{"id":144159,"date":"2024-08-24T15:53:29","date_gmt":"2024-08-24T14:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/?p=40967"},"modified":"2024-08-24T15:53:29","modified_gmt":"2024-08-24T14:53:29","slug":"scums-wish-episode-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/24\/scums-wish-episode-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Scum\u2019s Wish \u2013 Episode 9"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we\u2019d check back in on the bedraggled stars of Scum\u2019s Wish, who are presumably hard at work doing the most mutually destructive things they can do to each other. Though to be fair, they were actually on the right track going <\/span>into<\/span><\/i> our last episode, with both Mugi and Hana having resolved to announce their crushes and thereby move past them. Unfortunately, Akane would never turn down such a ripe opportunity for chaos, and thus answered Mugi\u2019s confession by manipulating him into sleeping with her.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s all of a course with Scum\u2019s Wish\u2019s usual style, wherein youthful dreams are left to rot into festering obsessions, and every day stacks fresh sorrows upon the old. In the context of Mugi and Hana\u2019s somber perspectives, I actually quite enjoy Akane\u2019s proud \u201cI am going to cause problems on purpose\u201d attitude, a callousness and whimsical cruelty that positions her in a long and illustrious line of bodice-ripping baddies. Akane is a Dear Brother character in a world with no melodrama antibodies, offering a perpetual promise that things could always be worse. Let\u2019s see how her latest crimes play out as we return to Scum\u2019s Wish!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Episode 9<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

An open window and bright sky lead us back into Hana\u2019s bedroom, as she lays face-down on the bed. The open composition, lightly wafting curtains, and Hana\u2019s relaxed posture all convey a sensation of release and relief – the air is clear now, and Hana is no longer laboring under such a heavy burden<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to just die.\u201d Of course, she\u2019s still Hana<\/span><\/p>\n

Hana knows that Mugi is being tricked, but has at this point internalized enough of Akane\u2019s perspective to reflect that men actually just want a flattering fantasy<\/span><\/p>\n

She thus decides to let Mugi deal with his own bullshit, and agrees to go on a trip with Ecchan<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The ensuing shots establishing Hana\u2019s journey maintain the same wide, unobstructed compositions and light colors of the cold open, alongside an emphasis on wind gently blowing past her. All these signifiers point towards a tonal reset, space and light promising freedom and opportunity<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs this a heartbreak trip? A grieving trip?\u201d And once again, Hana herself provides a swift counterpoint, her reflections emphasizing that she brings a personal raincloud wherever she goes<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe wind feels so nice.\u201d Ecchan immediately aligns herself with this inviting atmosphere, encouraging Hana to look beyond her gloomy preoccupations<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Masaomi Ando\u2019s love of screen-in-screen partitioning is put to a simple but effective use here; we see first a panel of Hana staring out the car window, then one of Ecchan\u2019s eye lingering over her, then a panel capturing both of them as Ecchan leans over, emphasizing both the emotional distance between them and Ecchan\u2019s efforts to dispel it<\/span><\/p>\n

In spite of her persistent lamenting about having her heart broken, Hana is still consistently flustered by Ecchan\u2019s attention. The girl protests too much – even her articulations of sorrow emphasize how she is still full of roiling emotions, and her instinctive responses to Ecchan prove how hungry she still is for affection. A fair articulation of how high school romances tend to go; adolescents are full of deeply, self-consciously felt emotions, but those emotions are roughly as constant as a summer storm<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Though Ecchan promises they\u2019ll be alone, it turns out her cousin Atsuya is also at the house. Another funny flourish of screen partitioning as they eat dinner, with the frame placed so that Atsuya is cut out of both Ecchan and Hana\u2019s view of the dinner table until he asserts his place by speaking<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you mad?\u201d \u201cOf course.\u201d \u201cHow mad?\u201d \u201cGuess.\u201d Ecchan and Atsuya are sort of arguing, but it\u2019s still closer to flirting<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWere you planning on making her yours this trip?\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s right! And you\u2019ve ruined it!\u201d Gotta love Ecchan\u2019s shamelessness<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know she\u2019ll never fall in love with you. You just wanted one last memory together.\u201d A line that illustrates one of my issues with this show\u2019s writing. Though Atsuya says this line, it\u2019s actually so reflective of Ecchan\u2019s perspective that it tips over into somewhat unbelievable synchronicity of perspective. A show that\u2019s as preoccupied with diving into psychology as this demands an understanding of the countless differences separating our perspectives, but Scum\u2019s Wish has an unfortunate habit of leaning on a \u201ccollective internal voice,\u201d which is essentially just the voice of the author. The author\u2019s earnest preoccupation with these adolescent emotions makes them a fine enough vehicle for articulating them, but not for reflecting back on them from a more mature perspective, and also results in situations like this, where it\u2019s a little too obvious that everyone is working from a shared understanding of romance and identity. It\u2019s a big part of what makes this story a fanciful melodrama rather than an incisive character study, which is why I tend to embrace it on its own terms through savoring self-appointed narrative irritants like Akane<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s so wrong with choosing my own ending?\u201d Of course, there is something very true to the adolescent experience in these characters\u2019 lofty self-assessments and preoccupation with finality, in spite of not having truly entered the world in the first place<\/span><\/p>\n

Effective use of greyscale and letterboxing as we cut to a key memory, when Hana offered Ecchan a candy whose wrapper she\u2019s saved ever since<\/span><\/p>\n

And then a nice new use of screen-in-screen partitions: Hana and Atsuya are captured in tall adjacent panels, evoking the sense of a challenge that Hana cannot meet, causing her to turn away<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The two go on an early morning walk. The morning fog echoes the atmosphere of ambiguity in this place, as the recently unmoored Hana is dragged forward by Ecchan<\/span><\/p>\n

Atsuya urges her to pin down these ambiguous feelings, stating that \u201cSanae is not someone you should use as a replacement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What Hana really needs is not another lover, but some sort of goddamn hobby. Her life is so <\/span>empty<\/span><\/i>, so entirely given over to romantic entanglements that she barely has a personality of her own. Her interests are basically \u201csex,\u201d \u201cbeing deplorable,\u201d and \u201creveling in sweet sorrow,\u201d making it hard to imagine how she\u2019d manage a conversation with anyone not directly involved in her romantic drama. She needs to find somewhere else to direct her energy, after which she might start to realize that having your own life and passions is one of the most fulfilling and<\/em> attractive things you can do<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Of course, my impression of Hana\u2019s myopia is naturally facilitated by the limits of the show\u2019s own perspective. I\u2019d suggest more incidental conversations about things <\/span>other<\/span><\/i> than romance to give these characters\u2019 personalities more texture, but that might actually undercut the obsessive mood the story is working so hard to promote. It\u2019s a tricky balance<\/span><\/p>\n

Hana and Ecchan head out on a shopping excursion, which actually does provide a touch of that texture I\u2019m looking for<\/span><\/p>\n

Once again, a pointed contrast of light and color as the bright summer day is shadowed by lovers quarreling in the foreground. Hana\u2019s emotional battle is consistently echoed through this episode\u2019s use of lighting, the promise of freedom tarnished by reminders of romantic failure<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And then more clever uses of screen-in-screen partitions, as a vision of Hana in the foreground considers both her current situation and Atsuya\u2019s words, thereby conveying the distance between Hana\u2019s actions and her mental assessment of those actions. Ando\u2019s aesthetic flourishes work well for articulating the felt experience of self-consciousness<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, at least for now, nobody put a label on this feeling.\u201d Having spent so much time analyzing and regretting her feelings, Hana just wants to earnestly enjoy this moment<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, knowing this is unfair to Ecchan, she makes sure to add \u201cI promise this is the end\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hana tries to stop herself from crying while reflecting on her rejection, presumably knowing that any signs of weakness will be interpreted as a call for affection, and ultimately only lead Ecchan on further<\/span><\/p>\n

But Ecchan is actually the first to apologize, and thank Hana for humoring her one-sided love<\/span><\/p>\n

When Hana asks why Ecchan\u2019s choosing to end it, she replies simply \u201cit\u2019s too hard.\u201d A welcome jolt of maturity and self-care here, with Ecchan accepting that making herself miserable for love is no way to live. Hana could learn from her perspective, though of course Hana seems to relish the misery too much to abandon it<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cEcchan, please stay friends with me!\u201d \u201cAre you kidding me? Just stop! Do you have any idea how cruel that is?\u201d Hana <\/span>continues<\/span><\/i> to push, and at last Ecchan rightfully explodes. Even as Hana mentally scolds herself for being the worst, she still acts in such a way as to provoke the worst pain in those around her, prioritizing her immediate fear of abandonment and desire for praise over the needs of others. Then, having dragged others down around her, she goes right back to wallowing in how terrible she is, once again provoking others to console her. At least right now, she is a profoundly toxic person<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to know more about you. I promise I\u2019ll wait until you\u2019re ready.\u201d It\u2019s funny – Hana believes she is \u201cscum\u201d because of her inappropriate longings, her desperation to be loved in some socially unacceptable way. But honestly, her preoccupations are pretty normal – it\u2019s these bold, sincerely felt, and ultimately superficial gestures of solidarity that are the true problem, her natural talent for drawing others towards her and not letting them go. Akane has to work at this, but Hana is a natural tar pit<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy can\u2019t I just live with being alone?\u201d Ecchan, there will be other girls! You deserve better than Hana\u2019s pity! Go to college, make some friends, join a noise band and play terrible music. The world is much larger than you think!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know I have to forget. But I don\u2019t want to forget this taste.\u201d And thus Ecchan remains affixed within Hana\u2019s terrible orbit<\/span><\/p>\n

Ooh, gorgeous establishing shot as we get back to school, and check in on Moka devouring some bread. Good, I think we could all use some time away from Hanabi<\/span><\/p>\n

She sees Hana and immediately picks a fight. Excellent character<\/span><\/p>\n

In her proud defiance, her refusal to be pinned down by her love and thereby miss all the rewarding things in life, Moka actually offers a way forward for Hana<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And Done<\/b><\/p>\n

Thank you, Moka! While everyone else seems content to revel in their own sadness and squalor, Moka alone is taking brave steps forward, understanding that life won\u2019t wait for you to march out and savor it. She arrives like a breath of fresh air after an episode that was otherwise utterly mired in Hana\u2019s myopic and destructive philosophy, her simultaneous need to push others away and be coveted by them. Though Hana\u2019s attempt to reconstruct her personality according to Akane\u2019s example failed, until she learns to let go of things, she will continue to leave a similar trail of wreckage and broken hearts in her wake. Enjoy some goddamn bread, Hanabi.<\/span><\/p>\n

This\u00a0article\u00a0was\u00a0mad<\/a><\/em>e possible by reader support<\/a>. Thank you all for\u00a0all that you do.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we\u2019d check back in on the bedraggled stars of Scum\u2019s Wish, who are presumably hard at work doing the most mutually destructive things they can do to each \u2026 Continue reading \u2192<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-container-style":"default","site-container-layout":"default","site-sidebar-layout":"default","disable-article-header":"default","disable-site-header":"default","disable-site-footer":"default","disable-content-area-spacing":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[61,122,127,129,124,128,125,132,131,133,126,130,123,66,94,88,97,56,64,65,60,112,40,75,95,104,33,120,105,101,98,115,30,29,41,86,70,69,68,72,71,26,118,108,87,46,55,48,52,54,51,50,83,62,58,57,109,35,59,63,85,79,82,96,80,27,81,114,44,42,43,45,38,39,110,117,100,111,116,73,89,90,92,91,93,84,78,37,102,34,36,77,67,74,99,113,119,28,121,32,47,49,53,103,31,76],"class_list":["post-144159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anime","tag-airpods","tag-anime","tag-anime-characters","tag-anime-cosplay","tag-anime-edits","tag-anime-merchandise","tag-anime-movies","tag-anime-news","tag-anime-recommendations","tag-anime-reviews","tag-anime-series","tag-anime-streaming","tag-animes","tag-app-store","tag-app-store-samsung","tag-appgallery","tag-appgallery-oneplus","tag-apple","tag-apple-music","tag-apple-tv","tag-apple-watch","tag-bbc-sport","tag-best-mobile-games","tag-bixby","tag-bixby-xiaomi","tag-champions-league","tag-cyberpunk","tag-cyberpunk-2077","tag-fantasy-football","tag-fifa","tag-football","tag-formula-1","tag-fortnite","tag-free-fire","tag-free-mobile-games","tag-freebuds-pro","tag-galaxy-a52","tag-galaxy-note-20","tag-galaxy-s21","tag-galaxy-watch-4","tag-galaxy-z-fold-3","tag-game","tag-games","tag-golf","tag-harmonyos","tag-how-to-backup-iphone","tag-how-to-factory-reset-iphone","tag-how-to-reset-iphone","tag-how-to-restore-iphone","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone-5","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone-6","tag-huawei","tag-ios","tag-ipad","tag-iphone","tag-live-soccer","tag-lol","tag-macbook","tag-macos","tag-mate-40-pro","tag-mi-11-lite","tag-mi-home-security-camera-basic-1080p","tag-mi-home-security-camera-basic-1080p-huawei","tag-mi-smart-band-6","tag-minecraft","tag-miui","tag-mlb-scores","tag-mobile-game-design","tag-mobile-game-development","tag-mobile-game-marketing","tag-mobile-game-monetization","tag-mobile-games","tag-mobile-gaming","tag-nba-scores","tag-nba-standings","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-scores","tag-nhl-scores","tag-one-ui","tag-oneplus","tag-oneplus-9-pro","tag-oneplus-buds-pro","tag-oneplus-nord-ce-5g","tag-oxygenos","tag-p40-pro-plus","tag-poco-x3-pro","tag-pokemon","tag-premier-league","tag-pubg","tag-pubg-mobile","tag-redmi-note-10-pro","tag-samsung","tag-samsung-pay","tag-soccer","tag-sports","tag-steam","tag-steeam","tag-top-10-anime","tag-valorant","tag-when-do-the-iphone-7-come-out","tag-when-does-the-iphone-7-come-out","tag-when-is-the-iphone-7-coming-out","tag-world-cup","tag-xbox-series-x","tag-xiaomi"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144159"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":145239,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144159\/revisions\/145239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}