Across its first two volumes, Witch Hat Atelier has articulated a philosophy of magic that’s quite distinct from your usual fantasy adventure, wherein practice, caution, and discretion are lauded as the key prerequisites for becoming a great mage. That is because, as any great craftsman or artist knows, there is no further secret. With careful study and diligent practice, anyone can create marvels that seem like magic to the untrained eye. Magic is no different than carpentry or painting in its method of mastery – the only thing that does separate it from any mundane craft is the profound danger of its misuse, meaning any large-scale act of magic must be initiated with the greatest of caution.
Author Archives: Bobduh
Spy x Family – Episode 23
Editor’s Note: I initially skipped past episode 22 and right onward to 23, resulting in this writeup’s somewhat lopsided perception of events. My apologies!
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. It’s been a rather chaotic week so far on my end, so I’ve decreed it’s time to chill out with another cozy episode of Spy x Family. Though I was initially nervous about last episode’s formal introduction of a rival for Loid’s affections, Frost’s visit to the Forger home actually ended up serving as an affirmation of how close our family have become. Frost’s condemnation of Loid’s softening instincts as a spy was simultaneously a validation of his growing bond with his new family; just like with Yor’s brother, every attempted division of this family has only proven how close they’ve grown.
Alongside the simple pleasure of seeing these characters come to care for each other, Loid’s transition is also facilitating new venues of comedy, as his panicked mediation of the Pengy-versus-Bond crisis illustrated. I’ve mentioned before how Spy x Family’s inherently propulsive conceit sets it apart from fully episodic sitcoms, and while that fact adds a certain tension to its long-term viability, it also means Tatsuya Endo is consistently able to exploit new comedic dynamics, like Loid using his now-exhaustive understanding of Bondman lore to comfort Anya. Endo’s clear confidence with this evolving platform makes me feel confident in it as well, and I’m eager to see what new calamities are approaching. Let’s get to it!
Bocchi the Rock! – Episode 9
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today seems like a fine day to check back in on the trials of Bocchi and her Kessoku Bandmates, after an episode that proved a resounding triumph for both Bocchi and this show’s production team. After stressing about the group’s Starry performance all the way up through their first song, Bocchi finally took matters into her own hands, and led her friends through a riotous performance that undoubtedly earned them some new fans. And what came after was possibly even more validating, as Nijika confessed that it is Bocchi she has come to rely on, an admittance topped off by what I must begrudgingly confess was a well-earned title drop.
Though Bocchi has been growing in social competence and confidence throughout this series, it has generally required an instigator like Nijika, Kita, or even Kikuri for her to push herself beyond her own antisocial instincts. But here, having undeniably led her friends to a glorious final performance, Bocchi is learning that her presence is not something to apologize for, and that she has made a meaningful positive impact on the people she cares about. That in turn has altered the scope of her dreams; just as Nijika wants Kessoku Band to be a success for her sister’s sake, so Bocchi wants her friends to triumph alongside her. Buoyed up by voluminous storyboards courtesy of show director Keiichiro Saito, and further elevated through remarkably intimate animation for the performance itself, last episode was a clear peak for this generous production. Let’s see what comes next!
Summer 2023 – Week 5 in Review
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. This week we took part in what has unexpectedly become the cinematic event of the summer, taking in both Oppenheimer and Barbie in a rush of cinematic splendor. There have been few reasons to feel hopeful about the future of cinema lately, and even fewer regarding the fate of theaters specifically, so I was happy to indulge in this bucking of the downward trend. Even though it’s already clear that the lesson our asinine media overseers are taking is “more films based on toys” rather than anything genuinely relevant to Barbie’s excellence, these twin successes nonetheless demonstrate a hunger for genuinely interesting new films, and (god willing) a fatigue regarding endless franchises. Let’s munch through those two and more besides in the latest Week in Review!
Land of the Lustrous – Episode 9
Again and again, Phos has been told that they must change in order to exist within this world. In order to be a proper member of their community, they must change their personality and embrace diligence and propriety, abandoning the core of their identity in order to better fit a static mold. In order to succeed as a defender of their land, they must replace their physical body, incurring any manner of degradation or transformation in hopes of better facing the Lunarians. In order to save Cinnabar, they must reinvent the very fundamentals of gem culture, carving out a place for their friend while somehow dispelling the sense of disjoint and isolation that caused them to recognize Cinnabar as a fellow outcast in the first place.
The Demon Girl Next Door S2 – Episode 11
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m delighted to be stopping back in with The Demon Girl Next Door, after an episode which saw Shamiko accomplishing the last thing I expected: actually committing to a magical training regimen, and earning some clear results. Having already defeated her first magical adversary during her mountain spring date, Shamiko continued to improve her mastery of magical mayhem, taking another clear step towards becoming a shadow mistress worthy of Momo’s allegiance.
Although this is a first for our demon lord, it’s not exactly a surprise. Though Shamiko has frequently (and humorously) been defined by her incompetency, that incompetence was largely just a result of starting from zero understanding of this world with next to no magical energy. Though there have been many setbacks along the way, Shamiko has nonetheless been consistently exercising and expanding her powers, maintaining a positive attitude in spite of her anxieties. And with the committed support network of her family, ancestor, Momo, and Mikan behind her, it’s little surprise that consistent effort has at last borne meaningful results.
It is very in keeping with Demon Girl’s focus on the gradual process of improving yourself for the person you love that Shamiko’s training would follow a similar pattern. Just like attempting to shift your mindset or personal habits, attempting to master a new skill is a practice you must commit to, not simply a choice, and Demon Girl is all about illustrating the active practice of personal growth. With her magical powers clearly developing, let’s see if Shamiko’s earned a reward from Momo as we return to The Demon Girl Next Door!
RahXephon – Episode 1
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking out the first episode of a series I haven’t watched in decades, the mysterious and majestic Rahxephon. I can still vividly remember scanning the shelves at Suncoast (back when that was a thing), and picking out this show’s first DVD purely based on its fantastical cover art. You really didn’t know what you were getting as a teen spending your allowance based on cover vibes, but I chose well that time, as fragments of Rahxephon’s fanciful imagery and quiet sense of longing have stuck with me ever since.
Given Rahxephon’s remarkable mecha designs, it should be no surprise that director Yutaka Izubuchi is primarily famous for his character and mechanical design work, with credits ranging from Gundam to Patlabor to Kamen Rider. It was his friend Masahiko Minami (president and co-founder of Bones) who suggested he direct something of his own, and the resulting production was further blessed with a rogue’s gallery of ‘00s legends, including future Eureka Seven director Tomoki Kyoda as assistant director, Masahiro Ando and Mitsuo Iso directing individual episodes, and writers like Yoji Enokido and Chiaki J. Konaka tackling scripts. The resulting show is as stately and dreamlike as you’d expect from such an assembly, and a pillar of Bones’ golden era. Let’s check it out!
Summer 2023 – Week 4 in Review
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Things are still pretty hectic on my end, as my housemates and I are still cooped up in temporary lodgings in the wake of the house fire two weeks ago. Not only has this made sneaking in film viewings more difficult, but it has also, unforgivably, delayed our progress in running my D&D campaign. As such, my Bridge Over The River Kwai-themed quest has been delayed until god knows when, but I can at least say I’ve been keeping up to date with my weekly articles, with my buffer now actually containing more big sturdy essays than episodic notes. I’m eager to share all my findings with you, but for now, let’s sift through the films I did manage to watch in the Week in Review!
Kaiba – Episode 7
Since its beginning, Kaiba has presented little reason for hope regarding the future of its universe. Though there is allegedly some sort of rebellion pushing back against this transhumanist-by-way-of-capitalist hierarchy, from our position on a pleasure barge, such interference has amounted to nothing more than fireworks seen from a great distance. We have witnessed the full solidification of class stratum while safely ensconced in a luxury cruise liner. And though these circumstances have provided distance, they certainly haven’t offered comfort; in fact, our position has only made this world’s crimes seem all the more horrifying.
Yuki Yuna is a Hero – Episode 2
Hello folks, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d check back in on the trials of Yuki Yuna and her companions, who most recently found themselves trapped in some kind of time-stopped void arena, squaring off with a faceless monster from god knows what dimension. It was an unexpected turn to be sure, but Yuna was not about to let this chance for heroism go to waste, and seemed to swiftly master the fundamentals of magical girl combat.
All of this was pretty classic magical girl premiere material, with perhaps the only note of distinction being how much time the episode spent on Yuna’s mundane life before revealing its trick. That’s not really a bad thing; given the constraints of twenty minute episodes and the need to conclude with some kind of genuine hook, it’s no surprise that first episodes tend to follow certain structural formulas. It’s only with that hook established that we can truly see what Yuki Yuna is all about – are we going to prioritize personal character journeys, is there some sort of theme or metaphor being illustrated through this world’s approach to magic, or are we just here for Symphogear-style spectacle? With the first battle behind us and explanations clearly in order, let’s find out what truly drives Yuki Yuna is a Hero!