Good work, good food, good friends.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Takuto Kashiki
Translation/Adaptation: Taylor Engel
What They Say
Yesterday was a trip to a forest cafe. Today is fishing at the river. So tomorrow’s gotta be picking mountain vegetables! For the inches-high Hakumei and Mikochi, spending every day surrounded by nature means a fun and vibrant life!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Just as volume 1 of Hakumei and Mikochi began with a story about a bird, this volume does as well. Except that this time the bird is a great horned owl and the two women aren’t sure if it’s friend or foe.
While we’ve seen plenty of predators that in real life would most certainly attempt to turn the tiny folks into lunch, they’ve all been friendly. Strangely, the birds seem to be the only creatures without a voice. Even the insects talk, but the birds are apparently not conversationalists. This is the first story where we’ve seen the girls worried about their lives. Of course, things work out in the end, but I’d been wondering if they ever worried if their neighbors were about to eat them. This almost turned into a survivalist manga for a moment.
After that, it’s back to more laid back exchanges. Mikochi decides to make a new outfit for Sen, which gives us a lesson in natural dyes. There’s also a lesson later on about how to make Limoncello. We’re introduced to an eccentric hairdresser who lives in an egg named Jada, and Hakumei briefly gets a dramatically shorter hairdo. (She reminds me of one of my previous hairdressers.) Plus we meet two rats who take the girls on a wild ride looking for the perfect cup of coffee.
There is one multi-chapter story which takes up the middle chapters of this volume, once again focusing on Hakumei’s work. We meet the foreman and crew of the Rock Piercer Association builder’s union. They’re tasked with fixing a washout in a massive stone wall along a well-traveled road. Hakumei is overeager to join in on the work but she’s untested in the crew and is turned down. So she sticks around to sharpen Iwashi’s tools. Hakumei, for all her bluntness, is extremely dedicated to her work. In that story, we also meet Narai and his second in command Katen, who’s a badger. We haven’t met too many male tiny folks, so it’s interesting to see Hakumei interact with this gruff older dude.
I love the mix and match of animals in the story, insects too. The details that the author puts into this story go a long way to really making their world feel like a real, working society. The animals all working together reminds me of Redwall, it makes me nostalgic.
In the first volume I was a bit sad to notice the book had no color pages. This volume more than made up for that. The final five pages are a short extra comic which must have run originally in color and is reproduced in color for this volume. It’s a very nice extra. There are also two pages of translation notes.
In Summary
Stunningly detailed artwork, charming characters, and plenty of fine food and drink… I think I could learn a thing or two about how to live life from the tiny Hakumei and Mikochi. Their world is really starting to feel like a living, working community as we get to experience more of it. Still, living in the woods isn’t without hazards. Still, the neighbors are often more friendly than not. Just be wary of rats on migration and overworking yourself.
Content Grade: A –
Art Grade: A +
Packaging Grade: A –
Text/Translation Grade: B +
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: October 30, 2018
MSRP: $15.00 US /$19.50 CAN
