This Monster Wants to Eat Me Episode 4 Review

Episode 4 of This Monster Wants to Eat Me finally lifts the veil on Miko, and the reveal is a strong one. Miko turns out to be a kitsune, a fox spirit, and the moment lands with an eerie, almost dreamlike atmosphere during her first real clash with Shiori.

The twist does useful work for the story. Knowing Miko is a kitsune neatly explains who had been watching over Hinako before Shiori showed up, smoothing over a question the early episodes left open. More interesting, though, is how it reshapes the feelings tangled up between these three.

Kitsune carry a lot of folklore. They are known as tricksters who can deceive people in ways big and small, and they are often said to take the form of women to charm those they pursue. Seen in that light, Miko’s choices look less innocent, since she quietly reshaped Hinako’s memories and worked behind the scenes to keep her close.

Miko frames all of it as protecting a friend, but her sharper, more possessive edge around Shiori hints at something more self interested underneath. Shiori certainly reads it that way, partly because she is open about wanting Hinako for herself. The difference, as Shiori sees it, is honesty, since she does not hide her intentions the way Miko does.

That contrast gives the episode its spark and leaves the central trio in a wonderfully complicated place. This Monster Wants to Eat Me is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

My take: I really enjoy how this show lets each character be messy and a little selfish. The kitsune reveal makes Miko far more compelling, and I cannot wait to see how the three of them sort things out.