Hello hello hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am delighted to announce that we are returning to Hugtto! Precure, after far too long away from our unlikely heroes. It’s been several months since we last checked in with Hana and the gang, but I’m hoping to make up for lost time with as much enthusiasm as I can muster. And we’ve certainly got reason to expect greatness; last episode’s exploration of Gelos’ insecurities about aging, interwoven with Hana’s steady demonstration of how heroism need not follow some strict aesthetic template, proved some of Hugtto’s most poignant and insightful material so far. Whether we continue in that vein with the newly punked-up Gelos or counterbalance it with some delightful nonsense, I’m eager to return to this most cheerful and charming of shows. Let’s dive back into Hugtto!
Tag Archives: Anime
The Demon Girl Next Door S2 – Episode 4
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’d like to embark on a journey back to The Demon Girl Next Door, and see what nonsense the denizens of Banda Terrace are getting up to. Last episode saw Shamiko exploring the wonders of the internet for the first time, which ultimately resulted in the acquisition of a grand prize: Momo’s fiercely protected ChitChatterer profile. With this secret True Name in hand, Shamiko will surely uncover all of Momo’s weaknesses, and defeat her utterly come their next battle!
Or, more realistically, this will simply help the two of them grow closer through idle conversations, with the mediating barrier of the internet working its usual magic in facilitating carefree, low-stress communication. That’s sort of been a theme for this season: gradual steps towards more honest communication, as Shamiko learns to more clearly assert her desires, and Momo learns to earnestly confess her fears. It’s always charming to see these two attempt a normal conversation, so let’s not waste any more time dithering, and jump right back into The Demon Girl Next Door.
The Great Passage – Episode 2
The opening shots of The Great Passage’s second episode serve as the firmest possible reaffirmation of its character acting acumen. Not only are the incidental characters walking through this establishing shot traditionally animated (itself a rarity for modern crowd scenes), they’re actually given personality, boasting distinctive body language and a variety of character-defining gestures in their time on the screen. It seems fitting that a show which has already attested to the intentionality of every creative choice you make would be so generous in animating these tertiary characters; as with the dictionary they hope to build, everything that is included is included for a reason, and honed to the highest possible standard.
Spy x Family – Episode 12
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we have the privilege of bearing witness to a key moment in alternate European history, as the Forger clan cement their alliance through the conscription of their final family member. That’s right, Anya wants a dog, and I doubt your usual mundane mutt will do. Considering the secrets that define the Forgers’ existing family members, I’m fully expecting their pet to transform into a giant robot, or at the very least shoot plasma rays out of its eyes.
Given both the ominous conclusion to the last episode, as well as Spy x Family’s consistent focus on the legitimacy and poignancy of found families, I’m expecting this episode will involve some sort of rescue from an animal testing facility, or perhaps a daring breakout staged by the dog in question. But regardless of the narrative details, I’m sure the execution will be a delight; Cloverworks’ preceding dodgeball episode was both one of the funniest and most impressively executed episodes so far, leaving me eager to see what they’ve been cooking up since. Let’s get on with it then, and find these Forgers their perfect pet!
Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 26
Hello my friends, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we arrive at a day of great and terrible import, as we watch through the very last episode of Bodacious Space Pirates. This production has been a gleefully irreverent, often illuminating, and perpetually charming smash of seemingly incompatible genres, fostering an unexpectedly vivid compromise between grounded science fiction and club-based slice of life shows. Between the depths of space and the bustle of the classroom, Bodacious Space Pirates found its own points of commonality: an emphasis on relatable yet larger-than-life characters, a reverence for the small details of craft and execution attendant in any task, and a general sense of wonder regarding the world around you.
It’s been delightful watching Marika take command of this strange universe, rising from a carefree high schooler to a confident pirate captain at a meteoric pace. And though I’m sad to be parting, I’m happy that the show is ending on a high note, expanding its conception of space piracy to include an entire galaxy’s worth of enticing foreign shores. With Marika’s crew at her back, let’s face off with that stuck-up interloper Quartz, and show these invaders what Sea of the Morningstar pirates are made of!
Top Anime of 2022 (and Year in Review)
After a pair of years that saw the world trapped in pandemic-driven stasis, I suppose it’s only fitting that 2022 would rally back as an Everything Happens So Much sort of year. That’s fine by me though; it’s been a tough run through these last few winters, and where I once would have felt anxious about how everything inevitably changes, I’m starting to think it might not be so awful. Twitter might now be ruled by an idiot child king, but I’m also feeling more invigorated about anime viewing than I have in years, so hey; you take the good with the bad.
Winter 2023 – Week 1 in Review
Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Somehow a new year is upon us, and I hope you’re all doing your best to reckon with that fact in whichever way renders it least existentially terrifying. Personally, I’ve been far too busy to stand aghast at the march of time – the last week has seen me racing to catch up on all the past year’s finest productions, and hopefully pull together a quasi-timely Year in Review. But don’t worry about that diminishing your usual Week in Review spoils; I’m sitting on a healthy buffer of film reflections at the moment, and have hand-picked a group of reflections that range from the conclusion of our Naruto filmography project to Ted Raimi getting his face caved in. Let’s ring in the year’s first Week in Review!
Star Driver – Episode 13
Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am beyond eager to dive back into Star Driver, because goddamnit, what is happening in this show!? The last episode saw the narrative seemingly tensing for a whole-scale board flip, with Kanako demonstrating the variable subfactions and distinct priorities within Kiraboshi, even as Sugata slipped ever closer towards proud villainy. Having shifted from just sort of being a generally creepy guy to receiving private lessons on arrogance from Head, it’s clear that Sugata is now headed down a dark road; even if he’s currently using the King’s Pillar simply to assist Takuto, I can’t imagine he’ll stop there. After all, as Head says, power is gifted by the gods, and the gods intend us to use our gifts.
Meanwhile, the drama of both Kanako’s makeshift family and the You sisters is demonstrating a variety of awkward fault lines both within and adjacent to the Kiraboshi organization. Both Kanako and Marino seem more dedicated to protecting their loved ones than progressing the organization’s central cause, so I’m hoping we might see some defections in the near future, which could shed some light on how this organization came to be. Regardless, with Igarashi and Enokido at the helm, I’m sure we’re in for a fun and fascinating time. Let’s get to it!
The Demon Girl Next Door S2 – Episode 3
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am happy to report that we’re diving back into The Demon Girl Next Door, and continuing the squad’s investigation of Sakura Chiyoda. Their attempts to trace Sakura’s final known activities have reaped both strange rewards and further mysteries, with the biggest victory so far coming in the form of Momo’s newly acquired Combat Fork. An apparent relic of her father’s, its appearance at Mikan’s old family factory seems to draw a line between Mikan, Sakura, and the fate of Shamiko’s dad. But what could it all mean?
Well, I’m sure these mysteries will unveil themselves in time. As you might have guessed, I’m more intrigued by how these developments will impact the story on a personal and thematic level, rather than that of pure plot. The fact that Shamiko only heard a voice guiding her to the fork after thinking back on a time when Momo seemed happy feels significant; after Momo spent so much of the first season looking after Shamiko, developments like Momo’s move to Banda Terrace seem to be leveling out their relationship, and giving Shamiko more opportunities to take care of Momo instead.
All of this serves as a direct challenge to one of Momo’s greatest weaknesses: her inability to admit weakness, or to accept the help of others. As such, Shamiko’s acquisition of the Combat Fork feels like a validation of both her personal progress in becoming someone who can support Momo, and also an illustration of how Momo is becoming more willing to be supported, and not take all the weight on herself. I expect we’ll be seeing more negotiation of their evolving dynamic in the wake of this victory, and I’m eager to get to it. Let’s return to The Demon Girl Next Door!
Spy x Family – Episode 11
Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to the preposterous drama of Spy x Family, which most recently blessed us with its funniest goddamn episode so far. Anya’s high-stakes volleyball game was a symphony of playful animation and outrageous punchlines, elevating the manga’s excellent comedic fundamentals with generous visual embellishments at every turn. It was intelligent in its pursuit of humor in ways both subtle and obvious; sometimes a joke would emerge simply from the camera’s framing relative to Bill Watkins, and sometimes it would stem from the luxurious executed anticlimax of an incredible power-up animation leading into a super-deformed faceplant.
The episode was so funny that I didn’t even mind that it was only funny, with no real family drama to speak of. I often struggle to maintain interest in pure gag comedies, and tend to require some sympathetic human element to supplement the appeal of a comedy-centered production. For twenty minutes of lunacy, Spy x Family’s last episode proved the exception to that rule, and if this is a sign of Tatsuya Endo gaining more confidence in his writing, I can only imagine what madness lies ahead. Let’s dive back into Spy x Family!