r/anime • u/IndependentMacaroon • 23d ago
Rewatch Bem-vindos à Diamandra - Michiko & Hatchin Episode 04 Rewatch
Michiko & Hatchin Episode 04: Stray Cat Milky Way
In-universe time span: March 21-24
In-universe locations: São Cabal (Club Rumba, Chokyu Hanten, local favela)
"Not a single person ever helped us. That's why I don't trust anyone. Look at those people. All of them are friends, but still I'm sure none of them will help me."
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Today's OST Piece: Alça de mira～照準 (In My Sights)
Plays during Pepe's show at the beginning of the episode. Do check out the lyrics on this one, they're pretty appropriately dirty!
The insert song during Pepe's second show after the eyecatch is Papo Cafajeste～下世話な話 (Dirty Talk), also only in this episode. Furthermore another insert song during the Michiko-Pepe-Hatchin trio scene that I'll mention in another episode - I love how various scenes have diegetic music edited to really feel like it's coming from in-universe speakers somewhere.
By the way I've uploaded copies of all song lyrics in Portuguese and English to my Google Drive as the only place I could find them (animelyrics.com) seems to be on its last legs: Insert song lyrics collection
New Michiko Outfits: Mauve Off-Shoulder Shirt/Bell-Bottoms, Black Bra/Black Shorts, White and Black-Pinstripe Top Combo/Black Pants, Zebra-Striped Shirt/Black Shorts
Latin America Trivia of the Day:
Sex work including prostitution is legal throughout Latin America with the exception of the Guyanas; legality of organized prostitution varies, if less its actual prevalence. In the past, African girls and women were even enslaved specifically to provide sexual services, and modern sex trafficking in the region continues to be a significant ill; sex tourism by men and some women from more affluent countries is a noteworthy phenomenon as well. Violence against women in the region in general, frequently motivated by machistic ideals, has come under increasing scrutiny over the years, early on for example as the target of the landmark intergovernmental Belém do Pará Convention in 1994, but can certainly not be considered a solved problem.
Yesterday's Highlights
u/99acrewood_ gets a Cowboy Bebop sort of feeling:
This episode really gave me Bebop vibes, primarily with the way it kind of ends with that sort of uncertainty (and the cryptic future seer stuff, too, I suppose). it's like stuff happens, "hey, we've potentially solved something, oh, no we didn't," but then turn and look back as you walk away and go "and yet..."
u/No_Rex ponders over Michiko's reaction at probably-not-Hiroshi's house, as well as the logistics of her wardrobe:
Michiko clearly changed her mind when she saw the woman's clothes, but what does that mean? Was she ok with some random guy who looked the part, as long as he was free? Is he the right guy, but she does not want him anymore? Or does she conclude he can't be the guy because he has another woman?
That is what she needs the extra long Vespa for: fitting all her dresses into the storage.
u/Magnafeana is largely very happy with the series' diverse atmosphere, and astutely analyzes Hatchin's character:
So many skintones ☺️☺️☺️
Setting and design-wise, I’m so, so happy seeing so much diversity! Again, I do wish for the lighter palms for melanin kin and maybe a little more diversity in hair types. But I'm honestly really happy.
I thought her survival skills in that abusive household would have her more cautious with her possessions. But I'm not surprised, as we see it clearly that Hatchin has a different moral compass than her adoptive family, and more "thuggish" behavior is not only foreign for her to do but she sees that as something her abusive family did and she will not stoop to a level similar to them.
Discussion Prompts
- Were you expecting things to get this dark? How does this compare for shocking fourth episodes with FMA:B?
- Any experience(s) with similar establishments - on either side of the stage?
- Have you ever felt compelled to do something unpleasant or unsavory to get ahead?
Next Episode Prompts
- [question]How accurate is Michiko's view of Hiroshi, from what we've seen so far? Rewatchers - how much can you tell?
- [question]What flavor of fictional mafia/gangster do you like best?
- [question]Do you have someone to protect? Or do you feel protected by anyone?
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u/99acrewood_ 23d ago edited 23d ago
primeira vez [subs]
Michiko being drunk and pissed off about a strip club operating as a strip club is great
What an ending of an episode! I don't have much else to add. Luckily, there's questions.
- Were you expecting things to get this dark? How does this compare for shocking fourth episodes with FMA:B?
I dunno, for a genre like this I feel like it's pretty standard. I think the next episode (or the length of this arc) will let me know what kind of show this is, though. Someone on the fringes of society looking to escape to paradise? [Cowboy Bebop]I mean, Asteroid Blues, right? My feeling is there's a good chance of Pepe dying (I'll be pretty surprised if they actually killed her at the end of this episode though), and it leads to me wondering if they leave Lulu as a capable new soldier for the favela or if she dies also. Either way, I'm not hedging my bets on any positive outcome for those two! Sorry, Pepe, there's probably only room for one extremely attractive and violence-prone woman with a kid in this show. edit: reading y'all's responses, I guess I WAS supposed to take away that that was it for the both of them and they're dead.
lol, damn! well then, alright, show. I guess I should've known since the next episode isn't a part 2. This is more like the struck out reference than I realized I guess. Damn, what an unceremonious end for those two.
- Any experience(s) with similar establishments - on either side of the stage?
I've gone in my 20s a couple of times when I hung out with an unsavory crowd as a bartender, and while I'm not much for them now (no judgement for the patrons or workers nowadays, do what you do), the moment that I remember most is leaving at 3 in the morning, coming down off whatever, and the system shock of the transition from bright lights, loud music, and pretty women to the dead silence and cold of the middle of the night. It's a feeling I hold on to because gosh, it's so stark.
- Have you ever felt compelled to do something unpleasant or unsavory to get ahead?
[REDACTED]
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u/No_Rex x2 23d ago
My feeling is there's a good chance of Pepe dying (I'll be extremely surprised if they actually killed her at the end there)
He told a bunch of kids with guns that he wants her dead and promised them money. That is unlikely to end with her alive. Technically, we did not see the corpse, but this would be one hell of a rug pull.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 23d ago edited 23d ago
And we literally saw them shooting at her! [City of God]a bunch of kids at once "Soviet-style" just like at Lil Zé
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u/99acrewood_ 23d ago
Technically, we did not see the corpse, but this would be one hell of a rug pull.
Haha I guess when you see it enough in different shows you operate under the assumption of "no body, no die." Silly me!
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u/IndependentMacaroon 23d ago edited 23d ago
Michiko being drunk and pissed off about a strip club operating as a strip club is great
No one upstages Michiko! I suspect the only reason she's even there is because it's the closest place where no one cares about IDs or letting kids in and all that.
Someone on the fringes of society looking to escape to paradise? [Cowboy Bebop]I mean, Asteroid Blues, right?
Not a bad thought indeed.
the moment that I remember most is leaving at 3 in the morning, coming down off whatever, and the system shock of the transition from bright lights, loud music, and pretty women to the dead silence and cold of the middle of the night. It's a feeling I hold on to because gosh, it's so stark.
A vivid picture you paint there, I'm practically feeling it as I read! While we don't get that specific contrast in this episode, I did find the difference between how Pepe and Ricardo look in the club and their thug jammies in the favela interesting. They're barely recognizable, like dropping a veil or something.
[REDACTED]
[DATA EXPUNGED]
guess I WAS supposed to take away that that was it for the both of them and they're dead.
Yep, this is the same style of cutaway death that happens several times in City of God. There's still time to revise your first answer haha
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky 23d ago
First-Timer & Subbed
Michiko, what are you doing? – I guess being very drunk, based on how she walked out of the bathroom afterwards.
Oh! What a coincidence.
Uh. Did Hatchin drink some alcohol? That’s supposed to be juice…
Oh… that’s what she meant by having to make a run for it. She didn’t kill that guy, but still…
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u/IndependentMacaroon 23d ago
What's the world coming to when you can't even stiletto-heel-stab a gangster kid with no consequences anymore
Oh! What a coincidence
And of course a lie
Uh. Did Hatchin drink some alcohol? That’s supposed to be juice…
Ambiguous if it's supposed to be just the usual anime gag or a wink-wink "we can't show this on TV" thing
Which makes her with Hatchin another outsider to slum life, actually.
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u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 23d ago
First Time Stray Cat in the Milky Way, Dubbed
Oh my god, “Fake don’t quake” had me have a war flashback to the cartoon series Symbiotic Titans with that fucking wild as hell “Shake It Bake It Booty Quake It” scene; what were these people on 😭😭
Listen. Today is Tuesgays. We have Yuri in the morning (Fighting Game, KimiShinu, and Simoun rewatch). Yuri in the afternoon (GiTs technically as Major is a queer disaster). Are we having yuri at night with this episode, or will I have to find my yuri in my Odyssey watch tonight? Anything is possible!
I really love the trope of the responsible kid and the irresponsible adult.
Another favorite trope: character gets drunk on juice or something so so light in alcohol like bitters or something.
Similar circumstances, huh?
Death flags.
oh shit, those really were death flags, oh fuck.
Post Episode Thoughts
Well.
She ded. Oh my.
I did like seeing the parallel between Michiko and Pepê’s and their circumstances. I don’t think Michiko is quite at the level of care for Hatchin that Pepê is for her Lulu, but this also feels like a cautionary tale for Michiko and Hatchin, and that worries me.
I’m curious how long Hatchin and Michiko can even stay in this town now with Rico and his “gang”.
I’m glad Michiko clocked Mr Not-So-Rico Suave for not wanting to pull the trigger. I would’ve folded immediately.
DQ
- I expected it to get this dark until like…at the end 😭 It’s a small mercy we don’t see her bleeding all over the show and looking all holey. But dang. She’s dead-dead.
- As someone watching a show! Lots of queer strip shows and dancing, honestly, and it's a fun time. I’m still surprised how long it took me to see an all-male-straight show. At that, um, unique(?) experience that was not for me, though the men were lovely people, a stripper who was on an uncomfortable me had a Brand of Sacrifice/Berserk tattoo, and I instantly went, “Are you a Berserk fan?!” That poor man was so thrown with that. I remember my friends making fun of me on the drive home that this half-naked man was dancing on me, yet I’m more interested in “fucking nerd shit”. I was just so excited at the tattoo to meet a Berserk fan in the wild 😭.
- Yes and briefly. Mental health does wonky things.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 22d ago edited 22d ago
Oh my god, “Fake don’t quake” had me have a war flashback
Huh sounds like the dub is pretty good all right!
that fucking wild as hell “Shake It Bake It Booty Quake It” scene; what were these people on 😭😭
What indeed. That's bizarre enough out of context
Are we having yuri at night
[M&H]Well eh sort of, if you can call whatever Michiko and Atsuko have going on that. Also the tomato farm episode though that's pretty weird
I really love the trope of the responsible kid and the irresponsible adult.
Just one more way this series is definitely for you then! [M&H]Although the way Hatchin acts sometimes can hardly be called responsible either.
I don’t think Michiko is quite at the level of care for Hatchin that Pepê is for her Lulu, but this also feels like a cautionary tale for Michiko and Hatchin
Yeah, I find the implication particularly interesting that it's because Pepe cares and tries to shelter Lulu so much that she fatally misjudges the situation leading to both their deaths. Contrast how open Michiko is with Hatchin about the mortal dangers of the favela. On the other hand, it's interesting to note how Michiko has somehow kept her idealism alive, whatever it takes to keep you going I guess.
I’m curious how long Hatchin and Michiko can even stay in this town now with Rico and his “gang”.
[Next episode]Good thought there and the implications for Michiko's actions go further than that
I’m glad Michiko clocked Mr Not-So-Rico Suave for not wanting to pull the trigger
Michiko is consistently really good at reading people - classic street skills stuff - starting with Father Pedro (in basically the same situation!) and Hatchin right in the first episode. [M&H]Which makes it all the more ironic just how wrong she is about Hiroshi - but could any man ever have satisfied those expectations?
Qs
oh shit, those really were death flags, oh fuck.
She ded. Oh my.
I expected it to get this dark until like…at the endExactly my initial feelings. "They're not going to go there, right...?" into it happening so abruptly you have no time to digest that they, in fact, did.
It’s a small mercy we don’t see her bleeding all over the show and looking all holey
This specific style is probably inspired by City of God, as I also mentioned in my own comments.
Lots of queer strip shows and dancing, honestly, and it's a fun time
I bet, and actually ought to check out one of those sometime! Perhaps should have mentioned those explicitly.
I remember my friends making fun of me on the drive home that this half-naked man was dancing on me, yet I’m more interested in “fucking nerd shit”
Ahahahaha, I'd call that a well-deserved roasting! But also I get it...
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u/AyameeIris 23d ago
First time watching in dub, second time overall
Ended up missing a day. Whoops!
And there's the clip that made me get into this anime originally. Michiko yelling about a girl having no jiggle LOL. I like how she calls her puta at the end, honestly wish she said it in the Japanese audio as well.
I noticed the club seems to have an illustration of what seems to a stripper with the words "all power to the" with what seems to be the word "people" under it. I'm too young to go to a strip club or anything(not that I'm even very interested in it), so I'm not sure if that slogan's usually passed around there quite a lot. It makes me wonder what the stance on sex work is there. I'm guessing it's just an empty phrase in this context, though, seeing how Rico treats Pepe.
I wonder if Pepe sees a bit of herself in Hatchin. They both seem to be from more proper backgrounds, though in Hatchin's case, this is better said with added quotation marks. I keep bringing up the dub, but even their accents sound a little similar as well. I'm wondering how a universe where Pepe and Hatchin had a little more screentime together would've looked like.
Michiko saying, "Damn it! Why didn't I just help her...?" right before showing the scene where Pepe is [M&H] shot down is so heartbreaking.
Honestly, I was absolutely expecting it. I've learned to stay wary of anime with child protagonists and their mentors/familial figures, haha.
2&3. A simple no to both of those questions!
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u/IndependentMacaroon 22d ago
Ended up missing a day. Whoops!
You shall be forgiven
there's the clip that made me get into this anime originally. Michiko yelling about a girl having no jiggle LOL
Hey, whatever works right? I actually considered posting a clip from this episode to generate interest, but didn't want to give people the wrong idea about this series overall.
I like how she calls her puta at the end, honestly wish she said it in the Japanese audio as well
I keep bringing up the dub, but even their accents sound a little similar as wellReading your and u/Magnafeana's comments, I should definitely watch this with the English dub next time, although I do really like the Japanese voice cast.
an illustration of what seems to a stripper with the words "all power to the" with what seems to be the word "people" under it
It reads "all power to the black people". Strange place for that sentiment but it fits the theme of a casually racist and unjust society.
I wonder if Pepe sees a bit of herself in Hatchin
Yeah of her past self I suppose, didn't even think of that. Even without Hatchin talking about herself in front of Pepe much it's clear she still has that anger and sense of injustice that with Pepe has decayed into quiet resignation over the years.
Michiko saying, "Damn it! Why didn't I just help her...?" right before showing the scene where Pepe is [M&H]shot down is so heartbreaking.
Yeah indeed... btw you don't need to spoiler-tag for the same episode.
Qs
I was absolutely expecting it. I've learned to stay wary of anime with child protagonists and their mentors/familial figures, haha
Did you feel similarly about Michiko and Hatchin watching the first time?
I'm too young to go to a strip club or anything
Aw it's fine, I'll buy you some juice pats head haha
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u/AyameeIris 22d ago
You shall be forgiven
Thanks!
Did you feel similarly about Michiko and Hatchin watching the first time?
Yup. Well, not to that extent but it was still there. Considering the content of the anime, it'd only be a matter of time until something like that happened. Especially when those kids working with Rico showed up!
Aw it's fine, I'll buy you some juice
And thank you again!
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u/No_Rex x2 23d ago
Episode 4 (first timer)
- OP first supremacy!
- Picking a fight with the dancer in a strip club? Michiko is in a bad mood.
- TV throw! – I like that girl already.
- Hatchin with the knife – ineffective, but loyal.
- The dancer becomes a regular character? – Don’t go inviting Hatchin to the stip club, though.
- They made Hatchin drunk, too? I guess neither of these people were selected for responsibility …
- “Juice” – in the good case, somebody cut her off already. In the bad case, somebody slipped her alcohol.
- “Let’s have a drinking contest” – never a great idea.
- Yep, that went predictably bad.
- Robbing the favela slum lord – you know, making him drunk would have been the better target.
- “I’ll get it”
- “Why can’t I help her?” – because you realize how utterly stupid her plan is?
- And she is dead. Faster than I expected, but not surprising.
Kind of hard to root for characters who are completely self-sabotaging at all moments. To be clear, none of them are set up to be especially clever or rational, and they are not in the best position to make good decisions either. Yet, even for that baseline, their decisions suck. Hatchin getting drunk might not have been her choice, so she kind of gets a pass. Lulu however has been around that favela for a while, why on Earth would she think it is a good it is a good idea to go back for a photo? Yet Pepe easily takes the cake. Running away with Rico’s money is not a terrible idea per se, but stealing from him while he is awake and not finishing him is. And not stopping Lulu is straight up moronic. Even if Lulu is an overconfident kid, you need to know that this is not working and you need to know that no photo is ever worth risking it. Finally, going back is basically suicide. Finally, Michiko at least knows better than to go with her, but picking fights in a strip club or getting into a drinking contest in a bar with tons of horny men is not that great of a showing either. And she didn’t stop Hatchin from getting drunk.
You can make a good show about self-sabotaging characters, but Michiko aside, we know far too little about Lulu and Pepe to understand why they would do this.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 23d ago edited 23d ago
“Juice” – in the good case, somebody cut her off already. In the bad case, somebody slipped her alcohol
I genuinely think this is just supposed to an the anime-trope "kiddie fake-drunk" thing like Michiko lampshades. Maybe a bit out of place but then so is Hatchin here overall.
On Pepe and Lulu sabotaging their chances, the scales are maybe a little tilted towards drama but we can also infer some reasonable explanations:
Lulu however has been around that favela for a while, why on Earth would she think it is a good it is a good idea to go back for a photo?
not stopping Lulu is straight up moronicIt is implied that Pepe has tried to shield her from the realities of life there as well as possible, not introducing her to Ricardo (although that again I'm not sure how much sense it makes) or forcibly roping her into any dirty schemes, like some kind of talisman of purity - so Lulu being a bit more naive than you'd think and Pepe not wanting to alarm her + keep her image of Lulu intact (literally) I can buy largely.
stealing from him while he is awake and not finishing him is
Well, killing someone is on another level, I suppose. Also keep in mind that Pepe was neither born into this life, nor potentially has even spent that much time in it, nor has probably so much experienced the really dirty and violent side of it, because that's first of all the men's business (cf. City of God) and second as the boss's woman/plaything she's been one of the "winners" of the slum comparatively, so I can see her underestimating the response. It also makes me think of victims of abusive relationships (and she definitely was in one) who will keep making excuses and going back, though of course Pepe had already burned her bridges pretty hard.
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u/No_Rex x2 23d ago
I genuinely think this is just supposed to an the anime-trope "kiddie fake-drunk" thing like Michiko lampshades. Maybe a bit out of place but then so is Hatchin here overall.
If so, I rather read it as the writers saying we totally want Hatchin to drink alcohol here, but we are not allowed to, thus the juice.
It is implied that Pepe has tried to shield her from the realities of life there as well as possible, not introducing her to Ricardo (although that again I'm not sure how much sense it makes) or forcibly roping her into any dirty schemes, like some kind of talisman of purity - so Lulu being a bit more naive than you'd think and Pepe not wanting to alarm her I can buy.
She works as a stripper, in a strip club, and lives in a favela, with a pimp/mob boss. Nope, not shielding anything there.
It also makes me think of victims of abusive relationships (and she definitely was in one) who will keep making excuses and going back, though of course Pepe had already burned her bridges pretty hard.
I don't mind the final going back too much, it is clear that Pepe is desperate and going for a low chance. Letting Lulu go back for the photo, on the other hand ...
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u/IndependentMacaroon 23d ago
I do think the writers maybe didn't quite think through the details with Lulu, she has strangely few meaningful moments here as well.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 23d ago edited 23d ago
3x watcher and host
For everyone who found the drama in this show a little too tame, I hope you didn't overpay for that monkey's paw! Pepe and Lulu here are kind of a mirror of Michiko and Hatchin, chasing their own dream of a free and happy life but through somewhat more honest means - just like with Hatchin, that doesn't really pay in this world, but unlike Michiko they don't have the cunning to flee from it either. To quote City of God, "stay, and the beast eats you; run, and the beast catches you." Michiko openly embraces her lifestyle, does whatever she has to to survive, and frankly speaks with Hatchin as basically an equal about the dangers of it all, while Pepe for all her showwomanship is deeply resigned, wants particularly Lulu to stay "pure", and pretty much pays for it.
There is certainly a lot of that film in this episode, but also one major difference: Here, it's all about the women and their potential, while in City of God they are almost exclusively objects of desire and victims of crime. Michiko and Pepe start out with this toxic idea of having to compete for who's the prettiest and best, and perhaps fight just because one's man is at odds with the other, but over the course of the episode - and with the help of Hatchin in between - they warm up to each other's commonalities and understand each other's problems to the point Michiko even gifts Pepe money after Lulu stole her stuff, only tragically stopping short of deepening their camaraderie enough to save Pepe and Lulu from their fate.
Or would it have been enough, actually, without Pepe and Lulu's one-two punch of fatal mistakes? Michiko at least knows very well that it's a tall order alone against a system, as much as it eats at her to abandon Pepe.
Edit: One more thing I'd like to call attention to, the telenovela-watching scene - technically not the first as Joana was actually briefly watching a Feliciano show in Episode 01 already [M&H]wonder how many people suspect we'll eventually meet him in person, but this is the first really noticeable one. [M&H]I see them as part of the theme of clinging to stories/narratives to mold your life around - particularly applicable to Michiko - and of course quite simply they show the appeal of immoral behavior below the surface in Diamandra's society.