Spring 2020 – Week 13 in Review

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Hello everyone, and a hearty welcome back to Wrong Every Time! I’ve got an eclectic collection of film thoughts for you all today, starting off with a Ghibli classic that could not fit more squarely within my wheelhouse. Incidentally, writing that sentence prompted me to look up what a “wheelhouse” actually is, and the answer is adorable: it’s a little cabin you build to protect whoever’s manning the wheel of a ship, meaning it’s a literal tiny house for a wheel. Fantastic.

Anyway! All my friends have been clamoring at me to get to Whisper of the Heart for weeks now, and unsurprisingly, I ended up absolutely loving the film. Along with that, this week featured a strange spread of films in a variety of genres, from vintage Arnold Schwarzenegger to a recent film that tries much too hard to be quirky. It’s an interesting mix of films, and I’ve got plenty to say about them, so let’s dive into another Week in Review!

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Here’s Five Sights You Won’t See Anywhere But Symphogear!

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This week’s Why It Works is all about Symphogear, because it’s never a bad time to talk about Symphogear. Actually, the truth is that my recent reader-funded posts on Symphogear’s fourth season have simply reminded me how awesome and absurd this series is, and so I felt the urge to write some more general hype for this fantastic series. Let’s celebrate some of the more absurd highlights of the incomparable Symphogear!

Here’s Five Sights You Won’t See Anywhere But Symphogear!

Symphogear AXZ – Episode 5

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Buckle up folks, it’s time for SYMMMMPHOOOOGEAAAAR! When last we left off, the Bavarian Illuminati had just unveiled their much-hyped Faust Robes, leading to a total defeat for our main wielders. Shortly after that, Adam himself finally arrived, and ended up destroying the entire battlefield through alchemical fusion. Things are looking pretty grim for the team at the moment!

Of course, none of those narrative facts really mean all that much in a dramatic sense. “We gained our Faust Robes” might as well be “we achieved a new level of Super Saiyan” for all it means in terms of storytelling, and if you’re surprised by giant explosions, you must be new to Symphogear. Personally, the thing I found most interesting about AXZ’s fourth episode was its direct acknowledgment of Japan’s role in World War II, which, when coupled with the team overseer’s call to “drive these barbarians from the shores of Japan,” seemed to imply this season might be moving towards some genuine political commentary. Whether this episode furthers those ideas or just exults in glorious spectacle, I’m eager to continue this riotous journey. Let’s get to it!

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Pokemon Sun and Moon – Episode 13

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Well folks, the people have spoken, and they demand more Sun and Moon. As your humble entertainer, my hands are bound by the will of my readers – fortunately, there is almost nothing I’d rather do than return to the shores of Alola myself, and see what our trainers-in-training are up to this time. Sun and Moon’s last episode might have been my favorite episode so far, as Team Rocket got to take center stage like never before, and make delightful fools of themselves in the context of the actual team’s beach trip. Combining slice of life relaxation with lots of great comedy beats and terrific animation flourishes, episode twelve was a Sun and Moon highlight, and also one of Team Rocket’s most successful gambits across their long and less-than-illustrious career. I expect they’ll need some time to recuperate from their last battle, so let’s see what the rest of the cast are up to in another episode of Sun and Moon!

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Hidamari Sketch – Episode 1

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re embarking on a new journey, as I explore the first episode of a beloved franchise that I have basically zero experience with. We’re checking out Hidamari Sketch today, and as usual, I’ll begin by laying down what I actually know about this franchise. First off, I know that it’s one of the most enduring slice of life franchises out there, both in terms of its actual number of seasons, and in terms of its ongoing acclaim and cultural relevance.

I also know that it’s one of the core shows that defined the theoretical “SHAFT aesthetic,” a loose collection of stylistic choices that frequently includes flat, abstract backgrounds, single-tone colors, rapid closeups, creative and diegetic typography, mixed media compositions, dramatic character design shifts, and that beloved head tilt. Akiyuki Shinbo is credited as head director on basically all SHAFT productions, but given Hidamari’s other director Ryoki Kamitsubo would leave the production after the first season, leaving it entirely in Shinbo’s hands, it seems fair to assume that Hidamari Sketch is one of SHAFT’s most directly Shinbo productions.

Finally, I also know that Hidamari Sketch is about art students, and that their heads are very wide. With all that established, let’s explore one of SHAFT’s most iconic and beloved productions!

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Spring 2020 – Week 12 in Review

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Another precious week has slipped through our fingers, but fortunately, by collecting my thoughts on the movies I watched, I can still affirm those lost days truly existed. I plowed through a pretty diverse set of features this week – one ’70s classic, one acclaimed recent feature, an off-the-beaten-track horror film, and the latest film by one of my favorite directors, Mamoru Hosoda. I’m actually getting pretty close to the point where I’d be comfortable writing an overall “best anime films” list of some kind, which is something people have been asking about for years, but which I haven’t felt well-watched enough to attempt yet. In light of that, feel free to recommend any essential anime films I should check out, and please enjoy this latest Week in Review!

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The Girl in Twilight – Episode 4

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be continuing our exploration of 2018’s The Girl in Twilight, where we last witnessed the disastrous conclusion of Nana Nanase’s short-lived betrothal to her celebrity idol. Though Nana claimed she was breaking things off due to her very sensible desire to not be called Choco Banana, in truth, it was coming to terms with her mother’s remarriage, and realizing her stepfather was genuinely concerned for her, that helped Nana comfortably embrace her old life. And ultimately, she ended up getting a sweet battle suit in the bargain, so I suppose all’s well that ends well? Either way, the resolution of Nana’s arc has returned The Girl in Twilight to its neutral position, and I’m eager to see what character insights or social commentary our next dimension-hopping trip offers. Let’s get to it!

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Flowers, Expectations, and the Perils of Interactive Fiction

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I had a variety of subtopics in mind for my return to Flowers, and we’ll probably get to a few of them, but at the moment, I can only really feel one strong emotion towards this game: resentment. There are many unique dramatic tricks only made possible by interactive art; but at the same time, there are just as many potential dramatic hurdles, and ways in which your narrative trajectory can be contradicted by your gameplay options. For many games, this disconnect is most apparent in their treatment of violence – characters will torture themselves over difficult moral questions in cutscenes, and then we’ll return to controlling them, and happily murder hundreds of people. In Flowers’ case, it came in a different, but equally frustrating form: a blunt and unexpected fail state.

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Symphogear AXZ – Episode 4

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You know what, screw it, we’re watching more Symphogear. Everyone’s presumably still stuck inside due to COVID, and at this point, it’s beginning to feel like time has no meaning, and the world has spun off its axis entirely. Fortunately, that’s precisely the right attitude to take into Symphogear, which concluded its last episode on the line “believe it or not, this is a great place to pick a fight with God,” and has refused to make much more sense than that at any point in its distinguished run.

I could tell you that last episode helped clarify season four’s narrative trajectory, but you’d know full well I’d be lying. Symphogear narratives are essentially driven by a massive switch labeled LOVE EACH OTHER and KILL EACH OTHER, which seesaws between modes seemingly at random, while ensuring each episode receives its allotted combination of charming relationships and thundering explosions. Symphogear is the anime equivalent of an adrenaline shot and a warm hug, and I think that’s a combination we could all use in these dark days. Let’s get to it!

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Spring 2020 – Week 11 in Review

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to my little corner blog. My media adventures were diverse and rewarding this week, as I explored films ranging from recent South Korean highlights to one of the very first noir films, along with a film that’s known mostly for introducing the world to the concept of Sean Connery in bright red underwear. I remember years ago, I’d frequently find myself paralyzed in choosing what films to watch by the inherent opportunity cost – as someone who didn’t watch that many movies, I didn’t want to “waste” any of my film-assigned time slots with a misguided pick. These days, I’m watching movies all the goddamn time, which actually makes me feel a lot more free to watch whatever comes to mind at any given moment. Let’s explore more of the treasures of this rambling journey, as we burn through another Week in Review!

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