Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking back in on Lilisa and the gang for a fresh episode of Rock is a Lady’s Modesty, as our group prepares for their first performance as a quartet. The stakes are high for this endeavor, as the show is actually a winner-takes-all Battle of the Bands, with ace guitarist Shiro sworn to join whichever group emerges victorious. Who will win, and whose skulls will pave the road of their opponents’ rise to glory!?

Well alright, I suppose it’s not quite that extreme. Nonetheless, this battle of the bands typifies what I’ve come to see as a fundamental philosophical disagreement between myself and Modesty’s original mangaka Hiroshi Fukuda. To him, rock music appears to be a battlefield, a place where violent personalities clash in pursuit of utter domination. He seems to view rock as something you can “win,” and I could not disagree more; I see rock as a place of solidarity, defined by community rather than individualism, where all contributions are valued in their own way. As such, a character like Shiro just seems utterly repellant to me, embodying values I see as alternately superficial (“rock is about raising a middle finger to society”) and antisocial (“rock is about proving how I’m the best”).

I can at least understand where Fukuda is coming from; the “rock” of this production is set up in direct contrast to the forced social propriety of Oushin, and that conflict maps reasonably well to a more general contrast of “individualism versus collectivism.” But I feel like sanding off the nuances of each of these philosophies has resulted in a selfish, somewhat juvenile rock ethos, where personal rejection of propriety is the highest goal, rather than the project of collective liberation embodied by rock’s greatest firebrands (which would in turn fit so well into the larger cultural divides this show occasionally gestures towards). My hope is that Fukuda knows this as well, and that our leads are intentionally being characterized as myopic in their perspective, with a revelation on the horizon regarding rock’s genuine liberatory potential. But for now, let’s grind Bitter Ganache into the fucking dirt!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re touching down at Oushin Academy during a moment of crisis, as Lilisa’s fledgling rock band faces its first major clash of personalities. Lilisa invited Tina into the band somewhat by accident, initially unimpressed by her piano skills, but ultimately inspired by her unflagging dedication to the cause, a passion that reminded her of her own efforts to impress her father. However, Shiro has no patience for imperfect performers, and has at last demanded Lilisa fire Tina from the group outright.

This disagreement speaks to a more fundamental issue the group hasn’t resolved: articulating what specifically they want out of this band. Lilisa set their initial goal as appearing at a specific festival venue, but that alone doesn’t dictate what sort of dynamic they’re seeking to cultivate as a group. Is this just a place where adversarial individual musicians spar and rage at each other, as Otoha seems to desire? Lilisa might have initially accepted that, but Tina’s continued presence would likely require a softer touch, and that in turn would challenge the show’s unconsidered assumption that “social niceties are false, aggressive confrontation is authentic.” I’m frankly ready for the text to move beyond that adolescent “fuck normies” ethos, but I’ve at this point learned to temper my expectations regarding this production’s insights into the philosophy of music. And hey, violent clashes of big personalities are basically their own reward, so let’s settle in for the fireworks as we return to Rock is a Lady’s Modesty!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to the storied halls of Oushin Academy, as our fledgling high class ladies continue to “rock out with their cocks out,” as Lilisa so eloquently put it. Having rocked out so successfully they actually conscripted Lilisa’s sister into their conspiracy, they have since learned that their symphonic band mutiny attracted a good deal of additional attention. Now both the accomplished guitarist Shiro and council vice-president Tina want to join their band, forming an unruly quartet where it’s unclear if any of these rock stars actually like each other.

Nonetheless, a collective love of music can be a powerful binding agent. And with such distinct and potentially incompatible personalities vying for power, my main hope is that the friction will force them to reveal more of themselves; both the personal histories that led them to rock music, as well as whatever ambitions they might possess regarding their musical future. So far, rock music has been framed as a form of “rebellion” that is as ethereal and temporally bound as the vision of queer love presented by this story’s Class S influences – a lark that might be tolerated during their questing adolescent school years, but which will surely be “outgrown” by the time they emerge from their chrysalides. Modern versions of these narratives have directly challenged this assumption of eventual passive integration into society’s conservative expectations, and given it’s actually starting from a point of “conservative social norms are bullshit,” I’m eager for this story to also chart a course beyond fully closeted expressions of identity. But for now, let’s see how the first full band meeting goes as we return to Rock is a Lady’s Modesty!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re storming the gates of high society with a battalion of rebellious rock tunes, as our heroines Lilisa and Otoha continue their dual lives as elegant young ladies and sneering rock gods. When last we left off, the two had just secured a pair of key victories, guiding a mild-mannered symphonic group into a rousing performance that affirmed their stage-ready skills. This in turn won Lilisa the support of her stepsister Alice, who was dazzled by the confidence and authenticity Lilisa could evoke in her true element.

While that performance was certainly a great success for our leads, it also has me wondering precisely what depths this series is interested in delving into, be they cultural, psychological, or otherwise. Rock here is defined largely as “authenticity,” or perhaps more specifically as a “lack of social propriety,” but rebelling purely because you don’t want to dress up and make nice is still defining yourself according to the expectations of your assumed social stature. You can’t make a character study out of two shallow veneers; if Lady’s Modesty wants to foster substantive emotional drama, it will need to dig deeper into the feelings and experiences that have driven its cast to their current perspectives. If, on the other hand, it wants to explore music as a unifying or even liberatory cultural force, it will likely need to elaborate on its philosophy of rock beyond “fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me.” Regardless, Lilisa’s always a pleasure to hang out with, so I’m sure we’ll find something to talk about as we charge through Rock is a Lady’s Modesty!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to check in on Lilisa and Otoha, our two fledgling rockers who now stand on the brink of their first public performance. That said, they’re not technically performing as a rock duo; hoping to test the waters as they seek like-minded bandmates, they’ve instead volunteered to fill in for a larger symphonic group, playing the bass and drums to accompany a congenial group of musicians whose group motto is “have fun together.”

This will, of course, be a total disaster. Otoha is not interested in “having fun together;” she is a ruthless maniac who seeks only to dominate her fellow players, and has already proven herself the most selfish drummer this side of Whiplash. For Otoha, rock seems to mean “indulgence” – indulgence in vulgarity, indulgence in ferocity, and indulgence in a total abandonment of the harmony-enforcing restrictions of high-class ladyship.

Otoha has fully internalized the compartmentalization Lilisa is still struggling to achieve, but the self-absorbed nature of her rebellion seems to leave little room for solidarity, community, or true reinvention – things that, while admittedly not “hardcore” in the same way as a sick drum fill, are just as essential to the philosophy of rock and roll. Struggling to pay for gas while sleeping in a van, drifting from friends and family as they gravitate towards socially proscribed careers, challenging an increasingly uncertain future with the flimsy saber of “artistic fulfillment” – such a tenuous life can only be made tolerable through embracing music as a community unto itself, through becoming a conduit of shared humanity expressed in glorious, deeply personal sound. Is there room in Otoha’s heart for such a selfless ideal, or does that raised middle finger stand as the beginning and end of her philosophy? Let’s find out!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re barreling through a fresh episode of Rock is a Lady’s Modesty, as Lilisa continues to balance her determination to become the Noble Maiden against the burning fire of her Rocker’s Soul. Though she tried her hardest to abandon the guitar and the spirit of rebellion it embodies, Otoha’s entreaties eventually broke through her defenses, forcing her to admit that rock is simply too essential, too intrinsic to her identity to be tossed aside.

Thus our heroes find themselves in a fledgling rock band, with their single agreed-upon rule of mutually respectful discourse not even lasting through their first official practice. But given the restraint they must exercise in their every public appearance, I suppose it’s not too surprising their collaboration has become a vehicle for exorcising all their violent, uncharitable feelings alongside their melodic fury. Though there have been gestures towards the inherent class-conscious ethos embodied by rock and roll, our girls have mostly embraced it as a vehicle for personal indulgence, a passion Otoha has specifically defined as “for her own satisfaction.” But is it truly possible to separate rebellious art performance from genuine rebellion, to seek excellence in the court of nobility even as your soul sneers at its every value? Let’s find out!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d take a stroll past Shoushin Academy, and check in on Lilisa’s continuing struggle between high-class propriety and raucous sincerity. Having endeavored for a full month to embody all the values demanded by both her academy generally and mother specifically, she has found herself no closer to genuinely, internally embracing those values. She has not learned to love Big Brother; it all still feels like bullshit to her, and that frustration has built until it demanded release, which she has found in the infuriating form of Otoha Kurogane.

Otoha appears to have no difficulty navigating this philosophical dichotomy, freely admitting to Lilisa that rock music is something entirely for her, a private fascination she can “lose herself in” before returning to the expectations of Shoushin. But is it truly possible for rock’s message of liberation to thrive in these narrow cages, or is she merely hoping to embrace rock’s indulgence while denying its ethos? Is the fire that rages in Lilisa’s soul nothing more than a costume Otoha can assume or discard at will? Let’s find out!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I thought we might check in on Oushin Girls’ Academy, and see how new arrival Lilisa is managing to uphold the tenets of dignified high-class ladydom. Having crawled up from the ranks of the peasantry through her mother’s union with the distinguished Suzunomiya family, Lilisa is determined to become the academy’s Noble Maiden, and thereby secure a lasting future for herself and her mother. And it won’t take much – just abandoning her current personality and her most precious memories, including her conjoined love of her father and the guitar.

So yeah, that probably wasn’t going to happen. Nonetheless, it took the intervention of fellow young maiden and born blue blood Otoha Kurogane to shake her poise, calling her back to the guitar and the earnest, unvarnished feelings it represents through the time-honored challenge of “what are you, chicken?” Along the way, Rock is a Lady’s Modesty has presented a bevy of charged visual motifs, defining life at Oushin as a series of cages and mirrors, barring true expression while consistently allowing glimpses of humanity to seep through in fountain pools, painted glass, or the sweat of pure, reckless passion. I’m at this point most curious to learn of Otoha’s “true self,” or whether she has actually managed to integrate the duality of propriety and rebellion more gracefully than Lilisa, but I’m down for whatever this team has to throw at us. Let’s get to it!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re barreling into a brand new production, as we continue to enjoy the fruits of this delightfully rock band-rich era of animation. This time we’re checking out the currently ongoing Rock is a Lady’s Modesty, a show whose title alone promises a culture clash between reserved, high-class elegance and raucous, audaciously expressive rock performance, as our heroine works to juggle her familial expectations and personal passions. So basically like The Ramones finding each other in a Class S drama or something? I don’t know, but I’m eager to find out.

As for our production team, director Shinya Watada has been a reliable hand at Sunrise for many years now, handling episodic directorial duties on major productions like the Gundam Build Fighters and Love Live! franchises. Both of those franchises are known specifically for the dynamism of their direction, and how well they make camera positioning an active part of the drama and comedy (that Kotori corner face is really just the tip of the iceberg), so I’m expecting good things from him and equally seasoned series composer Shogo Yasukawa. Interestingly, art director Hirofumi Sakagami is actually better known for background art than anything involving animation, which I suppose makes sense given the performance sequences will be motion-captured 3DCG based on actual performances by the OP group BAND-MAID. Watada’s own words demonstrate a clear appreciation for the themes of both rock band anime generally and this production’s particular contrast of values, so I’m feeling pretty darn confident about our prospects here. Let’s get to the show!

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