Since its beginning, Kaiba has presented little reason for hope regarding the future of its universe. Though there is allegedly some sort of rebellion pushing back against this transhumanist-by-way-of-capitalist hierarchy, from our position on a pleasure barge, such interference has amounted to nothing more than fireworks seen from a great distance. We have witnessed the full solidification of class stratum while safely ensconced in a luxury cruise liner. And though these circumstances have provided distance, they certainly haven’t offered comfort; in fact, our position has only made this world’s crimes seem all the more horrifying.
Yuki Yuna is a Hero – Episode 2
Hello folks, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d check back in on the trials of Yuki Yuna and her companions, who most recently found themselves trapped in some kind of time-stopped void arena, squaring off with a faceless monster from god knows what dimension. It was an unexpected turn to be sure, but Yuna was not about to let this chance for heroism go to waste, and seemed to swiftly master the fundamentals of magical girl combat.
All of this was pretty classic magical girl premiere material, with perhaps the only note of distinction being how much time the episode spent on Yuna’s mundane life before revealing its trick. That’s not really a bad thing; given the constraints of twenty minute episodes and the need to conclude with some kind of genuine hook, it’s no surprise that first episodes tend to follow certain structural formulas. It’s only with that hook established that we can truly see what Yuki Yuna is all about – are we going to prioritize personal character journeys, is there some sort of theme or metaphor being illustrated through this world’s approach to magic, or are we just here for Symphogear-style spectacle? With the first battle behind us and explanations clearly in order, let’s find out what truly drives Yuki Yuna is a Hero!
Tsurune S2 – Episode 4
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to step back into the sumptuous world of Tsurune, following the conclusion of this exceedingly generous season’s first tournament. After a troubling performance on the range, Minato has been given a shocking order from his coach: no archery for him until he rediscovers what is truly essential to team kyudo. And with the national tournament fast approaching, Minato better get to discovering quickly.
Given last episode’s employment of that persistent ribbon motif, it seems obvious enough that what Minato needs is to rediscover his identity as a member of a larger team. At the same time, the novel paths of his two rivals emphasize that each team has its own internal rhythm, and that strictly following a template set by his teacher won’t necessarily lead him to his own form of kyudo. Therefore, he must find his own unique place within this unit, trusting in and supporting his team while still charting his own path. It’s a tricky, nigh-contradictory challenge, but I’m sure Takuya Yamamura’s team will illustrate every step with outrageous beauty and thoughtful storyboarding, attesting again to Kyoto Animation’s singular mastery of visual storytelling. Let’s get to it!
Summer 2023 – Week 3 in Review
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. I didn’t really plan on it, but based on what we watched, it turns out this week features a particularly dubious film theme: movie adaptations of video game franchises. Though we’re long beyond the days of Uwe Boll acquiring rights for pennies and exploiting well-intentioned art grants to make garbage, movie adaptations of games still possess a fairly dubious reputation, a predictable byproduct of games generally interactivity over narrative. Aside from the surprisingly endearing Sonic the Hedgehog, cinematic game adaptations generally just tend to emphasize the narrative paucity of their source material – and while this week’s viewings didn’t exactly circumvent that obstacle, they at least left me with plenty to say regarding their attempts. Let’s run down some would-be films in the Week in Review!
Misadventures in Dungeons & Dragons
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m trying something a little different from our usual fare, building off my recent articles on the continuing adventures of Vox Machina. A few readers have expressed interest in reflections on my own misadventures with tabletop gaming, and so that’s what I’d like to bring you today: an earnest, undoubtedly embarrassing look into my own attempt at collaborative storytelling, complete with both the original text I was working off and my own retrospective reflections on how it all went down. If that doesn’t sound like your jam, don’t worry, I’ll be back to our regularly scheduled reviews and essays next time. But if you are interested in tabletop storytelling, or at least eager to laugh at how bad I am at it, feel free to stick around!
The Legend of Vox Machina S2 – Episode 8
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I must confess I’m still a little shell shocked, as my apartment caught fire early yesterday morning, resulting in one of the most exhausting days of my life. Fortunately, I’ve still got a bed and I’ve still got my laptop, so goddamnit, the show must go on. Nonetheless, I’ve decided to at least treat myself to a comfort food project: a fresh episode of Vox Machina, wherein our heroes last found themselves stranded across multiple planes, the gnomes and Grog muddling through the mortal plane while our other heroes braved the Fey Realm.
With Grog having lost his strength and the twins nearing a transposed elven city, it’s clear we’re pushing forward on a variety of personal arcs in satisfyingly character-appropriate ways: Grog must learn how to define himself outside of his power, while Vex and Vax must grapple with whatever regrets still linger regarding their flight from home. As for my own campaign, things have been proceeding more or less smoothly through the second act finale of my overarching storyline.
With most of a year’s worth of sessions behind them, my players have now developed all sorts of bonds with the various NPCs of this world, facilitating sequences like an in-game wedding and a teleporter-facilitated pan-continent siege defense. It’s an odd thing to say, but it’s nice to have reached the point where killing off a particularly well-liked NPC prompts some legitimate fury and despair from my players. They care! They really care! Anyway, I’ll have more to say on that soon, but for now let’s get back into the drama of Vox Machina!
Spy x Family – Episode 21
Hello folks, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. Today seems like the perfect chance to stop in with the Forger clan, and see what our favorite spy-slash-assassin-slash-telepath-slash-precog family has been getting up to lately. For the moment, the show appears to have settled into a comfortable rhythm of episodic Anya school challenges embellished with some spy action lunacy by either of her parents, but as I’ve said before, one of Spy x Family’s most interesting qualities as a sitcom is the inherent momentum implied by its premise. The show rarely sits still for long, and so I imagine we’ll soon be either introducing a new variable (perhaps through elaborating on that spy associate of Loid’s from the opening), or drawing closer to the Desmond clan.
As for me, I’d be happy with either that sort of narrative push or simply an affirmation of how much closer the family has grown. Since their last meaningful group outing, we’ve received a steady breadcrumb trail of tender moments: Yor sharing her region’s cuisine with the others, Anya proving she can fend for herself academically, Loid consoling Yor regarding her overeager parenting. The steady friction of these accumulated moments has been eroding Loid’s professionalism inch by inch, and I’d quite enjoy some sort of narrative reflection on how far they’ve come. But regardless, I’m sure we’re in for a cozy and gag-rich adventure. Let’s get to it!
Summer 2023 – Week 2 in Review
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I write to you from temporary lodgings, owing to the fact that my goddamn apartment caught fire some time early Sunday morning. We all made it out okay, and from what I hear they’ll be able to save the building, but good lord is it a shock to wake up to screeching alarms, open your bedroom door, and stare out into a hallway entirely consumed by black smoke. So yeah, it hasn’t been a great few days, with significantly more focus spent on finding shelter and surviving than exploring the infinite mysteries of cinematic art. Fortunately, my film review buffer is substantial and I still managed a couple viewings late last week, so our weekly film explorations can still proceed as usual. Let’s try to embrace a sliver of normalcy among the chaos, and break down a fresh Week in Review!
Bloom Into You – Volume 6
Bloom Into You’s sixth volume begins with the curtain about to rise on our play-within-a-comic. After an entire series spent playing the part of her sister, Touko will in this performance be playing the part of someone who rejects that philosophy outright, and chooses to embrace their own fledgling, uncertain identity. It’s simultaneously a gradual step and a terrifying one. On the one hand, she’s only playing the part of the person Yuu wishes she could be, in the context of an established, inauthentic performance. But on the other hand, she will be performing this new self in front of a vast audience, essentially the entire student body that she has sought to “fool” all this time.
Thunderbolt Fantasy S3 – Episode 4
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to check back in on the explosive theatrics of Thunderbolt Fantasy, as our gallant hero Shang faces off with his former ally Wan Jun Po. Having been disillusioned with the selfish, chaotic orders of our murder princess, and with Shang refusing to use his sorceress sword index to interfere with the affairs of the mortal plane, Wan Jun Po made the most sensible choice he could think of: join forces with the Order of the Divine Swarm, that his evil master’s cleansing light might bring peace to this world.
Yes, it does indeed seem a little extreme, but I’m happy to see Wan Jun Po taking his place in the extensive pantheon of “I’ll take this evil upon me for the good of the world” Urobuchian heroes and anti-heroes. Season three had up until now been pretty light on Urobuchi’s usual moral quandaries, and if we can jumpstart the themey-wemey stuff while getting a duel between friends turned rivals in the process, all the better. Let’s jump right into the swordsmanship and sorcery of Thunderbolt Fantasy!