Wonder Egg Priority explores the ambivalence of magical realism through the story of Ai Ooto, a 14-year-old girl mourning the suicide of her only friend, Koito. She stumbles into a dream world where she must protect the spirits of dead girls. This world exists inside Wonder Eggs, and to help these girls find peace, Ai has to battle sinister, knife-wielding demons called Seeno Evils. Even more terrifying are the Wonder Killers—massive, monstrous beings.
Ai is drawn into this strange system by a mysterious benefactor: two mannequins named Acca and Ura-Acca, who promise to bring Koito back to life in exchange for her efforts. Along the way, she meets three other girls—Neiru, Rika, and Momoe—fighting to save the Egg girls. They buy Wonder Eggs from a magical machine every week, entering different dream worlds on their missions.
Like any magical girl series, Wonder Egg Priority features otherworldly familiars that grant the girls abilities, allowing them to reshape their worlds, reclaim their agency, and gain confidence. However, the show takes an interesting approach. At first glance, it feels like a blend of adult drama and psychological horror, with an immediate impact. Its layered visual storytelling is reminiscent of directors like Makoto Shinkai, Naoko Yamada, and Satoshi Kon.
How Wonder Egg Priority depicts a subjective yet magical reality shows clear influences from past anime. It reimagines the magical girl genre in a more unsettling way. From the start, the protagonist is given a vague but ominous warning that is not meant to be taken literally but still hints at a high cost. Ai is forced to keep buying eggs without fully understanding the countless consequences.
The system Ai is caught in feels eerily exploitative, a theme seen in many avant-garde or arthouse anime. It compares Angel’s Egg with its surreal and symbolic storytelling, Neon Genesis Evangelion with its psychological depth, and Mawaru Penguindrum with its exploration of fate. Of course, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a key reference, as it famously deconstructed the magical girl genre by presenting it through a monstrous lens.
In Wonder Egg Priority, characters gain power, but their perception of the world remains unchanged even when their magical girl roles end. They shape their realities rather than being shaped by them. Though partially obsolete, the change analogy always brings the elegance and grace of traditional magical girl series like Sailor Moon. Ai, a reject due to her unusual impression, essays on a trip to take herself.
However, Ai does not change into a dream interpretation of herself, unlike conventional magical girls. She resists as she is—her power reaching entirely from within, not from an exterior basis. It is her own choice, her view, and her fight.
When addressing sensitive topics like suicide and mental illness, a show needs to handle them with both respect and caution. However, Wonder Egg Priority plays with fire, and no matter how carefully it navigates these themes, it does not always confront trauma in a way that feels truly brave. At times, its meticulous attention to detail—like its lingering focus on a girl’s feet—feels more like artistic navel-gazing than meaningful emotional storytelling.
The show attempts to create characters who are more than two-dimensional victims, but its understanding of mental illness remains shallow. How it designs and omits specific details for each Egg girl hints at more profound themes, but not always successfully. Wonder Egg Priority balances its magical realism carefully, often avoiding outright exploitation despite its heavy symbolism. It links charming comedy with harsh social commentary, keeping its tone from being too one-sided.
The director shows restraint at key moments, approaching complex subjects in a lopsided yet effective way. The show reveals rich details through unexpected moments—like the protagonist unintentionally glimpsing another character’s scars figuratively and literally. Ai’s own experience with bullying is reflected not through direct exposition but through the dream world in which she finds herself. Combining naturalistic character nuances and clever juxtapositions imbues objects and surroundings with deep emotional significance.
However, the raw egg breaks in the end as time and space become increasingly unsettling.
Despite its violent and traumatic backdrop, Wonder Egg Priority does not handle its heavy themes recklessly. How each character complements, and clashes with the others highlight Ai’s idealism, Neiru’s bluntness, Rika’s sharp-edged personality (sometimes literally), and Sawaki’s unnerving calmness. Each rebels against the expectations placed on them—whether by adults, peers, or themselves.
As the story unfolds, each girl begins to break out of her shell, slowly finding support and confronting her isolation. The show’s approach to magical realism and the magical girl genre creates an appeal that’s hard to pin down to specific moments. With apparent forces from numerous genres, Wonder Egg Priority defies austere categorization, making its stylistic options all the better striking.
It combines these opposing factors into something more potent than the aggregate of its components.
Japan’s anime drive has a unique form of probing spirituality, culture, entertainment, and art, and Wonder Egg Priority is no anomaly. Nevertheless, one central query remains: Is the show an anti-suicide message? Or is it simply another coming-of-age anime wrapped up in symbolism? In the end, it presents a teen drama packed with heavy imagery, layered meanings, and an emotional depth that, while at times immature, still leaves a lasting impact.
It is a show that always had the potential to be something great but was forgotten over time. Still, it is rarely dull—consistently engaging, challenging, and visually stunning. Wonder Egg Priority is a passion project from young, aspiring artists worldwide; it is one of the best-looking anime out there. At the same time—ironically—CloverWorks compensates for the lack of depth by pushing magical realism in a way that feels less whimsical and more contemporary.
References
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