HeartCatch Precure! – Episode 3

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into an absurdly charming new adventure, as we return to the vividly illustrated HeartCatch Precure! Our first two episodes saw young heroine Tsubomi doing her best to integrate into life in Kibougahana, making some faltering efforts to abandon her introverted ways, and ultimately finding herself utterly overwhelmed by her new neighbor Erika. And if that wasn’t enough, she was subsequently conscripted into some sort of supernatural defense of Yggdrasil, with two ridiculous crystal-pooping fairies demanding she transform and face off against the nefarious Sasorina.

Thus Tsubomi evolved into the gallant Cure Blossom, and saved Erika in spite of maybe technically being the weakest Precure in history. We’ve got a hearty stew of narrative variables a’brewing here, from the unique mythology of this universe to the mysteries concerning Erika’s grandmother, the fate of Cure Flower, and the identity of that scarf-clad stranger. But on a more immediate level, HeartCatch has been an absolute embarrassment of visual riches, showing off the dynamic appeal of fully powered Umakoshi designs, and also letting director Nagamine flex his action boarding talents. All that plus the wondrous gremlin that is Erika have made for a superb start to our journey, and I’m eager to see how she torments Tsubomi next. Let’s get to it!

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Ojamajo Doremi Sharp – Episode 19

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am delighted to announce we’re checking back in on Doremi and her fellow ojamajos, as we explore a fresh episode of the conveniently titled Ojamajo Doremi Sharp. Whether it’s offering a poignant personal lesson, exploring the distinct lives of Doremi’s classmates, or simply reveling in its aesthetic flexibility and fantastical worldbuilding, each episode of Doremi offers a barrelful of fresh treasures, demonstrating the universal appeal of great children’s entertainment at its very best.

Our last episode was an admittedly embarrassing one for Doremi herself, as her bad attitude and sense of entitlement prompted an exodus by her fairy Dodo. This of course turned out to be a prime opportunity for Doremi’s animators, who indulged themselves with all sorts of goofy Dodo expressions, including the unforgettable Sukeban Dodo. And ultimately, the episode served to underline one of this production’s most enduring themes – its understanding that better behavior is a practice we must continually recommit to, not a stable fact of our unchanging identities. Even the adults in Doremi are works in progress, serving as a testament to its compassion and breadth of emotional insight. Now let’s see what nonsense the girls get up to today!

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Fall 2026 – Week 2 in Review

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. The fall season is churning along at this point, accompanying a general dulling of the sky and dimming of the sun as we slip into another year’s depressive winter huddle. That bleak transformation has served to underline the urgency of my annual catch-up process, which has most recently seen me diving into the charming and nostalgic Goodbye, Lara. Bold anime-original dramas are precious gems in our demon-haunted era, and so far Lara is impressing on a variety of fronts, from its cel-aping aesthetic to its charming cast to its gentle interrogation of various forms of love. I’ll surely have more to say on that when I get deeper in, but for now, let’s run down the week in films!

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Thunderbolt Fantasy S3 – Episode 10

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to a banquet of sorcerous scheming and subterfuge, as we continue the ever-shifting third season of Thunderbolt Fantasy. At a rough count, the Divine Swarm’s conspiracy now incorporates insect-worshipping cultists, insane cyborg priests, a demon witch and her sword sister (also a demon witch), a disgraced general and his increasingly suspicious retinue, and also the friggin’ Enigmatic Gale. Between them, they harbor roughly as many animating motives, being aligned almost solely through their equal animosity towards our poor Shang of the Sorcerous Sword Index.

Meanwhile, Shang and his buddy Lang have found themselves flung through time, utilizing the power of Xing Hai’s void crystals to return to prior moments of promise and crisis. For Shang, this means witnessing the event that informed his life’s purpose: the creation of the calamitously powerful Sword Index itself. And for Lang, it means revisiting the moment of his greatest failure: the blinding of Mu Tian Ming at the hands of Huo Shi Ming Huang, the mysterious leader of the Divine Swarm. Altering the course of this event could both restore her sight and avert the present-day crisis, but such bold revising of the past would surely lead to further, potentially disastrous consequences. There is no such thing as a free lunch in an Urobuchi narrative, but given Lang’s current torment, I have a feeling he’d pay whatever cost this transgression against causality might infer. Let’s see how our time travelers fare as we return to Thunderbolt Fantasy!

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The Apothecary Diaries – Episode 6

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to get back to the intimate intrigues of the rear palace, as we join Maomao and her fast-proliferating entourage for a fresh episode of The Apothecary Diaries. Having somewhat accidentally ingratiated herself with two of the emperor’s top concubines, Maomao has recently been tasked with a new responsibility: joining the lady Gyokuyou at an approaching garden party, wherein all four of the highest-ranking concubines will vie for the treasured title of empress.

This is all a source of consternation and complaint to Maomao, of course. From the start, she has mostly just resented the fortune and fame her talents have brought her, preferring to quietly wait out her terms of servitude as a low-level washwoman. But though she frequently laments her increased responsibilities, she is in truth incapable of lurking in the shadows – from her curiosity to her empathy to her industriousness to her sense of righteousness, too much of Maomao seems born for the spotlight to forever avoid its gaze. Our last episode offered a clear visual metaphor for her ascension into palatial prominence, as she wiped away the false freckles that embodied her desire for anonymity, and in turn received a pledge from Jinshi that he would protect her on this strange battlefield. Exposure is inherently dangerous for women, as the cruel assumptions underpinning this royal culture constantly attest. Can Maomao maintain her defiant identity now that she’s risen to the main stage? Let’s find out!

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Rock is a Lady’s Modesty – Episode 13

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking in with Lilisa and the gang for one final episode of Rock is a Lady’s Modesty, as our quartet face off against the repulsive tourists of Bacchus. With their total focus on external validation and blatant disregard for the sanctity of rock, they have stirred Lilisa into a defensive fury, giving her the perfect outlet for her frustrations regarding her increasingly tenuous surface life. This is not what rock is all about!

But what is rock all about? Over the past twelve episodes, this production has offered a variety of answers to that question, none of them fully encompassing the mixture of social rebellion and personal validation our leads seek on the stage. For Otoha, rock is a haven of self-satisfaction in a life spent pleasing others; for Lilisa, music connects her to her absent father, and lets her express the unsociable feelings she keeps locked behind a polite smile. Rock can mean whatever any isolated teen needs it to mean, and while this story has occasionally gestured towards the medium’s inherent political associations, it has mostly proven a celebration of these particular characters, fondly articulating the increasing mutual trust of our leads. That’s fine by me; in a world as oppressive as Lilisa’s, even just holding onto your soul is a form of protest, a blow struck against the insincere smiles and cutthroat calculations of high society. So let’s raise our middle fingers high one last time, as our girls bury these jokers once and for all!

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Fall 2026 – Week 1 in Review

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. After the overstuffed summer anime season, it seems like we’re in for a quiet one this fall, with seemingly just the return of Apothecary Diaries to look forward to. That suits me just fine though, as I’ve still gotta catch up on a fair number of outstanding seasonal productions, as well as sneak in whatever films I can before year’s end. Regardless, it’s already certain my “new to me” segment of the year in review is going to be absolutely stacked – between the pile of OVAs I’ve screened and highlights like Future Boy Conan, Dirty Pair, and Galaxy Express 999, this has been an exceedingly fruitful year for delving the depths of anime history. I’m still figuring out what legacy project I’ll tackle next, but for now, let’s run down the week in films!

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Dear Brother – Episode 18

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today the bells are tolling in foreboding harmony with the shrill calls of sparrows beyond the glass, which can only mean it’s time for a return to Seiren Academy, and all the terrible turmoil that entails. There’s a time for subtlety and a time for restraint, but sometimes all you want is the glorious dramatic and aesthetic maximalism of a sordid tale like the delightful Dear Brother.

Our last episode saw Nanako in fine form, rallying alongside her allies in the wake of Kaoru’s ill-fated return to the basketball court. In spite of Kaoru’s injury, that event ultimately served as a rallying cry for the anti-Sorority faction, with Mariko affirming her love for Kaoru while Saint-Juste regained the confidence to return to school, and even laugh off Miya-sama’s attempts at controlling her. That in turn led to Nanako’s own rejection of Miya-sama’s demands, as she proudly mailed off the letter Miya-sama demanded she destroy. The more tightly Miya-sama grips, the more determined her victims become to escape her – and having suffered so many recent defeats, I imagine she’s cooking up some dramatic acts of retaliation. Let’s see how the chips fall as we return to the battlefield of love and youth!

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Episode 21

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to the field of the First Class Mage Exam, as Frieren and her compatriots do battle with the distinguished Denken and his ruthless accomplice. Having “successfully” reduced their alleged scavenger hunt to its true nature as a grand melee, they compete to either claim their opponent’s prize or destroy them outright; either way, only a full team with Stille in hand can pass this trial.

In characteristic Frieren fashion, the battle so far has revolved less around “who is the most powerful” than “what are you willing to sacrifice for glory.” For Frieren and Denken, the prestige of a First Class Mage certificate is not a boon worth bloodying their hands for, a sentiment shared by the reluctant mercenary Wirbel. It is not a difficult thing to gain wealth or plaudits for enacting harm – but when the praise subsides, when it is just you alone with your choices, does the bargain still feel worth the price? On a long enough time span, there is little more important than acting in such a way that you can stand unashamed, proud of the changes you have wrought on the world. Let’s see how Frieren retains her pride as we return to the field!

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Shoushimin Series – Episode 13

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we return to the tangled mysteries of Shoushimin Series, as Jogoro and Osani continue their wandering journeys toward normalcy. Having spent a season realizing they were each enabling the other’s alleged worst tendencies, the pair have split and found new partners, with Osanai dating newspaper club member Urino while Jogoro pursues the charming Nakamura. And yet their underlying passions still endure, exemplified through both the awkward distances of their new bonds and their embroilment in the town’s latest mystery, a serial arson case that is only rising in intensity with each new incident.

It was a bold play by Honobu Yonezawa to take their stable paradigm and shatter it, but the results are already proving this franchise can survive and even thrive with its leads no longer in close contact. Frankly, their lack of physical proximity has only underlined the strength of their bond; Jogoro is constantly framing Nakamura in terms of how she differs from Osanai, while Osanai seems to be performing some kind of Vertigo-style personality resculpting of her boyfriend Urino. It’s a messy, emotionally fraught situation, and those are precisely the sort of situations that let richly realized character dramas like this thrive. With both their personal bonds and the town at large in a state of violent flux, let’s see how this case continues to develop!

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