Hakozume – Kouban Joshi no Gyakushuu – 12

A Part

「Saigen Ningyō」 (再現人形)
“Reenactment Doll”

B Part

「Sōsa Ikka」 (捜査一課)
“First Investigation Division”

This really felt like the episode I wanted Hakozume to be. With some jokes that felt like they were pushed in there for the fear of not losing your precious attention. And some that felt really natural. There needs to be a joke in there or two so that those who are not really paying attention can keep themselves entertained. But there’s really nothing funny about being a cop. It’s a serious job. Reflected in the values Seiji exposed during the fight he had with Seiko this episode, for the hundredth time. It’s frankly getting old, because it’s not something hidden like they have feelings for each other or anything like that. It’s simply that they but heads, both are childish, and Seiko gets offended (who wouldn’t) and Seiji is just too thick-skulled to understand some of the decisions she takes to protect her fellow female co-workers, and break’s them down for the sake of proving a point. But those lectures come from a place of superiority and ego. Seiko is defending, the unspoken bond between women, sistership even, more on that in a bit below.

I think I understand her feelings a little bit better now thanks to this week’s episode.

We’ll skip the whole thing with the reenactment dummy, but seeing Takeshi and Mai interact was a sweet treat indeed. Mai really constantly wishes that she doesn’t get sprung on the heavy-duty kind of work, even though staring at a screen flashing the same scene for over 10 hours does also sound really excruciating, so she might have not gotten the short end of the stick just yet. Takeshi joins her in this endeavor, instructed by Seiji of course.

Thankfully Miwa’s struggle this episode really gave me something to think about, or at least continue so that this review is not painfully short. Her problem and why she didn’t act in the first place, was that there’s this sort of unspoken mum’s the word sort of feeling between women, broken by when the oka-san exclaimed to Miwa, “How could you be so mean?!” Miwa interrupts her again with logic.

Miwa didn’t want to go further, to analyze and extrapolate what this girl (the victim) had to say, because she felt bad for her, making her relieve those memories once again, is certainly not something you want to do to someone that just had a traumatic experience. And as a woman, she can relate to that heavily. However, as Seiji points out, it’s part of the job, it might make you feel icky, but it has to be done, otherwise, there’s never going to be any advancement in this case. Furthermore, the fact the high lieutenant (the old guy in blue) said that he’s not disbanding this special group that has been created until the perpetrators are caught must mean that the situation clearly has escalated. He would take full responsibility. They’re fighting organized crime at this point.

Back to Miwa, she eventually has to toughen up and continue to push the victim further for a full testimony, which she manages to get and walks into the meeting like she’s holding a hail mary. That doesn’t really matter as the episode ends with a  setup for what clearly is the season finale.

This was the case that they went with for a season finale? Something really good better happen next episode or else! I’m kidding of course. I actually thought this episode was really strong, but because of the pacing Hakozume has been setting up for itself, this final episode of Act III wanting to be some type of interconnected drama, really left a bad taste in my mouth. And made me think if anyone else actually cares? (Certainly not with the views we’ve been getting for these posts)

I was accustomed to getting short 11 minute cases or so. I thought it was really working! I really have to wonder if something is going to happen that is going to traumatize Mai or something like that and is going to make her reevaluate everything and leave the force to become a manga artist. You know something that would justify this break that has now taken more than 3 episodes.

I mean it could happen. We have to mention how everyone acted at first to seeing Mai’s sketch, and then how they changed their opinion once seeing the picture of the man. Those types of things that happen organically are funny to me. But the other jokes that are clearly shoehorned in, are well a little cringe. It sometimes really work, and other times it doesn’t really. At least that’s my opinion of course.

So whatever the case might be, let’s hope it really picks up for the final episode!

Full-length images: 36.