Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Wonder Egg Priority – Episode 9

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At last, the curtain has been pulled back, and the man behind it is a face we’ve seen before. Wonder Egg Priority has finally put its fantasy chips on the table, drawing a direct connection between Neiru’s Plati research and the wonder egg system itself. Acca and Ura-Acca have been revealed as the manipulators they always seemed to be, tormentors dangling salvation in front of these girls in order to either claim their power, or simply gather more research. Parallel worlds not only exist, but can be accessed through dreams – and by harnessing the powers of these dreams, Plati seems intent on mastering reality itself.

But all of that is ultimately secondary to what last episode was actually about. Confronted with the imminent death of her sister, Neiru turned to her friends for help, and at last shared the difficult personal circumstances that have made her who she is. Though she framed Kotobuki’s death in clinical terms, their last meeting proved just how much Neiru cared about her friend, and how difficult it was for her to let go. And as always, Ai was there to support her, sharing the guilt of freeing Kotobuki from her imprisonment, and reaffirming her kindness and emotional strength. Though Ai still grapples with self-hatred and a general feeling of disconnection with the world, her acts of kindness towards Neiru, Rika, and Momoe demonstrate a profound empathy and strength of character.

Of course, this is not your usual magical girl world. This is our world, where virtues like empathy are frequently reframed as weakness, and girls are abused and commodified by a nepotistic structure that assumes male superiority. It’s no surprise that Ai thinks she has no value; society has told her, and all of her friends, that the things which make them great have no purpose in this world. The only virtue they’re asked to perform is submission – but with Rika and Momoe having overheard the scheming of their enemies, I’m thinking the time for politely completing egg trials has passed. Can these four girls band together and fight for their right to happiness? I’m really hoping so; I’m not sure my heart could take it otherwise.

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Adachi and Shimamura – Episode 7

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Oh my god Adachi, what the hell are you doing. After a full episode of working herself up to asking Shimamura on a date, and another episode of screaming internally all through that date, she ultimately capped off Christmas by declaring her intent to become Shimamura’s… best friend. The girl is a mess, but Shimamura isn’t exactly helping. She can clearly recognize Adachi’s much stronger feelings, and isn’t really sure what to do about them. Paralyzed by indecision about her future course, she sees reciprocating Adachi’s feelings as a step too far – and if she acknowledges them without reciprocating them, their current relationship would collapse. The two are currently progressing by telling each other lies that they both know are lies, and if that’s not the proper foundation for a lasting relationship, I don’t know what it is.

However this mess plays out, I’m sure it’ll be as entertaining and thoughtfully observed as the road so far. Let’s dive back into the mess of emotions that is Adachi and Shimamura!

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ODDTAXI – Episode 4

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The rain hasn’t stopped for hours. When I first woke up, the sky seemed clear enough; but of course, I slept through my first alarm, and thus slept through my chance to start the day with some kind of head-clearing walk or jog. That failure heralded a cascade of other minor tragedies, as long-term wellbeing projects were once more shelved for the day, with the hope of “I’ll get to that tomorrow” tempered by the reality of all the tomorrows where I failed to get to them. For now, for today, let’s just focus on the job, and the maintenance required just to keep the lights on.

Welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be returning to ODDTAXI, a show which has so far captured the mundane adult experience with more acuity than virtually any anime I’ve seen. Its characters slump with the fatigue of professional fatalism and personal isolation; bereft of purpose or community, they cling to the hollow affirmation of social media, or simply accept that life will always be like this. These bedraggled misfits are my people – I also feel most alone when scrolling through tweets, yet can’t help crave that dwindling dopamine rush of online validation. It’s not the internet’s fault that we are all fundamentally alone; it has merely underlined the issue, and offered the opportunity to reinvent ourselves as brands rather than individuals. In a world as segmented and dehumanizing as this, perhaps that’s the best we can hope for.

Well, I hope Odokawa makes it out okay. Let’s return to ODDTAXI.

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Big Windup! – Episode 4

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Hello all, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am beyond eager to return to Big Windup!, as we’ve finally arrived at our team’s first actual game. After three episodes of Abe and Mihashi struggling to connect, witnessing Mihashi’s treatment by his former teammates finally gave Abe the context he needed – he now understands where Mihashi is coming from, and what’s more, he actively sympathizes. Abe doesn’t just want to manipulate his pitcher, he wants his pitcher to succeed, and I’m guessing that means we’re going to see some real cunning from our scheming catcher. The show’s premiere offered a brief taste of how Abe can use his opponents’ psychology against them, and since then, each episode has only reaffirmed Big Windup!’s insightful approach to its characterization and drama. With Mihashi’s old teammates arrayed against them, I’m looking forward to a thrilling fusion of sports tactics and psychological drama. Let’s get to it!

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86 – Episode 2

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Hello all, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be returning to the spring production 86, a war drama about a world where the citizens of the eighty-five known districts are supported by the suffering of the eighty-six, an underclass that they don’t even really see as humans. So far, my feelings on the production are somewhat mixed. The direction is generally excellent, and seems far more ambitious in terms of its visual storytelling than most productions; unfortunately, the writing so far has been pretty simplistic, with both the worldbuilding and the individual line-to-line dialogue lacking in much nuance or voice.

The show’s vision of prejudice feels too abstracted into fantasy to really bite as human drama; but there’s obviously plenty of time to get to know these characters as people, such that their conditions might cut with the sharp edge of emotional investment. The finale of the first episode was able to evoke a sense of personal tragedy with a remarkable economy of scene-setting, so I’m hoping things continue to improve throughout the second episode. Let’s get to it!

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Symphogear XV – Episode 3

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Hello folks, and welcome back to the site. You all seated and securely fastened? You better be – this train’s not stopping once it starts, and today we’ll be traveling at the speed of SYMPHOGEAR. XV’s second episode served up an absurd buffet of animated action greatness, offering two separate battles that each measured up to Symphogear’s best, alongside an entire goddamn Tsubasa-Maria concert. It was actually even more impressive than the season’s premiere, and while I don’t expect that trend to continue across every episode… I mean, it might? This is Symphogear’s confirmed final season, a season that was greenlit alongside its predecessor, and thus likely benefits from particularly generous scheduling. 

Either way, the show hasn’t wasted any time in introducing its latest villains, and given the last episode featured Kirika/Shirabe and Tsubasa/Maria facing off against the lieutenants, I’m guessing it’s time for Hibiki and Chris to fight their leader. The rhythm of a Symphogear season has gotten pretty familiar at this point (see what I did there), but familiarity isn’t necessarily a bad thing – Symphogear is intended to be action-packed comfort food, and knowing the refrain just makes it easier to sing along. Let’s raise our voices in chorus then, as we return to the dazzling Symphogear!

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Horimiya – Episode 5

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Hello all, and welcome back to the show. Today I am eager to get back to Horimiya, which appears to have reached a critical juncture courtesy of last episode’s final scene. After two episodes of wandering around their feelings for each other, and lamenting the approaching end of their domestic happiness, Miyamura finally Did the Thing. Having assured Hori that he would stay so long as she wanted him to, he ended his visit with a tossed-off “I love you,” leaving the ball firmly in Hori’s court.

By only admitting his feelings to Hori’s silent back, Miyamura intentionally left her an exit route: “if you don’t feel the same way, you can just pretend you didn’t hear me.” But Hori does feel the same way, and at this point, it’s become clear that their bond reflects more than just enjoying each other’s company. Both Hori and Miyamura responded to their isolated, unhappy childhoods by becoming self-sufficient individuals, but both of them still bear a sense of profound loneliness and uncertainty, something they cannot admit to their general classmates. Each of them has found a confidant in the other, someone they do not have to perform strength for, and someone who understands their fear of isolation. One of Horimiya’s finest features is its refusal to draw out personal drama, so I’m hoping for some romantic fireworks as we enter episode five. Let’s get to it!

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Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 44

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Hello everyone, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to relax with some Sun and Moon, and hope you all don’t mind if we just chill out in Alola for a while. After last episode’s absurd animation spectacle, which essentially compressed twenty years of animated passion into twenty glorious minutes, I’m not expecting a similar feat this time – and I’m actually quite okay with that. Animation highlights are fun and all, but Sun and Moon’s perennial attraction is the simple, peaceful joy of hanging out with this crew, and going on rambling adventures across their beautiful home. Sun and Moon is a place of rest and recovery, where you’re always welcome to just chill out for a while, and I hope you all appreciate that peace just as much as I do. Whether we’re finding a new pokemon or just lounging on the beach, let’s ease right into another day under the Alolan sun!

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Space Battleship Yamato 2199 – Episode 6

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The schemes of Commander Schultz have borne wicked fruit, sending the Yamato careening into the seas of Pluto. Humanity’s last hope now rests beneath a frozen tundra, while elsewhere, the fighter squadron surges forth on a mission now doomed to failure. Will this be the end of the Yamato’s grand voyage, and will the earth be resigned to its awful fate? Is this our punishment for choosing vengeance over salvation!?

That would certainly make for an unexpected conclusion, but for now, I have my doubts about the Yamato’s alleged destruction. Playing dead under Pluto’s surface should provide a perfect opportunity for repairs and new strategies, while the fighter squadron is presumably far too nimble for Schultz’s mirror tricks to work. However the battle develops, I expect Yamato to maintain its confidence of execution and mythic tone as we spar with Gamila’s advanced guard. Let’s return to the (currently submerged) deck of the Yamato!

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Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha – Detonation

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am both eager and a little intimidated to return to the Nanoha franchise, as we at last check out the followup to the action-packed Nanoha Reflection. Reflection picked up right where A’s left off, introducing us to a fresh set of villains who still embody the franchise’s perennial thematic concerns. As with Fate and Hayate’s family, Kyrie is fundamentally driven by a desire to protect her family, and thus rallies against the arbitrary cruelty of fate. And just like in the first two seasons, Nanoha is forced to stand against that sympathetic instinct, and caution that joy brought about through the suffering of others is a hollow victory.

The films essentially serve as a condensed third season, lacking somewhat in the intimate character work that elevated its predecessors’ drama, but making up for it with bountiful action animation for all our favorite characters. As Symphogear’s direct predecessor, Nanoha well understands the value of dramatic excess, and I’m looking forward to some spectacular fireworks in this story’s second half. Let’s get to the action!

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