Hello folks, and what the heck is up. Personally, I’ve been feeling pretty good about my progress getting back into regular jogging – there were a disappointingly sedentary couple of years there, but I’ve recently been sticking to three runs a week, and feeling both physically and emotionally better for it. Anyway, we’ve got an excellent set of films to run through today, ranging from a David Lynch classic to some actual goddamn anime. Meanwhile, I’ve still been plugging away at One Piece, and recently wrote up a Whole Cake-centric exploration of family. I’m frankly not emotionally prepared for One Piece to exit my life, and you’ll be getting an article soon about how that feels as well, but for now I’m enjoying Wano with all the passion I can possibly muster. In the meantime, let’s peruse some fine film selections, as we sort through another Week in Review!
ODDTAXI – Episode 7
A storm is brewing in ODDTAXI, one whose clouds loom over every soul we’ve met so far. As episodes have stacked up, odd points of connection have emerged all across the cast, from Atsuya and Nikaido’s relationship to Yamamoto’s murky ties to Dobu’s employers. In a show that’s so thematically preoccupied with the alienation of the modern world, it feels like a kind of cruel irony that its cast are so oddly connected – not in such a way that they might comfort each other, but more in the way dominoes are linked yet separate, bonded only by their mutually assured destruction. A tragedy anywhere in our cast would send ripples through the entire ensemble; and with the danger ratcheted up to its current fever pitch, such a tragedy is beginning to feel inevitable.
Such a sense of unease is common in the noir traditions ODDTAXI draws upon. Rather than hoping for genuine salvation, noir heroes seek only to avoid the flood, and perhaps save an innocent or two along the way. Traditionally, the darkness of these stories was fomented in the ravages of post-war trauma; for ODDTAXI, the stratified, performative nature of social media and modern capitalism provide more than enough horror, allowing characters like Tanaka to drown in the dissatisfaction of modern living. In a world like this, clinging to the connections you can truly count is likely the best we can hope for – and with Odokawa demanding that Dobu let Shirakawa go, it seems like this show’s most precious bond might still be intact. I’m holding on hope for ODDTAXI’s painfully human lost souls, as we enter the second half of this magnificent production.
Space Battleship Yamato 2199 – Episode 7
The Yamato is free! After unraveling Shultz’s nefarious schemes, our intrepid crew launched a counterattack on the Gamalian base, saving not just their own ship, but the innocent citizens of earth as well. At last, no more bombs will fall from our celestial neighbors. Mankind has struck a crucial blow against our oppressors, and now our great hope has broken free of the solar system, its crew buoyed up by our collective dreams. Godspeed, Yamato – where you go, so go the aspirations of all humanity.
Gosh, Yamato is almost as fun to describe as it is to watch. Whether it’s the show’s bombastic style, imaginative narrative, or crisp execution, there’s plenty to enjoy about Yamato 2199, and I’m eager to see how the story develops now that we’re out in the far reaches of space. Let’s return to the bridge for another episode of Space Battleship Yamato 2199!
86 – Episode 3
Hello all, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to last season’s 86, which had a bit of a rocky start script-wise, but then proceeded to impress me with an all-around excellent second episode. I’m still not sold on the larger strokes of this show’s worldbuilding, but it’s more than made up for that with the character moments so far, which have convincingly illustrated the human bonds between the 86, as well as Lena’s distinct perspective.
Lena is absurdly naïve about the nature of her own country, and basically everyone around her knows it. But at the same time, her optimism, good intentions, and high competency as an operator still seem destined to win over Undertaker’s crew, even if they know too much to echo her feelings. My biggest concern now is what will happen when Lena’s optimism slams into the brick wall of her government’s perspective. The 86 have been intentionally dehumanized in order to provide a steady source of disposable soldiers – by walking around saying shit like “we all look up at the same stars,” Lena is deliberately undercutting her country’s propaganda efforts. In 1984, the response to such a threat to the class system was “reprogram the irritant” – I doubt 86 is going that route, but it also seems hard to believe they’ll just let her do what she wants. Whether her reckoning comes through learning the truth about her nation or being outright sanctioned by it, I’m eager to see where her story goes. Let’s get to it!
Summer 2021 – Week 5 in Review
Buckle up folks, we’ve got a pile of films to get through and not much time to do it! The house was pretty darn productive this week, with our viewings ranging from mid-century horror to modern family films, along with a delightful garnish of One Piece. We are at this point in full savoring mode for Wano, consuming only an episode or two at a time, and making the most of what we have left. After all, when each sequence of episodes offers a few highlights like this, it feels like it’d be disrespectful to rush through. In the meantime, we’ve actually been turning back to catch up on all the filler episodes we initially skipped past, and enjoying the low-stakes nostalgia of conflicts like “Sanji’s gotta win a cooking contest!” It’s been a cheery week on the whole, and I’m eager to share my findings with you all, so let’s get started on the Week in Review!
Big Windup! – Episode 5
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. You folks ready for some baseball? The match between Mihashi and his previous team, Mihoshi (yes, it’s a little confusing), is finally heating up, as Mihoshi’s players begin to realize this isn’t the pitcher they’re used to. With Abe’s tactical and psychological support, Mihashi is striking out batter after batter, and gaining the confidence in his play that he’d been denied for years. With every ball Mihashi throws, he is developing into the weapon his team needs, a pitcher who could truly carry them to glory.
Unfortunately for our heroes, they’ve so far been benefitting from the fact that their opponents aren’t trying very hard. Most of Mihoshi’s players don’t take Mihashi seriously, and those who weren’t around for the middle school drama have even less incentive to care about this practice game. So it went for ace hitter Oda – but with pitcher Kanou having now begged him to actually commit, and the rest of the team presumably realizing they’re in actual trouble, I’m guessing Mihoshi’s engines will now be kicking into gear. Can our heroes take down Mihoshi’s best, and help their pitcher gain the confidence to succeed? I don’t know why you’re asking me, let’s just watch the damn episode!
Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 45
Hello everyone, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. I’ll be perfectly frank: I am tired right now, and in need of something comforting to get me back in positive spirits. Last week I came down with some awful illness that had me basically horizontal for three days straight, followed by another day or two of begrudging, sniffly recovery. After a year of careful quarantine best practices, it felt like the world cursed me with a plague the moment I dared to step into sunlight. And of course, it’s not like my responsibilities took a time-out to let me get back in gear; thus most of that recovery time was also spent writing articles, and making up for the time I decadently afforded myself for being too sick to move. Today is the first day I’ve felt more-or-less healthy in a week, and in the spirit of maintaining that health, I’m treating myself (and you all, hopefully???) to an episode of Sun and Moon.
When we last left off, Sun and Moon appeared to have finally commenced its actual plot. Starcloud, Lusamine, and Alola’s legendary pokemon were key to the Sun and Moon game’s narrative from the start, but given we’ve spent forty glorious episodes just faffing about, I was beginning to wonder if Sun and Moon would even have a plot, at least beyond the island pilgrimage. I frankly wouldn’t have minded that, but I’m also happy to see Lusamine pop in to fawn over her daughter in the most embarrassing way possible, and also see our heroes trade blows with some genuinely threatening opponents. Sun and Moon’s ultra beasts represent Pokemon at its wildest and weirdest, so I’m guessing the next few episodes have some dramatic turns in store for us. Let’s get to it!
ODDTAXI – Episode 6
Oh ODDTAXI, what a tangled web you weave. The lives of its disparate characters are now twisting together in all manner of subtle ways, even as their everyday experience promises nothing but isolation and disappointment. The eraser that Tanaka once coveted now rests in the hands of Odokawa, a gift from the mysterious Shirakawa. The dash cam footage of Yamamoto’s charge is now equally desired by Dobu, and may well solve the riddle of the mob daughter’s disappearance. And Mitsuya’s phone is presumably still lodged in Odokawa’s backseat, a glimmering key that may unlock the secrets of Yamamoto’s organization.
As a slow-burning mystery narrative, ODDTAXI is an airtight creation, using its focus on offhand conversations to gracefully seed all of its narrative turns. Clues pop up incidentally over the course of thoughtful, naturalistic dialogue, setting wheels in motions without ever drawing attention to themselves. The show is fascinating as a narrative puzzle box, yet all the more impressive for the fact that it isn’t even driven by that narrative.
Instead, the show burns most brightly during its rambling dialogues, full of character-rich personal details and poignant reflections on modern living. I could watch ODDTAXI’s cast grumble about their day for hours – with dialogue this insightful and authentic, it feels like a privilege to watch such vibrant, resonant characters in action. Good characters feel like people you could know – great characters remind you that we are all ultimately unknowable, recognizable sure, but capable of actions that feel simultaneously surprising and true to our nature. ODDTAXI is managing to soar on a narrative, character, and thematic level without shortchanging any of them, and I’m thrilled to see where it takes us next. Let’s get on board!
Summer 2021 – Week 4 in Review
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the site. With summer in full swing, I actually took a trip with my family from Monday through, uh, literally today, so you’ll have to excuse me if today’s post is on the lighter side. Fortunately, I still did manage to cram in some essential film viewings, including one of the most acclaimed horror movies still on my list. I’m frankly not sure how many other acclaimed horror movies I’ve got left, at least without dipping deeply into franchise sequels. I’m thinking I’ve got a big Italian wave coming – Argento has dazzled me basically every time, so it’s past time I moved beyond him in my gallio research, and munched through the films of Lucio Fulci and so on. As for One Piece, I’m trying to actually savor Wano, rather than gorge myself on it until there’s no Wano left, so it’ll be a little time yet until I have further thoughts there. But for now, let’s burn through some film reviews!
Adachi and Shimamura – Episode 8
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to that utterly hopeless couple Adachi and Shimamura, as the two do their best to navigate the perils of Valentine’s Day. Adachi raised the specter of Valentine’s Day through what has become her signature romantic gesture: asking Shimamura to hang out on what she frames as an arbitrary day, and then reacting with shock when she learns this day is apparently Christmas or something. Her gambit is obvious, adorable, and kinda sad all at once, but at this point she’s two for two on tricking Shimamura into dates, so something must be working.
As for Shimamura, it seems like she may have reached a genuine turning point in her emotional struggles. Shimamura has spent most of this series in a depressive haze, seeing no color or joy in the world around her, and mostly just going through the motions of high school life. With nothing to inspire her passion or drive her forward, she felt detached from the world around her, and too distant to reciprocate Adachi’s feelings. Now, having long grappled with the fear of Adachi disrupting her sense of self, she is beginning to see the world in color once more. Adachi has begun the work of restoring her passion, and I’m eager to see if this date will represent another step forward. Let’s get to it!