TW: Suicide, Sexual Assault, Rape, etc.
Wonder Egg priority is an anime that starts out with cute girl doing... not very cute things, similarly to anime like Madoka Magica. However, despite the themes of suicide, self-harm, body shaming, assault, vanity, etc. the writing and story still make the audience able to actually care about the characters and their plight. The story is dark and emotional enough to make you feel for the characters, but not so dark that you are left wondering what is even the point to all of this.
One of the most reoccurring themes in the show is suicide. However, it doesn't portray
...
suicide as a "coward's way out" or something that is vile or degrading. Rather, it portrays it as something that is... well, something that happens. It portrays suicide in a relatively neutral light and doesn't degrade any of the egg girls or maidens of it. Though the episodes are relatively contained with their storyline, there's enough that you don't hate the characters and are left wanting to see what they'll do next.
Each character has something in common with them in regards to the egg girls. Ai often deals with people who are victims of bullying combined with the bystanders who see what is going on but decide to do nothing about it. Neiru often deals with issues of beauty and vanity, Rika dealing with issues and topics revolving around idol culture and Momoe often dealing with pedophiles, perverts, sexual assault, etc. Similarly, these themes tie into the person that they're going into the dream land to try to bring back or save, someone that they themselves had lost to suicide.
In it's depiction of these themes, the anime also doesn't rely on being overly graphic. Though you do see Koito's dead body, it isn't shown in any graphic detail and similarly when one of the egg maidens (who happens to be a trans man) gets raped, you do not actually have to sit and watch it happen. While some reasons for suicide can be considered "unrelatable" to an audience, for anyone who has been deep within that culture or mindset would be able to relate to it.
For example, one girl has committed suicide because her cult leader said to. With the numerous cults that have existed throughout history (most infamous being Jonestown), it isn't far-fetched to say that it is a very real possibility and relatable experience to anyone who has escaped from a cult. Similarly, if anyone has been very deep in the idolization of a celebrity, one can understand how or why the two egg maidens killed themselves after their idol died.
I bring these up to show that the show even focuses on unconventional means or reasons of suicide for lack of better wording and while doing so, it doesn't portray anyone reasons any more worse or better than the other while also not glorifying it.
While the story does have it's flaws, I don't particularly find them to be inherently or seriously detrimental to the story. The two men in the story, scientists, have rather gender essentialist ways of explaining boy vs girl suicide. While the story does not expressly rebuke this, I don't think it has to. They're two scientists who are looking at things in a way that lacks emotional connection/availability and it is arguably a character flaw for them as opposed to the story or meta trying to deliver a message about the differences in suicide.
While there are some plot points that don't necessarily get touched upon, they do not grievously impact the overall arc of the story. Towards the end, it introduces a new villain who were created by an AI that the scientists had made. The implication is that though they made the "perfect" girl with flaws and feelings, her feelings of jealousy had driven her to murder the wife of one of the scientists as well as the implication that she played a part in driving her daughter to suicide as well. Though these plot points are rushed, they're left open-ended for the possibility of being picked up and expanded upon in season two if there is one.
Overall, it isn't a bad anime. In fact, I would say that it is quite good in it's handling of these sensitive topics without being overtly graphic with them while also not portraying any of the victims of suicide as idiotic or in a negative way (such as the cultist and idol girls), even if a majority of people may not be able to relate, they're still reasons why people commit suicide and are handled with as much care as suicide as a result of bullying or assault. For what it sets out to do, the anime does a good job of portraying it even if there are some hiccups along the way.
Despite the amount of death and suicide, it avoids the very thing that a lot of animes that carry dark themes fall into which is darkness-induced apathy.
Apr 9, 2021
Wonder Egg Priority
(Anime)
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TW: Suicide, Sexual Assault, Rape, etc.
Wonder Egg priority is an anime that starts out with cute girl doing... not very cute things, similarly to anime like Madoka Magica. However, despite the themes of suicide, self-harm, body shaming, assault, vanity, etc. the writing and story still make the audience able to actually care about the characters and their plight. The story is dark and emotional enough to make you feel for the characters, but not so dark that you are left wondering what is even the point to all of this. One of the most reoccurring themes in the show is suicide. However, it doesn't portray ... |