Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Ojamajo Doremi Sharp – Episode 6

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You guys, I think it’s about time for more Ojamajo Doremi. This year has been frankly terrible on the whole, with the summer of 2019 being marked by tragedies both personal and professional, and my own life undergoing some terrifying shifts as I do my best to resemble a functioning adult. But through all of that external calamity, Ojamajo Doremi has remained a consistent source of comfort and joy, with both its aesthetic charm and emotional warmth keeping me steady through the storm.

Ojamajo Doremi is one of those lovely shows I can enjoy passively and actively at the same time; it never asks too much of its audience, but every scene is still full of glimmering details of art design and storytelling. Additionally, its evolving narrative and rotating cast of all-star directors means every episode feels genuinely new, while still maintaining its comforting structure, and still presenting the Maho-dou as a place you can feel safe at the end of the day. Comfort food gets a bad rap sometimes, but a show being comforting doesn’t have to mean it’s also simplistic or unchallenging; Doremi tackles tough subjects with unflinching maturity, while simultaneously presenting a universe defined by mutual love and calming, familial beauty.

Last episode’s drama only enhanced that feeling of comfort, as the wholly regrettable Oyajii at last made his exit from the narrative. With our girls likely returning to either classwork or baby problems, let’s see what’s in store in the next Ojamajo Doremi!

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Simoun – Episode 19

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Alright everybody, let’s get back into another episode of the rich and beautiful Simoun! Episode eighteen saw the Holy Empire suffer a tremendous breakdown in its traditional structure, as the decision by Onashia to hold a ceremonial funeral for the foreigner Angulas served as the last straw for a great deal of Simulacrum’s military. Having seen their own sacred traditions trampled on, as well as having learned that Onashia’s loyalty isn’t even necessarily tied to their own country, has essentially broken the power that custom and ceremony had over them. Where once they deferred to the religious branch and its priestesses, they have now lost their faith and respect in these institutions, and without faith or tradition, it turns out the people holding all the guns ultimately also hold most of the power.

Of course, the crisis of faith that is now splintering Simulcrum’s government has been playing out on a more personal level all through this series. Characters like Aaeru, Neviril, and even Floe have consistently grappled with what it means to be a symbol, a soldier, and an individual human being at the same time, with various members of our team all settling on their own relationship with faith, and reasons to fight. And outside of the specific priestess-versus-soldier conflict, characters like Para have struggled mightily with the fear of leaving a comfortable assigned role, and embracing their own messy personal desires. The way these larger societal assumptions and structures shape these characters’ lives and even identities has been illustrated thoughtfully from the start, and I’m eager to see how they all cope as those structures begin tumbling down. Let’s get to it!

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Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 13

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Neon Genesis Evangelion’s thirteenth episode opens on a shot of the NERV offices in disarray, as we pan across a desk stacked with loose papers, scattered electronic apparatus, and a worryingly placed coffee cup. The pan concludes by settling on the source of this disorder: Ritsuko Akagi, NERV’s chief technology officer, currently in the midst of a maintenance check on NERV’s Magi supercomputers. Ritsuko praises her assistant Maya for her efficient system checks, but when she notices an error, she takes over and demonstrates a typing speed and mastery of engineering far exceeding her star-struck assistant. The two central axis of this episode are thus immediately set: NERV’s physical layout and electronic mechanisms, and the brilliant technical chief who rules over these machines.

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The Big O – Episode 2

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Heck yeah everybody, let’s get back to The Big O. This show’s first episode was a terrific mix of evocative art design and snappy thriller storytelling, combining gothic and art deco architecture with an angular, shadow-heavy visual aesthetic, along with some striking layouts and unique robot designs. Though he’s technically a “negotiator,” Roger Smith’s first adventure cast him as something more like a resigned gumshoe in a noir thriller, putting his violent past to work as a private detective, haunted by vague and distant demons. Roger’s life was disrupted by Dorothy, an android on the hunt for her “big sister,” a quest that culminated in Roger sending a hyper-powered robotic piledriver into that sister’s chest.

We were left on the most precipitous of cliffhangers, with Dorothy I and The Big O tumbling down on top of Dorothy II in the midst of a decaying, domed city. I ended up enjoying that first episode far more than I expected to, and am already taken with a variety of this show’s key features – its unique and often beautiful art design, its efficient storytelling, its overarching sense of melancholy, and especially the developing relationship between Roger and Dorothy. I’m a sucker for a good partnership, and particularly fond of their classic “smooth talker is perpetually deflated by their deadpan assistant, but there’s romantic tension there???” dynamic. Let’s see if Dorothy has been flattened into a pancake!

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Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s – Episode 13

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The moment is finally at hand, everyone. With the Tome of the Night Sky fully separated from the Book of Darkness’s defensive programs, and those defensive programs having literally been shot into space in order to be obliterated by a giant laser, Nanoha and the rest of her friends have clearly earned a full episode of blessed, tearful denouement. Unfortunately, before anyone can actually relax, it seems some lingering element of the Book’s curse must still be extracted from Hayate’s body. Though to be honest, I don’t think this is actually going to be a problem Nanoha and her friends can solve through magical exertion – I’m pretty sure this is just the lead-in to the show returning Hayate to partial paralysis.

“Paralyzed character is rewarded with magical healing” is a common style of resolution that rarely sits right with me; it feels cheap, and overly dismissive of the reality of disabilities, as if disabled people need to be “fixed.” Hayate didn’t need to be fixed – she’s already a strong person who serves as the emotional rock of her family, and though her disability is a part of her, it absolutely doesn’t define her. One of Nanoha’s most central themes is learning to coexist with your past trauma, and accepting that although the past is still a part of our identities, we can choose to embrace a happier sense of self. Fate’s recent goodbye to her sister embodied that idea of acknowledging the past while facing the future, and I’m guessing this episode will be Hayate’s turn. But either way, this has been a terrific season of Nanoha, and I’ve greatly enjoyed seeing the cast filled out by Hayate’s adorable family. Let’s see how it all turns out in Nanoha A’s final episode!

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Scorching Ping Pong Girls – Episode 9

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Buckle up folks, we’re watching some goddamn Ping Pong Girls. Our last episode of taut table tennis tension managed to stuff two full matches into twenty minutes, as Hokuto’s close defeat at the hands of the sadist Yuragi led into a joyous doubles match featuring the team moms. That match served as a celebration of pretty much everything this show cares about – bombastic, JoJo-esque sports melodrama, genuinely well-constructed tactical action, and a cast who are all head-over-heels in love with each other.

The match’s drama was smartly constructed around Munemune remembering to trust Kiruka’s instincts, though it also demonstrated Ping Pong Girls’ so-graceful-it-seems-effortless approach to tactical drama. The degree to which Kiruka and Munemune compliment and elevate each other was clear not just in their overt expressions of love, but also in the synergy of their play; Kiruka’s consistent, efficient movements control the battlefield, setting Munemune up to rattle their opponents with a devastating power swing. Scorching Ping Pong Girls has always offered a mix of sports action and lovey-dovey slice of life, but last episode was the first time those two instincts merged on the same side of the table, making for an extremely endearing spectacle.

And yet, for all that, it’s only now that we’re getting to the real payoffs of this tournament. With our team against the ropes and fighting a 2-1 score deficit, Agari and Koyori will each have to defeat one of their enemy’s strongest players, as Zakuro and Kururi at last take the field. Let’s see what madness awaits in one more Scorching Ping Pong Girls!

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Ojamajo Doremi Sharp – Episode 5

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Settle the fuck down everyone, we’re watching more Ojamajo Doremi! Doremi’s been offering us some truly stunning episodes recently, as a two-episode star turn by famed director Shigeyasu Yamauchi served as a demonstration of both his distinct talents, as well as Doremi’s own consistent strengths. Yamauchi’s layouts are always beautiful, and consistently evoke a sense of otherworldly mystery (and at times even terror) that merges wonderfully with Doremi’s increasingly tense adventures. From his alienating portrayal of Doremi’s insecurities to his fanciful depictions of the witch world and Maho-dou, Yamauchi really made his presence felt these last couple episodes, and I can’t wait to see his work again.

On the narrative end, the introduction of Hana-chan has continued to force our leads to mature and accept responsibilities well beyond the concerns of the first season. Onpu has demonstrated consistent strength and wisdom in the face of this challenge, while both Pop and Doremi have risen to this responsibility in their own ways. It’s been great to see these characters grow, but frankly, I also wouldn’t mind a super farcical episode as a palette cleanser, perhaps one featuring Doremi, Loyal Dog. But hey, whatever happens, this show is great, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. Let’s watch some more Ojamajo Doremi!

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The Big O – Episode 1

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be embarking on an entirely new journey, as I explore the first episode of the widely acclaimed The Big O. Though The Big O enjoys a generally positive reputation among western fans, I’ve never actually seen the property before now, which might not be a surprise if you know me particularly well. Giant robots aren’t really a draw for me in anime – you might as well tell me “this show’s characters wear a lot of sweatshirts” for all it’ll grab my attention. Additionally, “this show is like a western superhero story” is a pretty strong anti-draw for me, and I’m far from enamored with Batman’s “billionaire decides the route to societal justice is to individually punch muggers until they stop committing crimes” mythology, which is often the first reference point people highlight when trying to pitch The Big O.

But as I’ve since learned, those pitches are more a product of their typical resonance in the wider fan community than an accurate reflection of The Big O itself. More recent pitches, coming from people who actually know me, have seized on much more alluring details – like how director Kazuyoshi Katayama was an animation director on Giant Robo, or how it’s written by Chiaki Konaka, a veteran of both Princess Tutu and Serial Experiments Lain. And visual echoes of Batman: The Animated Series (a very good show, my antipathy for Batman himself notwithstanding) aside, The Big O’s gothic arches and lumbering beasts feel naturally evocative, and clearly reflective of Katayama’s Giant Robo past. I enter The Big O with as few preconceptions as possible, and simply hope to have an interesting time. Let’s get to work!

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Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s – Episode 12

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The endgame is upon us, everyone! Though I’d had a moderate suspicion that this season would actually end through dialogue, rather than cataclysmic action spectacle, it turns out we’re actually getting the best of both worlds. A’s eleventh episode pretty much covered the dialogue end of this argument, with both Fate and Hayate directly confronting their central emotional conflicts.

On Hayate’s side, her quick journey from despair to actually comforting the Book of Darkness offered one more demonstration of her incredible personal strength and emotional character. With her progressively crippling injury and absent family, no one would have blamed Hayate for despairing at any point in this season. Instead, she’s been a persistent source of strength to those around her, actually having to assure both her guardians and the book itself that she is not someone to be pitied, and is rather someone they themselves can rely on. In a series that often focuses on epic exchanges of physical prowess, Hayate has consistently demonstrated that strength comes in many forms, with her charitable, unwavering spirit proving to be the only force that could turn her guardians into a family, and her cursed tome into a friend.

On Fate’s side, her rejection of a happily ever after with Precia and Alicia demonstrated a different kind of emotional strength. This paradise was exactly the resolution she was seeking all through Nanoha’s first season – but having embraced Nanoha as a friend and Lindy as a mother, she’s learned the incomparable strength of the bonds you choose for yourself, as opposed to the false peace of “how my family is supposed to be.” Though at first she was hesitant to move out from her mother’s shadow, Fate has proven she’s no longer dependent on anyone, and that she’s strong enough to actually reject the past in order to embrace the family she’s chosen for herself.

Though their journeys there have been quite different, each of these stories have served as resounding arguments for the variable nature of family, and the joy and power gained through sharing both your strength and your vulnerability with others. And with each of them having demonstrated their clear emotional strength, it’s time for the battle to shift to more practical terms, as our heroes attempt to stop the rampaging Book of Darkness. With Yuuno having conveniently laid out the conditions of this fight as “I don’t give a shit, just hit her with everything,” I’m guessing it’s finally time for the fireworks. LET’S GET TO IT!

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Girls’ Last Tour – Episode 7

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I’m in a deeply melancholy mood today, due to some real-world tragedies that aren’t related to Girls’ Last Tour in any way. I normally try to remain an upbeat and energetic traveling companion for these watch-alongs, but it’s a truly awful day for the anime community at large, and I’m guessing you’d all realize pretty quickly if I was faking positivity. Sometimes the world can be so senseless in its cruelty that you begin to question the point of trying at all – if all good things can be so easily undone by random hatefulness, what hope is there to even strive to build good things? It sometimes seems like the most powerful force in human nature is how some people can act with complete, even gleeful disregard for the suffering they inflict on others. And with devils like that roaming around, what hope do any of the rest of us have?

I’m watching Girls’ Last Tour now because Girls’ Last Tour doesn’t try to deny any of that. It’s not a beacon of untarnished positivity – it essentially starts from the assumption that all striving is hopeless and all dreams will fail, and attempts to make sense of living in the face of that. Its world is a crumbling testament to the fact that in spite of our grand ambitions, our selfishness and capacity for violence will ultimately undo all we have accomplished. In Girls’ Last Tour, all we can truly believe in is that one day will follow another, and that some people are genuinely decent. It posits that that’s enough, and I hope it’s right; in today’s world, it feels like we’ll be testing the show’s philosophy soon enough regardless. Keep moving. Keep striving. Be kind. If we don’t have each other we have nothing, so please try to bring some good to the world.

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