86 – Episode 9

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome to Wrong Every Time. Today we stand on the precipice of battle, with Shin and his few remaining squadmates having been assigned an impossible task. They are intended to fail this mission; as we’ve recently learned, Spearhead is actually a dumping ground for all those 86 who’ve survived too long, and risk putting the lie to the Republic’s promises of freedom. There will be no freedom for the 86; their persecuted existence is a stain on the honor of the Republic, and thus they must be wiped out so completely that even their memory will cease to exist.

Lena may not have the power to halt the Republic’s campaign of genocide, but at the very least she is no longer blind to it. She has seen the true face of former friends like Henrietta and her uncle, and understands that they are not simply blind to injustice, but willfully complicit in its continuation. Willful tyranny will not dissipate merely by being exposed to the light – it must be challenged, and will fight tooth and nail to preserve itself. Tyranny may dress itself in justice, but appeals to justice will never depose it; those who believe in the primacy of power will never answer to anything else. Lena’s high social position and frankly unmerited faith in human nature make her one of the few people that could answer the Republic’s challenge in its own language; as the final battle approaches, I’m eager to see how she at last makes her stand.

Continue reading →

Winter 2022 – Week 11 in Review

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. How are you all doing this week? Personally, I just got back from my first jog of the season, so I’m feeling genuinely physically healthy for the first time in about four or five months. My ability to will myself into exercising is tenuous at the best of times, and in the cold of winter, there’s basically no way you’ll convince me to go outside for anything. As a result, my body tends to mirror that of a hibernating bear, as I grow rotund and lethargic over the winter months. This admittedly imperfect cycle will likely continue until I finally stop saying I’m leaving New England and actually do it, but in the meantime, all those days indoors have left me with plenty of time for film screenings. Let’s run down a fresh grab bag of cinema selections!

Continue reading →

Ranking of Kings – Episode 3

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be diving back into Ranking of Kings, where Bojji most recently made his first real friend. Our first two episodes have offered a rough journey for both Bojji and Kage, as each of them have found themselves despised for their inherent natures. In the world of Ranking of Kings, it seems clear that maintaining appearances is crucial for success, or even just survival.

In Bojji’s case, he is reviled for failing to embody the virtues expected of a would-be king. Rather than evoking strength and confidence, he is a figure of frailty and sensitivity, with his deafness frequently leading people to believe he is simple-minded as well as physically weak. Even when he expresses excellence through his nimble swordsmanship, he is doing it “the wrong way,” and must be punished for his transgression. Bojji has plentiful gifts, but none of them align with his expected role as a king in waiting.

On Kage’s side, the base nature of his species has made him a figure of hatred and derision. The Kage we knew as a child was loving and trusting, but a world that despised him has battered him into the shape he was always expected to fill. Only now, with the considerate Bojji at his side, is Kage able to once again embrace his underlying compassionate nature. The distance between our true selves and the masks we must present to the world is already causing significant turmoil for our leads, and we’ve only just gotten started. Let’s return to the Ranking of Kings!

Continue reading →

Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 51

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. It’s presumably well into the springtime whenever you’re reading this, but as of the moment I’m typing, it is currently my friggin’ birthday, and that means we’re watching some Sun and Moon. My rigorous professionalism prevents me from outright taking the day off, but I’ll be damned if I’m spending it anywhere but the islands of Alola!

We’re currently in the midst of a sumptuously animated climactic arc, with Lusamine having just sacrificed herself to the nether realms in order to save her daughter. I’ve frequently wondered how the show was going to adapt Lillie’s game arc, and it appears this is the answer: by shuffling all of Lusamine’s outright villainousness over to Elton, the anime has turned her story into one of familial neglect and redemption, rather than some genuine supervillain shit. Regardless, the short of it is that the Ultra Beasts are attacking, and it’s up to our group of scrappy youngsters to save the day. Let’s return to the embattled shores of Alola!

Continue reading →

Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 17

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. You all doing okay today? I’ve personally got an appointment later that I’m a little nervous about, and so it seemed like the right time to indulge in one of our lighter ongoing projects. And what could be lighter than Bodacious Space Pirates, the show where a girl who has three different puppy hats can steer a pirate ship and wear a sugar plum fairy costume (complete with puppy hat)? The majesty of space can be alienating, but it sure doesn’t have to be; with the right crew in tow, even the vastness of the stars can make a fine after-school club room.

Having successfully completed their first pirate operation, Marika’s yacht club friends have already averted the risk of the Bentenmaru losing its pirate license. However, it seems president Lynn has another mission in mind: the kidnapping of Jenny Dolittle, her own presidential predecessor. There’s no point speculating on Lynn’s motives when she’s right here to explain them, so let’s settle into our seats, and kick back for another episode of Bodacious Space Pirates!

Continue reading →

Winter 2022 – Week 10 in Review

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. I come to you today directly from the Elden Ring mines, having been laboring on FromSoftware’s latest since literally the moment it was released. Elden Ring is the biggest Soulsborne yet, and with two other housemates also vying for playtime, it will surely be a while still before any of us return to civil society. Sixty hours in, the game still feels too good for this world; too perfect an articulation of the best virtues of open world and combat gameplay, too close to the “theoretical perfect game” I’d theorize by combining the greatest aspects of four masterpieces.

As a result of Elden Ring’s all-consuming perfection, our selection of films this week has largely been guided by the principle “can you follow this film over your shoulder during your turn on Elden Ring.” Light selections are the order of the day, but we still managed to scrape together an interesting collection of viewings. Let’s storm down the Week in Review!

Continue reading →

Star Driver – Episode 2

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive right back into Star Driver, having been thoroughly impressed by its first episode. The show has offered beautiful character acting and storyboarding so far, while also demonstrating the thematic complexity and clarity that you’d expect from an Enokido production. That first episode threw a lot of fantastical variables at us, but they all seemed to fit within a thematic paradigm centering on adolescence, sexuality, and sexual agency in particular.

Both the language of the masked actors and the prominent cage imagery seemed to frame the shrine maidens as passive figures, objects to be “acted upon” by their male controllers. The correlation of that patriarchal perspective with the traditional figure of the shrine maiden surely isn’t a coincidence; moving forward, we can probably assume that Takuto and his companions will be providing a more progressive counterpoint, where female agency and desire is respected just as much as male power. I’m also interested in seeing if the last act’s aesthetic debt to Utena signifies more of a structural parallel to that series, but all of this is likely getting a dozen or so episodes ahead of ourselves. For now, let’s see what Star Driver’s second episode has in store!

Continue reading →

Anne of Green Gables – Episode 6

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to return to the rolling hills and shimmering seas of Green Gables, where Anne has at last succeeded in winning over the obstinate Marilla. To be fair, Marilla put up quite the battle, and likely would have ruthlessly abandoned any lesser children. But Anne made swift work of her through a multi-pronged attack, demonstrating both her intense personal charm and tragic backstory on the ride to Miss Spencers’ place, and then capping that off with the looming threat of alternative adopter Blewett. Seeing Anne’s look of despair at returning to her childhood of suffering was too much for Marilla, and thus both our heroines made their way back to Green Gables.

With the initial trial of simply earning a space at Green Gables behind us, I’m looking forward to seeing the show settle into some sort of comfortable rhythm. Though Gables’ pastoral beauty and meditative pacing make for an inherently slice of life-reminiscent experience, its origin as a young adult bildungsroman means it’s unlikely to simply luxuriate in any one tone; there is conflict and momentum, it is simply illustrated at the pace of life in Green Gables. With this episode boarded by Masterpiece Theater mainstay Fumio Ikeno and scripted by Takahata himself, I’m guessing this will serve as a fine indicator of the road ahead. Let’s return to Anne of Green Gables!

Continue reading →

The Demon Girl Next Door – Episode 5

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today it seems past time that we check back in on The Demon Girl Next Door, and make sure Shamiko hasn’t fallen into a pit or been cornered by a scary dog or something. It really doesn’t take much to best our local demon girl; really, if you leave her to her own devices for a few days, she’s liable to best herself somehow.

Fortunately, Shamiko now has Momo to protect her, and the two have been getting along better than ever. In spite of being allegedly destined foes, their burgeoning friendship seems to be the most rewarding element of either of their lives at the moment. That’s not too surprising; with each of them feeling poorly represented by their assigned identities, the only person they can actually relate to is their equally miscast counterpart. The very system that’s supposed to build them into rivals is instead forcing them to find common solidarity, making for a natural commentary on the inherent injustice of this system (and through their class disparity, further tethering that commentary to the caste systems of the real world). But beyond that themey-wemey stuff, the two are also just ridiculously charming together, so I’m eager to get back to their nonsense. Let’s return to The Demon Girl Next Door!

Continue reading →

Winter 2022 – Week 9 in Review

Posted on by

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. This week, I thought I’d take a break from our usual film medley, as the past month has clearly been more defined by videogames than cinema. Basically the entire would-be holiday release schedule was released over the past several weeks, with Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Dying Light 2, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Elden Ring all staking their claims to the open world throne. Given this bounty, my house elected to save Horizon for a future sale, but the other three have been consuming my life for some time now. Let’s take a moment to break down this marvelous bounty, before I’m inevitably dragged back to Elden Ring!

Continue reading →