Oregairu S3 – Episode 10

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After three seasons of personal revelation and emotional catharsis, is it really going to be Iroha who fixes everything? The girl whose name is a synonym for chaos, who has loudly and proudly declared her total self-interest at every opportunity, and who seems to take pride in never learning from her mistakes? The girl with the psychological profile of a common housecat, who will happily push your full glass off the table while maintaining eye contact the entire time? Iroha is going to save us?

Well, desperate times call for unusual heroes, I suppose. And to be fair, it’s clear that Iroha has been dedicating herself to genuine self-improvement all season long, having been genuinely inspired by the ambitions of Hachiman and his friends. Frankly, it seems like Iroha has actually raced ahead of Hachiman’s crew in self-actualization, unburdened as she is by their paralyzing weight of self-doubt. Yukino still sees herself as an appendage of her family, and Hachiman lacks the confidence to challenge her directly, so I suppose it’s Iroha’s turn to lead the drama for a change. With high school’s end approaching, let’s return to Oregairu!

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Symphogear XV – Episode 8

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to the battlefield of Symphogear, just in time for one of its most distinguished Symphotraditions: the last-second arrival of a former enemy, now forming an unexpected rescue party for our intrepid heroes. Dr. Ver is dead-dead and I’m pretty sure the season four villains disintegrated into pixie dust or something, so it now falls to the once-ruler of the Autoscorers to hold strong. That’s right: Carol Malus Dienheim, Alchemist Extraordinaire and Murderer of Miracles, has joined the battle.

Given the simple fact that it’d be more exciting and dramatically meaningful for this season to end on  a reprise of Evil Miku, I’m guessing Carol’s last stand won’t be too effective in defending Hibiki’s wife. But Carol certainly knows how to put on a show, so let’s sit back and enjoy the fireworks, as we surge towards the final conclusion of SYMPHOGEARRRR!

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Sonny Boy – Episode 1

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be embarking on a journey through one more of 2021’s most acclaimed productions, as we check out the first episode of Shingo Natsume’s original production Sonny Boy. Natsume has been one of the top anime directors to watch for years at this point, having risen from being a formidable animator in his own right to something like an “animator’s director.” Through productions like Space Dandy and One Punch Man, Natsume has proven uniquely capable of attracting and collaborating with the best artists and animators in the business, resulting in some of the most aesthetically impressive works of the last decade. And with his works spanning from action spectacles to tone pieces like ACCA and Boogiepop, Natsume has demonstrated a welcome diversity of aesthetic interests, including a cross-medium passion for art design that makes it easy to see why he and Shinichiro Watanabe were so quick to collaborate.

And now, after spending a decade repeatedly proving he’s one of the greatest working anime directors, Natsume is at last tackling his passion project. With Natsume both writing and directing this project, it’s clear that Sonny Boy is his baby. Even through choices like hiring Hisashi Eguchi as character designer, we can glimpse Natsume’s broader appreciation for art design. As for Sonny Boy’s narrative, I’m going into this almost entirely blind, with merely a vague impression that this story will be “my sort of thing” to guide me. I’m eager to see this story Natsume was so determined to tell, so let’s not waste another moment, as we dive into Sonny Boy!

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Winter 2022 – Week 8 in Review

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. I think we’re over the hump now – February has nearly ended, the skies are clearing, and we’re even getting some occasional warm days to remind us that nature isn’t always a villain. Meanwhile, the COVID-delayed holiday release bounty is now in full swing, with Dying Light and Horizon already released, and Elden Ring looming in the near distance. So lush is this bounty that my house has actually decided to hold off Horizon, as there will likely be no time for anything but Elden Ring for the next month or so. Let me know if you’d all be interested in some game design thoughts for next week, but for now, let’s charge through some excellent films!

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Eureka Seven – Episode 11

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to the Gekkostate, as it seems Eureka Seven is about to transition into a new phase of its narrative. The show’s last two episodes each offered crucial revelations regarding Renton’s idols, as we learned Holland and his subordinates were once willing dogs of the military, while Talho was some kind of prisoner. Even the ships and robots that define Gekkostate are stolen military hardware; far from standing as ideals of courageous freedom, it seems like Gekkostate are more fleeing the world at large, distracting themselves from the moral obligations of this era by seeking the next big wave.

And personally? I love it. While many anime tend to sort their characters into audience-relatable children and inscrutable adults, Eureka Seven is reveling in the messiness of young, uncertain adulthood, through the ambiguity of characters like Holland and Talho. Their dynamic is something I’ve seen before, but rarely in anime – a young woman being rescued from her oppressive situation by a seemingly perfect prince, only for that prince to reveal himself as far less of a man than she’d hoped. Holland is selfish, cowardly, and seemingly disinterested in the grand struggle of his era, and all of that makes him far more fascinating to me than your traditional hero. He’s clinging to an ideal of freedom that’s swiftly becoming too childish even for Renton to believe in, and with an entire community relying on him, he simply can’t afford to keep entertaining this fantasy. I’m eager to see how his story turns, so let’s dive right back into Eureka Seven!

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Hugtto! Precure – Episode 28

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Alright everyone, pile on in and welcome to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be returning to the epic trials of Hana and her companions, as the team attempt to find their destinies, save the world, and keep Hugtan happy all at the same time. Our last episode was a particularly charming excursion, featuring the triumphant return of Hana’s father Hug Man, who did his best to make a father out of their homeroom teacher. The episode culminated in a delightfully ridiculous battle outside the hospital, wherein Dr. Traum proved he was at least enough of a gentleman to keep it down for the sake of the babies.

And now, sweet continuity! After a series of episodes that mostly saw the Precures faffing about without much narrative direction, last episode’s conclusion revealed that Traum is actually Lulu’s father (or creator, I’m not really sure of the nomenclature when it comes to robot daughters). With Traum having repeatedly proven he possesses a tad more moral complexity than someone like Charalit, and Harry’s old friends still bound to the will of Criasu Corp, I’m hoping we’ll learn more about our villains’ motivations over the episode to come. But either way, it’s hard to have a bad time watching Hugtto, so let’s get to it!

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Texhnolyze – Episode 5

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to return to a long-dormant property, as we at last continue our journey through Texhnolyze. Fortunately, Texhnolyze isn’t the toughest show to catch up on: in fact, it’s basically an exercise in dramatic minimalism, possessing a scant handful of characters, and generally focusing more on director Hiroshi Hamasaki’s stifling atmosphere than overt narrative progression. We have the boxer Ichise, we have Kazuho, and we have Orsini, but more important than any of them is this oppressive world they inhabit, this bleak expanse of ominous shadows and overbearing sunlight.

In this saturated alien landscape, consistent themes are beginning to emerge. Chiaki J. Konaka is clearly fascinated by the advent of transhumanism, but seems skeptical regarding the “legitimacy” of artificial bodies. His doubts are realized through the ambiguous perspective of the Raffia surgeon, as well as the anxieties of groups like the Salvation Union. Meanwhile, Orsini’s criminal dealings emphasize the unequal distribution any such gifts would be subject to in our own world; even if whole replacement bodies can be acquired, such rebirths would only be available to the upper classes, here literally defined as “the Class” from “the Hill.”

As a representative of Organo, the criminal organization secretly running our city Lukuss, Orsini possesses the unique capacity to travel between class lines, existing in both the upper and lower societies. But Orsini is no savior; he’s a criminal and a company man, with his proud amorality standing as one of the most interesting things about him. If anyone is going to challenge this system, I’d bet it’s the mysterious Ran – but with her motives as unclear as anyone’s, it seems more likely she’s just trying to survive. This is a world of scroungers, not saviors, and it feels all the more convincing for it. Let’s return to Texhnolyze!

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Winter 2022 – Week 7 in Review

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. This week, my housemates and I have been reveling in the delayed bounty of the 2021 holiday release schedule, gorging ourselves on Pokemon Arceus and Dying Light 2. After twenty years of waiting, Game Freak have at last delivered the Pokemon game I’ve been craving since childhood: a largely open-world adventure, where you can just ramble around and catch pokemon to your heart’s content. The instinct to fill a pokedex is one of my most powerful lizard-brain itches, and so I’ve been happily catching critters by the dozens, all while awaiting the imminent and world-shifting release of Elden Ring.

Don’t worry though, we also found time for plenty of movies. Let’s rumble through the week’s finest selections, as we explore one more Week in Review!

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86 – Episode 8

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At last, the awful truth has been revealed. After working for months to improve the conditions of Spearhead’s lives, and assuring them that reinforcements must surely be on the way, Lena’s subordinates finally informed her of her unit’s true nature. Spearhead isn’t just the most dangerous combat unit: it is explicitly designed as a death sentence, where soldiers endure unending frontline action until they ultimately expire. Lena’s attention is well-meant, but ultimately meaningless; in the end, every soldier she is commanding is going to die.

This reveal colors Shin’s reputation as the “Reaper” in a new light. He mentioned early on that he’s been the last survivor in the past, but given the nature of Spearhead, it’s likely he’s survived through multiple iterations of this execution-by-combat, carrying the hopes of his companions with him. The Republic established this unit specifically so the 86 could not build heroes and legends; through Shin’s work, he is quietly rebelling against that desire, and insisting his friends be remembered.

This knowledge will also undoubtedly impact Lena’s perspective, dashing any lingering faith in the righteousness of her homeland. The Republic is not blind to the conditions of the 86; in fact, it established Spearhead specifically to “address” those conditions, by executing any 86 who stretch too close to freedom. The Republic explicitly designed this system, and having learned its true nature, I can’t imagine Lena will be able to sit comfortably in her gilded palace. The Rubicon has been crossed, and I’m eager to see Lena’s next moves as we return to 86!

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Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 50

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am more than eager to return to Pokemon Sun and Moon, having at last resolved some issues on the back end to actually allow me to continue (why oh why does Netflix only have dubbed episodes). I generally treat myself to a Sun and Moon every couple weeks, but it’s been over a month now since I last visited Alola, and the cracks are beginning to show. With the chill of a New England January keeping me mostly confined to my house, I’m hoping a fresh helping of Sun and Moon will at least keep my heart warm through the weeks to come.

Of course, it doesn’t seem like we’re in for any fun-in-the-sun vignettes at the moment. The Aether Foundation is currently experiencing a dramatic power struggle, and with Elton John having revealed his nefarious machinations, I’m guessing we’ve got a few more episodes of frantic conflict ahead of us. With Lillie having finally faced her trauma, let’s see how our heroes face off with the Rocket Man!

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