English Dub Review: Cat’s Eye “Memory of Dad”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Hitomi pursues the painting “A Girl from One Day”, despite the extreme security and risks involved.

Our Take:
This week’s episode sees the Cat’s Eye pursuing yet another valuable artifact, though this latest mission just happened to be more personal compared to the previous one.  In fact, it provides newcomers with a clear understanding of the sisters’ actual goal amidst their heists, assuming this is their first experience with the source material.  While the episode focuses on them stealing the three priceless tea bowls through their “missing child” ruse, that’s not the primary target they’re after.  Instead, they’re pursuing a painting known as “A Girl from One Day”, which is one of the artifacts featured in an overseas auction.  However, it’s not just an ordinary painting that they’re hoping to steal.  It’s a painting that their missing father drew, and the girl in the portrait happens to be a young Hitomi, indicating that the “Girl from One Day” is one of many paintings that their father created before they were sold to museums.
“Memory of Dad” features the usual heist shenanigans we experienced from the previous episode.  But, instead of being another piece of filler, it unfolds an actual plot that’ll play a role in future episodes.  Through Hitomi’s personal pursuit to retrieve their one family treasure, which is as priceless as a historical artifact, the episode offers a more personal side to the three art-stealing sisters compared to how the first episode portrays them.  It retains the entertainment aspect of their heists, but the sisters’ true goal of searching for their father is enough to invigorate interest and excuse the show’s repetitive structure.  Of course, having to hide their identities from Toshio should provide an extra bit of a challenge for the sisters to overcome amidst their quest.  I’m surprised they haven’t thought about wearing masks at this point if they’re that worried about showing their faces.