Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Shoushimin Series – Episode 6

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m delighted to announce we are returning to Shoushimin Series, as Osanai and Jogoro continue their seemingly hopeless crusade to become normal human beings. It’s been a tough road for both of them so far, replete with backsliding and compromises, but I imagine they’re pretty used to that. After all, what they are attempting is nothing short of rejecting and replacing their own personalities, the passions that animate them and the natural talents that make them special.

So yeah, probably a bad call on the whole. But as I’ve said before, their feelings are understandable – they are weirdos who prompt friction wherever they go, uninterested in social niceties and so motivated by their off-kilter ideals that they tend to make enemies by accident (and that’s when they’re not intentionally making enemies). They belong in a smoke-filled room pouring over crime scene photos, but instead they are stuck in high school, forced to play nice with kids who seem like different organisms entirely. Adolescence is a process of defining yourself in a social context, and when you receive only negative signals from your surroundings, you’re liable to think that you are the problem. But it is a tragic, regrettable thing to abandon your reason for being, and I can only hope they’re reconsidering this whole self-lobotomy process. Let’s find out!

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Yaiba: Samurai Legend – Episode 5

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Hello folks, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. Today I think we’ve earned some lighthearted, rip-roaring adventure, as we return to the travels of Yaiba, Sayaka, and Musashi, alongside their trusted vulture, tiger, and recently acquired frog. Having either defeated or befriended the first two of Onimaru’s eight oni minions, the team now set off for the site of a legendary clash of swordsmen, intent on learning the secrets of Yaiba’s lightning blade.

Last episode’s battle offered plenty of opportunities for Takahiro Hasui’s team to show off their dynamic animation chops, with the lightning aura of Yaiba’s uncontained weapon offering a natural compliment to this production’s angular, exaggerated posing. It also provided a few key indicators regarding this narrative’s structure and thematic intent; we’ve essentially set up a Sailor Moon-style league of villains, whose abilities echo the corrupting influence of Yaiba and Onimaru’s blades. Beyond that, Aoyama’s approach to Yaiba’s training and his introduction of new variables both seem refreshingly freewheeling; the series is proceeding with the loose, rambling energy of early Dragon Ball, and that’s a very good place to be. Let’s hop back in!

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Blue Reflection Ray – Episode 12

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to Blue Reflection Ray in the heat of the action, as blue and red reflectors clash while a new world struggles to be born. Driven by the seemingly apocalyptic machinations of Shino, Mio was drawn into battle against her sister Hiori and former partner Momo. Now Momo lies dying among the pews, Mio has become lost in her own feelings of despair, and the world seems poised to collide upon itself, the realm of fragments and feelings known as the “Common” collapsing upon our own world of closed, physical shells.

That’s probably not good! Though Shino claims she intends to manage the roiling emotions of the Common directly, I cannot imagine she possesses either the power or temperament necessary to install herself as perpetual ruler of human sentiment. Unfortunately, the blue reflectors have themselves done little to offer a compelling counterargument, instead hinging their philosophy on feel-good “we must embrace our trauma to overcome it” bromides that offer little of substance to lost souls like Niina. And I love that! I love that no one in this show seems to have the “correct” answer to emotional pain, I love that reflectors are being framed as inherently out-of-place intrusions on reality, and I love that we’re reaching the halfway point of this production with an apocalypse looming and no clear way to avoid it. This production’s overarching narrative is proving as confident and distinctive as its psychological inquiry, and I’m eager to see how it surprises me next. Let’s get to it!

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Trigun Stampede – Episode 8

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to the dusty ruin of No Man’s Land, as we explore a fresh episode of Trigun Stampede. When we last left off, the team was racing to prevent a massive sand steamer from crashing through Wolfwood’s hometown, and destroying the orphanage that even his former handlers recognize as his sanctuary, his connection to humanity. With their backs against the wall, every member of our crew pulled off some desperate acts of heroism, culminating in Vash directly communicating with the living plant at the steamer’s core.

In terms of its overt action drama, that episode served as an impressive celebration of Orange’s advances in CG animation. Combining dynamic cinematography with careful design and texture work, it called towards the wild highlights of Land of the Lustrous while retaining a grittiness of aesthetic that is essential for Trigun’s overall effect. At the same time, the urgency and specificity of this trial is pushing all of our leads to reexamine their philosophies – the consequences of Vash’s unerring pacifism, the limits of Wolfwood’s alleged pragmatism, and even the responsibility of Meryl as not just chronicler, but active participant in these violent escapades. Stampede continues to embody all that is most compelling about Trigun, and I’m eager to see what new moral wrinkles this adventure will offer. Let’s get to it!

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CITY the Animation – Episode 3

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m delighted to announce we’re taking a walk downtown, as we return to the manic, seemingly free-associated antics of CITY the Animation. As with its Arawi-penned predecessor Nichijou, CITY has established a diverse collection of local characters with their own concerns and social groups, from our Nagumo-centered main trio to the irreverent high schooler pair to the perpetually harried newspaper editorial department. Through their preposterous shenanigans, Arawi’s pen and Ishidate’s team are summoning the lively, lovable energy of a city in motion, a community that is greater for every unexpected link between its various component parts.

CITY has so far actually felt a bit more invested in this “communal texture” effect than Nichijou’s more farcical, localized approach; Ishidate has stated in interviews that he’s more focused on creating a certain warm, inviting atmosphere than emphasizing laugh-out-loud gags, and I’d say the production is better for it. Nichijou’s moments of familial bonding were often its greatest; though the show was full of incredible comic vignettes, it’s the love shared by Yuko, Nano, and all their friends that holds most clearly in my mind. With the last episode offering the sharp, unexpected stinger of Eri potentially moving away from her best friend Matsuri, I imagine we’ve got plenty of similarly tender moments ahead of us, and I’m eager to get back to the family. Let’s enjoy the CITY!

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Rock is a Lady’s Modesty – Episode 5

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to check in on Lilisa and Otoha, our two fledgling rockers who now stand on the brink of their first public performance. That said, they’re not technically performing as a rock duo; hoping to test the waters as they seek like-minded bandmates, they’ve instead volunteered to fill in for a larger symphonic group, playing the bass and drums to accompany a congenial group of musicians whose group motto is “have fun together.”

This will, of course, be a total disaster. Otoha is not interested in “having fun together;” she is a ruthless maniac who seeks only to dominate her fellow players, and has already proven herself the most selfish drummer this side of Whiplash. For Otoha, rock seems to mean “indulgence” – indulgence in vulgarity, indulgence in ferocity, and indulgence in a total abandonment of the harmony-enforcing restrictions of high-class ladyship.

Otoha has fully internalized the compartmentalization Lilisa is still struggling to achieve, but the self-absorbed nature of her rebellion seems to leave little room for solidarity, community, or true reinvention – things that, while admittedly not “hardcore” in the same way as a sick drum fill, are just as essential to the philosophy of rock and roll. Struggling to pay for gas while sleeping in a van, drifting from friends and family as they gravitate towards socially proscribed careers, challenging an increasingly uncertain future with the flimsy saber of “artistic fulfillment” – such a tenuous life can only be made tolerable through embracing music as a community unto itself, through becoming a conduit of shared humanity expressed in glorious, deeply personal sound. Is there room in Otoha’s heart for such a selfless ideal, or does that raised middle finger stand as the beginning and end of her philosophy? Let’s find out!

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BanG Dream! Ave Mujica – Episode 8

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am happy to announce we’re returning to the oft-tormented drama of Ave Mujica, as Sakiko and her companions seek community and happiness through the ritual self-flagellation of teen rock bands. Having shattered CRYCHIC and been shown up by MyGO, Sakiko thought to find vindication through Ave Mujica, a melodramatic reimagining of her torment as performance and occult ritual. But casting herself as a doll trapped in a nightmare did little to alleviate her pain; ultimately, Ave Mujica only succeeded in isolating her friend Mutsumi, whose eagerness to please led her to reject even her own personality.

Fortunately, the girls of MyGO were there to bear witness to all this insanity, and eventually lend a helping hand. MyGO’s rescue operation over the last few episodes has served as a charming vindication of their efforts across the first season, as the kindness and urge to connect embodied by Anon and Tomori has been echoed through the growth of Soyo and Taki, each of whom now have the strength to not just forgive, but actively embrace Sakiko and Mutsumi. Thanks to the sanctuary they found in MyGO, they were able to pull CRYCHIC’s remaining members back from isolation and self-hatred, and give the band they all loved a tearful, cathartic sendoff.

Of course, all this growth for the former CRYCHIC members leaves Mujica’s remaining bandmates out in the cold, a situation that has at last pushed Umiri out of her imperious, seemingly indifferent poise. It seems interesting to me that it was not the dissolution of Mujica, but reunion of CRYCHIC that truly offended her; given her prior annoyance at being framed as unfeeling, I’m guessing we’re due for some revelations regarding just how Umiri expresses her carefully guarded emotions. Also Nyamu! CRYCHIC getting closure was great, but their adventures left distressingly little room for Nyamu shenanigans. Let’s see how the rest of Ave Mujica are faring as the next act begins!

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SANDA – Episode 1

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking out a brand-spanking-new property that just started airing in October, an adaptation of the shonen manga Sanda. I had not previously known about this title, and its synopsis feels almost incomprehensible to me. It’s apparently to some degree a commentary on Japan’s declining birthrates, projecting a future Japan where children are closely monitored and controlled to ensure fertile futures. That much makes sense to me, but then we hit “Santa Claus has been sealed away because of the curse,” and the introduction of a lead who can apparently transform into Santa Claus whenever he wears red clothes.

I know Christmas is more of a date night event than anything even tangentially religion-related in Japan, but I guess I’ll have to find out how Santa Claus and birthrate commentary more fully align from the show itself. And frankly, I have every reason to suspect the show will provide a genuine answer – after all, we’re adapting a fully complete work by Beastars creator Paru Itagaki, who’s already renowned for weaving incisive social commentary into her fantastical dramas. Meanwhile, our director Tomohiso Shimoyama is a mainstay at Science Saru, with a sturdy key animation background and direction credits working alongside both Masaaki Yuasa and Naoko Yamada. I am exceedingly curious to see how these ideas coalesce into a coherent shonen adventure, so let’s get right to the action with the first episode of Sanda!

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Big Windup! – Episode 19

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re diving back into the action of the summer tournament’s opening game, as first-seeded favorites Tosei find themselves on the backfoot against our scrappy boys from Nishiura. Though outgunned in terms of experience and pure athleticism, Nishiura have been exploiting every possible advantage to eke out a two-run lead, most recently acquiring a run via a smartly aimed bunt and a desperate squeeze play.

As has come to be expected from Big Windup!, every gambit and shift in fortunes has been expertly articulated by both the characters and the production itself. After spending its first act honing in on the physical and psychological constraints of Nishiura’s players, this story has proven itself an exemplar of mechanically grounded conflict, using the solidity of its baseline variables to make the tactical brilliance of its characters shine. There’s no deus ex machina or “I gotta dig deeper” power-ups here; only the satisfying interplay of smart players manipulating a complex board state, a rarified appeal that only a few mangaka can execute. Well, Asa Higuchi is clearly one such mangaka, and Tsutomu Mizushima is possibly the single best choice for bringing that style of conflict to life. Let’s get back to the game as Mihashi celebrates his first run!

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Andor – Episode 3

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to the far flung planets of Andor, where our hero Cassian has found himself in a whole heap of trouble. Not that he’s actively trying to be a hero or anything; he’s only seeking his sister, lost in the fallout of whatever happened back on Kentari. But it is rarely an innate sense of heroic responsibility that leads us to enact great changes on our world; just like the unfortunate string of coincidences that led to Cassian’s downfall, heroism is mostly our retroactive designation for a combination of desperation, opportunity, and luck.

Andor has done an excellent job of grounding its drama in mundane realities, and of emphasizing how, when lodged under the heel of oppression, most people simply carve out a nook where they can be pressed down upon with greater comfort and security. That in turn increases its sense of urgency; with no hope of a messiah lifting these people out of their circumstances, the threats they face feel that much more implacable, and their small acts of solidarity and rebellion that much more essential. We don’t need to be heroes to fight what seems inevitable; we simply need to embrace solidarity over comfort. Rebellion is housing the hunted, hiding the knife, keeping the secret. Fascism’s greatest strength is its presumption of inevitability; in truth, defeat is only inevitable if we believe it so.

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