Category Archives: Episode Writeup

The Demon Girl Next Door S2 – Episode 8

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to dive back into The Demon Girl Next Door, and at last enjoy the spoils of our hard-fought sense of genuine normalcy. After a first half-season that saw Shamiko and the gang racing through the entirety of their established conflicts, ending in both the discovery of Sakura Chiyoda and a dramatic declaration of love from Momo, it seems like things are finally calming down around Banda Terrace. Shamiko is learning to assert herself, Momo is learning to embrace vulnerability, and both of them are looking forward to a significantly less stressful fall semester.

I imagine some new conflicts will emerge to muck up all this peace and quiet, but I’d frankly also be happy to just marinate in the peace for a moment. Shamiko and Momo have been so busy accomplishing things that they haven’t really had much chance to put their new declarations into practice, and figure out how their relationship works now that they’re being so much more honest with each other. I tend to find the day-to-day practice of a relationship more interesting than the theatrics of courtship, and this production has always been uniquely perceptive when it comes to small changes in character dynamics, so I’m eager to check in on our awkward couple. Let’s return to The Demon Girl Next Door!

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Tsurune S2 – Episode 2

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to get back into the second season of Kyoto Animation’s Tsurune, a production which has already leapt beyond the standard set by its impressive predecessor. From the premiere’s remarkably seamless storyboard to its personality-rich animation, to say nothing of the graceful composite drawing it all together, Tsurune S2’s first episode was a tiny masterpiece of animated drama. Though anime is often renowned for facilitating individual artist voices within a larger work, a show like this demonstrates just how powerful a unified production can be, with all of Kyoto Animation’s talented artists straining in the same direction, hoping to achieve something both simple and nearly impossible to convey: the felt experience of a human life.

Throughout that first episode, I felt the rush of emotions as the arrow’s song brought memories to the fore. I knew the frustration of not being able to convey my intent through my clumsy hands, and the elation of realizing a slight adjustment in form was all I needed. I shivered with impatience as I consented to delay kyudo practice, and sprang up with excitement as an impromptu practice session emerged. My favorite studio has woven its familiar magic again, and I’m delighted to be caught in its spell. Let’s see what wonders await in the next episode!

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Anju to Zushiomaru

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Hello friends, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m delighted to announce we’ll be returning to the Toei Doga film catalog, as we explore the followup to Saiyuki: Anju to Zushiomaru, also known as “The Littlest Warrior.” This film is based on a 1915 short story by Mori Ogai, which was also adapted into the acclaimed 1954 film Sansho the Bailiff. The story follows two aristocratic children who fall on hard times, and are eventually sold into slavery.

Compared to the boisterous fantasy of Saiyuki, I’m told this film is a more grounded human drama, offering plenty of opportunities for character animation flourishes like Yasuji Mori’s stunning Saiyuki sequence of Rin-Rin collapsing in the snow. I’m also told that the film’s main animators, Mori included, essentially disavowed the film right upon release, and that its themes are a dubious mix of “accept suffering and don’t seek to raise your station,” “might makes right,” and “the ruling class knows what’s best for us.” As such, I’m expecting an intriguingly lopsided viewing experience, with gorgeous character animation working in service of seriously dubious values. Let’s get to it!

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Dear Brother – Episode 4

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am absolutely beyond eager to get back into Dear Brother, and at last find out however Nanako handles the imposing Sorority sisters. I’ve frankly been consumed with anticipation ever since I watched the last episode; I could try and feign some critical distance here, but the honest truth is this show has already swept me up, and I’m eager to simply know what happens next. I know, me caring about plot developments? It’s a strange affair to be sure, but Ikeda is proving herself a master of hooks and momentum, and Seiran is such a fantastical venue that it feels like anything is possible.

Last episode saw Nanako racing towards her destiny with renewed determination, as Misaki’s schemes forced her to abandon her comfortable passivity, and actually fight for her position in the Sorority. Her personal growth was accompanied by a variety of ingenious new visual tricks from Dezaki, ranging from the glimmering motes of light used to convey sunset’s glow, to the aggressive screen partitioning and negative space used to foster a sense of growing entrapment. Nanako’s already changed to such an extent that she’s unwilling to reveal her transformation to Dear Brother, but I imagine it’ll take even more calluses than that to survive the trials of Seiran. Let’s get to it!

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Bocchi the Rock! – Episode 4

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Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into the drama of Bocchi and her Kessoku Band, which most recently acquired its long-awaited singer (and prospective rhythm guitarist). And though this was a great victory for Kessoku Band at large, it was even more of a victory for Bocchi personally, who actually spearheaded the operation to get Kita into the group. By observing this new friend, Bocchi has come to realize that even extraverted people suffer from anxiety and imposter syndrome, and thus gained a touch more courage in facing her own fears.

This has all been delightful for Bocchi and the show at large in a character development sense, but I’ll admit I have a more selfish reason for cheering Kita’s arrival. After that excellent first episode band performance, I’ve been hungry for more sequences of the gang actually playing music together, and the appearance of our long-awaited singer seems like the perfect chance. Regardless, I’m sure we’ve got a charming and luxuriously animated experience ahead of us, so let’s dive back into Bocchi the Rock!

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Rilakkuma and Kaoru – Episode 5

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The long evenings of summer are perfect for horror movies. After the constant bustle of a day in the sun, I find little more satisfying than curling up with a spooky movie, and letting someone else deal with All The Problems for once. It’s a feeling much like sitting by a fire and looking out the window at a storm; a “grass is greener” in reverse, with only the stark alternative revealed by some window or screen allowing us to truly appreciate the security of our home. It’s perhaps not the noblest instinct to only feel secure when we see how we could have it worse, but that’s human nature for you – our first instincts are often more petty than we’d prefer, making both self-reflection and forgiveness all the more essential. 

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Spy x Family – Episode 16

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Spy x Family, and see what further madness Anya gets up to now that she’s acquired a precognitive steed. The limiting factor on Anya’s capacity for mischief has always been her tiny legs, so now that her mobility is improved by a factor of one big floofy dog, I imagine some profound chaos is in order.

Last episode seemed to mark the end of this dedicated Bond arc, so I’m guessing we’ll be returning to Anya’s school drama in force this time, and once again attempting to secure Damian’s friendship. The relatively open canvas of the school setting makes it an easy venue for episodic larks like the dodgeball episode, but I’d also be happy to dig more deeply into Damian’s situation, and give Anya some clues regarding his home life. It appears they’re setting up Damian’s home life as the inverse of Anya’s: while Anya lives with an allegedly fake family that actually love each other, Damian lives with an allegedly real family that’s utterly lacking in familial love. You all likely know I’m a sucker for that “family is who we choose to love” theme, so I’d be happy to either pick at those intricacies or just marvel at some hilarious episodic madness. Let’s get to it!

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The Legend of Vox Machina S2 – Episode 3

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to The Legend of Vox Machina, and see how our heroes are fairing in their quest to regain the important magic doohickeys. From a point of initially, emphatically demonstrating that Vox Machina lack the strength to fight these dragons, Mercer has steadily guided the party from “we need to gather an army” (Whitestone) to “no army is willing to assist you” (Vasselheim) to “only the Vestiges of Divergence can stop these dragons” (Slayer’s Take). By splitting these directives among multiple characters and separating them by travel and trials, he’s effectively masked the inevitability of this quest, arriving at that sweet alchemy of the players collectively “choosing” to do the only thing you had written out for them anyway.

It’s a good thing I’m taking notes, as I’m at roughly the same point in my own players’ campaign. Just a few hours after I write this article, we’ll be conducting our second session since picking back up, wherein I plan to guide my party through a destroyed city and into a riff on Seven Samurai. I’m not sure my party’s feeling quite the same sense of urgency as Vox Machina, so I’m eager to see how Mercer maintains momentum and perspective as the gang wanders off on this new adventure. Let’s get to it!

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Star Driver – Episode 17

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Hello friends, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am basically inconsolable, as my favorite character in Star Driver has picked up roots and left for the coast, perhaps never to be seen again. That’s right, our former shrine maiden Mizuno has left Southern Cross Isle, taking my heart and her inconsistently defined spirit sister alongside her. Where I once might have hoped Mizuno would actually take over this narrative in its second half, I can now only gaze regretfully out towards her retreating ferry, clinging to the memories we shared.

All right, that’s more than enough of that. Anyways, with Mizuno and Head’s blue-haired maiden out, it would appear we’re now down to Kate and Wako as the last remaining shrine maidens. Considering Kiraboshi’s repeated attempts to recruit Sugata, I’m guessing they intend him, bearer of the King’s Pillar, to “unlock” Wako’s shrine gate, echoing their formal engagement via the island’s unique mechanical properties. Of course, given Kate has always loved Sugata and resented Wako, I imagine she has some private plans to interfere with the inevitability of Sugata and Wako as a couple; considering she herself is also a shrine maiden, I’m guessing she’ll attempt to replace Wako in some way. With fault lines widening both within and beyond Kiraboshi, I’m eager to see how the narrative evolves in this third act. Let’s get to it!

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Tsurune S2 – Episode 1

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be embarking on a new project that’s also a bit of a homecoming, as we explore the second season of Kyoto Animation’s Tsurune. Tsurune was the last drama Kyoto Animation produced before the 2019 arson attack, and therefore the last show they produced in the mode that essentially drew me back into anime. Back in 2012, Hyouka was one of the first anime to rekindle my interest in the medium, after I’d largely fallen out of watching anime during college. That was followed by poignant, delicately animated dramas like Sound! Euphonium and A Silent Voice, all of which collectively solidified Kyoto Animation as my favorite anime studio, and the studio that best exemplified what I found compelling about the medium.

When Kyoto Animation suffered that attack, my hope for anime’s future, as a medium that prioritizes intimate human stories and captures life as it is truly experienced, was nearly extinguished. The years since have largely proven my fears correct; though other studios have tried, only Naoko Yamada’s own Heike Monogatari has achieved the level of brilliance embodied by KyoAni’s best productions. Anime has been significantly poorer for KyoAni’s absence, but with a new season of Tsurune, it seems like we’ve reason to hope again. After far too long away, let’s see how our young archers are faring!

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