Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today it is with a heavy heart that I announce we have reached the finale of BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!, and will soon be asked to leave the venue and shuffle our way home. It’s been a poignant, frequently transcendent, and ever-engaging journey with the lost girls, and I’m sad to see our time together drawing to a close. But at least we’ve still got the memories: Anon’s delightfully mercenary recruitment of Tomori, that devastating elaboration of Tomori’s life story, the desperate machinations of our girl Soyo, and the thunderous performances that first rent and then reunited our stars, aligning them in their collective need for a little warmth and understanding, a place that might make a pillbug like Tomori reach for the sun.

It’s been profoundly rewarding watching this crew grow into an ever-frictious but nonetheless supportive whole, and I’d frankly be perfectly content if this episode was just a full-length encore performance for MyGO!!!!! But of course, our story possesses one last lingering question: what the fuck is going on with Sakiko, and why is she assembling a cabal of musical supervillains. Her initial formation of CRYCHIC seemed almost as Tomori-focused as our dear Taki’s motives, and it’s clear that seeing Tomori move on and find a new community hit her like a punch in the gut. Will we at last learn why she was moved to disband her own precious community, and what she hopes will emerge from the ashes? Let’s get to it!

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And so the perilous journey of MyGO’s musicians continues. Having weathered CRYCHIC’s calamitous breakup, Tomori, Taki, and Soyo have reunited in a group defined by genuine emotional sincerity, with even Soyo admitting to the desire for community that has long guided her awkward, earnest compatriots. And they’ve gained new companions along the way, friends who may lack the paralyzing magnetism of Sakiko or Ophelia-tier melancholy of Mutsumi, but who nonetheless contribute crucial dosages of stability and chill to their anxious collective.

Anon in particular has proven herself a crucial binding agent, in spite of both Soyo and Taki’s initial indifference to her presence. In a story brimming with rich characters haunted by the scars of the past, Anon’s “I am feel uncomfortable when we are not about me” ego and simultaneous sensitivity to the feelings of others made her an unexpectedly ideal mediator, her brash pursuit of self-centered ends almost immediately giving way to genuine concern for her would-be bandmates. The duality of Anon reflects the thoughtfulness of MyGO’s characterization more generally; none of these characters are a stable set of behaviors and desires, they are forever suspended between their best and worst instincts, their past hopes and present ambitions. Let’s see how they weather their second performance, as we return to the outstanding BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m once again overcome with curiosity regarding the fortunes of our woebegotten bandmates, meaning it’s time for another episode of BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!! Our last episode served as at least a partial reconciliation after the suffering of the previous two, with Tomori’s solo confessions eventually gathering Raana, Taki, Anon, and even Soyo back to her side. Everyone except Raana has at some point tried their hand at leading this band, but ultimately, it was up to their emotional heart to guide them back under the lights. At Tomori’s side, they were reminded of what they actually founded this group for – to claim a place where they belong, where their voice is valued, regardless of whoever else is listening.

That spirit of community was made clear by their ultimate performance, where they were clearly playing for each other more than any external audience. And god, what a show! Their tearful reunion was the goddamn definition of catharsis, each musician baring their heart on stage and finding their feelings treasured and echoed by the girls beside them. Between episodes three, seven, and ten, MyGO is racking up a preposterous slate of all-timers, and I’m eager to see how they formally reconcile in the wake of that shared moment. All right, I’m most eager to see how the other bandmates razz Soyo for her late return, but still! It’s a credit to how well-characterized this show’s cast are that it’s such a pleasure simply watching them interact, letting their complex, thorny, and ultimately sympathetic personalities spark friction and understanding in equal measure. Let’s get to it!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!, for the very simple reason that I cannot wait another moment to find out what happens to these goddamn teenagers. MyGO was riveting enough as a richly characterized drama about pulling a mismatched group of musicians together, but now that Soyo is threatening to destroy the group, it has become a truly un-put-downable page-turner. Tomori is in despair, Anon is blaming herself, Taki is ready to throw hands, and Raana is… well, probably enjoying a parfait somewhere, blissfully unaware of the maelstrom spinning overhead.

Raana aside, Sakiko’s unambiguous denial of any CRYCHIC reunion has laid bare the insecurities and deceptions undergirding our group’s sunny surface. Anon finds herself facing the precise combination of disconnects that prompted her to flee home from England: an inability to keep up with the group’s technical ability and a failure to parse the “language,” here articulated as the unspoken bond of the former CRYCHIC members. Tomori has discovered that Soyo is just like all the others, smiling to her face while secretly engineering ways to avoid her discomforting presence. Taki is once again grasping at straws, seeking a closeness with Tomori that she can only articulate as misdirected anger and redoubled physical commitment. And Soyo might be unhappiest of all, having resigned herself to the superficial high school experience and false smiles that Anon once saw as her only future. It’s an absolute mess at the moment, but such frictions often force us to be our best; when we cannot abide our current circumstances, we have nothing to lose, allowing us to fling ourselves bravely towards a better future. Let’s see how our band fares!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to return to the apocalyptic high school band theater of MyGO, wherein Soyo most recently had all of her dreams shattered into microscopic pieces. Having spent this entire series so far sculpting a new band purely to entice Sakiko back, she has now received the final word that Sakiko and CRYCHIC are gone for good. No more superficial smiles and steepled fingers; Soyo is now in absolute despair, her treasured dream in ruins, and her only companions now the bandmates she only saw as means to a greater end.

That’s probably for the best, honestly. Anon, Tomori, and Taki have all joined together out of genuine emotional need, finding in their shared performance the community, understanding, and validation that adolescence has otherwise denied them. For Soyo to move forward, she necessarily needed to rip off the band aid of her dependance on Sakiko – and though she’s hurting now, she is surrounded by people who care for her, and who know well the pain of being abandoned. If Soyo can let her shields down and become open to new sources of pride and companionship, she might find in this new group a more lasting, reliable source of identity than Sakiko could ever provide.

Or she might just take the whole band down in flames, letting her personal resentment poison the fragile bonds shared by the others. I’m sure it’ll be a great spectacle either way, so let’s dive right back into MyGO!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am impatient to return to the thunderous drama of MyGO, in the wake of the casual all-timer that was the band’s first live performance. Like MyGO’s third episode, the seventh was a masterclass in focus and perspective, drawing the audience into the band’s precise headspace through its patient evocation of the tension in the green room. And then that performance! Their two songs proved a staggering celebration of how far our heroes have come, with Anon’s diligent practice and Tomori’s courage leading them through a genuinely impressive concert set. And unlike many musical dramas, it never felt like we were switching a flip into confident “performance mode” – these were the characters we’ve come to know on-stage, insecurities and limitations and regrets included.

Of course, some of our bandmates were carrying more regrets than others. This performance was a great victory for most of our group: Anon proved to herself and the others that she can actually keep up with them as a musician, Taki’s anxieties about leadership were put to rest by the success of the final result, and Tomori was able to affirm the validity of this new sunny spot, this Haru Hikage that sounds different, but still feels like home. But for Soyo, this band has never been its own reward. It has been a means to reunite with the members of CRYCHIC, a placeholder bearing stand-ins soon to be replaced by Sakiko and Mutsumi. With the new group’s rendition of Haru Hikage essentially confirming Tomori has replaced Sakiko, and Sakiko acknowledging this statement with a tearful exit, Soyo’s cheerful façade has shattered. Soyo’s out for blood, and I can’t wait to see the fallout; after all, one of my favorite character arcs is “guarded cynic learns their friends still appreciate their true self,” plus Anon’s sure to be delightfully unbearable about Soyo finally showing some earnest feelings. Let’s get to it!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to jump back into the thorny drama of MyGO, as our fledgling bandmates continue to tumble over each other both literally and emotionally. Most recently, Taki’s attempt to live up to Sakiko’s band leader legacy has left her anxious and overwhelmed, with the specter of CRYCHIC clearly still haunting our new band’s every step. Taki has been holding herself to an impossible standard, so desperate not to lose Tomori that she nearly destroyed the band in the process. Fortunately, our as-yet-unnamed new group is not nearly so brittle as the last; our players may stumble, but Tomori will always be there with a bandaid for their skinned knees.

As always, MyGO has articulated the band’s latest fault lines with uncommon grace and thoughtfulness, quietly emphasizing the very different ways each member perceives this group. Soyo is still desperate to create CRYCHIC 2.0, and her increasingly vocal indifference to Anon’s presence, combined with Taki’s desire to push Anon out of the active composition altogether, have made it clear that the band is essentially composed of two discordant social groups. But Anon is not the flighty transient she once was; having committed to sharing her feelings with Tomori, she’s now genuinely invested in this group, as her retrieval of Taki well demonstrated. And Taki herself is nothing if not earnest; if she can get over her dislike of Anon, the group will possess an iron core strong enough to weather both Soyo’s machinations and Raana’s unreliable attendance. Let’s see how our heroes fare in a fresh episode of MyGO!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today there’s simply no avoiding a return to the delightfully messy band drama of MyGO, as I absolutely must find out what a genuinely inspired Anon might look like. Having spent half the series attempting to pull a band together for the most superficial of reasons, and ultimately fleeing when Taki called her out on her lack of conviction, we have at last learned of the great defeat that shattered her initial self-confidence. After easily gliding through the trials of middle school, Anon felt basically invincible, but the scholastic challenges and social isolation of England brought her crashing down. Since then, she’s steered clear of anything that’s seemed too difficult or too painful, hoping to construct a comforting high school life with none of the harsh edges of challenge or intimacy.

Unfortunately, the first classmate she established a bond with was Tomori, setting her on a rollercoaster ride of fraught emotions and desperate ambitions. While Anon could almost certainly have lived out a successfully superficial high school life, she instead found herself planted in the smoking ruins of CRYCHIC, with all of her anxieties and self-loathing laid bare. Sincerity might not come naturally to Anon, but having found an unexpected confidant in Tomori, she might just be the exasperated irritant this group needs to truly, honestly come together. Let’s find out!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into the drama of BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!, after an episode that saw Anon doing her best to resolve the roiling emotions and profound regrets left in CRYCHIC’s chaotic wake. It appears Soyo was indeed correct to choose Anon as her instrument of conciliation; after hearing the whole story from Tomori, Anon was swift to plant Tomori, Taki, and Soyo down in a café together, and demand these woebegotten teenagers Talk This Shit Out.

The resulting conversation was refreshing in its specificity of perspective and authenticity of character voice, but that’s frankly what I’ve come to expect from MyGO. This production’s script is one of the best I’ve seen in years, capturing the nuances of character voice and the inherent friction of motives and personalities in conflict with a grace that puts it in the upper echelon of high school dramas. Coupled with storyboarding and character acting dedicated to conveying the finer unspoken fault lines within these relationships, the overall effect is utterly gripping; with characters this fully realized, it’s fun just watching them bounce off each other. Let’s see how new guitarist Raana secures her place in the band with a fresh episode of MyGO!

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