Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m impatient to dive back into Star Driver, where Sugata just managed the allegedly impossible feat of waking up after using the King’s Pillar. Though his friends did everything they could to help him, it was ultimately the strange mechanics of Zero Time that seemed to wake him, further implying some key connection between Sugata and the secrets of this island. Unfortunately, before Sugata’s true friends could reach him, Benio intervened with one of her mind control makeout sessions, putting his current loyalties in question.
Of course, Sugata’s true intentions have always been a touch ambiguous. Though he’s been framed as part of a trio with Wako and Takuto, he’s always seemed a bit distant from the other two, and more preoccupied with his duty to the island. Seeing the Order of Cross lieutenants immediately swear deference to him was thus not terribly surprising; he’s always possessed the aura of a melancholy mastermind, and his connection with the strongest Cybody likely makes him essential to their long-term plans. As such, I feel like we might now be getting introduced to the “true Sugata” for the first time, which will be accompanied by an enlightening realignment of the show’s field of conflict. We’ve clearly got a consequential episode ahead of us, so let’s not waste another moment, and jump right back into Star Driver!
Episode 8
For the very first time, we actually open an episode on the story of Sam the squid-killer. This feels like a foreboding omen, implying we may have reached the end of Sam’s storybook fable, and that it’s time for these characters to express their will on our main characters directly
“In the end, it wasn’t the young girl, but rather Sam’s longing for the galaxy that he truly loved.” A statement that maps easily to our characters, providing the menacing implication that Sugata would sacrifice Wako if it meant he could leave the island
This frankly doesn’t surprise me. As I said in the intro, Sugata has always seemed emotionally distant from even his closest friends, and has been observing Takuto foster a quasi-romantic bond with his would-be fiancé with a bizarre degree of detachment. Even before he fell into a coma, it seemed like he was sleeping through his days, either waiting for something or resigned to his fate. Having mastered the King’s Pillar and survived, it seems like Sugata may be waking up in more than just a literal sense
“Sam realized that what he’d yearned for was not the galaxy, but the planets it contained. And Sam’s fish planet was one of those planets. Sam had been living in that dazzling world all along – so why did he kill the young girl?” A common consequence of finally getting out into the world – realizing that any one place is very much like another, and that it was only your familiarity with your home that made its pleasures seem routine
The listener is unsurprisingly unhappy with this conclusion. As the current leader of the Order of Cross, he’s dedicated to unlocking the power of the Cybodies and using them to expand his power beyond this island. A story that cautions against such hubris, and says that what will be destroyed in the bargain is more precious than what will be gained, makes a mockery of his ambitions. And so he tells the caged girl to leave him
“Always Like a Shooting Star.” An episode title that seems to further emphasize the futility of their quest, their desire to burn up beautifully and swiftly vanish
Back at school, Sugata is cold and distant towards Wako, dismissing her thanks and retreating from the classroom when she attempts to offer him his birthday present
Subtly purposeful character blocking in this scene, with each classmate turned away from Wako to underline her isolation
The perpetually romance-minded Kanako assumes this awkwardness is due to Takuto’s date with Wako, but Sugata has never expressed any hint of romantic feelings or sexual attraction towards Wako. His behavior sets him as fairly unique in this world driven by youthful sexuality, further implying we’ve never really seen his true, full self
Over at the Order of Cross, their current leader floats the potential threat of Sugata using his 1st Phase activation to assist Takuto in battle
Kate implies that Benio’s attempted takeover failed, further insinuating that Sugata is in some way immune to the hormonal drives pushing all the other characters. Benio doesn’t seem particularly put off by this accusation though, so perhaps she’s just downplaying her actual hand
And things are certainly moving, as the leader further announces their plan is to continue on to the 3rd Phase
We’re introduced to an older eye-patched man, who seems to be the leader’s confidant. Gesturing towards the now-empty cage, he mentions how leader has “lost another one”
A spotlight reveals a painting behind the leader – another version of that painting of a woman staring out over the sea, implying a longing for escape from this island
Jeez, this really is a second act opening! Wako and Kate catching the bus serves as our introduction to a perky new pink-haired girl, presumably here to shake up the relationship dynamics. We see the leader’s former captive riding the bus as well
“Isn’t it strange how even if you like each other, some relationships don’t work out?” The prisoner’s words feel particularly pointed as we move into this new phase, and interlopers like this pink-haired girl are introduced. Anime and narratives more generally often frame romantic relationships as inevitable – if there’s romantic tension between two characters, you can basically be assured they’ll eventually get together. But in truth, many potentially fruitful pairings won’t actually result in a working relationship, with their passion ultimately fizzling out over time. This route doesn’t tend to be as dramatically satisfying as the alternative, and the rules of audience investment tend to necessitate that viewers will get to see the fruition of the relationship they’ve been investing in – all reasons most stories don’t take this route. But in a story that’s specifically about the fickleness of adolescent longing, as well as the feelings of entrapment that often accompany “destined love,” it makes perfect sense to emphasize how longing won’t always give way to romance
And our ambiguous prisoner makes her escape, taking the first ferry off the island and leaving all this wily thematic nonsense behind her
Elsewhere, Takuto climbs up a seaward bluff to have a Dude Talk with Sugata
Sugata reveals that Tiger and Jaguar are actually observing him because they’re supposed to kill him if he ever leaves the island
“You’ve never confronted someone eye-to-eye, have you? You always build a wall around yourself, and live in some faraway world.” Takuto really leveling with Sugata here! It’s satisfying to see this act shift reverberating through all of this narrative’s dramatic variables
And Sugata is actually annoyed enough to push back, remarking on how Takuto couldn’t possibly understand the hopelessness that he and Wako feel
“My 1st phase could accidentally kill you.” “You’d never do that. You’ve never loved or hated anyone strongly enough to want to kill them.” Takuto absolutely roasting Sugata here, and I love to see it. This friendship always seemed like a charade, so it’s wonderful seeing the other shoe finally drop
These layouts are using the late afternoon sun to vivid effect, making towering silhouettes of our two combatants
Sugata responds with a perfectly fair counterpoint: “it’s easy for you to play-act righteousness, but do you truly have the strength to overcome this system?”
Their fight is interrupted by Zero Time, wherein Benio’s mech appears and consumes Sugata
Interestingly, Sugata appears to be less a willing slave of Benio than a captive in chains. Nonetheless, his presence allows her Cybody to undergo a dramatic transformation
“Sugata’s overflowing libido is filling my Pageant!” That certainly is a sentence, but when has Sugata demonstrated any libido at all?
Takuto doesn’t even address Benio, instead urging Sugata to fight him. And in response, Sugata breaks free, taking control of Benio’s Cybody for himself
This fight’s storyboards actually feel fairly distinct from the show’s usual style. Generally the combatants are captured in consistent mid-distance shots that highlight Takuto’s graceful movements – here, it’s all extreme closeups and partial body shots, which instead evokes the brutal intensity and physicality of his battle with his friend. This battle feels far more ugly and desperate than Takuto’s usual elegant dispatches, a perfect fit for its dramatic intent
As Sugata reveals he carries a knife to protect Wako, the tenor of their battle changes. They’re still exchanging insults, but these are soft and fond insults, the smack talk of friends enjoying a casual bout
And Done
Well, looks like our two knuckleheads just had to sort out their disagreements with an old-fashioned brawl. In spite of ultimately reasserting the bond between our central trio, this episode served as a welcome shakeup to the show’s overall dynamic, and finally pushed Sugata to reveal some of his honest intentions to Takuto. The alleged love triangle of Wako, Sugata, and Takuto has always felt a little artificial, and with this new pink-haired girl added to the mix, I’m guessing their dynamic will be changing dramatically over the next few episodes. Plus we even finished the story of Sam the Squid-killer! With our big themes established and our central players in motion, I’m eager to see how Star Driver evolves as we continue into its second act.
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