Summary:

We get a flashback of Michiko stomping into a bar to confront Cyril Chapek, the leater of Fantasma. Cyril suspects Michiko is part of either Chrissy or Satoshi’s Monstro faction, but he does not want to break the ceasefire (although Vasili Bokov is happy to hit Michiko with a chair). Michiko believes that Cyril has taken several Monstro members and Cyril denies it. Unfortunately, Michiko goes around stirring up trouble and costs Cyril his leadership position while also getting Cyril’s girlfriend Sasha’s movie cancelled.

Before Cyril goes off alone to confront Michiko, we also see how Michiko met Hiroshi. Hiroshi tried to bust into Sasha’s apartment to take Sasha hostage and exchange her for the captured Monstro members. However, instead of Sasha he finds a topless Michiko (who then beats him up and falls in love with him). The two decide to get the Monstro members back together.

Back in the present, Michiko visits feminine male friend Ivan who informs her that much has changed. Satoshi is now the leader of Monstro and the gang is very powerful. It seems that Cyril went to see Michiko and wound up dead; when a Monstro body was later found, this sparked a bloody gang war. Because Satoshi Batista and Hiroshi were childhood friends, Michiko believes that Satoshi will know where the cowardly Hiroshi is hiding.

Michiko believes that Hatchin may be a burden, and drops Hatchin off at the home of old Seria Bastos. We see Seria giving a young girl named Mariza to a couple for a wad of cash, and this angers a young boy named Joachim Sanchez. Seria is saving up for something, and so refuses to take Hatchin in until Hatchin comes up with some dough. Hatchin is hurt and embarrassed and decides to go back to the hotel to ambush Michiko. Unfortunately, Peche calls (the now fat) Vasili, and a gang comes and kidnaps Hatchin.

Reaction:

Sorry about the long summary, but this was a confusing episode, especially with all the time changes. From what I can piece together, there was a gang war that Michiko got in the middle of, and Michiko had to take the fall for Cyril’s death so that Hiroshi could get away. I get the feeling like the lovers were framed by a third party (or possibly Satoshi) because Vasili really loved Cyril.

I found it odd that Hiroshi discovered Michiko lounging at Sasha’s place. Does this mean that Cyril was with Michiko for a while? Also, it almost seems like Atsuko, Michiko, Satoshi, and Hiroshi all grew up at Seria’s orphanage together. The timeline is slowly coming together, and it doesn’t seem like there was much time for tattooing. Michiko was tattoo free in all the flashbacks, although Hatchin’s tattoo was finally confirmed at the end of the episode.

Related posts:

1. Michiko to Hatchin 10
2. Michiko to Hatchin 06
3. Michiko to Hatchin 02