Monday, February 26, 2018

Hakumei to Mikochi – Episode 7

Hakumei and Mikochi have been hearing noises from above their home, so they decide to investigate. This is when they learn for the first time that many new tenants have moved into “their” tree, holes that likely appeared during the explosion and Sen’s subsequent renovation of their home earlier in the season.


The first occupant they meet is a young beetle from out of town named Koharu. She’s so nice and timid that Mikochi can’t find it in herself to be mad at the beetle.


As the girls continue to explore the upper branches of the tree, they meet a flying squirrel with his own juice business (yes really), a cranky bird, and they even find a small restaurant! When Mikochi and Hakumei reach the top of the canopy they find a bottle of wine with two glasses left for them by Sen. As they drink and relax, Mikochi is reminded of her hometown and the many people who lived in the tree where she grew up. So she knows that it’s normal and ok to have so many people living in one tree… and yet she’s clearly still slightly annoyed by the company. But, life involves change, and Mikochi will simply have to get used to the fact that “their tree” is no longer just their tree. Oh well as long as their neighbours keep the noise down right?


In the second vignette, Koharu writes in her journal about getting to know Hakumei and Mikochi better. She lives alone so she’s happy to have made new friends. However, there’s a small problem with her room.


Koharu explains the situation to Hakumei and Mikochi over some tea: she wants to live the “metropolitan lifestyle” now that she’s in a bigger city. Looking around her drab little room, Koharu wants some new furniture.


The girls take Koharu to a furniture store the beetle knows well, but Hakumei points out that the pantry cupboard she’s looking at is not well made. But Koharu will not be swayed. The young beetle also quickly falls for a small bed, and a tall stool-style chair. Koharu pays for the items and they are shipped to her home.


Koharu is in love with her new furniture, and grateful to her new friends for their help. But when she goes missing for a few days, Hakumei and Mikochi go to her home to investigate. There they find Koharu near death! When they revive her with a little food and drink, Koharu explains what happened. Her food, stored securely in the pantry she had just bought, became inaccessible after the handle came off. Exhausted from not sleeping well in her new bed, Koharu accidentally banged her head on the ceiling while trying to fly and land atop of her new chair. Koharu reluctantly asks Hakumei and Mikochi to help her return her room to the way it was before; she will return the pantry cupboard and the bed.


But before Koharu does so, she asks Hakumei for a favor: the cute beetle asks Hakumei to shorten the stool so she can safely sit on top of it. Hakumei’s efforts are rewarded after the repair when Koharu is able to safely and comfortably sit on top of her new, slightly altered stool. Well I guess 1 out of 3 isn’t bad, no?


The last short features what looks like a cute mouse named Mimi. She is a traveling photographer who likes to take “natural” pictures of her subjects. That is, people who become so used to her presence that they stop paying attention to her camera, allowing her to capture people in their “natural” state.


Hakumei and Mikochi invite Mimi to stay with them overnight so she’s not stuck in the rain outside, but they ask that in return she take some pictures of them. This plan doesn’t work though, because Mikochi is super-aware of the camera despite her best efforts, and Hakumei insists on dressing up in a “natural” (but never worn in reality) outfit while she sharpens knives. This scene was cute because Mikochi busted Hakumei on her unnatural state, much to Hakumei’s annoyance.


After a delicious dinner the three girls share a drink, and Mimi shows Hakumei and Mikochi a picture of the wolf Ryoukubirou, who saved Hakumei back when she was homeless. Hakumei loves the picture and confirms that her old friend hasn’t changed at all. When Mimi gets sleepy from the alcohol and falls asleep at the table, Hakumei and Mikochi put her to bed.


In the morning Mimi leaves to resume her trip, but before she leaves the girls ask the flying squirrel with the juice to take a (posed) picture of the three of them. Mimi has some reservations but Hakumei assures her that the picture will be good. At the end of the episode when Mimi receives her developed pictures, we see that the picture did indeed turn out great, and Mimi really likes it.


I think the shining star of this episode for me was Koharu. She’s a bit of an odd creature, what with the bow on her antennae and the fur fringe by her mouth that makes me think of a moustache, but she’s so cute and excited to be in “the big city” living the “metropolitan lifestyle” that I can’t help but like her. I hope she shows up in future episodes!





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