Dorohedoro – Episode 9

The night has fallen, and the festivities are about to begin! Out in the world of the sorcerers, we’re about to commence Blue Night, wherein sorcerers track down and team up with new potential partners – by force, if need be. And with En’s team standing as some of the toughest sorcerers in the business, they’re likely to be fending off would-be suitors all evening; that is, unless Caiman gets to them first.

The violent activities of Blue Night will presumably be this episode’s main attraction, but Dorohedoro has maintained a strong balance of episodic shenanigans and progress on its main narratives, so any number of secrets may also be revealed. At this point, we’ve actually resolved a decent number of the show’s original mysteries. We know that Risa is the man inside Caiman, that he worked for the cross-eyed gang, that he was betrayed by his superiors, and that Ebisu “got in his way,” which very nearly confirms that Ebisu is responsible for Caiman’s condition. We also know that Nikaido is a sorcerer who can control time, and that En is specifically looking for just such a sorcerer.

It feels like we just need a couple more tidbits of information from Risa, which in turn makes me think we’re due for a paradigm shift, as the narrative adjusts its scope beyond this handful of almost-solved mysteries. But every episode of Dorohedoro comes with a fresh set of unexpected delights, so rather than make unhelpful forecasts, I’d rather just see what the night has in store. Let’s dive back into Dorohedoro!

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The Big O – Episode 12

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be returning to The Big O, as Roger continues to unravel the secrets of Paradigm. Well, I certainly hope Roger unravels some secrets, because at the moment, we’re actually some distance ahead of him in terms of our understanding of this world.

In episode ten, we learned that there are still human civilizations beyond Paradigm, and that Paradigm’s alleged city council all ultimately answers to one man. In eleven, we learned that that man is well aware of Christmas’ pre-amnesia cultural significance, yet chooses instead to frame it as a secular city festival. Given his awareness of humanity’s culture both pre-amnesia and outside Paradigm’s walls, it seems reasonable to assume that Paradigm’s monarch is enforcing a policy of strict information control – and beyond that, that he might even be responsible for Paradigm’s amnesia in the first place.

If he’s attempting to create a private kingdom, provoking a wave of mass amnesia is certainly a great way to start. While we generally think of confinement in terms of physical barriers, the most robust imprisonment is generally imprisonment of the mind – total inculcation into a specific way of thinking, or denial of the education that might inspire someone to question their circumstances. While we can rage against injustices we can define, if we can’t conceive of a world beyond our own, we tend to accept our circumstances as simply “the way it is.” By collectively frying Paradigm’s memory, a dedicated tyrant could reshape its society into whatever shape they choose, and fill in the blank slates of its populace with a wellspring of comforting propaganda.

So that’s probably not good. But as I said, Roger wasn’t actually there for most of the scenes that revealed this information – he’s currently some distance behind the audience, and I’m not exactly sure what use that dramatic irony could serve. For the moment, let’s quit with the conjecture, and find out what secrets the city will offer next!

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Space Battleship Yamato 2199 – Episode 3

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be rejoining the crew of the Yamato, as they fly off in search of humanity’s last hope. Last episode established both our crew and our mission: to voyage to distant Iskandar, where they will receive technology that can save the polluted earth. At the same time, the Yamato must evade the grasp of the Gamilans, an alien race at war with humanity at large. It’s an ambitious plan, a task that feels more derivative of a high fantasy quest than a scifi mission, complete with a beautiful princess who bears forbidden knowledge. That fantastical tone makes for a fairly stark contrast with the show’s nostalgic love of mid-century military hardware, which in turn makes me wonder if the show is intentionally stoking that contrast, and where it might be going with all this. But either way, it’s still succeeding purely as a polished fantasy adventure, so I’m sure I’ll have a lovely time. Let’s dive into episode three!

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Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 39

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. You all ready for a dash of Sun and Moon? I’ve got Pokemon on the brain at the moment, as The Pokemon Company just announced their slate of 2021/22 Pokeproperties. I never played Diamond and Pearl, but I’m hyped as hell for a Breath of the Wild-inspired open world Pokemon game. Frankly, that’s the Pokemon I’ve been hoping for ever since Nintendo started developing 3D consoles; I wish it hadn’t taken us a quarter of a century to get here, but I’m still alive, and I’m still pumped for open world Pokemon. And it’s also just nice to see Breath of the Wild inspiring more designs; I genuinely think that game “solved” open world design in a way that had never been done before, and I’m looking forward to seeing even more “post-BotW” games in the future!

Anyway, right, Sun and Moon. When last we left off, Jessie and Mimikyu were having a lovely outing at a local mall, only to be rudely interrupted by some shitty birds. That was more or less the literal plot of last episode, and it was delightful, so I hope you’ll understand when I say this show’s narrative choices are a little beyond my predictive abilities. I just know we’re undoubtedly in for a good time, so let’s not waste a moment, and dive right into Pokemon Sun and Moon!

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Wonder Egg Priority – Episode 8

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m frankly a little hesitant to return to Wonder Egg Priority, as the show’s last episode came pretty close to emotionally destroying me. Rika’s experience of self-hatred and depression felt uncomfortably close to home; the cheerful outward affectation, the flashes of uncontrollable frustration, and most crucially, that sinking, ever-present feeling of weight on top of you, weight that you cannot simply exist under, weight that you must fight and fight every day, without any real hope of relieving it. When Rika at last submitted to her fatigue, and asked if it truly can be easier, I felt that exhaustion in my bones. If life is this painful, surely nothingness must be a relief?

Fortunately, Rika had just enough of a support system to dampen those thoughts, and fight once more for a better tomorrow. Just as her submission to her demons felt poignantly true to life, so too did her defiant declaration at the end. “I’ll leave you one day, but not today” – to those suffering from depression, suicidal tendencies, and mental illness more broadly, that rallying cry feels like the most we can earnestly hope for. There’s no guarantee things will get easier, and no guarantee we’ll be able to fight forever – but at least this day, I am declaring that the darkness will not win, and that I will see tomorrow.

It’s a genuine victory, and should be celebrated as such; in a show covering topics as charged as Wonder Egg, to simply declare that Rika is “solved” would be a betrayal of her substance as a character, and of Wonder Egg’s general ability to evoke the genuine, felt experience of depression. I tend to like the shows that rip into my chest, grab hold of something utterly true to my experience, and explore it in all its beauty, ugliness, and undeniable humanity. Wonder Egg has the lived experience of depression in its clasp, and however this story turns, I’ll remain profoundly grateful to it for illustrating such a difficult experience with such frankness and compassion. This show can hurt me, but it’s a good hurt, a hurt that reminds me I’m not alone in the struggle. Among art’s many goals, that sense of connection and common humanity feels like one of the most noble of all. I’m ready, Wonder Egg. Let’s return to the fight.

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Kaiba – Episode 4

What is truly precious, or irreplaceable? In the world of Kaiba, where both bodies and memories can be bought and sold, it can begin to feel like nothing has any genuine value. Cronico sold her body to help her family, but it only brought her stepmother more grief. Meanwhile, her “precious” memories were ultimately tossed out like garbage, to float into the firmament like a lost balloon. Ultimately, Cronico’s body at least allowed Kaiba to sneak back onto the cruiser; but even that was an insidiously transactional process, relying on the wanton, lascivious hungers of the Chief of Security. Only the opening song seems to disagree – as hands flash through a myriad of forms, their determination to connect remains undiminished. Might we perhaps hold onto love, or at least its memory?

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Great Pretender – Episode 3

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll checking out the third episode of Great Pretender, where Edamura has at last proven his value to the team, by jacking up the prices of Laurent’s fake drugs. Having reaffirmed his talents as a swindler, Edamura at last seems genuinely comfortable with his new companions, and committed to their collective scheme.

Of course, from Laurent’s perspective, I can’t imagine Edamura’s rash actions have really changed his opinion of his new partner. Laurent seems less interested in this particular scheme than he is in cultivating a specific group of talents, and pursuing a more long-term ethical agenda. From his perspective, Edamura is an insecure kid with more ego than sense – unsculpted clay, with no real direction but a childish desire to prove himself. Edamura believes he can prove his value through his skills as a swindler; in contrast, Laurent has nothing to prove, but is happy enough to wield Edamura’s emotional levers against him. The two are an intriguingly mismatched team, and I’ll be interested to see if Laurent is actually invested in helping Edamura grow up, or simply use him as a talented but naive weapon. Let’s get to it!

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Hugtto! Precure – Episode 20

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time! Today we’ll be returning to Hugtto! Precure, where when we last left off, Henri was busy destroying the gender binary. After Emiru’s brother attempted to lecture him on how girls aren’t allowed to be heroes, Henri confronted him in a full dress, and said that boys and girls are allowed to be what they damn well please. Even when held in the grip of a giant monster, Henri somehow kept his cool, and actually reached out to the monster with such empathy and understanding that he essentially won the fight himself. Hugtto! has always preached kindness in a general sense, but I was delighted to see it celebrate Henri’s specific, vital kind of self-love and tolerance.

With Henri having instilled that self-love in Emiru as well, she is now capable of admitting her own desires. Emiru wants to be a Precure, and goddamnit, we’re gonna make her a Precure. Let’s get to work!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 10

You folks ready for some space adventures? It’s been altogether too long since we checked in on the travels of Marika and her fearless crew, so today we’re returning to Bodacious Space Pirates, as our team at last sets off in search of the golden ghost ship of Serenity!

I know, I know, I’ve been saying that for like three straight episodes now. Well, the thing about Bodacious Space Pirates is that, in spite of its preposterous title and plentiful high school girls, it hews about as close to “hard scifi” as you’re likely to get in anime. Ships aren’t propelled by hopes and dreams in this show; they’re propelled by fuel you must purchase, and protected by defense systems you must maintain, and afforded freedom of movement by licenses that must be procured and renewed. 

Through conveying the intersection of future space travel and bureaucracy in all its alleged glory, Bodacious Space Pirates emphasizes the true and ever-present danger of space, as well as the magnitude of Marika’s new responsibilities. This also means that the crew can’t simply fly off in search of destiny, and conveniently find it right after the ad break – they must plan, and prepare, and choose their moment. Fortunately, I think Marika actually has chosen her moment, and that in fact this precise pre-episode moment is the moment she’s chosen. So to make a long story short, let’s actually set off in search now, and find that glorious golden ghost ship!

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Dorohedoro – Episode 8

So what is it that makes Dorohedoro’s fantastical worldbuilding so special? I was just discussing this with a friend, as in general, I feel like “emphasis on worldbuilding” tends to be one of anime’s greatest narrative weaknesses. Rather than focusing on an emotionally resonant human narrative, many shows focus entirely on scaffolding and set dressing, and yet I never feel genuinely entranced by their worlds. So where does Dorohedoro succeed where all these isekai and trapped-in-a-game shows fail?

Well, first of all, it helps a great deal that Dorohedoro has genuinely unique ideas. Systems of magic and videogame-reminiscent technology only feel fresh and engaging the first couple times; in contrast, Dorohedoro fills its every episode with marvelous incidental concepts like the Hell Toilet, and its worldbuilding never feels strictly derivative of other ideas. I admit that “have a lot of unique ideas” isn’t the most actionable writing advice, but it’s certainly an area where Q Hayashida shines.

But more fundamentally, what Hayashida understands is that great fantasy should stretch our minds and inspire us, not simply flatter our ability to understand mechanical systems. Dorohedoro’s fanciful worldbuilding isn’t designed to make its world understandable – in fact, it’s rather the opposite. Through its inexplicable setpieces and vaguely alluded-to rituals, Dorohedoro constantly pushes back against our ability to categorize and contain it, positing a world that is vaster than our ability to imagine it. Great fantasy offers not just marvelous adventures, but the promise of a world undefined, with dangling, inexplicable threads that capture our imagination, and ideas that remain in view but distant, vast monoliths implying more untold stories. That is what makes great fantasy special, and it’s a quality that Dorohedoro has in endless supply. Let’s delight in its riches once more then, as we bound through one more episode of Dorohedoro!

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