Star Driver – Episode 22

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am thrilled to be returning to Star Driver, as we charge forward into what I have to assume is the show’s endgame. With Ko and Madoka having abandoned their pursuit of the Ginga Bishonen, we’re basically out of secondary conflicts at this point; all that’s left is the school play and Tokio’s machinations, meaning I have every expectation that we’re in for a school festival episode.

Taking one final break before the big action climax seems more than fine by me. Both Igarashi and Enokido are in their element spearheading comedy; the two have been collaborating on delightful goofiness ever since their Sailor Moon days, and given his long stewardship of the Doremi franchise, I’ve likely laughed at more Igarashi nonsense than any other artist in the industry. In their hands, irreverent school adventures and ludicrous expressions aren’t just a break from the action, they’re often a vehicle for characterization, revealing as much or even more about their casts as their actions under pressure. With that play and its long-anticipated kiss scene approaching, I’m guessing we’re in for an episode that revels in school shenanigans while simultaneously harnessing them as a vehicle to explore Wako’s hesitant, shifting emotions. Let’s find out!

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Winter 2024 – Week 11 in Review

Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. This has been an altogether productive week on my end, as my screening crew accompanied a fresh pile of films with a run through Netflix’s recent Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation, which I’m frankly embarrassed to admit I actually quite enjoyed. Aside from that, my regular DnD group are now gearing up for our third shared campaign, wherein I’ll be stepping back from dungeon mastering to once again participate as a player character. That’s frankly more than fine by me; DMing was an absurd amount of work, and I’m looking forward to taking a break from writing several novels’ worth of narrative-sculpting and quest design to instead portray exactly one character: a goblin cleric with anxiety. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about all that after our first session on Monday, but for now, let’s break down a fresh week in film and television!

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The Wonderful World of Puss ‘n Boots

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am delighted to announce we’re returning to the venerable films of Toei Doga, this time screening the much-loved Wonderful World of Puss ‘n Boots, one of the final films of the studio’s original golden age. Coming out shortly after the landmark Horus, Puss ‘n Boots was actually something of a step back in terms of dramatic content – Isao Takahata’s first masterpiece was a true outlier in its era, and it would take some time for projects like the World Masterpiece Theater to catch up with his vision of a more tonally somber, morally ambiguous medium.

That’s not meant as a jab against Puss ‘n Boots, though! There’s no shame in offering a rip-roaring adventure, and Puss ‘n Boots further benefits from involving most of Toei Doga’s best animators at the peak of their powers. The legendary Yasuji Mori is once again handling animation direction, meaning I’m sure we’ll be able to admire the fluid sensitivity of his character acting scattered throughout the film, while Yasuo Otsuka, Reiko Okuyama, and Hayao Miyazaki all stand among the film’s formidable slate of key animators. Otsuka described his time on Puss ‘n Boots as something like a playground of unbound animation, and Miyazaki’s contributions here are so legendary that he himself would end up echoing them in later projects like The Castle of Cagliostro. Hell, the film’s so iconic that its protagonist still stands as Toei’s mascot, half a century down the line. I’ve rambled more than enough about the film’s unimpeachable credentials, so let’s get to it!

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Wonder Egg Priority – Episode 10

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’d like to return to a story I’ve left hanging for far too long, as we continue our exploration of the harrowing and transcendent Wonder Egg Priority. I frankly would have returned much sooner, but the discussions surrounding the show turned pretty toxic by the end of its original run, migrating into that frustrating realm of condemning people for the stories they enjoy. Discussions like that were what prompted me to limit my engagement with online arguments in the first place, so I promptly removed my hand from the stove, waiting for the heat to dissipate.

Well, no one talks about Wonder Egg Priority these days, so I’m happy to finally be returning. When last we left off, Momoe’s anxieties about her gender presentation had just been assuaged by her fast friendship with Kaoru, her latest wonder egg project. Unfortunately, her victory was cut short by the appearance of a mysterious butterfly-headed girl, who promptly killed Momoe’s familiar Panic. With Momoe’s latest victory having also released the girl she’d long been fighting for, and the machinations of Acca and Ura-Acca coming into focus, it seems like the time for episodic adventures has ended, and the time of painful revelation is at hand. Let’s see what awaits in our next Wonder Egg Priority!

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Hugtto! Precure – Episode 43

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Hugtto! Precure, as we charge ever closer to the season’s epic finale. Our last episode wrapped up the season’s primary remaining conflict not related to the Cure team directly – although it did not remain that way, as the resolution of Henri’s struggles saw him actually becoming a Pretty Cure as well, donning the title of “Cure Infini” and offering a gorgeous final performance to his adoring fans. It was the perfect conclusion to an arc that has frequently challenged the implacability of culture and identity, firmly attesting that anyone can be whoever they want to be, including a Pretty Cure. Just like our professional aspirations, our identities are our own – and in Hugtto, pursuing a happier selfhood is always something to be met with a heartfelt “hooray, hooray!”

With Henri having resolved his anxieties regarding moving beyond his skating career, the stage is now clear for a final confrontation with Criasu Corp. But frankly, considering neither Listol nor Traum are personally invested in George’s mission, I wouldn’t mind some more villain rehabilitation before that – or even a goofy one-off, if we’ve still got time for such things. Regardless, I’m sure we’ve got a charming adventure ahead as we dive back into Hugtto Precure!

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Winter 2024 – Week 10 in Review

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time! It’s been a thoroughly productive week on my end, as our regular film viewings were accompanied by maybe fifty episodes of rapid-fire anime viewing, continuing our gallant charge through the extended Gundam universe. Unfortunately, that impressive episode total was only made possible because what we were watching wasn’t terribly interesting; as it turns out, it’s pretty easy to burn through anime when you only have to pay a quarter of a mind’s attention to it. Nonetheless, it feels immensely satisfying to again be making such rapid progress on this grand project, and I’m eager to continue on with the esteemed Char’s Counterattack. But for now, let’s explore the fruits of our labors, as we chart a course through the Universal Century and beyond!

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Suspension: Kubitsuri High School

And so we return to the archives of the nonsense-using quasi-detective Iitan, who begrudgingly solves the murders that always seem to darken his doorstep. I’ve generally had a somewhat tempestuous relationship with this series, as while I love Nisio Isin’s prose, characterization, and thematic inquiry, I simply do not care for mysteries and puzzles in the way he does. As such, my experience of these stories involves a lot of sorta halfway nodding off as they detail some convoluted murder mystery scenario, only to snap into focus when somebody starts talking about their feelings.

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Spy x Family – Episode 29

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am suffering in the grip of my first winter cold, with snuffles, a sore throat, and a persistent headache all collaborating to bring me down. I’d say I’m “under the weather,” but frankly the weather today is also pretty miserable – as such, I have decided there is no recourse to lighten the mood but to indulge in a fresh episode of Spy x Family, and see what those wacky Forgers are up to.

Our last episode was actually quite light on Forgery, concerning itself primarily with Yuri’s investigations of a potential political dissident. Forgunately (okay, I’ll stop), with Yor out of the picture, we were able to see a somewhat less one-note portrait of Yuri as well. Like his sister, his dedication to his mission stems from a fundamental conflation of family and country, and when he’s forced to reckon with how his “enemies” are just as dedicated to their own families, his resolve immediately wavers. The siblings are essentially both child soldiers who’ve grown into adulthood without abandoning their naive ideals of binary justice, making them perfect tools of political suppression. That certainly makes them unusual stars of a wacky romantic comedy, but that’s really Spy x Family all over, isn’t it? Let’s get to it!

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Skip and Loafer – Episode 5

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to check back in on Mitsumi and the gang, as we charge through another delightful episode of Skip and Loafer. Last episode saw Mitsumi adding yet another foundling to her rapidly growing collection of confidants, this time pulling student council superstar Takamine into her inner circle. Having joined Takamine on her extracurricular errands in order to learn from her studious example, Mitsumi instead found herself serving as an inspiration to Takamine in turn, convincing her of the necessity of slowing down and smelling the roses from time to time.

Of course, that’s little surprise to us in the audience. Mitsumi has proven herself a quiet inspiration to her peers time and again, drawing characters like Shima and Suzuki into her orbit through her earnest, curious, and eminently considerate personality. Through their interactions, Skip and Loafer demonstrates how thoughtful character dramas need not be centered on those whose lives are defined by psychological torment; the trials of Mitsumi and her friends catalog the scope of human interaction in gentler form, offering a story that is no less poignant or insightful for its fundamental warmth of perspective. Let’s see what awaits our crew next!

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Winter 2024 – Week 9 in Review

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. This week I am riding high on the conclusion of various personal projects, which most notably include my entire goddamn DnD campaign. That’s right, we finally toppled the scions of hell this monday, and my players all seemed to have a pretty good time of it! With no future adventures left to balance, the inspirations and “sure, I’ll allow it”s flew freely, allowing for some truly preposterous setpieces and combo attacks. With a final battle set atop an actively crumbling helltower against essentially the devil himself, the session certainly didn’t lack for spectacle – and I also made sure everyone had a suitably satisfying epilogue, tying romance, family reunions, and future ambitions into our requisite post-credits sequence.

Anyway, my pride in my courageous party members aside, this has also been a plenty productive week in terms of media viewing. I’ve now charged about two-thirds of the way through ZZ Gundam, and accompanied that with both a healthy selection of films and the recently released Hazbin Hotel miniseries. Let’s run down some new features in the latest Week in Review!

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