Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I figured we’d check back in on Togo and the gang with a fresh episode of Yuki Yuna is a Hero, as we all collectively wait for the other shoe to drop. Honestly, it feels a bit cruel just to be watching this show; with every episode viewed, we march further away from the charming friendship our leads have established, and closer towards the prophesied violent end of their heroic tenure. The inherent dramatic irony of this prequel saga means we cannot even hope for a happy ending; the “happiest” conclusion here is that the end comes swiftly, and our heroes aren’t strung along bearing false hopes.
In that, Washio Sumi Chapter is cleverly succeeding in further aligning us with Togo’s headspace at the end of the first season, wherein her certainty of eventual destruction led her to rebel against the Divine Tree itself. With failure preordained, the full cycle of the Divine Tree’s cruelty is certain to be realized, and we can witness firsthand how the deterioration of our heroes is interpreted by the true believers of this society. If they cannot be rescued, then they can at least be recognized for their sacrifice – so let us return to the battle, as the gods make their plans and us mortals suffer the consequences!
Episode 3
As always, we open with a journal reflection from Togo, asserting her determination to embody the “one plus one plus one equals ten” teamwork philosophy of her advisor
“Why did they name them Vertex? A word which means ‘the top.’” Togo is already asking the kind of key questions that would never occur to Yuna. Why are we apparently exalting the creatures that are attempting to destroy humanity?
Back at the hero dojo, the girls are showing pronounced improvements in their weapon skills
They receive their next assignment: to rest for a while, allowing their bodies and minds to reach the point of stability necessary for transformation
Even the Divine Tree’s “gifts” carry such a menacing undertone. That final image of monks worshiping at the bed of a retired hero is always close at hand – they’re never being genuinely rewarded, only fattened up for the slaughter
“Nevertheless, will I be able to relax?” Clearly not one of Togo’s specialties
Oh my god Nogi. She arrives in a preposterous sun hat and shades combo, speaking in some of the most tortured English I’ve ever heard. The way she says “Kagawa life” is incredible
“Nice, nice, yeah!” She continues to ramble in broken English as they head to their vacation destination. I have clearly underestimated the madness of this girl
She swiftly drags Togo into her lunacy by exploiting her love of martial anthems
It’s so damn cruel, though! All these charming personal moments, knowing it will ultimately resolve in Nogi’s tentative greeting of “Hey, Wasshi” to a girl who no longer remembers her
After the OP, we cut in on the pair of them tormenting Gin with frilly dresses. Togo is overwhelmed by the gap moe of a tomboy in lolita fashion
Figures that Togo’s complaint against wearing a ballroom gown is that it’s “unpatriotic”
We then transition to an insane Nogi fantasy of all three of them as idols, performing for a vast stadium filled with the same goofy superdeformed cat creatures that starred in her transformation sequence. Nogi’s mind is a beautiful and untamed wilderness
Nice rough distortions in the lineart for conveying the intensity of Gin beating this giant drum
Seems like this episode is actually formatted as something like a clip show, offering a wide-ranging montage of the girls enjoying their rest period. An interesting shift, seemingly making up for this season’s short running time by packing as many slice of life vignettes into one episode as possible
Togo reveals she dreams of becoming a historian. And in an odd, unfortunate way, she swiftly does – for she is the one to uncover the history of this Divine Tree system, as well as her own concealed history
And Nogi dreams of becoming a novelist, putting her wild imagination to work
“I like your expression when you’re kind of feeling sorry for yourself.” Gin offers a well-aimed quasi-compliment at Togo. It’s true, Togo is very good at sulking
Gin dreams of getting married and starting a family of her own, clearly having been inspired by the joy she finds in taking care of her brothers. A charming character-building moment that again doubles as abject cruelty, given our understanding of how their lives will actually turn out. Episode by episode, Washio Sumi Chapter is dismantling the alleged happy ending of Yuki Yuna’s first season, reminding us that this system is still rife with former heroes who will never get to live out their dreams
Nogi’s success with online novels lights a fire in Togo
“I’ll influence everyone to have a national defense ideology through my historical novel.” God damnit Togo
The combination of Gin’s early dreams of becoming a sailor guardian and Togo’s militaristic preoccupations inspire Nogi’s next dream of Togo becoming “National Defense Mask.” You know what, I think we need to separate these three
The teacher then informs us that our trio’s madness is about to be inflicted on an incoming class of innocent first-years during their orientation
But enough about that nonsense, Nogi’s received a love letter!
While the other two freak out, Nogi again demonstrates her suitability as a leader as she calmly basks in the flattery of the gesture
Then we’re off to the pool, where Togo is quick to inform the others about the danger of poolside accidents, and the importance of proper pre-swimming warmups
“We have this whole place to ourselves, so let’s enjoy ourselves fully.” An offhand line pointing to both the privilege and the isolation of the heroes
And again, it’s Nogi who reminds them they have responsibilities after this outing. Togo values her performance of discipline and seriousness, but she’s not a natural leader like Nogi, whose first instincts tend to be measured and group-oriented in spite of her flights of fancy
The orientation day arrives, and our girls perform an illustrated drama echoing the play that opened the first season
“I’ll fight.” “That’s right. We have the Divine Tree on our side.” This play isn’t just a sentai adventure – it’s an outright work of pro-Divine Tree propaganda, urging these first-grade students to risk their lives, and to believe that the Divine Tree will always protect them
And then the “patriotic warriors” National Defense Mask arrive, further underlining this performance’s jingoistic undertones. I appreciate this season getting deeper into how the Divine Tree manipulates its defenders, training children to believe in its mission and to support a stronger national army from their first arrival at school
Dear lord, they even made CG models of their National Defense Mask looks for the sake of this martial exercising song
“Rich country, strong army!” shout the impressionable young children
Excellent gag of Togo texting Nogi to “shout her name if she gets lost,” followed by Nogi just typing her name repeatedly into the group chat
As their rest period comes to an end, all three are hit with a sudden sense of regret, a fear of letting this moment pass
And Done
Sure, just torment us with another full episode of charming bond-forging vignettes, why don’t you. This episode largely embodied the highest calling of slice of life drama, using the off-kilter specificity of its scattered moments to articulate the lived experience of growing closer to another, absent any of the canned or heightened drama that is often used as shorthand for true mutual understanding. It is now easy to believe in the bond these three share, and equally easy to see how that bond will be exploited by the forces they’ve been taught since birth to see as their guides and protectors. Togo feels as at home with these two as she did with Yuna in the first season, and with their rest period ending, that home is on the verge of total destruction. You’re a cruel creature, Washio Sumi Chapter!
This article was made possible by reader support. Thank you all for all that you do.
