Welcome everyone, to a late post about Michiko & Hatchin! Apologies for that, First Impressions is pretty busy at the start of a season. Still, the show must go on, so lets dive into the episodes!
Starting off, we have episode 13, “Goldfish of the Marsh”. This episode was all about Atsuko, giving us both a look into her past as well as her future. All in all? I thought it rather interesting. Watching Atsuko get back on her feet after being demoted and sent off to some tiny shack of a police station was really nice. It felt like she was being sent back to her roots, allowing us to watch her claw her way back up, just like she did as a child. But it’s held back by the fact that we really don’t know all that much about her. We get a lot of that this week, yeah, and that’s a good step forward. However giving us her history and defining character moment in the same episode makes me think neither were able to live up to their full potential. A shame.
As for the history we did get, there were a number of flashbacks about her time with Michiko this week. We watch as they scheme and steal together. Michiko coming up with the plans, Atsuko being the diversion and Michiko not leaving her behind to be caught or beat. We get to see her argue with Michiko about their methods. How, much like Hatchin, she clearly doesn’t like or approve of their criminal actions. That she has a strong moral compass, even as a child growing up in the slums. Beyond that though, we also see flashes of her feelings towards Michiko. How, despite their disagreements, she clearly still respects and is inspired by her. Giving their prior scenes throughout the series a bit more context. Hopefully we get to see this come up again when they meet in the future.
One interesting thing I noticed is that while Hatchin sort of acts like a new Atsuko for Michiko, Vanessa seemed to do the reverse for Atsuko. She was that criminal influence. The one willing to do whatever it took for a dream and saw nothing wrong with a bit of criminal action if it didn’t really hurt anyone. And for a moment, we see Atsuko sort of give in to that as she also chases Vanessa’s dream, the Golden Pot, a pretty clear metaphor for an unreachable goal. It makes me wonder if that’s how Michiko and Atsuko parted ways to begin with. Did Michiko go for this pot and never turn back? Or is this more meant to represent Atsuko’s own quest as a cop, for an honest life in a country that really doesn’t allow you to have one. It’s interesting, I need to think on it more.
You know what else I need to think on more? Atsuko getting back in the saddle to chase Michiko. I’m still not totally sure why she’s doing it. Does she think she can get her old position back if she catches her? Or does she just want to help her take down Satoshi under the guise of helping the police? I didn’t think Michiko & Hatchin was particularly clear on that front, despite it sort of being the point of the whole episode. In fact, I think the whole police plot in general is kind of lacking. Part of that is how the only real contact with the police we have is Ricardo, a clout chasing piece of shit. But it’s also that Atsuko has kept it all very close to her chest. Hopefully we get more in this 2nd half.
Moving on we come to episode 14, “The Daredevil Explosive Runner”. This was a really fun, action filled episode. The animation isn’t great, that’s never been Michiko & Hatchin’s strong suit. But the world building and background detail is still incredible, making the chase feel like its happening in a real location with real civilians and not just a black box of a highway. On top of that, there’s also plenty of cool, stylistic shots to make up for the otherwise meh movement. Stuff like framing Shinsuke against the window, or Jair standing in the background. Using back seat windows, mirrors and reflections in the eye. Just lots of cool ideas for conveying information that more than make up for the otherwise lackluster animation.
As for the contents of the episode itself, as well as the characters introduced, I had a good time. Jair especially stood out as the highlight of the episode for me. This old man looking for a fun time on one last job, brought out of retirement because he was bored. Treating the whole thing more like a game, showing how good he is from the start and even helping Michiko out when his game is interrupted by the competition. He has a swagger to him that makes him really enjoyable for me, and I’m looking forward to getting more of him. I’m not even convinced he has to die either! It’s possible that the hit gets called off since Shinsuke got hit by a car, or he gets bored and moves on. Just to show us that Michiko isn’t the top dog in the underground.
Speaking of Shinsuke though, I thought the way he went out was really… boring. Stumbling upon Satoshi and getting hit by a car, all without pulling his gun or doing anything? No apology, no back and forth, just a simple hit and run? I get that it might be meant to show how fragile people are, and how not every confrontation has to be this big dramatic thing. But Michiko & Hatchin is a piece of entertainment, so that’s kind of its job. The only saving grace here is that Shinsuke might not actually be dead. I hope not at least. I find his interactions with Satoshi to be really entertaining, and I’d like to see more of them. At the very least I’d like him to talk with Michiko one last time before he goes down.
As for Satoshi himself, car aside, this was an overall good episode for him. We got to see more of why he’s so respected as a criminal lord. Calling in his contacts, setting them on Shinsuke, Michiko and Atsuko. Hiring big names that strike fear into people just by being whispered. It was also funny how they ended up all going after Michiko just because Jair thought she would be the funnest, while the other guy is reluctant and seems like he has to dope himself up and only envision her as money to accept that he’s killing a woman. The difference in their styles, one being a professional while the other is sort of just a suicidal terminator, is cool to. All in all, I hope we see more of them and Satoshi.
So yeah, I think these were two decent episodes. 14, “The Daredevil Explosive Runner”, was definitely the standout this week, but I’m not opposed to learning more about Atsuko just so long as Michiko & Hatchin actually does something with it later. Now that we are in the 2nd half though, I would really like for it to start moving towards some kind of conclusion. Start wrapping up some threads, slow down on introducing characters, etc etc. I’m really hoping this is a complete story and not one of those originals that wanted another season but never got it.
Also, once again, apologies for the wait on this. I’m super late. We have a lot of stuff going on with the start of a new season/new year/aoty stuff. Should be back to normal soon.
