Hello all, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. I ran through a fresh bevy of films this week, with some fresh horror picks in keeping with the season, along with a classic that had been sitting on my list for months. There was some “how many horror classics have you seen” quiz going around on twitter a couple weeks ago, and when it turned out I’d only seen around fifty-five or so of the one hundred entries, I felt consumed by a deep shame, and determined to improve my ratio. So of course, I ended up watching a couple no-name horror flicks with no lasting cultural legacy whatsoever, but hey, one step at a time here. Incidentally, I also watched some actual goddamn anime this week, so you can look forward to at least a few words in that direction, too. All this and… well, yeah, pretty much exactly this, as we run down one more Week in Review!
Why It Works: Fabulous Hair, and Other Character Design Fundamentals
For this week’s Why It Works, I leapfrogged off Ninny’s absolutely fantastic hair from Burn the Witch, in order to discuss the nature and importance of character designs more generally. I don’t often focus too much on characters’ fashion choices in my critiques, but I have a great deal of respect for the difficult craft of character design, and Tite Kubo has always been one of the best when it comes to designing stylish characters. Let’s get to it!
Fabulous Hair, and Other Character Design Fundamentals
Dorohedoro – Episode 4
Hello everyone, and welcome once more to Wrong Every Time. Today I come to you in a spirit of contrition, as my motives for this current article could not be more impure. We’re going to be continuing Dorohedoro, largely because I… I… I want to know what happens next.
I know, I know. I’m the one who always says that plot is details, and regularly spends a good third of my articles rambling about layouts, and who generally only addresses narrative events insofar as they’re relevant to character journeys or thematic arguments. But Dorohedoro’s world is just so damn interesting, and pretty much every time it offers an explanation for one of its magic tricks, that explanation blossoms into five new questions demanding an answer. I’m also genuinely invested in the fates of both our humans and our sorcerers, and also simply eager to see more of Hole’s beautiful architecture, as well as Hayashida’s marvelous narrative inventions. Most plots are not so fascinating that they offer much more than a template for genuine craft to shine, but Dorohedoro’s story has me genuinely intrigued, and I’m prepared to follow this alarming instinct where it leads. Let’s check back in with our friends in Dorohedoro!
Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 27
Folks, I’ve been consulting the relevant sages, and it is absolutely time for some Pokemon Sun and Moon. They foretell of pleasant, lighthearted adventures under the Alolan sun, and perhaps even a generous dash of expressive, comically exaggerated character acting. They also mentioned a crew of characters it is impossible not to love, accompanied by creatures who are equally comfortable chilling out as cute pets or battling each other through sumptuous cuts of fight animation. I frankly think I need not have bothered consulting these sages in the first place, as all of their predictions seem suspiciously obvious, but I nonetheless agree with their fated prediction. Let’s enjoy another new episode of Pokemon Sun and Moon!
Oregairu S3 – Episode 2
After two long seasons of internal struggle, Yukino has made a decision. She cannot keep relying on the patience of her mother to maintain a double life, and simply avoid the family for as long as possible – she values her chosen life enough to fight for it, even if it means open confrontation with the family she fears. She’s spoken honestly with her friends about her feelings, and also about the potential consequences of this choice; but Yukino is Yukino, and if she didn’t approach this problem with the honor and forthrightness she approaches everything, she’d be lying to herself.
In structural terms, Oregairu’s three seasons have conformed relatively neatly to its three leads – Yui thanked Hachiman and helped solidify the group in season one, Hachiman admitted to his desire for honest friendship in season two, and now Yukino must reckon with her family, a task that promises to be the most difficult of all. But she knows now that she’s not alone, and though I’m sure we’ve got some painful episodes ahead of us, I’m eager to see this crew tackle them together. Let’s return to the fantastic Oregairu!
Fall 2020 – Week 4 in Review
I’ve got episodic articles on both Oregairu and Adachi and Shimamura coming, so it was back to the film grind this week, as I explored a pair of intermittently effective comedies and one genuine horror classic. To be honest, this week was one of those “I watched what my housemates were watching” installments – I picked American Werewolf myself, but I watched both these comedies because someone put them on in the background while I was grinding Hades again. Did I mention I like Hades? I’ve beaten the game’s ostensible campaign over fifty times now (current best time: 18:23), but I’ve still got quests to complete, challenges to overcome, powers to unlock, and relationships I’m progressing purely because the game’s characters and dialogue are so dang good. So yeah, the specter of the Hades grind is still haunting my weekly productivity, but I did my best to fit in some media criticism in the margins. Without further ado, here’s the Week in Review!
Why It Works: What Are the Fundamentals of Great Horror Anime?
This week in Why It Works, I capitalized on Halloween’s approach to write a general article about how tricky it is to make animation scary, and what tools of the medium you can use to alleviate that inherent obstacle. It’s difficult to make an audience scared of an animated monster, but it’s certainly possible to make the audience feel trapped, and from there they’ll frequently do the work themselves. Let’s get to it!
What Are the Fundamentals of Great Horror Anime?
Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 8
Hello everyone, and good to see you back at Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to Bodacious Space Pirates, as it feels like we’re at last settling into the daily rhythm of Marika’s new life, and thus have finally been assigned a mission outside of the usual smash-and-grab performances. Well, I say “assigned,” but in truth Marika’s actually dealing with a stowaway, a young girl who apparently smuggled herself off the last cruiser full of under-stimulated vacationers. But either way, her arrival likely marks the end of Marika’s transition phase, and the beginning of her true captaining career.
It certainly seems like the right time to me. These last two episodes have been greatly instructive in terms of fleshing out the day-to-day nature of pirating in Marika’s universe, but they haven’t given Marika much of a chance to express her own approach to captaining, or given us all that much insight into Marika’s new teammates. Bodacious Space Pirates’ ability to lightly build up an ensemble cast through bridge chatter is one of its strengths, but I’d like to see Marika actually developing some trust with her crew, and this seems like a fine opportunity. Whatever challenges await, the bay doors are opening, and the sea of stars is shimmering ahead of us. Let’s get to it!
Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 26
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’ll hope you pardon me for engaging in what has become one of my favorite traditions around here, by rambling my way through another episode of Pokemon Sun and Moon. Traditionally, this would be the week where I’m frantically rushing through new premieres, suffering through the worst indulgences anime has to answer for, and ultimately doing things like jogging in place or jumping jacks while watching, purely to stave off the onset of full brain death.
Instead, I’m not doing that. Due to the support of you folks, I can now mostly spend my time working on projects I enjoy, tackling shows I’d appreciate even if it didn’t pay my bills. Sun and Moon is one such show, and I’m eternally grateful to you all for letting me celebrate shows like this every day. Without further ado, let’s see what Ash and his friends have been up to on the shores of Alola!
Symphogear AXZ – Episode 10
Hold onto your hats folks, we’re barreling back into SYMPHOGEAR! Season four’s last two episodes have more or less acted as a mirrored pair, and I’m fully expecting this one to complete the set. First off, Chris and Maria faced off against Cagliostro, obliterating my favorite alchemist in a blast of collaborative fury. Next, Tsubasa and Shirabe teamed up, dueling Prelati in a high-speed highway chase. At this point, we’ve only got two more wielders and one more member of the original alchemists – so if our trajectory is anything to go by, we’re in for a fight between Hibiki, Kirika, and Saint-Germain herself.
It’s clear at this point that AXZ is attempting to resolve a character writing issue that emerged last season: the lack of any genuine relationship between several members of the main team. Maria and Tsubasa quickly became a pair, and Chris happily embraced a big sister role relative to Shirabe and Kirika, but characters like Shirabe and Tsubasa had never shared a conversation, much less a point of genuine emotional connection. Through the “Fool’s Stone” and its subsequent training, AXZ has found a narrative excuse to rectify this character writing issue – now, all the main characters truly must get to know each other, because their strength in battle depends on it.
Ultimately, I feel like this whole process stands as an affirmation of Symphogear’s fundamental appeal: world-destroying threats will come and go, but the charming bonds between these leads are the core of this show. I’m happy this season has contrived a reason to expand those bonds, and eager to see Symphogear’s most genki characters explore their own friendship. Let’s get to it!