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!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 25

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we stand at the penultimate episode of Bodacious Space Pirates, with Marika having assembled the remnants of Sea of the Morningstar’s once-proud pirate armada. From a position of strength so great they were once relied upon to maintain the region’s independence, these pirates have been winnowed down not by open combat, but by the steady erosion of the economic climate where they once thrived. Once proud privateers, they have been reduced to couriers and theme park attractions, more emblems of local flavor than drivers of martial destiny. And now, they are being targeted practically for sport, their existence deemed an acceptable loss for the cause of testing new weaponry.

It’s a dark day for pirates, to be sure, but they fortunately have the irrepressible Marika on their side. Though a life of piracy initially seemed far-fetched to our young heroine, she now appears to represent piracy’s future, or at least the hope of piracy having a future. With the implacable storm head of capitalism bearing down on her and the remaining stalwarts of piracy at her back, Marika stands ready to make history however this plays out. Let’s embark on a fresh episode of Bodacious Space Pirates!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 24

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today our crew stand on the brink of a conflict unlike any in recent history, as the disparate pirate community unites in defense of their way of life. Vessels which have for decades been dedicated to entertainment and smuggling will now prep for war, that they might forestall the end of legal piracy. With Marika standing as the young champion of this grand tradition, they will face down a terrifyingly advanced enemy ship, and attest in one voice to the enduring freedom of the stars!

Well, at least, I imagine that’s how things would go if this were a conventional scifi anime. Cathartic faceoffs and decisive battles indeed make for great television spectacle, but this is Bodacious Space Pirates, where history is measured in eras, not inches. It is not just one specific foe that threatens the space pirates; it is the continuous march of capitalism and empire, steadily colonizing the spots where freedom once flourished. Simply defeating this enemy vessel is not enough; if Marika and her compatriots are to survive, they will likely have to reach some accord with the Galactic Empire, to ensure piracy’s continued prosperity. Let’s see how our alliance is shaping up, as we return for another episode of Bodacious Space Pirates!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 23

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re steering our ship towards Bodacious Space Pirates, which most recently introduced the threat of genuine pirate hunters to harass our intrepid heroes. This was all quite surprising, considering pirates don’t actually engage in any sort of illegal business; they’re basically a combination of traveling entertainers and high-stakes couriers, with all of their missions approved by a central authority.

As such, it’s hard to say who would have a vendetta against any pirates, much less the concept of modern-day piracy in general. And on top of that, we’ve now got some weirdo warping in while standing on top of his spaceship, in full cross-armed Gunbuster array. Bodacious Space Pirates has generally taken care to partition the tone of its various core elements; the lighthearted high school drama doesn’t undercut the grounded scifi worldbuilding, and vice versa. But a dude standing on top of a ship doing sentai poses feels like a traveler from a more super robot-informed universe, and so I’m eager to see how he slots into our existing configuration. Let’s see how this confrontation plays out in a fresh Bodacious Space Pirates!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 22

Hey folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I thought we’d check back in on the intrepid spacefarers of Bodacious Space Pirates, who most recently served as security for the 19th Nebula Circuit. Marika performed admirably in her role of head of security, in spite of technically also being the main reason they needed security (since any would-be bandits were far more interested in her pirate license than disrupting a high school dingy race). But the true champion of the Nebula Cup was clearly Ai-chan, who managed to outmaneuver the enemy while piloting a ship designed for coastal sightseeing, and clearly proved herself as the Bentenmaru’s best potential dogfighter.

The Nebula Cup also served as the first arc to fully integrate Space Pirates’ professional and yacht club dimensions, at last fulfilling the promise of “hardened pirate crew must collaborate with a bunch of exuberant teenagers.” I’d love to see more of that as we enter our presumed final act, but will undoubtedly be charmed by whatever off-kilter adventure this gang gets up to. Marika has more than proven herself an excellent captain, she’s got a wide array of delightful eccentrics beside her, and the cosmos loom above, promising riches and wonders beyond imagination. Let’s embark!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 21

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time! I hope you’ve got your tickets ready, as today we’re bearing witness to the commencement of the 19th Nebula Cup. That’s right, it’s time for Bodacious Space Pirates, wherein Puppyhat and her yacht club compatriots will be competing for fame, glory, and presumably some kind of cash prize? I hate to be tacky about this, but I mean, we’re actually going to win something here, right?

Of course, regardless of how the actual race goes, Marika and the Bentenmaru will be receiving handsome compensation as the race’s security. And given the generally complementary relationship between narrative and, uh, conflict, the fact that Marika’s handling security basically guarantees this race is going to be a security nightmare. We’ve already been thoroughly spoiled by Kane’s return as club advisor (sorry, “coach”), and I’m expecting this arc’s comingling of Bentenmaru and yacht club drama to continue reaping hilarious dividends. Let’s see what the future holds!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 20

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. How’s everyone doing today? For me, the mood is a little restrained due to the currently overcast weather, but that won’t matter soon, as there ain’t no clouds in SPACE! Wait, are there clouds in space? Don’t quote me on that, I don’t actually know anything about science or the natural world. Regardless, we are indeed piercing the firmament and jetting into the vast beyond, as we check out a fresh episode of Bodacious Space Pirates.

When last we left off, Marika had almost made a serious mess of things by misplacing her captain ring. In her attempts to carry the weight of both the Bentenmaru and the yacht club on her shoulders, Marika swiftly exhausted herself, leading to dangerously sloppy behavior. Fortunately, her reliable princesses were there to save her, returning her ring while rightfully demanding she let her companions share her burdens. Marika is clearly a powerful space warrior, but even she can’t handle all these responsibilities alone; fortunately, from the yacht club through the Bentenmaru crew through Serenity’s royals and beyond, she’s established a remarkable network of allies to stand beside her.

With inter-act responsibilities resolved, it’s presumably time to embark on Bodacious Space Pirates’ final adventure. I’m eager to see what shenanigans our heroes get up to, so let’s dispense with the preamble, and set out for the stars!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 19

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today it seemed about time to dive back into Bodacious Space Pirates, and see what Marika and her crewmates get up to next. The sky’s the (metaphorical, I know they’re going into space) limit at this point, as last episode essentially cleared the board of all lingering dramatic variables. Jenny Doolittle has been successfully enrolled at Space College, the yacht club are tucked safely in their beds, and the Bentenmaru’s main crew are back in the field, and presumably hungry for some action.

With exactly a quarter of the show left to go, and three clearly delineated arcs already under our belt, it seems more than safe to assume that we’re about to commence the show’s final major arc. This presumably coincides with the fourth of the original series’ twelve total volumes, meaning I’m not expecting any sort of genuine closure here. That doesn’t bother me, though – Bodacious Space Pirates has never been about any particular overarching conflict, and beyond that, it’s already most closely patterned on a proudly episodic space drama. Just as Star Trek promised an endless string of far-flung adventures, so too do I expect the journeys of Marika to continue long after we’ve left the scene. Let’s see what fresh mess she’s gotten into this time, as we return to Bodacious Space Pirates!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 18

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today the sun is shining, the birds are trilling, and Marika is instigating another pan-galactic political incident. Having apparently not contented herself meddling in the affairs of Serenity’s royal succession, she has now gone and instigated an interstellar trade war, by “kidnapping” the heir of the Hugh and Dolittle Interstellar Transportation empire. Meanwhile, her actual pirate crew are still recuperating from a bout of space pneumonia, meaning her ship is being staffed by a bunch of teenagers.

All of this would be cause for panic for any conventional high schooler, but Marika has proven she is far more than that. Marika is confident yet largely without ego, quick to learn, and blessed with just the right dosage of piratey madness. With Chiaki, Jenny, and Lynn at her side, she’s got a team that would be the envy of many a pirate crew, age notwithstanding. Having cut their teeth on a conventional piracy appointment, I’m eager to see Marika’s Irregulars handle something just a tad more ambitious. Let’s get back to the battle!

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Bodacious Space Pirates – Episode 17

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!

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