Director: Sayo Yamamoto
Starring: Suzuka Ohgo, Yoko Maki, Jun Murakami, Jad Saxton, Monica Rial, Scott Freeman.
Running Time: 275 minutes
Certificate: 15
From the creators of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, with such pedigree behind a series you’d be expecting a lot, and although Michiko & Hatchin offers a lot, it promises and flirts with more than it can deliver. You’ll be hooked straight away by the funky Latin inspired theme, which makes a change from an alternative rock track. Such a theme also captures the general feel of the entire show. It’s fast, bright, and certainly has a more exotic flavour than many of its peers.
Setting us up for a classic fantasy tale for kids, we find Hana (Ohgo/Saxton), an orphan currently living with cruel stepparents and an even worse stepbrother and sister. Seemingly unrelated is a prison break involving the super sexy and super dangerous Michiko (Maki/Rial). Of course, Michiko is Hana’s (or Hatchin’s when she finds out her real name) biological mother and the two are soon on the run from all sorts of law enforcements and criminal syndicates.
Taking its cues from 70s exploitation features, Michiko & Hatchin makes for a fun ride that escapes its Japanese roots and instead aims for Latin America. It also puts its characters at the forefront. Not only that, but they are more complicated than you’d expect. The hardened Michiko, no stranger to violence and danger, is also vulnerable and naive when it comes to love. She may be deadly, but she’s also looking for a man. In this regard she is more childish than her own daughter. Hatchin may have faced a life of abuse, but she is stronger than you’d expect. This makes for a fascinating pair that we love to watch grow as mother and daughter.
As stunning to look at as you’d expect, it isn’t all peachy for this collection. The show gives us a bit too much backstory and character development at the same time. This may sound like a weird criticism, but the two don’t gel together that well, meaning the script starts to trip over itself and leaves the audience having to remind themselves as to what is going on. With gorgeous music, and exciting action sequences, the show has plenty of promise that is bound to pay off when it’s all complete.
[usr=3] Michiko & Hatchin is released on DVD on 5th January via MVM.
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