This Monster Wants to Eat Me: Episode 1 Review

This review includes cultural notes and insights from a Japanese viewer.After finishing Episode 1 of “Watashi o Taberatai, Hito de Nashi” (“This Monster Wants to Eat Me”), a quiet afterglow lingered somewhere deep in my chest. It felt like a strange beginning—where fear and gentleness somehow existed in the same space.

The dimness of Hinako’s home, the chill in the night air, and Shiori standing nearby as if quietly keeping watch. Even with so few words exchanged, there was a sense of an unnamed emotion drifting between them.

I’m curious how overseas viewers experienced this quiet first step. Here, I’d like to share the atmosphere of Episode 1 as felt from the perspective of a native Japanese speaker, including some language and cultural nuances that may not fully carry over in translation.

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Episode Summary – Episode 1

Episode 1 of This Monster Wants to Eat Me introduces the first meeting between Hinako Yaotose and Shiori Oumi. On her way to school, Hinako senses something moving in the sea and leans over the bridge to look down. Just at that moment, Shiori calls out to warn her, and the two meet for the first time. At this point, the nature of their relationship is still unknown.

At school, Hinako talks with her friend Miko Yashiro, and it becomes clear they have a close friendship. But Hinako’s blank responses and distant gaze suggest she is emotionally detached. After class, Miko invites her to hang out, but when Miko gets called away by a teacher, Hinako ends up wandering alone.

While trying to kill time, Hinako senses Shiori’s presence again — a common expression of intuition or emotional awareness in Japanese storytelling — and follows her. Suddenly, Hinako is attacked by a monster. Pulled underwater by her leg, she doesn’t resist at all. Shiori rescues her and brings her back to the surface. It is then revealed that Shiori herself is a mermaid-like monster, and she defeats the creature that attacked Hinako.

After saving her, Shiori tells Hinako, “I came here to eat you,” and “You will become even more delicious. Until then, I will protect you.” She disappears afterward, but the next day, she transfers into Hinako’s class under the name “Shiori Oumi.” Having lost her parents and older brother, and living without any real hope, Hinako quietly thinks to herself, with a faint smile, that “May be she could let me die.”

Characters & Impressions

Hinako Yaotose is a girl who seems to have lost her attachment to life itself. Episode 1 suggests that she has lost both her parents and her older brother. She wears a black turtleneck under her summer uniform and tights on her legs — a modest, unusual design for an anime character, but personally I find it very striking. Her eyes lack shine, giving her an empty, distant look.
Her voice actress, Reina Ueda, often plays fragile or emotionally complex characters, and her performance fits Hinako perfectly.

By Episode 1, we learn that Shiori Oumi is a mermaid-type monster who originally came to eat Hinako, yet ends up saving her from another creature. Her long black hair contrasts beautifully with her white dress, and her slightly sharp fang gives her a supernatural edge.In Japanese, she speaks in slightly archaic and very polite expressions — a nuance difficult to capture in English — which subtly suggests she may have lived far longer than humans.
She is voiced by Yui Ishikawa, whose calm and steady tone matches Shiori’s mysterious yet gentle presence.

Miko Yashiro is introduced as Hinako’s bright, energetic friend. Her speech patterns feel very much like a modern Japanese high school girl. Fairouz Ai’s performance brings out Miko’s warmth and liveliness, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of her as the story develops.

Hinako’s final line

In Episode 1, Hinako’s final line leaves a strong impression. In the English subtitles, it’s rendered as “She could let me die. “To me, that feels a bit different from the nuance in Japanese.

Hinako isn’t simply wishing for death. For her, death is something closer to salvation—a release she has longed for. What she desires is not “dying,” but the idea of being saved by someone who can bring an end to her suffering. In other words, she yearns for a presence that can gently bring her story to its conclusion.

From Hinako’s perspective, Shiori appears as that long-awaited exit, the one glimpse of hope she finally finds. That’s why I feel the English subtitle doesn’t fully convey the emotional intensity and the almost blissful anticipation she experiences in that moment.

If we were to translate Hinako’s true feelings more closely into English, expressions like “Maybe she’s the one who could give me that ending.” or “She could be the one who releases me.” would come closer.Hinako’s inner voice is slightly romantic—almost poetic. That’s why a line like “Maybe she’s the one who will set me free.” might also fit her emotional tone very well.

What do you think? Does this change the way you interpret Hinako’s final line? This series is originally based on a manga. The events of Episode 1 are also included in Volume 1 of the manga.
If you’re interested, I highly recommend reading it as well to fully feel the nuance behind Hinako’s lines.”

Related: “This Monster Wants to Eat Me” OP Explained: Visual Symbolism and Foreshadowing

If you want to follow what happens next, here’s my Episode 2 summary and analysis:

This Monster Wants to Eat Me Episode 2 Summary & Analysis