Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Dorohedoro – Episode 10

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Hello everyone, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Dorohedoro, even though at this point, I’m well aware that any predictions about our trajectory are destined to be mocked, subverted, and turned into a meat pie. Dorohedoro winds where it wills, and it’s actually part of the story’s strength that it so resolutely avoids any pat, convenient narrative arcs. Just as the world of Hole is a sprawling and unknowable place, where strange rituals and unfamiliar faces lurk around every corner, so is Dorohedoro’s narrative a twisting, undefinable construction. How else could slice of life and horror coexist so casually, without either undercutting the other? Perhaps today you find the villain you’ve long been seeking, or perhaps you simply make a new friend, and enjoy some muffins together. Or perhaps this is the day you die.

Within this labyrinthian sprawl of treasure hunts and mysteries, a few truths are starting to emerge. The person in Caiman’s mouth is Risu, and the sorcerer he seeks most likely Ebisu – though how those two are connected, we’re not quite sure. On the other side, the time-manipulating sorcerer that En seeks is undoubtedly Nikaido, and he’s already making his move. Whether we follow up on any of that, join Fujita and Ebisu for a trip to the park, or check in on Caiman’s part-time labor, I’m sure Dorohedoro will somehow make it a thrilling experience. Let’s get to it!

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Toradora! – Episode 7

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“Just be yourself” is well-intentioned advice, but frankly a little incomplete. What if your genuine self isn’t actually a nice person? What if your most honest instincts aren’t the most charitable ones, and your greatest talent is tearing people down? The truth is, being yourself is a luxury within society, a privilege that demands either an unusually charitable disposition, or an unusually forgiving audience. To truly be yourself, you must first find your people – the soil that fits you, and the dynamic that rewards your natural instincts. Growing up is a process of both tempering your own instincts, and feeling around for an environment that accepts you – and until you reach that point, most advice about self-presentation is just going to sound like a sack of lies.

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Space Battleship Yamato 2199 – Episode 4

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Are you ready to journey across the sea of stars? Today we’re returning to Space Battleship Yamato 2199, a show that I am happy to report has absolutely ensnared me. I resisted its charms for an episode or two, but “Jupiter is hiding a secret floating continent full of mystical fauna, which our protagonists blow up with a giant space laser” was just too hard of a sell. Space operas aren’t generally my main thing, but high fantasy is one of my passions, and Yamato is wearing its fantasy influences with pride.

It also helps that Yamato is simply a polished and vividly executed production. Its successes embody one of my favorite art maxims: narrative is incidental, execution is everything. In another show, the first passage into warp drive might be conveyed through a quick color filter and some simulated shaky cam work. In Yamato, it’s an episode highlight, elevated through inspired flourishes like the focus on a dart suspended in mid-flight, and a vision of the Yamato sinking into a kaleidoscopic sea. With its mixture of whimsical fantasy invention and wonder-struck execution, Yamato already feels like a beloved bedtime story, a show that embodies the pleasures of a great fairy tale. Let’s get back to the bridge!

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Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 40

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Hello all, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. You folks ready for some Pokemon? It’s been a few weeks since I last checked in on Alola on my side, since I’ve been trying very hard to push through a variety of my ongoing projects, and make sure everyone’s getting some articles to enjoy. But goddamnit, sometimes you have to play favorites, and it’s hard to deny that Sun and Moon is one of mine.

Rather than the slow deterioration in production quality you tend to expect from long-running productions, Sun and Moon’s last episode was actually one of its greatest so far, elevated by Masaaki Iwane’s stunning animation work. Like Precure, Sun and Moon possesses a stable of top shelf talent that many shows would kill for, and I’m delighted to see them apply their talents to concepts as inspired as Mallow’s drunken finger role. Whether we’ve got more luxurious animation or simply fun times with friends ahead, I’m here for it. Let’s get back to Sun and Moon!

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The Girl in Twilight – Episode 9

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re watching some The Girl in Twilight, because it’s long past time we got some goddamn answers. After performing a merry tour of the multiverse with Asuka and her companions, we’ve finally arrived at Seriosuka’s own blighted reality – and what’s more, Yu has agreed to serve as the tether, at last embracing the central role in their new adventure.

Given the general sturdiness of its writing so far, I expect this new adventure will do a fine job of connecting the reveal of Seriousuka’s history to its explanation for why the multiverse is deteriorating. But personally, as a character and relationship junky on perpetual lookout for my next fix, I’m most interested in seeing Asuka and Yu’s relationship stress-tested by Yu’s engagement in this new reality, and hopefully reaffirmed by Asuka’s eventual return to her. This show has been very good at illustrating the nuances that differentiate one friendship from another, and it’s been clear for quite a while that while Asuka has fun with all of her friends, Yu is both her closest and oldest friend. Meanwhile, Yu is so used to taking care of Asuka that she compromises on her own needs without a thought, and actually has to be reminded to prioritize herself by Asuka. They have a firm, rich friendship, and I’m eager to see this last arc test it in every way possible. Let’s get to it!

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Hugtto! Precure – Episode 21

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re celebrating a truly momentous occasion, as Emiru and Lulu have at last achieved their goal of becoming Precure. It certainly wasn’t an easy road – I mean, Lulu’s a goddamn renegade cyborg, and in the end, it took a literal deus ex machina to split the final device and accommodate them. Even the gods of this Precure universe agree that Emiru and Lulu must not be separated, and deserve their long-awaited Precure glory.

Given the pacing of this arc so far, I’m expecting we’re getting one more victory lap before we move on to other concerns, and I’m all for it. Emiru has been my favorite Hugtto character from her first appearance, and seeing both her and Lulu flourishing through their love is a balm for the soul. It can be a dark world out there, but Precure is a jubilant reminder of the good things, like when cyborgs and tiny musicians become best friends. Without further ado, let’s touch back down in the world of Huggto Precure!

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Dorohedoro – Episode 9

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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

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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

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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

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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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