Twenty Years Later is the story of João Pedro Teixeira, a leader of Brazil’s rural Peasant Leagues who achieved some notoriety in the early 1960s. Teixeira was vying for more equitable conditions for his town of Sabe’s workers, who were being heinously exploited by the local landowners. Forced to produce cash crops for export instead of self-sustaining food, and constrained within a situation where both their jobs and homes were owned by local barons, Teixeira’s neighbors had no recourse but to come together, using the title of “Peasant League” to avoid the fraught term “union.” This semantic defense did not protect them; Teixeira was murdered on the side of the road while returning his son’s library books, and his league died with him.
Author Archives: Bobduh
Star Driver – Episode 23
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Star Driver, as we dispense with school festival theatrics and surge onwards towards our grand finale. As expected, our last episode featured the cast’s long-awaited festival performance, which turned out to also serve as the vehicle for conveying the Southern Cross legend which set this whole Cybody situation in motion. There were tragic betrayals, heartfelt declarations of love, and even a brief appearance by what seemed to be an actual alien, here briefly controlling Sarina in order to ask Takuto the essential question: will he use the power of the Cybodies for selfish, destructive means, or only for love?
These revelations were certainly dramatic, but frankly, they also fell perfectly in line with the story as articulated so far. There was always going to be some spark of the supernatural that gave Southern Cross this power, and even across the stories of Toshio and Sugata, we’ve already seen how the tale of the Cybodies is an eternal, circular conflict, each generation weighing the responsibilities of tradition against their personal desires for power or freedom. This is also far from the first time Enokido has tethered thematic or contextual revelation to the theater; frankly, after his work on Utena and FLCL, I’d have been surprised if this play didn’t offer some kind of narrative bombshell. As fellow long-time collaborators with Kunihiko Ikuhara, Igarashi and Enokido both understand how theater and anime are adjacent art forms, each serving as ideal vectors for heightened emotions and imaginative aesthetic pageantry, each asking us to find the human and universal in the fantastical and melodramatic. With the stage now set for Takuto to craft his own legend, let’s see where this story goes!
Blue Reflection Ray – Episode 2
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d check back in on Blue Reflection Ray, after a first episode that offered us a bounty of fantastical inventions and an impressive spread of new characters. Fortunately, both the show’s worldbuilding and character beats so far have proven familiar enough to make for an easy on-boarding; we’ve got our core contrast of the somber Ruka and energetic Hiori, we’ve got a second layer of magical girl mayhem seemingly linked to these gemstone rings, and we’ve got some ambiguous antagonists with a similar interest in these would-be magical girls, seemingly intent on claiming their energy before they can “bloom” into their true powers.
Alongside all of that relatively conventional worldbuilding, we’ve also got some mysteries to resolve regarding the prior generation of magical girls, and what their fates imply for our current heroines. It seems clear that Hiori’s sister was a Reflector in the past, and that her absence still hangs heavily over Hiori. Additionally, the final moments of the first episode seemed to imply an obvious path of development for Ruka as well: learning from Hiori’s gallant example, and becoming a Reflector strong enough to protect her in turn, thereby filling the role of emotional pillar that her sister used to provide. With our loose predictions set, let’s see what actually awaits us!
Spring 2024 – Week 4 in Review
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. It’s been another productive week on my end, as I’ve reduced my outstanding Current Projects to less than a dozen essays and other features, with my article buffer now encompassing more than a month’s worth of drafts. I’ve matched that productivity with a fair portion of off-the-books anime viewing, as we munched through more of Gundam’s supplementary Universal Century projects, as well as anime films both venerable and vestigial. Having watched so many of the early Toei films, I’m now looking to round out my ‘80s animation education, while also likely taking a break from Gundam to watch some other outstanding series; I haven’t quite decided yet, but Nadia, Mononoke, VOTOMS, and Moribito are all high on my list. Anyway, I’ll catch you all up on that when I get to it, but for now let’s break down my latest animated escapades!
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 18
We begin on an ominous cold open, as Unit 03 is transported from the remains of the US base to Japan, a grim specter lurking within the clouds. The Eva units have never felt exactly comforting; in fact, our very first image of Unit 01 comes as a terrible shock, a monster that our young Shinji is somehow supposed to bend to his will. The arrival of a giant robot, particularly one with a young human pilot, has traditionally been a moment imbued with optimism and excitement, the moment our proud technology rises to rally against the chaotic forces of the universe. But while the angels are certainly ominous in their own unknowable way, the Eva units are clearly monsters, creatures with cold eyes and cruel teeth and uncertain wills of their own.
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You – Episode 4
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d take a stroll back to the land of 100 Girlfriends, and see what fresh shenanigans are brewing with Rentaro and his swiftly expanding harem. Our last offered an efficient romance and a preposterously adorable new heroine, as the quiet librarian Shizuka found herself bowled over by Rentaro’s manifold charms. And why not? The dude has clearly got plenty more love to give, as demonstrated through his gallant efforts to allay Shizuka’s troubles with communication.
Rentaro’s commitment to aiding Shizuka seems to point towards a larger theme of the text: his dedication to loving these girlfriends for who they are, and aiding them in their struggles without attempting to fundamentally change them. He is embodying the philosophy of a loving and considerate partner, and though the whole 100 Girlfriends thing makes this all seem a tad farcical, I’m nonetheless beginning to see why folks consider this such an unexpectedly wholesome narrative. Let’s see what new theatrics await for Rentaro and his destined lovers!
Call of the Night – Episode 3
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d take a walk on the wild side, and step out into the alluring darkness of Call of the Night. Though frankly, while calling this show’s drama the “wild side” would undoubtedly flatter Nazuna, the show has in truth been pretty chaste so far, more concerned with the universal transgressive thrill of claiming adolescent independence than anything specifically ominous or vampiric. Nazuna attempts to play it cool, but she’s truthfully as naive as her new companion Ko, just as nervous about romance, just as eager to play games with transceivers. The show has been closer to “Skip and Loafer for Insomniacs” than any sort of ominous dark fantasy, and that suits me just fine; I always enjoy spending time with well-realized and charmingly inept characters, and the bond between Nazuna and Ko already feels convincingly precious to both of them. Let’s see how Ko’s transceiver-bearing classmate complicates things, as we once more answer the Call of the Night!
Spring 2024 – Week 3 in Review
Hello folks, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. This week I come to you in a state of shame and disgrace, as I have to admit I mostly sorta liked an Uwe Boll movie. I know, one of the chief cinematic punching bags of the ‘00s actually entertained me – although truly, my increasing appreciation of his oeuvre can likely be ascribed as much to the ensuing degradation of Hollywood action movies as to the quality of Boll’s own films. The era of full greenscreen has essentially destroyed Hollywood’s capacity to create an action movie, and the streamers are if anything even worse – films like Jungle Cruise, Red Notice, and The Grey Man all testify to the death of the traditional action vehicle. Anyway, that aside, I’ve mostly been enjoying the fresh spring air while channeling my natural instincts into the anxiety attacks of my poor goblin cleric, which has been an altogether liberating experience. Let’s burn down the week’s features in the latest Week in Review!
The Flying Phantom Ship
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am thrilled to announce we are returning to the venerable archives of Toei Doga, this time exploring the 1969 feature Flying Phantom Ship. By the end of the ‘60s, the methods of film production had already changed significantly within the young animation studio; from the humble beginnings of Hakujaden being key animated largely by two artists, the Toei team had expanded to the point where they were generally producing two animated films at the same time.
This means we sadly won’t see Yasuji Mori’s hand on Flying Phantom Ship, but never fear – we’ve got Hayao Miyazaki here to console us, who was apparently responsible for designing and animating this film’s giant robot. Miyazaki is here accompanied by a battery of Toei mainstays, from original veterans like Reiko Okuyama to key Puss ‘n Boots collaborators like Sadao Kikuchi. Additionally, animation director Yoichi Kotabe is a legend even setting aside his Toei Doga work; he’d follow Miyazaki from Toei to first Heidi, where he’d serve as character designer and animation director, and then onward to Nausicaa, before “settling down” to become the animation supervisor of decades worth of Pokémon cartoons. The further we travel through Toei Doga’s catalog, the more obvious its creators’ various post-Toei adventures become – but for now, let’s savor the pleasure of seeing all of them in one place, as we journey through one more classic!
Trigun Stampede – Episode 1
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re embarking on a brand new adventure, although technically it’s a refurbished rendition of a beloved ‘90s classic. Yep, we’re checking out Trigun Stampede, and seeing what those talented folks over at Studio Orange have cooked up for our boy Vash.
I’ll admit, I don’t have the most extensive experience with Trigun. I caught snippets of it back on Adult Swim when I was first falling in love with FLCL and Cowboy Bebop, but Trigun’s comedy didn’t quite seem like my thing, and I never saw enough to get a grip on its universe. Obviously “cowboys in space” has proven itself a robust genre niche, and my experience with Blood Blockade Battlefront has more than demonstrated mangaka Yasuhiro Nightow’s creative abilities, so I’m looking forward to examining the story with fresh eyes.
Beyond the source material, I’m also intrigued to see how Studio Orange realizes Nightow’s world. I always associated Trigun with an aesthetic of dust and grime that seems inherently hostile to CG recreation, but Orange’s team have impressed me at every turn, and director Kenji Muto seems like an excellent match for a rip-roaring adventure. A resume comprising Rage of Bahamut, Garo, Punchline, and Land of the Lustrous is basically an ideal education for Trigun; I can see why he was picked for this project, and look forward to admiring the result. Let’s get to it!