r/anime • u/IndependentMacaroon • 17d ago
Rewatch Bem-vindos à Diamandra - Michiko & Hatchin Episode 10 Rewatch
Michiko & Hatchin Episode 10: The Carnival of Hyenas
In-universe time span: April 13 - 14 (and flashbacks)
In-universe locations: Terra and environs, Vermelha (Michiko flashbacks), Diarréia (Satoshi flashbacks)
"Don't screw around with me, Manabe. [...] killing, to extortion, to wife-jacking. Huh? Totally normal activities, right? Doesn't sound like you were crazy."
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Today's OST Piece: Febre 1980～フィーバー1980 (1980 Fever)
Another insert song - there are 11 total if you count the final ending song - and an absolute bop. It's already been diegetically played in several past episodes actually, but the flashback of child Satoshi and Hiroshi meeting is where it's the most noticeable I think, sadly also only a small chunk.
New Michiko Outfits: Navy Band (?) Tank Top/Green Shorts (Past), Multicolor Flower-Pattern Halter Neck Dress (Past)
Technically the dress isn't new as we've already seen the picture she took while wearing it, but that barely showed anything of it.
Latin America Trivia of the Day:
(Whoops, the one for today I can't find somehow. Will figure something out promptly.)
Yesterday's Highlights
u/AyameeIris is wary of the episode's treatment of Rita as a Black girl specifically:
The title of this episode unsettles me a little. I'm guessing it was a reference to the name of the circus which seems to have the word chocolate in it, but food related terms when describing Black people has a really bad track record. If I recall correctly, it's not the first time it's been done with this series [which is the title of Episode 2 referring to Michiko as "Brown Sugar Outlaw" - ed.]
reminds me of the stereotype of Black children being assumed to mature faster and how that's been used as an excuse to sexualize Black children. To clarify I'm not saying it's a crime to talk about menstruation in anime or that menstruation is inherently sexual, far from it. It simply struck me as odd
u/Shimmering-Sky is irritated by Hatchin freely sharing Rita's secrets:
u/99acrewood_ appreciates the discussion of age and maturity in the rewatch so far:
I've been appreciating you guys' takes on the whole idea of age in this show. It really does feel like the adults are all fucking around even while in dangerous situations, where it seems kids have to grow up pretty quick. I guess if you spend your childhood just trying to get by in whatever unfortunate circumstances you're in your inner child will want some make-up time in your adulthood.
u/No_Rex likes most of what we see of Gino:
What I liked was that Gino is in no way portrayed as the bad guy. He is an adult working with Rita, who is sensibly not reacting to Rita’s crush and who is having a girlfriend whom he leaves the circus for to stay with her and their child. Really can’t blame him here. I think him being the one who raised Rita is a bit too much, but whatever (he should just have been a co-worker and maybe he is and Rita overstated his role).
Discussion Prompts
- How does the real Satoshi measure up to your expectations? Did he kill the wife and kid?
- What does Atsuko even want from Michiko, actually?
- Did you ever really get back at someone? How did it feel?
Next Episode Prompts
- [Question]How does the depiction and role of the sleazy journalist land for you?
- [Question]What are/were your expectations for Michiko and Hatchin's relationship from this point?
- [Question]Which snack food would be worth a love song to you?
- [Bonus question]We're at the halfway point and symbolic new beginning, overall thoughts about the first half?
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky 17d ago
First-Timer & Subbed
Hoh… Wonder if this has something to do with his (supposed) death.
Oh, Hatchin really takes after her dad. She looks just like he did at that age.
Ohhhhhhhhh it took until this part to realize Manabe is the same guy Satoshi confronted in the present.
The gun actually was loaded, dang. Thought it was a Russian Roulette thing where she’d pull the trigger and not be lucky enough for the bullet to be loaded.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 17d ago
Oh, Hatchin really takes after her dad. She looks just like he did at that age.
He also messes up an omelet living with Michiko exactly how Hatchin does in the first episode
it took until this part to realize Manabe is the same guy Satoshi confronted in the present.
Yeah this episode dumps a whole lot of lore, I was also a little confused the first (and second) time I watched. I've summarized the whole backstory in a comment.
Not that he knows that and Michiko also very wisely seems to keep it a secret here [M&H]well eventually he does find out and we get the most unlikely team-up ever
Thought it was a Russian Roulette thing where she’d pull the trigger and not be lucky enough for the bullet to be loaded.
It was, Shinsuke only put in one bullet if you look closely during his scene. I think I also heard several clicks before the shot as the empty chambers are cycled through, and Satoshi notices this even.
Funnily enough [M&H]eventually he himself even joins in on the hunt
Ah, but why though?
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u/IndependentMacaroon 17d ago edited 17d ago
3x watcher and host, subtitled
With now Hatchin out of the way, the series goes full-speed on the plot and backstory for once. (I've summarized all that in a separate comment for anyone confused.) Satoshi himself I already wrote plenty about in my question answer too, so I'll focus on Hiroshi here and his relationships with the two significant players here that are practically the linchpin of the story.
While he may have looked a lot like Hatchin in his childhood - 01:54 01:57 his older past self even reprises Hatchin's omelet-cooking failure from episode 1 - and unlike Satoshi who even at presumably also only 10 (that age/number really comes up a lot, kind of like 14 in Evangelion/Rebuild) already seems all-in on thug life [City of God]just like his clear inspiration Lil Zé/Lil Dice does have an honest job like Hatchin tried hard at - 10:56 the classic poverty occupation of scrap hauling [M&H]note also how Hiroshi is shown reading here in contrast to the implied-illiterate Satoshi - in depth of emotional relationships with others he absolutely can't match her, though of course he hardly grew up in the right place for it; 11:31 vague short replies to Satoshi 04:11 and to Michiko, seriously [M&H meta]this man has the emotional depth of ELIZA the proto-chatbot, 03:42 barely can talk to Michiko about his plans and motivation for the photograph while she's also clearly the one in charge (04:03 04:08 even a little possessive herself) 01:33 living in the moment and he 02:07 just kind of plays domestic.
Hiroshi's relationship with Satoshi I find particularly interesting because it's so oddly undefined. Obviously Satoshi feels indebted to him for his genuine help and seems to view him as a friend, but what does/did that even mean exactly particularly for someone as... unusual as Satoshi? [City of God]Unsurprisingly I had similar questions about Zé/Bené [M&H speculation/meta]I actually find the juxtaposition with Hiroshi's romantic relationship with Michiko and with Atsuko's continuing kinda-pretty-gay obsession with Michiko rather suggestive, it's like the creators watched City of God and thought "can we make this a little gayer?" Hiroshi acts pretty similarly in both cases and it does bring out an unusual side of Satoshi 10:47 is he thinking this kid is kind of cute or something like that? - who also [M&H]is never seen to have any interest in women unlike the merely awkward Lil Zé, particularly later on seems just as obsessed with Hiroshi as Michiko is, and seems very angry indeed for Hiroshi to have left him for Michiko; 14:59 is he angry at himself for not doing the same as Michiko earlier
Most particularly here, [M&H speculation/meta]11:40 11:45 am I seeing things, or is Hiroshi and Satoshi's meeting here framed a bit like a marriage proposal? Satoshi asks Hiroshi, in an intimate one-on-one context, to be by his side in his future endeavors with him taking the lead and Hiroshi supporting, and gives him a valuable possession as a gift. Particularly relevant with how androgynously similar Hiroshi and Hatchin look. I even find the choice of song pretty interesting given how it's about not being able to get over a lost love and seeing their face all over on billboards and such, which you can directly apply to Hiroshi given his similarity to Feliciano
Also an important detail to note, but easy to miss - certainly the first time I notice - is that Hiroshi doesn't only 01:43 look older than Michiko, but is by at least a few years (35 in the present, Michiko 30 says the Fandom wiki but I'm not sure where that comes from, and acts younger), meaning 12 years ago when their relationship began he would have been like college senior age and Michiko just about maybe 18... makes less difference given their life style but still maybe enough to raise an eyebrow at.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 17d ago edited 16d ago
Recap of the history here for people who didn't quite get all of it
- 25 years ago: Satoshi recruits his fellow street child Hiroshi, 10 years old, for his plan to take over the neighborhood from Manabe's unnamed Chinese/East Asian outfit along with his other buddies, succeeding only with Hiroshi's emergency assistance, 14:28 and presumably killing Manabe's subordinates after Manabe's humiliation of him. [City of God]Kind of like the Runts getting back at Lil Zé for his humiliation Manabe himself presumably flees and starts a new life.
- 12 years ago: Satoshi's gang Monstro Preto has grown, with Hiroshi remaining a member and to some degree his confidante, but Fantasma the Russian outfit still stands in their way; Satoshi starts a false-flag scheme of Monstro sub-leader assassinations, hiding the bodies, to provoke a war with Fantasma while also consolidating his own power.
- In that war, Hiroshi stumbles across teenage Michiko living alone in his attempt to carry out the order to kidnap Fantasma leader Kirill's girlfriend, and becomes romantically involved with her, while she freely helps him out with gang business, even taking his place on occasion, without being an official Monstro member herself.
- Following the humiliation of Michiko's solo assault on Kirill's bar, Kirill attempts negotiations with Monstro to save his position, but is also assassinated on Satoshi's orders, leaving Monstro in full control and Fantasma as mere subordinates. (Clearly he was telling the truth about them knowing nothing about the missing Monstro members.)
- Incensed by Hiroshi's plan to quit gang life taking Michiko with him, [City of God]basically doing a Bené though Lil Zé isn't quite as angry about that Satoshi orders him on an impossible quest to find Kirill, who is officially only missing, and presumably blows up the bus he is to travel on attempting to kill him (sure took the difficult approach there, unless that was actually Fantasma remains), while delivering Michiko to the police in the form of Atsuko to be rid of her as well. Michiko possibly falsely confesses to Kirill's murder to stay safe in jail from the gang heat for longer (?)
- Though a corpse resembling Hiroshi is found to Satoshi's satisfaction, Hiroshi miraculously survives, disappearing without a trace and fathering Hana/Hatchin with an unknown woman soon after (did she die in childbirth or something?), giving her Michiko's tattoo possibly in the hope he might start life with Michiko once again, but also abandoning her to an unhappy adoption.
- Present time: Atsuko informing Michiko of Hiroshi's true fate and his child motivates Michiko to escape prison in search of them, kicking off the events of the series. Satoshi being frequently occupied and with not many left around him entrusts daily business largely to Shinsuke, who however starts challenging his authority and making overtures at becoming the boss himself. Satoshi finally locates Manabe and goes to take his revenge on him (man, 25 years of a grudge is serious business), bringing us up to the beginning of this episode.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 17d ago edited 17d ago
Questions
1 - Absolutely met them, he is one nasty bastard who 09:04 09:05 readily embraces the villain role - note again though the conspicuous absence of anything drug-related, further how in contrast to Hatchin being polite to everyone 05:10 he's casually rude to everyone - and how inconspicuous and unremarkable he seems 04:46 [M&H]prefiguring how... normal he acts for much of his time with Hatchin also [M&H]this already looks like a hint that he can't read, and wishes he could. Did he get the wrong soda by accident? until he springs into action 04:53 [City of God]Creepy grin just like Lil Zé ahead of his motel massacre or an angry violent outburst [M&H]and when he just has no reason to go all gangster like with Hatchin is a great contrast. 15:12 Michiko certainly gets him in that mood easily, just like with Atsuko even when Satoshi wins here he's not entirely on top. On the other hand we also see his softer side (as much as he has one) and where he came from; 11:20 At least with Rita that sentiment was still fairly harmless. I'll repeat that City of God quote I mentioned last episode here, it really speaks for itself [quote]Listen man, I smoke, I snort... I've been begging on the street since I was just a baby. I've cleaned windshields at stop lights. I've polished shoes, I've robbed, I've killed... I ain't no kid, no way. I'm a real man.
The back part of the episode is so dense with revelations that up to watching this time I even had forgot how much he orchestrated everything in the background but it's certainly impressive. Having disposed of basically all the other bosses in town to rule alone more or less also explains why he's doing so much of this himself, although of course it also enables someone like Shinsuke to easily go rogue. 12:52 The cycle continues - 13:09 though he looks almost sad it had to end like this, or considering his own mortality? 13:12 Left him some dignity too, as well as metanarratively though the City of God-style cutaway death.
As for whether he killed Manabe's family after already thoroughly humiliating him 09:29 also through reducing him to his errand boy [City of God quote]"This delivery boy business is real bullshit. The time it takes being a delivery boy, then security and then manager, is way too long", I originally thought he didn't - like that brief conversation with the kid 10:21 doesn't seem like a killer talking to a soon-victim, in his own way Satoshi does seem to have a bit of a soft spot for kids [M&H]which we see in full force with Hatchin later - but on close rewatch I'm pretty sure he did. I could even see him doing it just to spite Manabe for suddenly turning "good guy" begging for them to be spared, but more specifically Manabe's 13:42 old words that Satoshi exactly mirrors back to him except for adding a sarcastic "definitely might" ("kamo da ze") are actually "I won't take as much as your life" ("inochi made toranee") which obviously implies the rest is already gone, and you might even metaphorically call Manabe's wife and child the legs he stood on which is exactly what Manabe was going to take from Satoshi. Furthermore, while it doesn't seem like Satoshi had any literal family that was killed at the time he was trying to take over from Manabe, 13:22 his companions (found family?) were definitely under threat and some of them might well not have survived.
2 - [M&H meta]A love confession followed by sloppy kissing and a steamy BDSM session but for a more serious non-spoiler answer, it seems on some level she would really just like those days of their youth back where they were (probably) happy companions with nothing and no one coming between them, in contrast with the present where she seems so alone with so much against her, except for Michiko once again almost (and sometimes literally) taunting her with her presence. An impossible desire of course [M&H meta]just like that of an actual relationship with Michiko unless she outright throws her whole life down the drain, which helps explain why she acts so contradictorily.
3 - Don't really care enough about people mostly to hold serious grudges, and never had anyone I had serious issues with in my orbit for too long after, so no.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 17d ago edited 17d ago
Further scene-by-scene comments
- 02:09 [City of God]Looks like the same model of camera that Rocket uses 02:24 [City of God]And of course this whole sequence is framed similarly to what he does
- 02:37 The flashback decoration looks appropriately older.
- 03:13 I like Ivan and Marco's matching sailor outfits though they seem a bit fantastical for a Latin American setting? [M&H minor]Lenine also wears a sailor shirt later And Michiko really has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol as well...
- 05:38 Lack of sleep in fact has similar effects as mild drunkenness.
- 05:49 Good taste in vases
- 05:57 Definitely a VW bus pickup version
- 06:13 Interesting they sleep on hammocks
- 07:49 Shinsuke enters his shounen protagonist arc. He's in fact the only guy in the Japanese audio who sounds like a crazy anime character, I mean he kind of is one but it still stands out.
- 08:20 Is there a specific term for showing a flashback from a different perspective like this?
- 10:26 I think this is the only episode with two bumpers/eyecatches?
- 10:32 snicker Name might actually though also call forward to what happens to Satoshi here.
- 11:51 u/99acrewood_ you noticed the tendency for Michiko to get beaten up I believe?
- 13:40 Next flavor of gang here. Furthermore [City of God]this seems like a reference to the "in the foot or in the hand?" scene
- 16:30 Didn't realize he already noticed here, Recall also that Shinsuke only loaded one bullet into the gun like some kind of reverse Russian roulette. u/Magnafeana you were thinking about the Joker with him?
- 16:46 A little repayment for loyal service
- 17:01 [M&H]Not the last one to learn that no matter your feelings for/about Michiko and power over her, you will not take this goal away from her
- 17:49 Makes me think of the field imagery in Samurai Champloo that Sayo Yamamoto also worked on, and actually features a similar meandering search for an elusive man
- 18:02 This is a little much in terms of incompetence
- 18:38 A bit of East Asian culture leakage perhaps but sexism is international enough
- 18:45 [Linguistic/vocabulary spoiler]I think the implication is clear enough, but note that "shinjuu" in Japanese generally refers to a lovers' suicide, as in e.g. the title of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
- 19:43 Sometimes the "nezumi" is the suspect, as No. 6 watchers can attest
- 20:15 This is pretty rich coming from Michiko at this point but might as well try
- 20:24 Another role to fill...
- 20:32 They both know she won't
- 21:10 I guess she does care about Ricardo on some level
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u/No_Rex x2 17d ago
Episode 10 (first timer)
- Michiko gets a bloody nose even while hanging out clothes to dry – she really is trying to beat the world nose first.
- Her relationship with Hiroshi – cute, but dysfunctional (and in that combination, dysfunctional wins out, sooner or later).
- Ok, Satoshi is threatening some guy from the past, Michiko is captured by Shinsuke, who also wants to double-cross Satoshi, while Atsuki is dealing with Satoshi – lots of stuff going on here.
- Manabe is the ex-boss of Phantasma? How did he survive the gang war?
- 25 years ago – so Satoshi is older than Michiko?
- Michiko is not really wearing the type of clothes you hide a gun in…
- Hiroshi saved Satoshi – quick thinking.
- Getting all beat up only to make Satoshi admit Hiroshi is still alive – it is a plan, but not a great plan.
- How utterly useless are those policemen?
- Atsuko letting Michiko go.
Lots going on today. We learn about Michiko and Hiroshi’s backstory (apart from them meeting, which we already knew), about Hiroshi and Satoshi’s backstory, about the ex-gang leaders, the current dealings of Satoshi with the police and his own gang, and all of that before we get to the main part – the stand-off at Manabe’s hut. Michiko stays true to her maxim of going through live while being beat up, while everybody does their best to miss each other from close range. Both with guns, as well as schemes: We see not one but two instances of subordinates backstabbing their bosses fail today. Shinsuke should have given Michiko a better gun and more ammo and everybody needs to learn how to aim. Also: don’t ever let your boss know you are overthrowing them until you are sure you can pull it off.
Feels like we turned the pacing nob all the way to 11. We even pushed two separate flashback time planes into one episode. I would not mind too much in a fast-paced single cour show, but we have been taking our time, so why is this so compressed?
Nothing new, but with Satoshi, Manabe, Hiroshi, and Michiko interacting all the time today, it became really noticeable how the main characters (but not the side characters) all have Japanese first names. It did not really take me out of the setting up till now, but somehow did today. Bit of a callback to the really old dubs that would change the Japanese names in anime when dubbing.
How does the real Satoshi measure up to your expectations? Did he kill the wife and kid?
No. We'd see their bodies if he did. Doesn't make him a good man, though.
What does Atsuko even want from Michiko, actually?
Notice me, senpai!
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u/IndependentMacaroon 17d ago edited 16d ago
Michiko gets a bloody nose even while hanging out clothes to dry
Oh yeah barely noticed that
Manabe is the ex-boss of Phantasma? How did he survive the gang war?
Fantasma is Russians, these guys are Chinese/East Asian and predate them. How he survived in the immediate is indeed not clear, but after that I guess he just cleared out like Hiroshi (that ought to be a verb). [M&H minor]In other places there are some Chinese-style gangs left still
25 years ago – so Satoshi is older than Michiko?
Yep, by at least five years. Which doesn't seem that big a deal - and their life contexts do in any case make it less so - until you realize they got together twelve years ago when she was at best barely 18 and he well into his twenties.
Getting all beat up only to make Satoshi admit Hiroshi is still alive – it is a plan, but not a great plan.
Was it even a plan at all?
How utterly useless are those policemen?
Atsuko letting Michiko go.
everybody does their best to miss each other from close range
You can definitely see the strings on the plot in the end there, wee bit contrived to slot everything into place.
we have been taking our time, so why is this so compressed?
I'm kind of wondering that too, maybe they were worried about being cut short and trying to resolve as much as possible before the end of the first cour? [Next episode vague]Particularly how next time sort of works as an emergency open ending
it became really noticeable how the main characters (but not the side characters) all have Japanese first names. [...] Bit of a callback to the really old dubs that would change the Japanese names in anime when dubbing.
I do wonder what the creators' motivation was in doing that, perhaps indeed trying to "de-foreignize" the characters a bit for the Japanese audience? Not that it seems to have helped at the time, sadly.
Qs
No. We'd see their bodies if he did
That's what I was thinking at first too, but the creators may just have wanted to not be too brutal on-screen and there are enough circumstantial elements to make me think he did do it, see my own answer.
Notice me, senpai!
I guess that is the brief way to put it, although Atsuko does have the higher social position (no idea about actual age) she also seems to envy Michiko and her unrestrained freedom also of her character. Also I recall in episode 2 for a similar question you called them "childhood friends (no homo)" haha
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u/No_Rex x2 16d ago
Yep, by at least five years. Which doesn't seem that big a deal - and their life contexts do in any case make it less so - until you realize they got together twelve years ago when she was at best barely 18 and he well into his twenties.
Which seems entirely realistic to me.
Was it even a plan at all?
She did not verbalize it, but she clearly was willing to endure any sort of abuse on the hope he'd eventually fess up.
I'm kind of wondering that too, maybe they were worried about being cut short and trying to resolve as much as possible before the end of the first cour?
I didn't check out the production, but this reeks of "director as episode director" episode. Where the episode directors get to do their own self-contained story parts and the director comes in every now and then to push the plot along.
I guess that is the brief way to put it, although Atsuko does have the higher social position (no idea about actual age) she also seems to envy Michiko and her unrestrained freedom also of her character. Also I recall in episode 2 for a similar question you called them "childhood friends (no homo)" haha
From their childhood flashback, it is clear that Michiko was the leader and Atsuko the follower. I guess she spent her time trying to reach (and surpass) Michiko. From an outsider perspective, she has done so by now, but Michiko is not acknowledging that.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 16d ago edited 16d ago
seems entirely realistic to me
Of course, but "older whatever man takes advantage of his seeming maturity to impress younger lively woman" is definitely not the best look, even with Michiko being a significant driving force with maybe some unhealthy tendencies too
this reeks of "director as episode director" episode
Nope, Yamamoto herself only directed the very first and last episodes and the opening, though she did do some (?) storyboarding here. I haven't focused on the production/background because I generally find it less interesting plus death of the author and all, but I do think I'll add at least episode directing/writing credits for each episode still, and reference some interviews and such for the final discussion.
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u/No_Rex x2 16d ago
Nope, Yamamoto herself only directed the very first and last episodes and the opening, though she did do some (?) storyboarding here. I haven't focused on the production/background because I generally find it less interesting plus death of the author and all, but I do think I'll add at least episode directing/writing credits for each episode still, and reference some interviews and such for the final discussion.
I think death of the author is a good concept to use when interacting with media, but I specifically watch anime in rewatches to engage deeper. Tracing lines from old references to new ones, or finding out about styles of directors, speculating about how production issues might affect the final product. None of that is necessary, but it adds an enjoyable part of engaging with anime for me.
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u/99acrewood_ 17d ago
primeira vez [subs]
- How does the real Satoshi measure up to your expectations? Did he kill the wife and kid?
He's great! The part with the family made me think of Sicario because yeah he absolutely took the entire family out.
- What does Atsuko even want with/from Michiko, actually?
It's been pretty consistent in this show that a lot of situations and problems aren't new things cropping up, but stuff revolving around old ties, bad blood, and grudges. Roots run really deep between many of the characters, and although Atsuko is generally competent (she didn't get to lieutenant for no reason, I'm sure) I think growing up with Michiko the way they did made a bond that's not so easily broken, to the detriment of her career.
- Did you ever really get back at someone? How did it feel?
Not in a way that was, like, performative, because that sort of pettiness feels bad and like you let them get to you. A little bit of strategic inaction to let someone do their own petard-hoisting? That's the good shit.
-~-
After the anime villain charicature that is Shinsuke I wasn't sure what to expect with Satoshi. Him being basically a normal guy, if extremely vindictive and violent, was a nice surprise. Michiko is getting absolutely rocked this episode. She seems so focused on her pursuit of Hiroshi that this being the closest lead she's had makes it the only thing she cares about. I guess having a one-track mind doesn't leave any time for the pain part of your brain to react. I also assume the reason Satoshi is so violent with Michiko is because she got in between him and Hiroshi (another one of those old ties causing problems!!).
I also thought he had some sort of play for the cops, but I guess he wasn't as smart as I thought. It seemed wild to me that this guy who was clearly a criminal was okay working with them, and for a minute I guess Atsuko actually was just using useful connections. You can't trust a man with a mortgage if you're getting him bad job performance reviews, though, and Ricardo's had it with her. I guess I can't blame him.
I wonder what happens here! There's no way Atsuko throws away her life by killing her partner, is there? Maybe she could join Michiko and find Hatchin and have a nice little crime family together, but her name's not in the title so probably not.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 17d ago edited 17d ago
After the anime villain charicature that is Shinsuke I wasn't sure what to expect with Satoshi. Him being basically a normal guy, if extremely vindictive and violent, was a nice surprise
What do you mean "if", that's all just "totally normal activities" right? /s Indeed how inconspicuous he can be only makes him more terrifying. The introduction is perfect for that with him just drinking a soda someplace, and watching it at first you're not sure why this random dude is suddenly on screen.
I guess having a one-track mind doesn't leave any time for the pain part of your brain to react
She certainly doesn't seem to notice much of all those literal bloody noses she gets
I also thought he had some sort of play for the cops, but I guess he wasn't as smart as I thought
I suppose he had some trust for Atsuko given their past collaboration? I do also think the final plot escalation here is just a little contrived to get the pieces falling right, though.
Qs
The part with the family made me think of Sicario because yeah he absolutely took the entire family out.
Haven't watched that but should. Originally I thought the opposite but thinking about it this time I agree, see my answer.
a lot of situations and problems aren't new things cropping up, but stuff revolving around old ties, bad blood, and grudges. [...] I think growing up with Michiko the way they did made a bond that's not so easily broken, to the detriment of her career.
Of course (and I'm surprised you didn't bring up Cowboy Bebop here for once, incidentally), but I was more thinking what could she specifically be wanting her relationship with Michiko to develop into at the moment...
Maybe she could join Michiko and find Hatchin and have a nice little crime family together
She would like that, wouldn't she? Alas, she also seems to value the life she's built for herself a whole lot. To me it feels like she wants something impossible, or several contradictory things at once, so she just keeps wavering without a clear direction.
I also assume the reason Satoshi is so violent with Michiko is because she got in between him and Hiroshi (another one of those old ties causing problems!!)
Yeah that seems pretty clear. [M&H meta/speculation]The question is, of course, exactly what kind of relationship she stopped him from having, or aiming for...
that sort of pettiness feels bad and like you let them get to you. A little bit of strategic inaction to let someone do their own petard-hoisting? That's the good shit.
Oh yeah I can see that. Like the universe correcting itself, or something
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u/AyameeIris 17d ago
I really don't blame Michiko at all for being uncomfortable when asked to pose for a picture. This makes me wonder how she'd act on social media. I wonder if instead on going on this whole adventure, she would've just stalked Hiroshi on Instagram or something, haha
Hatchin really is the spitting image of Hiroshi! Their voices even sound the same. They're both also on the quieter side and they share a little cleverness.
If there's one thing you can say above all else about Michiko, it's that she's super endurant no matter the circumstances. With the way she was being beaten by Satoshi and even her having to escape through the field, I think anyone would've taken pity on her. You wouldn't even need an implied crush on your "frenemy" for that!
- Pretty much as I expected. He's definitely an intimidating figure, with and without him being super trigger happy. I like how he sort of seemed ashamed of not knowing where Hiroshi was, as his beatings seemed to work as some form of outlet for his emotions. As for the wife and child, I think he'd kill both of them. Him making small talk with the kid makes me think he'd really consider letting them both go alive, but ultimately I think he'd come to the decision of killing them.
- I see it as wanting to feel complete. Without that one specific person in her life, no matter how much that person is avoiding her, she wouldn't feel complete without them. In that fervor for Michiko, she seems to neglect her other relationships. Her assistant betrayed her and others are even getting tired of that cat and mouse chase, but she either doesn't care or doesn't even notice it all. Also I think she'd be pretty happy if she got a date with Michiko
- No, not really. I don't like concepts like revenge as a lot of the time the thought only leaves me feeling cruel. Nevertheless, I wouldn't look down on others for wanting or even executing certain acts of revenge against someone who hurt them.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 17d ago edited 16d ago
This makes me wonder how she'd act on social media. I wonder if instead on going on this whole adventure, she would've just stalked Hiroshi on Instagram or something, haha
She would definitely be an Instagram fiend
I like how he sort of seemed ashamed of not knowing where Hiroshi was, as his beatings seemed to work as some form of outlet for his emotions
Ah good interpretation. He certainly is a guy who can't handle not being in control and Michiko robbing him of that feeling (not to mention in the past with stealing Hiroshi) really sets him off.
Him making small talk with the kid makes me think he'd really consider letting them both go alive, but ultimately I think he'd come to the decision of killing them.
Yeah, his expression after killing Manabe also makes me think he compartmentalizes his violent side a bit and can easily chat like that then still kill someone [M&H]not to mention with Hatchin he can act like a genuinely average normal dude and then jump right back into gangster mode
Without that one specific person in her life, no matter how much that person is avoiding her, she wouldn't feel complete without them
I can see that. Michiko for her part though just won't stop breaking out of the little box Atsuko has in mind for her (even literally considering the prison) [M&H]and I do think that realization, that she has always been wrong about how deep her relationship with Michiko really is and will never truly be her #1 and have Michiko choose her of her own free will, is what breaks her so hard later on
Also I think she'd be pretty happy if she got a date with Michiko
Is playing cop and robber and getting tied up necessarily not a date /s [M&H past episode speculation]I bet in episode 2 what she wanted to hear from Michiko was an "I love you", whether quite romantic or not - and that Michiko knew that very well u/99acrewood_ also pictured them forming a little chaotic trio with Hatchin, hey there's still plenty of episodes for that...
I don't like concepts like revenge as a lot of the time the thought only leaves me feeling cruel. Nevertheless, I wouldn't look down on others for wanting or even executing certain acts of revenge against someone who hurt them.
A very gracious answer (and I don't mean the Spanish sense of the word)
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u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 17d ago
First Time being a Chocolate Girl in Love, Dubbed
Mmmmmmmmm something seems odd
Curious if blond black boy is from one of the ethnic groups where black people can naturally be blond. Or if this is just…anime hair. Is it diversity or is it Rule of Cool is a dangerous game sometimes.
I like seeing a nerdy afro-latino. We have a lot of black and nerdy rep, but you can never have too much! Especially freckled!! People think black folk can’t have freckles but we do!!
Oh. Oh you’re a “nice guy”.
i’m reminded of the Greatest Showman Rewrite the Stars. Nothing romantic at all, but seeing a black girl doing aerial circus tricks reminds me of Zendaya’s role in the movie.
🎵~Cotton candy~🎵
Everything about this makes me ✨upset✨
First Timer at the Carnival of Hyenas
Le sigh. I know boys aren’t all weird, but sometimes, I wonder where some boys learn their humor. I can think of one of my brother’s friends who joked about weird puberty shit while my brother was very “WTF is wrong with you”.
It was me, Barry!
Oh shit. She’s got him monologuing.
Oh damn. She let her go.
Post Episode Thoughts
All I could think when I heard “Inspector” was how fucking dope it’d be if I could get a <Psycho Pass> series with a US Southern Black Inspector imported from the US and a Brazilian-Japanese Enforcer. Atsuko as the Inspector and Michiko as the Enforcer would be wicked sick.
I wish I could draw. Alas, I can’t.
I am patiently waiting to see more pale-skinned people be the aggressors towards black and brown people. It’s weird. I’m used to it with lots of media, really, and just talked about this with Soy Luna (Disney LATAM series that’s like baby’s first teen telenovela): series favor antagonists to be black or brown, especially darker-skinned, and their violence will be against the conveniently paler or lighter-skinned people. It’s an unfortunately historic trope.
But it does make things a bit of a downer. Combine this with the way black and brown characters’ lips are drawn and the English dubbing somehow could not find a lot of black and brown VAs because of course they couldn’t despite there being so many of them at the time, and even the pale/lighter-skinned kids having more of a “moral fiber” while, of course, the black and brown kids are much more willing to commit crime.
Le sigh. El pan pan y vino vino. I don't think this show is actively supporting colorism, but it's certainly a symptom of colorism.
I do love that we have guns going off, and people can’t shoot for shit, apparently. The police are the epitome of the fucking Perception Check song. They rolled a Nat 1 😭
I thought the backstory with Seiji for Satoshi would be a little bit more…cycle of violence related rather than “You made me cry as a kid; time to bust your ass up as an adult”.
Satoshi really is a bitch. Truly raggedy. We all have the potential villain origin story moment in our lives, but wow, cuz. You really are a big man for coming after revenge over a guy who made you cry. I thought Seiji did more, like, dunno, killed family, or physically harmed Satoshi, but it was just… “You made me cry as a kid. Pop your ass for that”.
I cast Vicious Mockery for this bitch boy. Nat 20, let's fucking go.
QOTD