Rock is a Lady’s Modesty – Episode 6

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re storming the gates of high society with a battalion of rebellious rock tunes, as our heroines Lilisa and Otoha continue their dual lives as elegant young ladies and sneering rock gods. When last we left off, the two had just secured a pair of key victories, guiding a mild-mannered symphonic group into a rousing performance that affirmed their stage-ready skills. This in turn won Lilisa the support of her stepsister Alice, who was dazzled by the confidence and authenticity Lilisa could evoke in her true element.

While that performance was certainly a great success for our leads, it also has me wondering precisely what depths this series is interested in delving into, be they cultural, psychological, or otherwise. Rock here is defined largely as “authenticity,” or perhaps more specifically as a “lack of social propriety,” but rebelling purely because you don’t want to dress up and make nice is still defining yourself according to the expectations of your assumed social stature. You can’t make a character study out of two shallow veneers; if Lady’s Modesty wants to foster substantive emotional drama, it will need to dig deeper into the feelings and experiences that have driven its cast to their current perspectives. If, on the other hand, it wants to explore music as a unifying or even liberatory cultural force, it will likely need to elaborate on its philosophy of rock beyond “fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me.” Regardless, Lilisa’s always a pleasure to hang out with, so I’m sure we’ll find something to talk about as we charge through Rock is a Lady’s Modesty!

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Big Windup! – Episode 20

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today rain beats down on the first match of the summer tournament, as our boys from Nishiura strive to overcome the first-seated Tosei team. After managing to eke out a two-run lead across the first few innings, they were put on the backfoot by their technically superior opponents, who tightened their strategy to secure two runs of their own. With the score now tied as the innings dwindle, it’s looking like the surprise factor that carried Nishiura to early success has thoroughly run out.

Well, that’s at least one version of the story. Another concerns the growing confidence of Nishiura pitcher Mihashi, a certainty of his value that is proving infectious enough to raise the spirits and mutual trust of his entire team. Another version might prioritize the game’s information war; not only do Nishiura have far superior batting data, they also have an ace batter who’s figured out the opposing pitcher’s tells. And another might prioritize the shifting physical conditions of the battlefield; both the rain itself and its effect on the field’s texture, which has so far both inhibited Tosei’s pitcher and given Nishiura’s catcher more tools to manipulate. Asa Higuchi has constructed a marvelous multiplanar diorama of tactically grounded conflict, demonstrating the many hidden layers of this ostensibly straightforward sport, and through doing so offered us a competition that thrills and satisfies anew with each subsequent at-bat. Let’s get back to the battle!

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Fall 2025 – Week 9 in Review

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. This week I’ve been writing up a fuckin’ storm; getting ahead on bounties, pushing forward on my novel, and even tossing off an indulgent side quest for my DnD party (we’re doing The Phantom of the Opera and The Taming of the Shrew simultaneously, which will absolutely involve were-shrews). All this feels like a genuine breakthrough for me, as I’ve traditionally found it extremely hard to write in multiple modes at the same time – it’s hard to think in terms of criticism when writing quests, hard to plot in terms of novels when writing songs, etcetera. Now it feels more like I’ve reached that vaunted position where work in one field actually inspires work in others; I was basically stuck at one bar scene in my book for weeks, but fiddling with quests seemed to unlodge something essential for getting momentum back. And yes, the film screenings have continued, alongside copious munching through the Brennan Lee Mulligan extended universe. Let’s break down some movies!

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Monogatari Off/Monster Season – Episode 8

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re continuing our journey through what I can safely say falls on the “Monster” side of Monogatari’s Off/Monster Season collection, given both its protagonists are either alleged or self-defined monsters. On the one hand we have Deathtopia, an immortal vampire bound only by the proud weight of her own words. On the other, we have Acerola, an unwilling “princess” who brings ruin to all, and wishes only for a single life to save.

Whether they consider them a curse or blessing, both have clearly been isolated by their powers. Deathtopia had spent so much time in her lonely castle that it fell to her servant to inform her the kingdom had fallen, while Acerola’s quest for redemption has only brought more lives to ruin, raising the question of whether her existence itself is a curse. Yet in spite of the fantastical nature of their afflictions, their story echoes a familiar Monogatari refrain: the necessity of coming to peace with your own nature, of learning to love yourself, to accept all your sharp angles, and thereby reach beyond your own torment and positively impact the life of another. Let’s see how our vampire and death princess are fairing!

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Alien Stage – Round 1

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking out something a bit different from my usual fare, as we screen Round 1 of Alien Stage, which to my understanding is a somewhat mixed-media but largely music video-driven narrative project centered around human singers being forced to compete for the entertainment of their alien overlords. These music videos are presumably then framed as stages within this competition, with each apparently offering insight into both its singer and the dystopian world they inhabit.

That all sounds pretty fun to me, and frankly probably something I’d be into myself if I’d grown up with Youtube already in full stride. I am a huge fan of the music video as an art form, enjoyed plenty of anime music videos as a teen, and am in general a sucker for emotional narratives conveyed through song. My list of favorite records leans heavily towards narrative-heavy concept albums – The Meadowlands, Hospice, Offerings, The Sunset Tree, and many more of my favorites are in part beloved because they rise beyond the confines of any given song, lending the emotional weight of a full dramatic arc to their final moments. Alien Stage seems intended to scratch exactly that sort of itch, so let’s see what this first round is all about!

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The Legend of Vox Machina S3 – Episode 11

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to the tales of Vox Machina, who recently suffered a schism in the wake of their dubious victory over Thordak. Fed up with her teammates’ lack of trust in her decisions, Keyleth packed up her feathers and flew home, seeking her own methods of detecting Raishan’s location. The twins then set out to find Anna Ripley, and hopefully let Percy rest in peace. Meanwhile, Grog and Pike stayed back at the half-destroyed manor, praying for a method of raising Scanlan from his apparent coma.

It’s certainly a low point for Vox Machina, but it’s a well-placed and necessary one. The battle against Thordak focused the party’s priorities, and thereby let them forget for a time the natural divisions and divergent ambitions of their constituent members. The fact that they’re splitting now is a demonstration of how well they’ve been defined as individuals, serving as both a brief cooldown of dramatic tension and an affirmation of their personal progress. The primacy of the party is a core aspect of DnD, but if you want to build a fully furnished fantasy adventure, you must also allow the space for players to define themselves as members of a larger living world, and not just vehicles for action heroics.

Granted, Vox Machina have a natural advantage in this pursuit, given they’re all professional goddamn voice actors who are perfectly comfortable sculpting emergent disagreements amongst themselves. For my own campaign, I compromised between the primacy of the party and the texturing of individual party members by eventually making the campaign a tour of their homelands; allying the Dales required visiting our ranger’s old stomping grounds, then infiltrating the home of our nemesis brought us face-to-face with our rogue’s origins, etcetera. Vox Machina’s unique strengths as a group facilitate the starkness of this separation, but in truth every group will have its own strengths, and crafting a successful campaign is ultimately less about following one strict model than embracing what you and your players enjoy and excel at. With that obvious truth established, let’s charge back into Vox Machina!

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Fall 2025 – Week 8 in Review

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. This week has seen my house cleaning up various media odds and ends, as we finished off the two revival Slayers seasons, concluded season three of Dimension 20, and also checked out the last of the millennium era Godzilla films. This has left my slate open for munching through the year’s outstanding must-watch anime productions, and thus I’ve already started a group viewing of The Summer Hikaru Died, while polishing off the last of Shoushimin Series in my own time. My big blind spot is the year’s top anime films – both the Umetsu and Fujimoto films actually released this year, alongside last year’s Yamada film that at this point should be widely available. I’ll be sure to munch through those as soon as I can, but in the meantime, let’s break down a fresh grab bag of film selections!

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Episode 15

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the open road lies sprawling before us, promising adventures that will undoubtedly call into question our reason for adventuring – what we hope to receive for our struggles, and what we pray not to forget in the years ahead. That’s right, it’s time for Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, that rambling tale of reflection and renewal, which through its focus on impermanence finds both sorrow and hope – the lament that all we love will eventually pass away, and the accompanying prayer that we will take this passing with grace, and embrace the endless possibilities of each new day.

When last we left off, the party were concluding a pair of vignettes regarding the enduring talismans of close bonds, contrasting Stark’s search for a birthday present for Fern with Frieren’s attachment to a ring given by Himmel. The objects are just signifiers, but signifiers are important; just as a key unlocks a door, so does a treasured gift unlock a memory, carrying within it an echo of the emotions it first inspired. With Frieren’s precious token restored, the party continues their journey north, seeking to augment those fond memories with the closure of a last conversation with Himmel. Onward, to the land of souls’ rest!

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My Dress-Up Darling – Episode 1

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking out the first episode of a much-loved recent production, as we explore the premiere of My Dress-Up Darling. From what I understand, the story is a generally lighthearted romance centered on learning to proudly embrace your passions, as our cosplay enthusiast heroine draws her hina doll-crafting classmate out of his shell. As such, I’m expecting plenty of charming character moments, a healthy slice of adolescent social psychology, and perhaps even a closer look at the costume-making process.

As for our production team, it seems we’ve got a variety of younger figures in the key roles. Director Keisuke Shinohara has largely worked on individual episodes prior to this production, lending his talents to such distinguished productions as Bocchi the Rock!, Devilman Crybaby, and Flip Flappers. Character designer Kazumasa Ishida has also mostly worked as animation director on smaller projects, though the frequent overlaps in their resumes tells me they’ve clearly come to enjoy collaborating. This full-length production seems like a major break for both of them, so let’s see what the team has in store as we march into Dress-Up Darling!

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Shoushimin Series – Episode 6

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m delighted to announce we are returning to Shoushimin Series, as Osanai and Jogoro continue their seemingly hopeless crusade to become normal human beings. It’s been a tough road for both of them so far, replete with backsliding and compromises, but I imagine they’re pretty used to that. After all, what they are attempting is nothing short of rejecting and replacing their own personalities, the passions that animate them and the natural talents that make them special.

So yeah, probably a bad call on the whole. But as I’ve said before, their feelings are understandable – they are weirdos who prompt friction wherever they go, uninterested in social niceties and so motivated by their off-kilter ideals that they tend to make enemies by accident (and that’s when they’re not intentionally making enemies). They belong in a smoke-filled room pouring over crime scene photos, but instead they are stuck in high school, forced to play nice with kids who seem like different organisms entirely. Adolescence is a process of defining yourself in a social context, and when you receive only negative signals from your surroundings, you’re liable to think that you are the problem. But it is a tragic, regrettable thing to abandon your reason for being, and I can only hope they’re reconsidering this whole self-lobotomy process. Let’s find out!

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