Well folks, we’re technically approaching the end of the summer anime season, though we’re actually on the verge of October. That’s okay though, since I didn’t technically watch any anime beyond my Current Projects shows this week, and so I’ll once again be offering you a grab bag of scattered media experiences. As far as those go, this week was both diverse and lucrative; I watched a satisfying array of films in a variety of genres, and am eager to share my findings with all of you. Let’s explore the miracle of cinema together, in yet another Week in Review!
Category Archives: Week in Review
Summer 2020 – Week 11 in Review
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. This has been a revival-filled week for me, as not only did I complete my Bill and Ted journey with Face the Music, but I also checked out the first season of the new Karate Kid show, Cobra Kai. It would have been easy for either of these properties to turn out as joyless cash grabs, but for once, the opposite proved true: Face the Music serves as a worthy conclusion to the Bill and Ted saga, while Cobra Kai not only embraces the absurdity of its premise, but also discovers a remarkable degree of human truth within the Karate Kid’s shadow. Without further ado, let’s break down these excellent revivals!
Summer 2020 – Week 10 in Review
Pack it on in folks, it’s time for the Week in Review. This week I barreled through a pretty strange selection of feature films; the closest thing to an acknowledged classic was Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, but aside from that, I was essentially guided by the whims of my streaming services’ recent additions. The Almighty Algorithm actually did a pretty reasonable job this time, though I had to toss in a recent horror pick of my own, because what week is complete without introducing a new monster into your nightmares? I think that about covers the shape of the week, so without further ado, let’s break down some new movies!
Summer 2020 – Week 8 in Review
Hello everyone, and welcome back to another goddamn Wednesday. I watched a fairly balanced array of features this past week, including an unexpected horror gem, another American classic, and a whole lot of Steven Universe. I enjoyed Steven Universe the first time I watched it, but it turns out my momentum ran out that first time just as the show itself was starting to ramp up. The show only seems to improve as it continues through its third, fourth, and fifth seasons, capping off with a movie that had me bawling again and again. Steven Universe now stands securely besides Avatar: The Last Airbender at the highest echelon of American cartoons, and though I’m sad to leave it behind, I’m glad it’s ending strong, and not repeating Adventure Time’s slow fade of an ending. Anyway, I’m still in the introduction here, so I should probably save some Steven Universe love for the article proper. Let’s break down another Week in Review!
Summer 2020 – Week 7 in Review
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Wednesday has arrived again, and though my ostensible “Week in Review” posts are continuing their steady transformation into a shapeless, abyssal mass of unprompted media opinions, they’re still keeping me busy with plenty to write about. This week I watched through the first half of Steven Universe’s final season, caught up on the fascinating and beautifully executed Deca-Dence, and also tossed in a fresh film for seasoning. Deca-Dence has been so damn interesting that I’m almost certainly going to write some sort of long-form essay on it, but in the meantime, I can’t exactly let Tachikawa’s statement that “we were mostly inspired by Wreck-It Ralph” go unanswered. Without further ado, let’s explore some fresh new stories!
Summer 2020 – Week 6 in Review
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. This week I continued my journeys through two acclaimed American productions, as I powered through the last quarter or so of Breaking Bad, along with the fourth season of Steven Universe. They’re both fascinating shows with a great deal to cover, and though I’ve had my differences with Breaking Bad, the show certainly put its best foot forward in its final act. Beyond that, I also checked out a Schwarzenegger classic that I hadn’t seen since my childhood, and remembered once again that Schwarzenegger movies are pretty fun. We’ve got plenty of art to cover, so let’s not waste any more time, and get started on another Week in Review!
Summer 2020 – Week 5 in Review
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. I actually didn’t get to any noteworthy films this week, but that’s largely because I’ve been devoting most of my free time to two acclaimed TV shows, both of which I attempted and failed to finish once before, and both of which I’m determined to complete this time. Powering through arcs of Steven Universe and Breaking Bad at the same time has made for a somewhat unorthodox media diet, but they’re both very interesting in their own ways, and it’s been illuminating getting a better grasp on the whole “prestige TV” genealogy. Meanwhile, Deca-Dence remains excellent, and I’m also continuing my rewatch of Oregairu, which you can follow through my first honest-to-god twitter thread. There’s plenty of media to break down, so let’s not waste any more time, and jump right into the Week in Review!
Summer 2020 – Week 4 in Review
Hello everyone, and welcome to another Week in Review. This week I’ve got a pretty diverse stew of films and shows to cover, ranging from the persistently fascinating Deca-Dence to new releases, old classics, and whatever my housemate could find on Netflix. The big hit this week was Do the Right Thing, which I’ve known by reputation as one of the most insightful and just-plain-excellent films on race in America, and which I’m happy to report is fucking fantastic, obviously. It turns out the entire film criticism community was right about that one, who would have guessed. Anyway, I’ve rambled about things I’m about to ramble about again for long enough, so let’s get right down to the Week in Review!
Summer 2020 – Week 2 in Review
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today, for the first time in over a full season, I’ll actually be offering some commentary on the latest episodes of several airing anime! I know, it’s been a while, and frankly, even this return slate is pretty limited – I’m currently just watching Oregairu, Deca-Dence, and God of High School, and fully expect my enthusiasm for God of High School to fall below the watchability line in the next couple episodes. Pure action spectacle married to bluntly atrocious storytelling just isn’t really my scene; fortunately, both Deca-Dence and Oregairu seem like unimpeachably solid contenders, meaning I might actually end this year with just enough shows for a top ten list. Let’s see what the season is offering so far, over the course of one more old-fashioned Week in Review!
Summer 2020 – Virtually Every First Episode Retrospective
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. With the summer season’s anime premieres behind us, it’s time to once again sort out the shining stars and cartoon crimes of the new season, and offer you all a mix of genuine recommendations and clearly exaggerated personal torment. As an understandable consequence of COVID’s continuous threat, a great number of anime were delayed from this summer season, meaning it’s actually the smallest anime season since I started cataloging them seven goddamn years ago. Personally though, as a grumpy old man with little interest in most shows, I tend to consider a season a success if it has even one show I’m extremely excited about – and with this season containing two such shows, hoo boy, I am ecstatic. Don’t worry about my deadpan phrasing, that’s just how I talk, I am actually super excited over here.
As usual, you can check out the full list of reviews over at ANN, or scroll below, where I’ll be breaking all of the season’s attractions down into handy categories from best to worst. If I end up panning one of your favorites, just remember that I’m making an implicit judgment of your personal character, and you should react accordingly (this is a joke, I’m joking, please do not do this). In the end, we’re all just watching anime to connect and feel something, and I hope I can make the task of finding a new show just a little easier for you all. Let’s get to it!