Nine centimeters (3.5 inches) tall, the tiny girls Hakumei and Mikochi live in the forest. Living in a
tiny house in a tree, riding insects and birds, and making umbrellas out of leaves, these tiny girls
live a tiny life. Follow their tiny but lovely lives as they live their day to day in a fantastic
world of tiny people and gods.
(Source: MangaHelpers)
Ahh yes. The underrated and underdog that no one talks about. There’s gotta be that one anime that flies over everyone’s radar. Hakumei To Mikochi everyone. So...no ones talking about this show...why??? It’s weird really how this is one of my favourite anime of the season. I mean it’s about the life of tiny people and how they go through events everyday. It’s a way to end a Friday if you ask me. The main story centres around our two main characters Hakumei and Mikochi. The two of them has some of the best character chemistry and interaction I have ever seen. It’s clear how much those 2 care for each other and how they both go through obstacles together. Mikochi is like your housewife who does a lot of the housework and food prep. Hakumei on the other hand is the one who works outside and do lots of mechanical work. It’s fun watching those 2 do what they do best. Some of the side characters’ personality proves to be great and well and some of them have a pretty sad backstory. Even if they minimal screen time, every second they appear I receive joy from them. I really am tempted to ship Hakumei and Mikochi and want to make this shoujo ai as much as possible, but I shouldn’t. The animation and art style is super stylistic (as expected from Lerche). Beautiful colours and background art including amazing cinematography. With Andou Masaomi directing, it’s no surprise we get a lot of paneling during the series. He’s also done this with his previous work “Kuzu no Honkai.” He music is great for it also composed by Evan Call, who did music for the series “Violet Evergarden” at the same time. It easily sets the tone and atmosphere for any given situation. He’s looking to be the Kevin Penkin of the season. But both are equally talented in their music field. The OP is spectacular with captivating visuals as well as a smooth and charming song that just helps you relax. But for maximum relaxation comes the ED with some extra info that forces you to watch the whole ED without skipping. Smart. Not many anime’s do that, so some extra information at the ED is pretty appreciated. Overall Hakumei to Mikochi is one of the best series slice of life has to offer with beautiful characters, soundtrack. Art/animation, and interactions. I love the scale comparison when it comes to the characters and objects we see in everyday life. You begin to get a feel for them and be able to put yourself in their shoes. Sad this has a low score and not many people talk about it. But if you have any time to watch tiny people live in a forest and your Friday ain’t going well, I guarantee you that this series will lighten up the mood as well as your day. Thank you Lerche.
To be honest, I was kind of skeptical if I should watch this when I first added this to Plan to Watch list. However, when I started the first episode, I knew that I will definitely finish this series (quick). I did not read the manga prior to watching this anime either. ~~~ img500(https://66.media.tumblr.com/6c939f17a7224e982e30612e289c8a10/tumblr_p2gxa1W1jF1shmkc9o1_r1_500.gif)~~~ ---- ~~~__PLEASE NOTE THAT MY REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILER__~~~ ---- I was hooked after I heard the opening theme song ["Urar" by Chima] along with the visuals it provided (the places where they got inspirations from). It has this dreamy, fantastical feeling that it soothe my heart instantly. Probably, it was because I watched it when my heart is tired and I am just looking for a place to escape temporarily. This rhythm continues all the way to when the episode ends. Moving on to the anime itself, there are many instances when I can relate this anime to real life such as, having to work and having to prepare food so that you can have something to eat, despite it being a fantasy anime, the characters do not "magically" appear from one place to another nor they do not have to eat to live. They still live like how humans live, but maybe 1000x smaller and in a fiction town with animals that understand and talk human language. Also, it's probably due to the fact that I live in a city area with houses so close to each other (= humans everywhere!), I really like where the main characters live - the tree house among the forest and that's probably because my ideal Sunday afternoon is to spend it in a spacious area surrounded by the peaceful nature, sitting on a rocking chair, drinking a cup of tea and enjoying a book and you would definitely find me in the main characters' house if it ever.. exists. I am loving those humans' puffy cheeks and the food shown in the series were also realistically looking that I was craving for some while watching. The scenery scenes are the ones that I love the most in this series - it feels surreal that it is almost as if I am beside Hakumei and Mikochi themselves whenever they are on their adventures. About the main characters, Hakumei and Mikochi, I really envy the friendship they both have. Hakumei is more of an adventurous type person while Mikochi is more a person who likes to stay indoor. Despite having different characters, they are able to be so understanding of each other. For instance, when they both went fishing, Mikochi told Hakumei that she doesn't like fishing and Hakumei wasn't even angry about this. Instead, she accepted the fact that Mikochi dislikes fishing and did not force her to continue with the activity. That's probably the reason why they both can stay together in the same house for a long time. I also love how they can make friends with anyone whenever they go. To summarise, the artwork, the music and the simple moments in life where there are no unnecessary stress (such as bills *eek*) makes this the best anime to watch on a Sunday afternoon. I would love to join them in their adventures, anytime. I admit there are a few boring moments but I can overlook that since everything else, especially the pace is just right for me. On a side note, there isn't really a story for this anime but it's still best to watch this from episode 1 as there are some parts that are continuous and you might miss out something if you skip a episode. Before I end, if this series only features either one of them as the main, it wouldn't be as nice as featuring the both of them. It's really great to have someone besides you that is willing to go on all kinds of adventures with you :) BONUS- _Loving those moments when they have peanuts for snacks, it's just so cute._ (It's my first time writing a review, so apologies in advance if I didn't mention anything you are looking for >.<)< /p>
Hakumei and Mikochi is a series I initially skipped out on when it first aired. Not for any reason, as the premise did appeal to my tastes and I put it on my list of anime I planned to watch, but at the time it came out, I was burnt out on anime. From 2010 to the end of 2015, I watched a ton of anime...but after I graduated college, I felt myself unable to watch even a single episode per month unless it was a new episode of Pokemon. A number of things contributed to this for me: Too much time on my hands, too many titles that had elements that turned me off, job hunting with no success, cyberbullying in one particular fandom, having seen too many shows, and so on. Anime always brought me joy, and I honestly tried to get back into it, but I couldn't muster up the motivation to go back to what I did before. I just couldn't get myself in the frame of mind to watch anything anymore, even the shows I really loved. Then the crapshow that was 2020 happened and one day, I watched an episode of an anime. And another. And another. Slowly but surely, I found myself going back to the old routine that sustained me throughout my school years. I think I finally managed to claw myself out of it. Not completely, but I'm feeling a lot better and more motivated than I was before. To think it actually took a pandemic for me to get back into the medium that brought me so much joy throughout my life. In that regard, I finally managed to watch and finish shows I was interested in watching, with Hakumei and Mikochi being one of them. God, this series is so cute and sweet and deserves way more love than it gets! But what is Hakumei and Mikochi about, anyway? In an unnamed fantasy land, talking animals and people reaching only a few inches tall co-exist in peace. Two such tiny people, Hakumei and Mikochi, live together in a house built into a tree. Hakumei is a tomboyish, energetic carpenter, while the more feminine, reserved, responsible Mikochi is a tailor and cook who sells her work to nearby establishments. The two are pretty different, but they get along well and spend every day together in harmony. They work, go on sightseeing adventures, take shopping trips, and interact with the various people and animals in their hometown Makinata. Basically, it's a low key fantasy slice-of-life story about two women who live together, and if you're confused as to how old Hakumei and Mikochi are, the series makes it pretty clear that, even though their character designs are deliberately chibi-esque and child-like, they're fully grown adults. One thing Hakumei and Mikochi really excels at is making use of its setting. Since the main characters, and other tiny humanoids like them, are only a few inches tall, smaller than most animals even, the series takes great pains to show how much bigger the world would seem to their perspective. A mouse would be small to us, but bigger than our two main characters. In fact, the series really has an incredible sense of detail. Both Hakumei and Mikochi are shown doing tasks that most other shows would take for granted, like acquiring food, cooking, sewing clothes, using different types of dye and what conditions create certain colors, sharpening their tools, and so on. Most anime would only show just one or two scenes like this, but for Hakumei and Mikochi, it's part of their daily life, as it would be for other people in real life. They're always doing something meaningful that, even if it may not impact the story, brings a lot of life to both them as characters and the world they live in. Granted, there are other shows that have done this better, but since most anime tend to take a lot of these things for granted, I'm giving Hakumei and Mikochi an A+ for this one. This extends to the characters as well, namely our main duo. The show also takes great pains to show what these two girls are like, their hobbies, their personalities, and just how they manage to live together in spite of their differences. Hakumei is an energetic tomboy who eats a lot, but she's also a hard worker and takes her jobs very seriously, something one wouldn't expect out of characters that follow that archetype. Mikochi is more feminine and often keeps her in life, but the series treats her as very proactive, and her hobbies and talents are treated with just as much respect as Hakumei's. Both have their strengths, weaknesses, and talents and compliment each other perfectly. It helps that the side characters are pretty good as well, even if I wish more had been done with them. The only character I admittedly don't like is Conju, mainly because she's kind of a stuck-up brat who frequently causes trouble, though even she's fairly mild compared to other, far worse and more mean-spirited characters in other anime I've seen. The artwork and animation was done by a newer studio called Lerche, who previously animated shows like Astra: Lost In Space, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, Monster Musume, and Radiant. While the characters don't display much in terms of movement and motion (Though Hanako-kun is a lot worse about this), the series makes up for it with lush backgrounds and a subdued, low key artstyle that perfectly conveys the sheer beauty of the world around our two leads. I've heard that some people took issue with Lerche's usage of manga-style panels for certain parts, but I personally wasn't bothered by them. I thought that they worked just fine for the scenes they were used for, and weren't overused. The soundtrack is also a joy to listen to, with every piece fitting the feel and atmosphere of the series, from loud, energetic cowboy fiddles to soft, soothing piano music for the quieter parts. Honestly, the only thing I can see people take issue with is that it's deliberately slow paced and lacking in action. This isn't a series for people who want to see blood-pumping fights or guys screaming at each other constantly. Hakumei and Mikochi is a slice-of-life through and through and knows what its supposed to be. That being said, I'm admittedly not a fan of episode 8, because its whole tone and premise felt jarring and out of place for a series like this. It's not a bad episode or anything, but it just seemed to come out of nowhere and really clashed with the rest of the series. But it's just one episode out of twelve, so I think I can let it slide. In terms of iyashikei series, Hakumei and Mikochi is one of the best the genre has to offer. It's a sweet, charming little time-killer that's perfect for when you want to wrap yourself in a blanket, sit by the fireplace, drink hot chocolate, and relax on a snowy winter day. It's sweet, its wholesome, and definitely worth your time if you're willing to give it a chance.
If you have any interest in Slice of Life anime, especially of the Cute Girls Doing Cute Things variety, you may have heard the phrase “show about nothing” before. These are shows without any meaningful plot, no real action, and no suspense or mystery. In essence, shows where nothing happens. What’s fun about a show like that? With no plot, no tension, nothing of anything, what point is there in watching a show about nothing? Well, it’s because it’s not just a show about nothing, is it? In the absence of all these other things, the remaining actors can take center stage: the characters. Slice of Life media, to me, has an almost unparalleled ability to make its characters feel not only well-written but real. You can truly begin to relate to and empathize with these characters as they go through their daily lives, as they interact with the world and the people around them, and as they struggle through the hardships in their lives. That’s why, when I was in high school and bawling my eyes out to _K-ON!_ ’s second season, a spark hit me and I realized I’d found something truly special. It wasn’t a show about nothing, it was a show about characters, about __people__, going through the same things I was and that I could relate to. It would take a long time before that spark hit me again. It finally did when I decided to watch _Hakumei & Mikochi_ on a whim one night, though this time for a slightly different reason: Not only did its characters strike a chord with me, but I also fell for its remarkable ability to turn the mundane everyday lives of its cast into something truly magical. ~~~img(https://files.catbox.moe/gv9ton.jpg) ~~~ --- # __Premise__ _Hakumei & Mikochi_ follows the titular characters, Hakumei and Mikochi, as they live their daily lives in the small town of Makinata. They go to work, they go shopping, they hang out with their friends, and they do all the same things we do every day, but with some crucial differences: they’re 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) tall, and they live in a whimsical forest wonderland full of talking animals and other oddities rather than Earth. _Hakumei & Mikochi_ is a pure Iyashikei work. The show is here to do one thing and one thing only. It’s here to “heal” you and relax you through the heartwarming adventures of its two lead characters. ~~~img(https://files.catbox.moe/s518tu.jpg) ~~~ --- # __Narrative & Worldbuilding__ _Hakumei & Mikochi_ runs on an episodic format. There’s no real overarching story to speak of, and each episode is usually split into 2 or 3 separate little chapters each with a self-contained plotline. These range from a day at Hakumei’s workplace to the pair going to a festival and getting roped into a singing competition. It’s all very mundane, very podunk. That’s not to say there’s no tension or action. Quite the opposite. In between all the fluff, Hakumei & Mikochi does a very good job of showing that conflict and danger exist even in this idyllic world., In the first couple of episodes alone, Hakumei and Mikochi nearly die several times. Beyond the narrative, the true strength of the show lies in its worldbuilding, and it’s what made me fall truly in love with it from the first time I watched it. There’s a sort of magical whimsy to the setting that makes it stand out from just about anything else I’ve seen in the medium. At first glance, it might seem like the sort of pseudo-medieval fantasy landscape that’s commonly seen in anime, but there’s one crucial little detail I’ve mentioned that propels it straight into fairy tale territory: the world is tiny, quite literally. This changes everything, and it’s what makes the show excel at its craft. It’s what makes me genuinely happy to watch Mikochi do household chores and to watch Hakumei go to work. Despite how whimsical and slapdash the world feels, or perhaps because of it, everything makes perfect sense as you watch it. The general tech level seems equivalent to the late 1800s, as cameras and trains exist, but at the same time, there’s no visible industry anywhere. No cars or other vehicles seem to exist, beetles and larger animals like raccoons instead act like taxis and buses. People are self-sufficient and often live off the land, and Hakumei and Mikochi are shown foraging for food and wood several times. It’s an odd and interesting blend of an industrial society and a fairy tale forest realm. There’s also a hint of spirituality and possibly magic to the world. Spirits like tsukumogami are clearly shown to exist, and Sen can reanimate the dead through the power of music. _Hakumei & Mikochi_ takes a lot of care to show how life is different when you’re 9cm tall in an otherwise normal-sized world. Things that we’d never think to worry about can be life-threatening for Hakumei and Mikochi. An orange falling on my head would be a mild inconvenience at most, but for our protagonists, it’d mean instant death. An owl is just an owl to us, but for our protagonists, it’s a terrifying monster ten times their size that could swallow them both in one bite. It’s not all danger though: A normal watermelon, for instance, is shown to be enough to feed an entire crew of hungry construction workers, and we see how the small folk can comfortably live inside cute little tree stumps, turtle shells, and even eggs. A single peanut is enough for a snack for both Hakumei and Mikochi. The small folk and the talking animals also seem to live in harmony, and society in Makinata is designed to accommodate even the larger animals. Larger animals do the heavy lifting that the small folk aren’t strong enough to do, and the small folk do the detail work that the larger animals don’t have the dexterity for. ~~~img(https://files.catbox.moe/kxuw32.jpg) ~~~ --- # __Characters__ In the absence of any real plot _Hakumei & Mikochi_, like many Iyashikei, relies entirely on its cast of characters and how they interact with each other to keep the viewer engaged. Luckily, this particular cast is filled to the brim with a variety of colorful characters, both human (?) and animal, to enjoy. _Hakumei and Mikochi_ are, of course, our leads that the show centers itself around. Hakumei is a cheerful, energetic tomboy who loves the outdoors. She works as a carpenter and handyman, doing odd jobs fixing stuff around town for money. Mikochi on the other hand is more traditionally feminine, being kind and caring but more reserved than Hakumei. She’s also an incredibly skilled cook, singer, and seamstress. They complement each other very well: Hakumei’s adventurous nature helps bring Mikochi out of her cowardly shell, and conversely, Mikochi helps keep Hakumei grounded when things don’t go her way. Honestly, the chemistry these two have with each other is CRAZY. They’re always supporting each other in everything, and they’re both a total delight to watch no matter what they’re doing. Other characters mistake them for a married couple and you wouldn’t be wrong for thinking so yourself. You could very easily make a yuri ship with these two. I ship it, personally. The supporting cast is large and varied, and several characters become reoccurring friends of the main pair and appear throughout the show’s runtime. The most prominent of these are Konju, a klutzy but skilled songstress, Sen, a shy necromancer, and Iwashi, a weasel who’s also Hakumei’s boss. Other highlights include Narai, the chief of the local construction guild, Jada the hairdresser, and the Master of the café Kobone. ~~~img(https://files.catbox.moe/n5x1wt.jpg) ~~~ --- # __Audiovisuals__ I’ll be honest, _Hakumei & Mikochi_ isn’t exactly what I would consider a masterpiece of animation. It doesn’t need to be, either. It’s not trying to wow you with extremely fluid character movements, awesome fight choreography, or breathtaking special effects. Fundamentally, this show is trying to relax you. Lerche does a fine job of that; They adapt the chibi artstyle of the manga perfectly, the characters are consistently on-model, even the animal characters, and the movement is generally smooth. One interesting and quite unique part of the visuals is the way the show makes use of paneling, which seems to be a trademark of director Masaomi Andou, to keep the momentum going and to always have something moving on the screen. The real strength of _Hakumei & Mikochi_ to me, though, lies in its aesthetic. By aesthetic, I mean colors, designs, lighting, and just the general mood of the show. This is where the show really excels at making you feel relaxed and comfortable, as it makes excellent use of warm, vibrant colors and warm lighting to make each scene as cozy as possible. Many scenes are bathed in the golden glow of the sunset which, when contrasted against the green of the forest or the rooftops of Makinata, makes for a soothing vibe. The characters evoke this feeling as well through the way they dress. Most of the small folk, including Hakumei and Mikochi themselves, wear long flowing robes, dresses, and skirts in various vibrant patterns and colors. One huge part of what makes the aesthetic pop, and the REAL standout in terms of visuals, is the background art done by Studio Kusanagi. I have never before or since seen an anime with such beautiful background art as _Hakumei & Mikochi_. Kusanagi truly outdid themselves here. Every single scene, whether it’s the hustle and bustle of Makinata itself or the lush greenery surrounding the town, is a painting exploding with colors, and watching the characters interact with these gorgeous environments is a delight. ~~~img(https://files.catbox.moe/bzs24o.jpg) ~~~ The voice acting is superb across the board, and there are some real all-stars in this cast for the seiyuu enthusiast. Standouts include Aoi Yuuki, Kenjirou Tsuda, Rie Takahashi, Junichi Suwabe, and Megumi Ogata. Risae Matsuda and Shino Shimoji, the voices of Hakumei and Mikochi respectively, do a fantastic job of making their characters come to life and reflect their personalities well, Hakumei sounding more upbeat and cheerful and Mikochi being a little more subdued and elegant. The music ties the whole package together, being composed by Evan Call who also composed the soundtrack for the _Violet Evergarden_ franchise. Call’s music enhances every scene it’s played in, no matter the mood: tensions run higher, sad scenes get sadder and that warm, fuzzy feeling gets even warmer as his genius serenades you. The OP and ED as well; "urar" by Chima gently sets the stage for the adventures to come. The ED, "Harvest Moon Night", sung by the VAs of Mikochi & Konju, is instead a jaunty tune about food & drink that closes out each episode on a lighthearted note. ~~~img(https://files.catbox.moe/xln60b.jpg) ~~~ --- # __Conclusion__ There are many words I’d use to describe _Hakumei & Mikochi_, an anime that quickly became one of my favorites of all time. Cozy, warm, fuzzy, heartwarming… the list goes on. Cottagecore Propaganda is an apt description. To me, it’s the ultimate Iyashikei that embodies everything the genre wants to be: soothing, healing, and relaxing. There are no grandiose action scenes, no thrilling murder mysteries, and no whirlwind romances. If that’s what you’re looking for in an anime, you won’t find it here. Instead, all the moving parts, the characters, the worldbuilding, the visuals, the music, they all come together to create pure, unfiltered __Comf__. _Hakumei & Mikochi_ is a tiny little show with a very big heart, trying its very best to make the mundane into something magical.