I hadn’t even heard of this series before I joined a group watch for it. From the OP and visual aesthetics, I got Lupin the III and Cowboy Bebop vibes (yes, I know its DNA and the comparison becomes inevitable), so the standard was set high. That plus rumors that this was a hidden gem set some decent expectations, and I've seen more than a few series that claimed that title and didn't reach anticipated heights.

Thankfully, Michiko and Hatchin exceeded my expectations.

Like the series I've compared it to, this series revels in its side-quests. Yes, there is a central plot - Michiko, after collecting her child Hatchin from her abusive foster parents, goes searching for the deadbeat father Hiroshi who ran out on her to rekindle their love and form a functional family - but most of the time, that plot is really just the momentum leading the lead pair into a variety of adventures in varied locations. Over the course of 22 episodes, the story splits its focus between four sets of relationships, roping in all three of the members of this dysfunctional nuclear family whether present or not: the police, the gang Monstro Preto, Michiko and Hatchin themselves, and their relationship with Hiroshi.

The banter with police doesn't have quite the flair of Lupin the III vs. Zenigata, but it comes relatively close. Chalk that up to Atsuko Jackson, a.k.a. Jambo, whose relationship with Michiko becomes the centerpiece for a lot of the series. She knew Michiko for years when they were younger, was responsible for jailing her many years ago, and their relationship has been strained to the point of tearing ever since, but it never quite does. For all that taking her in would benefit Atsuko tremendously as a police officer, she finds herself letting Michiko go several times over the course of the series, enabling a search for her lover that Atsuko recognizes is fully toxic. Watching Atsuko in those last few episodes break down over Michiko's dogged and self-destructive pursuit of Hiroshi is devastating; for all that Michiko drives the plot as a strong female lead, she is driven by her desire for someone else who doesn't seem to care for her. For all that she wants to bring Michiko in, she can't help but want the best for her as well, knowing all too well that Michiko can never just accept things as they stand. The other police officers, corrupt and self-serving as they are, stand in stark contrast to her throughout.

Monstro Preto is a bit more of a mixed bag. This is where Hiroshi's influence is felt the most deeply as he had ties to several major characters who play a role in this and rival gangs, in particular Satoshi Batista who has since taken control of the gang. There is a great deal of infighting where other players like Shinsuke Rodriguez jockey for power, we get hired assassins like Jair and Murano who emphasize just how durable Michiko's plot armor is, and things get messy. Everything involving the gangs keeps things tense as they represent a major threat, and it gives us some insight into the kind of person Hiroshi is (or was), but of the four sets of relationships, this is the one that I found was more flash than substance.

Michiko and Hatchin is a far more complicated relationship that builds throughout the series. Michiko really doesn't behave like a mother throughout the plot, and while Hatchin knows from terrible parents given that couple she was staying with at the start of the series was a nightmare, she barely even finds safety with Michiko who drags her along to find a father she may not even care to meet. It doesn't take long for Hatchin to clue into just how destructive this pursuit is and want out, though in an excellent episode involving a circus, we get to see just how far Michiko is willing to go to keep Hatchin safe, regardless of other other aims. She may not be mother of the year material, but the bond they form over the course of the series is durable, and that last meeting at the end of the final episode is supremely touching.

As for Hiroshi... well, in truth, he's barely a character. That's at least true in the present - I think we learn more about his past than we do about who he is now - where his chief aim is seemingly to avoid a run-in with Michiko. Apart from that, he's finding new loves and getting involved in all manner of dealings, but it's all off screen. I'd relate him to Johan from Monster, but he's much more passive, influencing the plot simply because Michiko is following his trail to all the people with whom he has interacted rather than directly affecting Michiko and Hatchin. And that's also what makes the abbreviated reunion between them work so well. I was initially a little put out that they barely spent any time together, didn't even have a conversation about his extended absence, but this is who Hiroshi is. It's the long and short of him: someone who breezes into and out of Michiko's life, largely uncaring and untethered, more a fling than a relationship despite everything Michiko says she wants with him. In the end, Atsuko is exactly right about how pointless this pursuit was.

...but it wasn't pointless for Hatchin, and I doubt Michiko would regret the time they spent together on that journey, in spite of the end goal being a failure. It's journey over destination, and meeting old friends like Ivan, connecting with new characters like Pepê Lima (who is strikingly similar to Michiko despite some noted differences), and a short time spent as a matador in the most Looney Tunes-esque episode, has meaning. It forged a bond that lives years past their parting and brings Hatchin and Michiko back again in a touching scene.

Is it absurd? Sure. As with so many characters this creative team has used before, the characters seem largely immune to physical threats despite getting beat up on the regular. Some of the side plots are silly nonsense or feel like they're played with too much gravity for what they represent. And yes, the fact that Hiroshi ends up being the piece of shit he was almost guaranteed to be from the start lessens the impact of actually reaching him. But just as I don't watch Lupin the III to have a satisfying wrap-up to some broader mystery (crazy supernatural shenanigans usually make that difficult), I enjoyed following the journey of these characters and the bonds they formed along that path. It's messy and I enjoyed rolling in the dirt with them far more than I expected going in.