Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Yaiba: Samurai Legend – Episode 2

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to the ongoing Yaiba: Samurai Legend, whose first episode offered a generous buffet of upbeat shonen staples and astonishing Kanada-style action. Shipped from his jungle home to Japan in a packing crate, Yaiba swiftly established himself as a gremlin to be reckoned with, offering a refreshingly guileless Goku-adjacent energy that was neatly complimented by his new housemate Sayaka. All the while, his journey was brightened and elevated by this production’s simultaneously nostalgic and cutting-edge art design, carrying the pleasures of both Kanada’s classic space action and Shonen Jump’s ‘80s energy into the twenty-first century.

Our core team of director Takahiro Hasui and animation director Yoshimichi Kameda clearly know exactly what they’re doing. Given his tenure as Mob Psycho 100’s character designer, Kameda’s distinct approach to this production demonstrates he is an artist capable of adapting his own techniques to the aesthetic and tone of his material, not just bringing original creator Gosho Aoyama’s designs to life, but realizing them through animation techniques that harken back to the era of their initial creation. Through this approach, Yaiba represents a reclamation of treasured animation techniques much like Wit’s prior Ranking of Kings, embracing the tools of the digital era while separating itself from their assumed aesthetic compliments. The more classic anime I watch, the more vivid techniques and embellishments I see that have tragically fallen by the wayside; through works like Yaiba, I am delighted to see these techniques returned to life, ready to dazzle and hopefully inspire a new generation of animators. Let’s get to it!

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Monogatari Off/Monster Season – Episode 5

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re diving back into the rambling escapades of Monogatari’s Off Season, as Nadeko continues her quest to pull herself back together. Having created four doppelgangers to assist with her manga practice, our would-be artist is now chasing them halfway across town, hoping to reseal them in ink before they destroy her life entirely. So far she’s recaptured both Flirty and Wrath Nadeko, but the unlikely alliance of Meek and God Nadeko promises to be the most trouble by far.

Alongside physically besting these Nadekos, this journey is of course also a psychological gauntlet. Confronted by these prior identities who are doing their best to live their own lives, can Nadeko still say her pursuit of manga is the most meaningful, “authentic” path she could pursue? And what’s more, can she do that while acknowledging that these reflections are all still a part of her – her eagerness to please, her need to be loved, her resentment at being typecast, her desire for control and revenge? It’s been hard for even Monogatari’s most self-aware characters to acknowledge their uncharitable instincts, but if Nadeko is to move forward with confidence, she must do so while embracing the fullness of her emotions, rather than simply adopting the clothes and mannerisms she finds suitable to her latest persona. She must accept her truth, embarrassing as it may be – after all, didn’t Kaiki say that creating art is inherently embarrassing?

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The Fire Hunter – Episode 1

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to set out on a new journey, as we explore the first episode of the recent production The Fire Hunter. This show was announced with much fanfare several years ago, owing both to its distinct source material and eminently noteworthy key staff. First off, the series is based on a collection of traditional fantasy novels by Rieko Hinata, rather than light novels, which is perhaps the single most reliable delineator of narrative quality in animation. That means that both its world and characters will likely be constructed by a practiced hand; a place people could actually live in, populated by characters who presumably speak like humans rather than favored archetypes.

Secondly, the show marks another return to animation by the improbable Vladlove duo of Junji Nishimura and Mamoru Oshii. Vladlove aside (it’s clear the pair were feeling some nostalgia for their Ranma days), both Nishimura and Oshii are supremely capable artists; Nishimura’s Simoun is one of the great unsung masterpieces of animation, and Oshii presumably needs no introduction. Between Angel’s Egg, Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell, and his many other projects, Oshii has left a singular mark on animation, and stands alongside such titans as Satoshi Kon and Masaaki Yuasa as one of the great auteurs of the medium. With the two of them handling direction and writing, we could not be in safer hands, and I’m eager to learn what about this story drew them back to the medium. Let’s get to it!

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Scum’s Wish – Episode 11

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking in with what might well be the most gleefully self-destructive cast of characters I’ve critiqued in my animation tenure, a group who could literally trip over happiness and fulfillment and emerge only with scuffed knees and fresh demons. That’s right, it’s time for Scum’s fucking Wish, as our misguided collection of high schoolers and high school-brained teachers bash against each other in some grotesque, self-harming approximation of intimacy.

When last we left off, Scum’s Wish had dedicated a full episode to articulating Akane’s psychology, and her feelings towards both Kanai and Mugi. Brief summary: she sucks, being simultaneously empty and self-absorbed, and combining Hana’s desperate need for affection with a power-hungry cruel streak all her own. Like many of Scum’s Wish’s characters, she is more of an exaggerated articulation of one particular feeling than a coherent psychological profile, a melodramatic irritant who, if you opened up her skull and looked inside for the real story, you would discover is literally defined as “melodramatic irritant.” Akane is less of a person than a slow-moving natural disaster, and at this point I can only hope Hana is strong enough to pull at least one of her delusional suitors out of her orbit. Let’s get to the bloodshed!

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BanG Dream! Ave Mujica – Episode 4

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Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today it’s looking to be another day, another dissociative episode as we return to BanG Dream! Ave Mujica, with Mutsumi clearly on the verge of some kind of psychotic break. Having been exploited and abandoned by her parents, her former bandmates, and now apparently Sakiko herself, Mutsumi has decided there is only one person she can rely on: her alter ego Mortis, the implacable guitarist of Ave Mujica. Mutsumi is not strong enough to carry the weight of her own pain and Sakiko’s as well, but Mortis is free from such responsibilities, a grim realization of the facile “liberation” Sakiko seeks through this group.

It’s been quite a journey for the girl who was initially defined as “quiet, likes cucumbers,” but I suppose that’s of a piece with Ave Mujica’s general dramatic maximalism. What’s becoming increasingly apparent is that Mutsumi’s complaint of “my sound was drowned out within a band” applies to more than just her; frankly, it seems like not one member of Ave Mujica is seeking the same thing as any other, save for the amusing compatibility of the equally professionally-minded Nyamu and Umiri. So if the only members getting what they want are the ones who are here for a paycheck, and the players who actually share Sakiko’s desire for a community are only suffering more, who exactly is benefitting from this group? For Sakiko, breaking up the band might not just be a tragic inevitability – it might be the only way anyone who cares about her can escape her toxic orbit.

But for now, the show must go on. Take it away, Mortis!

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Trigun Stampede – Episode 6

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I thought we’d journey back to No Man’s Land, and see how things are faring in Trigun Stampede. Our last episode offered a ruthless demonstration of life’s brutality here in this desolate place, as we were introduced to a young boy named Rollo suffering from a debilitating illness, and that same boy as a man who had been monstrously transformed by Knives and his associates. Vash’s promise to this boy was proven hollow; while he could do nothing but offer tears and apologies, it fell to Wolfwood to provide Rollo’s last rites.

The episode offered a tidy summation of Vash’s ambiguous role here in No Man’s Land. His motives are pure; he simply wants to help people where he can, and refuses to raise a hand in anger. He is understandably afraid of his own god-like power, and wishes at all costs to avoid becoming a self-assigned arbiter like Knives, the one who unilaterally chooses who lives and who dies.

However, in a world as harsh as No Man’s Land, simple kindness is often not enough to ensure a positive outcome. Saving Rollo would have required dismantling the society that chose to sacrifice him – similarly, saving many others could have been achieved simply by executing one or another murder-happy bandit, an act of arbitration that most would agree is worth the cost. Equipped with infinite power yet unwilling to use it for even the most obviously righteous reasons, it’s understandable that someone like Wolfwood would call Vash a hypocrite; even if pacifism is a noble pursuit, it is a philosophy unequipped to handle the cutthroat moral calculus of life on the barren frontier.

What good is a superman who never interferes, who offers moral support or stands in judgment, but will not lift a hand to change the world? I imagine these questions are weighing on Vash as well as we return to Trigun Stampede!

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Shoushimin Series – Episode 1

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re embarking on a new journey, as we check out the first episode of the ongoing Shoushimin Series, bearing the curious subtitle of “How To Become Normal.” Of course, if you’re familiar with original author Honobu Yonezawa’s other works, that title actually seems perfectly appropriate – for it is Yonezawa who wrote Hyouka, centered on Oreki Houtarou and his own quest to live an ordinary, low-energy life.

Yasuhiro Takemoto’s adaptation of Hyouka is a masterpiece; to be honest, it stands among the handful of shows I’d consider uncontroversial choices for best television anime of all time. And while much of that brilliance comes from Kyoto Animation’s singular elevation of the material, they would have nothing to elevate if not for the fundamental richness of Yonezawa’s characterization, his keen interest in human psychology and mastery of using incidental mysteries as tools for illustrating human nature. I’m frankly not a fan of mystery fiction in general, but Hyouka embodies what I consider art’s highest callings – its ability to illuminate the countless peculiarities of human identity, and to bind such inquiries into anthemic statements regarding our fears and ambitions, our relationship with ourselves, each other, and the world at large.

That’s a tall order for any show, but Shoushimin Series does seem to have a solid team behind it. Director Mamoru Kanbe has a variety of excellent productions to his name, having served as director of Sound of the Sky, The Perfect Insider, and The Promised Neverland, among a variety of other productions. That trio in particular demonstrate a clear knack for matching his direction style to the material at hand; Sound of the Sky is expansive and atmospheric, The Perfect Insider is sterile and precise, and The Promised Neverland features some of the best horror cinematography in anime. Meanwhile, series composer Toshiya Ono both composed and wrote half the scripts for Gatchaman Crowds, alongside working with Kanbe on both Perfect Insider and Promised Neverland, giving me every reason to expect a thoughtful, expertly realized adaptation. Let’s get to it!

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Blue Reflection Ray – Episode 8

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to Blue Reflection Ray, in the wake of a confrontation that proved devastating for our would-be heroes. Hiori’s positive attitude has always seemed brittle at best, an aspirational facade draped over a core of hurt and longing for her sister’s return. Having been abandoned by both her mother and sister, she was nonetheless beginning to embrace the new family of her fellow reflectors – until her sister Mio at last reappeared, now dedicated to stealing the pain from the hearts of others, and with a replacement sister standing at her side.

Hiori’s situation echoes the moral ambiguity of our reflectors’ general ambitions. Though they seek to address the pain of others through offering companionship and nurturing their hopes, Hiori clearly demonstrates that such an approach doesn’t necessarily address or repair their core emotional wounds. If even a blue reflector like Hiori is only pretending to have overcome her trauma, what right do any of our heroes have to claim their mission is just, particularly when the alleged victims of the red reflectors are outright telling them to mind their own business. Is it truly any healthier to live with trauma than to excise it? We cling to the post-hoc rationalization that suffering makes us who we are, but is it fundamentally noble to feel broken, or are we simply attempting to draw meaning from the senseless violence of life? With such difficult questions now clouding the air, we return to the battlefield of Blue Reflection Ray!

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Yuri is My Job! – Episode 9

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we are returning to the exclusive halls of Liebe Girls Academy, where dark clouds are currently gathering across the shimmering, verdant fields where our ladies practice their polo and dressage skills. Having attempted to disarm the threat Kanoko represents for Cafe Liebe, Sumika has discovered there is no reasoning with the girl, and that Kanoko’s passionate feelings for Hime have set her against the Schwestern system altogether.

Kanoko’s feelings are understandable: she’s only attached to this cafe because Hime is here as well, and her sole desire is to halt whatever transformation she believes is carrying her friend away from her. Hime is actually growing into a more well-rounded, socially earnest person, but Kanoko desires a monopoly on Hime’s sincerity, and will do everything she can to achieve that. It’s a selfish, one-sided love, but it’s certainly a common motive. On the other hand, I am quite intrigued to learn why Sumika is so attached to this cafe, what it represents for her, and how it reflects her ambitions and self-image. Let’s try and divine how our gyaru senpai really feels as we return to Yuri is My Job!

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Episode 10

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we reach the grand finale of Frieren’s confrontation with Aura the Guillotine, as the woman whose bloody history earned her the title “Slayer” confronts one of the proud remnants of the Demon King’s army. This has been a fraught and ambiguous arc for Frieren both in a dramatic and conceptual sense; the distrust these characters have felt towards Frieren judgment has been matched by my own distrust of the author’s judgment, in theoretically making the theme of this arc “some people are born evil and the only thing for it is to butcher them.” That’s a bad theme and a boring narrative, but the evidence we’ve seen points towards a slippier, more interesting truth: demons are just as emotional and full of diverse passions as humans, but their conception of value and society may be inherently incompatible with our own.

Demons are “animalistic” in the fact that they value strength above all else, and are ruthless in their pursuit of such strength – but then again, does that make them any different from a great number of humans? And aside from that, they exhibit pride, scorn, loyalty, playfulness, and a gamut of other emotions, often seeming more animated by their passions than the blank-faced Frieren and Fern. It was in fact Aura’s offhand mockery of Himmel, the man who first introduced Frieren to love and loss, that convinced her Aura is beyond understanding – an entirely personal judgment, and one emphasizing how little distance exists between Frieren and Aura’s perspectives. If war is inevitable, so be it, but I am happy to leave this arc more uncertain of Frieren’s judgment, and more attuned to the ruthless moral ambiguity of this world.

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