Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Anne of Green Gables – Episode 14

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am delighted to return to Anne of Green Gables, after far too long away from our precocious young heroine and her fanciful adventures. In the time since our last visit I’ve continued to enjoy as much Takahata as possible, screening both later Ghibli films and Toei Doga classics like Horus, but there’s nothing quite like his beautiful, meditative television work. The World Masterpiece Theater productions remain a singular high point in anime history, and Takahata will likely always be one of my very favorite directors.

Anyway, it is delightful to be back, and it looks like we’re in for another sturdy episode production-wise. World Masterpiece Theater and Miyazaki/Takahata mainstay Seiji Okuda is back on storyboarding duty, with the lack of a distinct assigned director again leading me to assume this’ll be an episode hewing closely to Takahata’s vision of the story. And though scriptwriter Kaizo Kamiyama is relatively untested, I’m not particularly concerned; Anne’s dialogue sings because so much of it was taken directly from L.M. Montgomery’s novel, a trend I expect to continue with fantastic results. Who knew that closely adapting classic novels would result in superior anime dramas? But let’s not get snippy about The General State Of Things, for we’ve got a show to watch. Onward to Green Gables!

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BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!! – Episode 13

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today it is with a heavy heart that I announce we have reached the finale of BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!, and will soon be asked to leave the venue and shuffle our way home. It’s been a poignant, frequently transcendent, and ever-engaging journey with the lost girls, and I’m sad to see our time together drawing to a close. But at least we’ve still got the memories: Anon’s delightfully mercenary recruitment of Tomori, that devastating elaboration of Tomori’s life story, the desperate machinations of our girl Soyo, and the thunderous performances that first rent and then reunited our stars, aligning them in their collective need for a little warmth and understanding, a place that might make a pillbug like Tomori reach for the sun.

It’s been profoundly rewarding watching this crew grow into an ever-frictious but nonetheless supportive whole, and I’d frankly be perfectly content if this episode was just a full-length encore performance for MyGO!!!!! But of course, our story possesses one last lingering question: what the fuck is going on with Sakiko, and why is she assembling a cabal of musical supervillains. Her initial formation of CRYCHIC seemed almost as Tomori-focused as our dear Taki’s motives, and it’s clear that seeing Tomori move on and find a new community hit her like a punch in the gut. Will we at last learn why she was moved to disband her own precious community, and what she hopes will emerge from the ashes? Let’s get to it!

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Star Driver – Episode 23

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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!

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Blue Reflection Ray – Episode 2

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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!

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Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 18

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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.

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The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You – Episode 4

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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!

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Call of the Night – Episode 3

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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!

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The Flying Phantom Ship

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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!

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Trigun Stampede – Episode 1

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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!

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Spy x Family – Episode 30

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re gonna be hopping back over to Spy x Family and checking in on those wacky Forgers, because goddamnit, I’m in the mood for a cheerful and very silly time. Our last sojourn was classic Spy x Family all over, as Anya waged war for The Cookies That Make You Smarter while Yor assisted in a preposterous cat-hunting expedition. Not exactly the most revelatory adventures, but nonetheless vintage Spy x Family, making innovative use of Anya’s telepathy and Yor’s agility to add a flourish of insanity to their everyday lives.

As for what’s to come, it appears we’re now in for a Yor-focused multi-episode arc of some kind, which sounds perfect to me. Yor has always been the weakest link in Spy x Family’s main cast, due primarily to two main factors. First, she lacks the multifaceted motivation of someone like Loid; his internal battle between pragmatic, “greater good”-focused spy training and increasing prioritization of individual children gives him both a compelling origin story and a clear evolutionary path, and Yor learning to forgive herself for her “failings” as a mother can’t really compete with that. Secondly, her active characterization tends to frame her as a total ditz, making it difficult for her to learn, grow, or express complex feelings about her various escapades. These might seem like serious detriments, but in truth, the line between insufficient and satisfying characterization in a dedicated comedy like Spy x Family is pretty thin, and one good arc with her would go a long way towards resolving her scripting issues. Let’s see if this new arc can manage it as we return to Spy x Family!

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