name, written and illustrated by Tomoki Izumi.

One day, high school girl Miko suddenly gains the ability to see spirits. Surrounded by terrifying and grotesque apparitions, Miko chooses the most unexpected survival strategy: pretending she can’t see them. Whether her best friend Hana becomes possessed or her classmate Yuria starts to suspect her secret, Miko sticks to her plan — ignore everything with all her might. But as Hana begins acting more and more strangely… can Miko really survive this ordeal by pretending she doesn’t see a thing!?

Presented with a much lighter tone than the previous iterations, Meiruko-chan forgoes much of the darker, creepier visuals present in both the manga and anime. While both of these previous versions boasted a good mix of unnerving supernatural and saccharine slice-of-life elements, the film leans heavily into the latter–sacrificing much of these previous horror elements. Depictions of these ghostly entities lack the unsettling designs defined by Tomoki’s incredible art style, instead retaining their human shape and relying on an unnatural depth of field effect to define their apparitional relegation.

Despite this, the narrative is adapted well, if not a little compressed, compared to the original story. The film largely bypasses the exploration of Miko’s newly gained ability to focus on less horror-oriented elements. While this does streamline the viewing experience, fans of the manga or anime may find the film somewhat lacking in comparison.

However, a stand-out element comes from Nanoka Hara’s performance as the titular character. Miko’s awkwardness, fear, and resolve are displayed fantastically by Hara’s execution, delivering one of the true highlights of the film overall. Furthermore, the fantastic interpretations of side characters, Hana Yurikawa and Yuria Niguredo, played by Rinka Kumada and Naenano, respectively, each capture their characters’ traits and translate them to their performances expertly.

While somewhat hollow compared to its namesake, Meiruko-chan is still an interesting, if not stilted, adaptation of Tomoki Izumi’s hit manga. While those unfamiliar with the original story will find a serviceable slice-of-life horror comedy with good acting, fans of the original will certainly find the film missing the impact notable from previous adaptations.

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