Michiko to Hatchin Ep 9

The paths split.

When last we left, Hatchin was on a train to find Satoshi. Or so I hope, coz there was no hint in the previous episode as to where and why Hatchin was headed. Well, the why part is because of Michiko.

Anyways, we see Hatchin enjoying a nice nap on some park bench when she’s awoken by…

...Rita...

…the cute 10 year old slut. Actually she is. In fact, things almost got…

...out of hand.

Here we have yet another case of what could’ve been a great side character. The potential here is wasted on the typical story of a young girl who’s completely fascinated and deeply in love with an older guy. Now usually in movies and books, the ‘older guy’ in question has to be quite handsome. Here…

...well, let's just leave it at that.

I empathize with Rita since the implication here is that the d00d mentioned above is the one who found her when she was a baby. How such a relationship could develop into an infatuation is beyond me.

The plot becomes slightly more predictable interesting when we find out that Gino, aforementioned d00d, is going out with an actual woman, Natalia. Apparently she’s…

...pregnant.

And who tells Hatchin about all this? The jealous…

...ex-boyfriend ofcourse!

This level of immaturity is found amongst adults in great abundance, so I’ll give them props for keeping it real at the very least.

Hatchin foresees the oncoming emo-storm that Rita will stir up, so she decides to…

...have a word with Gino.

As any sane adult would, he describes the situation to Hatchin and says that his future lies with Natalia and their baby not some 10 year old wannabe.

Anyways, before parting ways, the two have their final…

...glorifying performance.

Thankfully Rita remained civil when Gino left. And soon after, Hatchin decides to leave as well. But not before asking Rita to come along with her…

...out of pity, I hope.

During the episode I was a little disturbed at how adult they showed Rita’s character even though she’s just a kid. The tampon scene is what I’m referring to here. Sure they justify her actions half way through the episode when she’s talking to Hatchin on the riverside, but I couldn’t help but feel a little creeped out.

Then I got this weird though, that what would happen to Rita in the world of Black Lagoon? Definitely a fate similar to the Vampire Twins, but one she couldn’t survive past the first encounter.

And like this, I can’t help but draw many comparisons between Michiko to Hatchin and Black Lagoon. I mean the locales where the meat of the story takes places is visually very similar. The people here are obviously not as vile as those in Roanapur, but they shouldn’t have to be either. The two main characters depend on each other for moral support and there’s obviously good chemistry between them. The lead is a badass alpha female with looks to kill and moves to annihilate.

The core story and the pacing is completely opposite here. Whereas Black Lagoon had thoughtful story arcs and memorable supporting cast, Michiko to Hatchin seems to be all over the place and the side characters might as well not be there at all, so forgettable is their presence. Black Lagoon is emotionally charged and often thought provoking, while  Michiko to Hatchin feels very ‘slice of life’. Both, however, have brilliant animation and kickass action scenes, complemented with a beautiful score. So the comparisons are inevitable.

So back to episode 9. I don’t know how Rita has affected Hatchin’s life in any way, shape or form. Except that she now has a potentially irritating partner on her journey.

Perhaps the whole point of the last two episodes is to show Michiko and Hatchin go their separate ways, only to have their love for each other grow even stronger and then seeing them back together in a dramatical style. Sounds good, but in practice is it really good to spend two entire episodes introducing irrelevant characters just to intensify this love hate relationship between these two?

And with those thoughts…

...see you next deculture!