Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Adachi and Shimamura – Episode 6

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to Adachi and Shimamura, where the tension is heating up as we approach their Christmas day utterly platonic friend-cherishing celebration. Though Adachi wanted to ask Shimamura on a genuine date, a combination of her own fear and Shimamura’s clear hesitance prompted her to append some qualifiers to the invitation, and assure Shimamura that this is purely about not wanting to be alone. And for her part, Shimamura was happy to embrace that deception, rather than risk fracturing their fragile bond.

Both of their fears are completely understandable, but it is also clear that their current dynamic cannot last. In spite of her anxieties, Adachi is steadily moving towards admitting her romantic desire for Shimamura. In contrast, Shimamura isn’t even sure if she wants a romantic relationship, or what Adachi truly means to her. This mismatch of desires is making it harder and harder for each of them to feel satisfied with their relationship, and is furthermore creating an unequal power dynamic, where Adachi must subvert her own desires in order to keep Shimamura from abandoning her. Though it’s been framed as a platonic outing, I have to imagine this Christmas meetup will only exacerbate the tension of their unequal desires, offering us plenty of that painful friction that makes character dramas so satisfying. It’s time for some emotional fireworks, so let’s get to it!

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Hugtto! Precure – Episode 23

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Hello everyone, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. Y’all ready for some Precure? Considering last episode featured the original Precure tumbling out of a wormhole because Baby Said So, it would seem presumptuous to offer any kind of confident predictions about what happens next. That said, it does seem like we’ve reached a turning point in the narrative. Our full Precure team has at last been assembled, and with Emiru having resolved her immediate anxieties, it’s looking like they’re ready to turn towards the future. At the same time, Popple’s defeat clears out the initial wave of Criasu Corp antagonists, and opens the door for her mysterious benefactor’s actual debut. Given all that narrative board-clearing, I’m actually expecting this episode to be a light one, and serve as a sort of palette cleanser before we get into the next major arc. The crew has assembled and there’s evil afoot, so let’s dive right back into Hugtto!

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Dorohedoro – Episode 12

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Oh god, how can this season already be over? I feel like I’ve just gotten settled into the world of Caiman, En, and their various compatriots, and now the party’s about to end!? C’mon, at least let me stick around for one more feast, or festival, or something! Obviously this is the fate of all adaptations of continuing manga, but Dorohedoro has established its local schedule as so packed with festivities that I already feel like I’m missing out. Damn you Dorohedoro, how dare you be so entertaining.

Anyway, yes, we’ve arrived. It’s clear we’re still in the early phases of Dorohedoro’s overall narrative; En’s motivation has only just been revealed, and Caiman’s quest isn’t even close to a resolution. But this does at least feel like a reasonable resting point, as the tension of Nikaido’s sorceress nature has also served as one of Dorohedoro’s slow-burning narrative fuses, and it seems like it’s about to blow. Nikaido cares about Caiman, and at this moment, I could see that concern leading her to wound him deeply, in order to ensure he doesn’t return to the world of the sorcerers. But  whatever happens, the one thing I’m certain of is that after this, I’m picking up the goddamn manga. Without further ado, let’s finish off the endearing, intriguing, and vividly realized Dorohedoro!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 12

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You folks ready to explore a ghost ship? Having outwitted Serenity’s forces and survived a goddamn rip in space itself, the Bentenmaru and her crew have at last arrived on the golden ghost ship, and are preparing to disembark. As we recently learned, the ghost ship is in fact a generation ship, housing countless bodies that may yet be held in cold sleep, just waiting to be revived. Of course, that reveal only prompts a handful of further questions, like why exactly all these residents of Serenity agreed to this voyage, or why the true nature of this ship has been so successfully obscured. Even Gruier has yet to reveal her motives here, though it’s not hard to imagine how the sudden reappearance of millions of Serenity citizens might impact the nation’s succession conflict. With the answers presumably lurking within the bowels of this mighty ship, let’s not waste any more time, and step onboard the golden ghost ship of Serenity!

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ODDTAXI – Episode 3

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to the site. Today I am both eager and nervous to return to ODDTAXI, a show which has so far proven itself to be exceptional beyond any reasonable expectation, and elevated by some of the best dialogue in recent memory. It’s such a smart, deftly executed show that it’s frankly a little intimidating, but that’s a feeling to be embraced – within art, it is the works that genuinely surprise you which expand your horizons, and broaden your understanding of what art can be.

So far, I’ve been learning that art can be Kemono Friends and Twin Peaks at the same time, and also that the two might not have possessed that much separation in the first place. ODDTAXI’s disarming character designs are doing their best to keep things light, but there is darkness seeping in through every seam of this narrative, be it the conventional malaise of adult disappointment, or the sharp prick of a gun in your back. Odokawa has largely remained on the periphery of this narrative’s central mystery, but with the presumed killer in his backseat and Shirakawa awaiting his return, he may end up involved in spite of himself. Whatever comes, I’m sure it’ll be executed with the same confidence of storytelling, maturity of perspective, and distinctiveness of voice that all make this show special. Let’s return to ODDTAXI!

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Symphogear XV – Episode 2

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Hello all, and welcome the fuck back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re continuing to barrel through Symphogear, as you can’t really stop a season of this show once you’ve started it. I knew this to be true, and thus scheduled myself some space between the fourth and fifth seasons, but the time for recuperation is clearly over – now is the time of Burning Hearts, Fighting Spirits, and Blowing Up The Goddamn Moon.

So far, Symphogear’s fifth season has proceeded in a much similar way to its predecessors: there’s some supernatural menace, the wielders kick its butt, and then we learn that menace was just an appetizer for the true threat. This time, that threat will presumably be the “custodians” that Adam warned about, though it also seems we’ve still got a crew of alchemists running around, who will presumably first clash with and ultimately be befriended by the indomitable Hibiki. One funny consequence of this being Symphogear’s final season is that the show no longer has to worry about cast bloat – there’s no need to find roles for any new cast members in future seasons, so Hibiki is free to befriend as many foes as she wants. That’s sure to come, but for now, I’m mostly just hyped to see another beautifully choreographed and ludicrously well-animated transformation sequence. Let’s not waste a moment longer, and get right into the Symphogear!

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Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 43

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Hello all, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am thrilled to dive into a Sun and Moon episode that I’ve been assured is a scorcher, featuring an actual gym battle with Ash’s old companion Misty. Sun and Moon has been relatively light on gym battles as a whole, which has suited its slice of life style nicely – but when they do appear, the production holds nothing back, and dazzles with action animation that any show would be proud to call its own.

As for this episode in particular, the credits couldn’t possibly be more stacked. The animation director is Satoshi Nakano, one of Sun and Moon’s actual character designers, and the series’ chief animation director, who along with this episode only handled key animations on the OPs, as well as Sun and Moon’s final episode. Normally, Nakano is reserved for animation direction on actual Pokemon movies – something he shares in common with this episode’s overall director, Masakatsu Ijima. This is one of only three episodes where Ijima handled not just the storyboard, but directorial duties as well, so we can be certain this episode will possess a holism of art design and fluidity of animation that’s the rival of anything in the series. We’re in for riches I can’t even begin to imagine, so let’s not waste a moment more, and get back to Sun and Moon!

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Big Windup! – Episode 3

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to the site. Today I’m eager to return to Big Windup!, whose last episode ended with Abe at last agreeing to try Momoe’s practice methods. Is Abe actually capable of the humility necessary for genuine teamwork, or will this just reaffirm his belief that all his teammates are idiots?

Abe and Momoe have made for an interesting contrast over Windup!’s first two episodes. Rather than attempting to genuinely connect with his teammates as human beings, and cultivate their skills into well-rounded baseball players, Abe has essentially been trying to fool his players into winning in spite of themselves. He’s not bothered by the fact that Mihashi is skittish and unbalanced; those qualities make him easier to manipulate, so Abe considers them a plus. In contrast, Momoe wants her team to be well-rounded, confident, and resilient, with each player carrying their own weight, and knowing they can trust their teammates to support them. The two butted heads over Windup!’s first two episodes, but it’s already become clear that Mihashi is dedicated to genuinely improving, and that Abe is losing his grip on his pitcher. With Momoe having assigned Abe the task of actually speaking honestly with Mihashi, let’s see how our battery fare in episode three!

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ODDTAXI – Episode 2

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am thrilled to be getting back to ODDTAXI, a show whose premiere impressed the hell out of me. ODDTAXI’s dialogue is simultaneously naturalistic and idiosyncratic, reflecting an author who’s clearly attuned to the quirky nuances of everyday conversation, but still has a strong voice of their own. The show’s wry, deadpan sense of humor evokes a world-weariness that I can strongly relate to, and its characters have not just quirks, but also voice and perspective – clear worldviews and distinct ways of expressing them.

As a medium that generally involves expert animators adapting stories written for an adolescent audience, writing tends to be anime’s weakest component – but ODDTAXI’s dialogue has both a distinctiveness of style and grace of delivery that caught my ear from the start, and I’m eager to see where this story goes. On top of that, the show’s direction seems to draw deeply from film drama and noir, accenting the understated script with some expressive flourishes, employing graceful transitions that keep the drama flowing, and generally letting the cold beauty of this world filter through.

Finally, ODDTAXI’s overarching story is being conveyed with refreshingly confident pacing. There’s no rush to get to the gory details; instead, the underlying not-quite-rightness of this scenario seeps in through the cracks, as incidental conversations are ornamented with new details about the missing girl. Pacing like this reflects an author who trusts their audience to pay attention, rather than one who is desperate to keep their focus. The author trusts that we can embrace this story for its distinct voice and grace of delivery, rather than demanding a parade of shiny narrative baubles until we’re emotionally hooked. As a result, the work feels more like an organic, living organism, portraying life without ornamentation until the key narrative beats arrive. It’s an expression of faith you generally see more in art cinema than anime, but I’m always delighted to be treated with this sort of authorial respect (see also: every Tomihiko Morimi adaptation). I’ve probably gushed enough at this point, so with my feelings so far made abundantly clear, let’s get right back to ODDTAXI!

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Horimiya – Episode 4

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to dive back into Horimiya, as it seems like we’re rapidly approaching a turning point in Hori and Miyamura’s relationship.

So far, they’ve essentially been enjoying the comfort and familiarity of a long-term domestic partner without any clear romantic strings attached. Both of them seemed relatively happy with that relationship, but as their third year of high school begins, it’s becoming impossible to deny that the status quo cannot last, and that they will either begin a relationship in earnest or eventually drift apart. Ayasaka’s interference forced Hori to realize that while she might not be actively considering Miyamura in a romantic way, she still doesn’t want anyone else to date him – and after that, their mutual praise for each other’s “beautiful hands” made it pretty clear that they’re on the same page here. I expect Horimiya’s structural/pacing quirks to continue, but you know I’m a sucker for earnest romance, and Horimiya seems right on the verge of its confession moment. Let’s get to it!

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