by Mike Favila, Editor

When I was browsing through the Funimation offerings, I noticed the bright cover art for Michiko & Hatchin: Complete Series, Part 1.  The RIFYL (short for Recommended If You Like, for those readers not in the know) section mentioned Cowboy Bebop and Thelma and Louise.  And while I do enjoy some Geena Davis every now and again, I was really intrigued by the Bebop mention.  What anime fan DOESN’T love that classic series?  I actually just rewatched part of it the other week, so I was probably a little too excited when this came in the mail.

The story starts with a prison break.  Michiko Malandro, an imprisoned and apparently difficult customer, makes her way out of a high security facility in the middle of a very strong storm.  Shot at by guards, chased by helicopters, she makes it through the melee unscathed, all the while managing to make a prison outfit look sexy.

Our other protagonist, Hana,  is a young girl stuck in a terrible home situation.  Her adoptive family is abusive, led by a two bit preacher who only keeps her in their house to collect the adoption stipend.  Her stepbrother and stepsister kick and beat her relentlessly.  Hana often daydreams about somebody coming to pick her up and take her away.  Her salvation comes in the form of Michiko.

Almost immediately, the road trip movie begins.  Michiko nicknames her Hatchin,  tells her that she knew his father, Hiroshi Moreno, and believes he is still alive.  Though Hatchin is 10, Hiroshi was supposed to have died 12 years prior.  All three share a large, distinct tattoo.   The story takes place in a Brazil-like country, mixed with some Japanese touches.   There’s a ramen shop in the middle of the city.  But when somebody steals from Hatchin at her job at the ramen shop, the thief runs into a favela. (How could I not notice?) The titles are all set in Portuguese.  Even the characters’ last names are a pidgin mishmash (Michiko Malandro, Hiroshi Morenos)!  The unique mix doesn’t sound like it should work, but the whole world and setting has an earthiness about it that you won’t find in a lot of anime.

 Special Features

Michiko & Hatchin: Complete Series, Part 1 is packed with cool stuff.  In addition to having commentary for specific episodes, they have I know this is a small thing, but I love the clean menus.  They are just plain white, but the handwriting-like font that they use just works.  Michiko: The Woman Behind It All is a relatively informal interview with the English voice for Michiko.

The Unveiling press conference involving the 3 main characters (including cop Atsuko) and the director Sayo Yamamoto was the real revelation on this set.   The director stated that while she had intended Michiko and Hatchin to be watched by everybody, she especially liked the idea of working women,  at their office jobs all day, to be fans of Michiko & Hatchin.  She envisioned that they would come home after a long commute, kick back with a cold beer and watch an episode, like it was Monday Night Football.  She categorized the show as late night anime.   I hadn’t been familiar with the term, but it only makes sense that if there’s anime geared towards specific male demographics, why couldn’t there be a corresponding one for women?  While US audiences are still asking why there are a limited number of action shows starring women, it’s heartening to know that at least in Japan, a great program with strong female characters is a given.

Audio & Video

Though the music is written by Alexandre Kassin,  the soundtrack is produced by Shinichirō Watanabe, director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.  His audio signature is identifiable from the first note.  Even when there is frantic motion on the screen, the music provides a surprising counterpoint.   The English track is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1, while the Japanese audio gets 2.0.  I liked the English track, but as usual the Japanese dialogue really shines, and is just bubbling with energy.

I love the art style of Michiko & Hatchin: Complete Series, Part 1, and the animation is elegant and fluid.   Starting with a beautiful retro title sequence, down to the print dots in the background, much like those 4 color comics I used to read as a child from my uncle’s Spider-Man collection.

Overall

The packaging is sturdy and gorgeous, and I give double points to Funimation for including both the DVD and the BD.  The narrative moves a clip faster than Bebop, but it doesn’t feel rushed.  While Michiko isn’t somebody I’d characterize as motherly, she works a lot better as an insanely tough big sister. It’s obvious that both characters are suffering missing parts in their life, with one filling in the gaps by the other.  Hatchin was forced to grow up too soon, while Michiko is prone to tantrums, and acting like an overgrown child. Their relationship is endearing without being ham-fisted. They annoy each other, but they need each other.  And hey, isn’t that what family is really about?

I truly enjoyed Michiko & Hatchin: Complete Series, Part 1.  I can’t wait to pick up the second part of the series.  If you haven’t seen it before, get it immediately!

Rating:

ComicsOnline.com gives Michiko & Hatchin: Complete Series, Part 1 5 out of 5 screeching tires on the blacktop!

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