[WT!] Hakumei and Mikochi - A tiny little show containing large amounts of comfiness
Anime: Hakumei and Mikochi
Studio: Lerche
Year: 2018
Length: 12 episodes
What is Hakumei and Mikochi about?
Hakumei and Mikochi is a slice of life where animals and tiny humans live peacefully together. It mostly takes place in a forest and a harbor town lying nearby of it. The show itself follows the lives of the tiny lead characters Hakumei who is a carpenter, and Mikochi who is primarily a seamstress. These two both live together in a tree.
Why should I watch Hakumei and Mikochi?
One thing that stands out from the show from the get-go, are its beautiful and warm backgrounds. The backgrounds are absolutely brimmed to the full with a lot of tiny details, whilst not overwhelming you at the same time thanks to all the lovely colours. There is plenty of variation in the backgrounds as well, with it taking place in the busy town, the surrounding nature or a mixture of them both.
Of course, a show can't rely on its looks alone. And whilst it does not have much of an overaching plot, it certainly does have a lot of interesting and fun episodes. Helping out a local necromancer, searching in town for furniture with their new neighbour or going out to fish whilst leaving in the night. It isn't always sunshine and rainbows with this show though, with things like the hot springs being closed, or having a very dangerous encounter. However, despite the main duo having to deal with these issues, the way they are able to resolve them makes the episodes with them even more comfortable than they normally would've been.
It isn't just because of the variation the show offers that it's such a lovely watch instead of a dull one, but also because of the personalities and chemistry between the leads. Hakumei is laid-back who loves doing carprentry in her freetime as well. Mikochi, on the other hand, tends to be more concerned than Hakumei and does most of the chores in home like cooking and washing clothes. They both complement each other so much, that they're even mistaken as a married couple during the show. Which is not too surprising, because they both get along very well whilst also covering each other's weaknesses.
Also helping is that not only the leads, but everyone else looks very much distinct. Even if they are very minor characters! With a lot of the side characters having fun memorable personalities as well, it really brings out a varied cast which keeps the show fresh.
Another aspect which makes the show such a wonderful slice of life, is the very soothing and fitting music it has. Evan Call, known most for composing the score of Violet Evergarden, brings a very peaceful and homely soundtrack. Whilst most of the tracks are on the simple side, it does suit the show very well considering it's a slow show after all. It isn't just cheerful music though, there are some melancholic tracks and even a few upbeat tracks! The OP is an unconventional type of opening, featuring mostly real life nature, but its lullaby definitely puts you in a relaxed mood to fully enjoy the show. The ED however, is even better due to the fact how the episodes tend to transition into the ED by having it play earlier. Having it sung by the two characters who also are known for their singing in the show, and it delving deeper in one of the stories the episode covers with some added background information on it, makes it one of my favourite endings out there.
There are some complaints to be had though, which will differ in severity per person how badly they are perceived. It being of an episodic nature, naturally there will be an episode that isn't very enjoyable. The clash in the town episode was my least favourite of them all, since it didn't fit the light tone the series had before in my eyes. The show itself also makes use of a lot of paneling, which may not be to the liking of everyone. I personally liked it, since it gave the show even more of a picturebook feel to it. There is also the fact that the show does not utilize its premise very much with it being a very small world. But there are moments when there is more focus put on its small world.
Final thoughts
Overall, everything comes together incredibly nicely to make for one of the very comfiest shows I've seen. From the beautiful backgrounds, distinctive artstyle, fun characters and gorgeous music it is a show that will stay with me for a long time. With the winter coming near, this should be a great show to warm you up nicely.
Posted Dec 16, 2018, 11:52 PM UTC