Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m feeling a strong urge to defy some cruel and distant gods, which can only mean it’s time for Yuki Yuna is a Hero. After this show’s first season built to the chilling revelation that our brave heroes are actually just batteries being sacrificed to facilitate a war between eldritch superbeings, it’s been hard to feel that much enthusiasm for the Divine Tree’s sacred tasks. And as this Hero Chapter has already demonstrated, even their alleged retirement was another illusion, as Togo was nonetheless tasked with single-handedly appeasing the fires of creation, a perpetual witch burned on a perpetual pyre.
Unsurprisingly, Yuna was not going to let her best friend suffer eternally in a pit of celestial agony. Thus the contract was broken, and our team was provided the frail assurance that “Togo was simply too tough to die,” even as the seal of duty migrated from Togo to Yuna herself. What does this mean for our team? Well, I’m frankly excited to not know; after two seasons with a fairly similar structure, we are now charting unknown territory, continuing the battle both for and against the Divine Tree into an era of increasing information parity. Can the empathy Yuna and her companions bring to their duties chart a new path, an escape from either the inhumanity of the Divine Tree or the oblivion lurking beyond the wall? Let’s find out!
Episode 3
We begin with a glimpse of the red-tinted void, before the sound of chimes heralds a great cascade of golden leaves. It seems without Togo in her sacrificial position, the Divine Tree might actually be dying
As always, these grand acts of destruction are conveyed at such a scale that they become somehow beautiful. It’s much like the overall philosophy of the tree’s followers – seemingly magical at a distance, utterly tragic in context
Solid color-led transition from that to the shore of Yuna’s town, with the fading light of the sunset echoing the decline of the Divine Tree
But hey, it’s Christmas! No time for gloom, let’s sneak in a slice of life episode while we can
“It looks like I’ll be able to celebrate this year’s Christmas with you.” “Of course we will, unless you disappear.” They can’t really go back to the way things were before, though. They’ve lost that childhood assumption of eternity – even as they’re enjoying their time together, they know such time is fleeting. Is it better to know you must savor each moment, or is such knowledge fundamentally incompatible with the carefree pleasures of youth?
Oh god, Nogi and Yuna are too powerful together. Don’t know how Togo’s going to handle Two Of Them
Quite amused by these traditional tapestry-styled shots from the OP depicting ancient magical girls fighting with laser rifles. “The world has always been protected by magical girls” is a charming bit of worldbuilding even in the grimmest narratives
“My Heart Hurts When I Think Of You.” A title with an obvious double meaning, referring to both Yuna’s feelings and her literal magical brand
“What’s with those glasses?” “I hear her vision’s gotten worse.” As in the cold open, all of their slice of life shenanigans are now tinted by the memories of their shared trauma. A joke about Fuu’s vision now feels like a challenge to the gods
Togo apologizes for disrupting their weekend plans by being a black hole
In spite of it all, their idle banter regarding studying for exams does effectively emphasize how Nogi has become a sturdy member of the group
Itsuki’s also looking towards the future, continuing her pursuit of being a professional singer through participation in a cross-school choral event
Fuu actually notices Yuna’s holding back, but unfortunately the slice of life vibes are too strong, and she’s swiftly distracted again by the others’ nonsense
“A riddle about shouldering someone’s debt?” Yuna suffers visions of all her friends joining in her sacrifice; the camera hangs low, right around their chins, emphasizing her disconnect with their feelings through her inability to see their faces
“Finally we are all together, having fun. I can’t ruin it.” Of course, Yuna is basically just doing the same thing Togo just attempted. That carefree happiness is only achievable if someone is secretly carrying the debt; the cruel bargain of their overall society recreated in miniature, within the confines of the Hero Club. They’ve basically created a magical girl Omelas
“I am being kept alive. That’s why I can stay on this side.” Yuna is contrasted against a barren tree in their school courtyard, emphasizing both the end of the year and the plight of the Divine Tree
The next day at school, everyone shares their own minor holiday misfortunes. The camera holds in close on a partial body shot of Yuna, again emphasizing her dislocation from the mundane concerns of her companions
This time it’s Togo who asks if Yuna is really okay. Stumbling, awkward pauses in their banter emphasize how all of them are dancing around their real fears, still waiting for the other shoe to drop regarding their rescue of Togo
Yuna eventually asks Fuu to speak with her privately. You can see Fuu’s growth as a leader in how confidently she handles this, defusing the tension with idle jokes to make Yuna more comfortable
More pointed cinematography here, keeping Fuu out of the frame so it looks like Yuna is attempting to reach out to an emotionless wall
But whenever she gets close to the truth, she sees a vision of her brand extending to her friends. Presumably the Divine Tree is learning from its mistakes – it can’t keep these girls from attempting to save each other, but it can scare them into silence by essentially taking their friends hostage
And again, a barren tree suffused with a golden light. The truth is closing in
Kinda funny that Itsuki was one of Tomoyo Kurosawa’s first roles, because it doesn’t really lean into her most distinctive quality – that sort of lethargic snark she can put on everything, which is utterly defining for Euphonium’s Kumiko, and remains prominent in more recent roles like her brief contribution to Frieren
As the sisters walk home, it seems their debt finally comes due, as a car speeds into Fuu crossing the street
And of course, Yuna feels guilty the moment she hears the news. Could she have warned them? Was it actually selfish to hide her bargain?
More excellent boarding and sound design here. This top-down view of Yuna’s room as she reacts to the news creates a very relatable sensation: the feeling of being so stunned that you imagine you’re actually floating above your own body, merely serving as an observer, unable to relate to this new reality. That combined with Yuna’s haggard gasps really bring her panic to life
Fuu’s in a neck brace, and will have to stay at the hospital for a couple weeks
“Anyone that violates traffic road laws should never be forgiven.” Thanks for that, Togo
“No more National Defense Mask. No more Black Hole.” They all renew the promise that Yuna is already breaking
“Whatever I try to do, there will be a ripple effect.” At home, Yuna comes to the unfortunately natural conclusion: her friends are indeed hostages, and any time she approaches the truth with one of them, they’ll be punished for her transgression
“You couldn’t even cook rice before.” “That was a long time ago.” While Yuna desperately seeks to maintain stasis within the Hero Club, the sisters discuss how they’re beginning to grow beyond it
Brutal sequence of Yuna silent in the hospital hall, incapable of entering Fuu’s room and maintaining their hopeful, forward-thinking atmosphere. Whether she’s become a black hole or not, Yuna is already isolated from the lives and feelings of her friends
Oof, brutal visual echo here – we repeat that composition of Yuna running against the twilight to save Togo, only now she’s running from her friends, lost among the barren winter trees
And Done
Well that was extremely unpleasant! An episode like this makes me almost feel nostalgic for the episodes where everyone is in despair, so they can at least share their feelings with each other. This was something even nastier; an episode that employed all the signifiers of Yuki Yuna’s slice of life segments only to emphasize their discordance here, the inability of even Yuna’s friends to fully trust in this peaceful reality. The Divine Tree has discovered a uniquely cruel method of extracting its acolytes’ powers, with the direction and sound design here doing a wonderful job of making Yuna’s panic, longing, and isolation fully tangible. Great job, you assholes!
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