I recently finished Wonder Egg Priority on Funimation. Filed as psychological horror/drama, this is a show about the survivors of a suicide, and survivor guilt.
TW: Suicide.
It is also beautiful, mysterious, and (I think) a hopeful viewing experience.
Wonder Egg Priority is a show where the lead characters weaponize their coping mechanisms, which they do when they descend into a dream realm in order fight the traumas of other victims.
As the characters in WEP come together and fight the monsters that these traumas create. Empowered, they learn things about themselves when helping others with their traumas, and build towards a healthier emotional state, as they learn to forgive themselves.
So while the show is about difficult topics, the show manages to not be a total downer. The experience of watching an episode is often like watching a character take a difficult-but-firm step towards recovery; it’s ultimately hopeful, and that gives me hope.
This isn’t the first brush with this kind of suicide-focused media I’ve seen out of Japan. Japan has had almost twice the victims of suicide that Canada has over the past twenty years, though it appears those numbers are coming down. I would like to think that this is a function of media attention, and not under-reporting. But it also isn’t as if we couldn’t do better here in Canada, too.
But I digress.
So why is this show important to me?
I have a friend who was a victim of suicide some years ago. Media that talks about loss and the guilt we feel in these situations is important, because it can help us process these emotions. The show is correct, I think, that our experiences and our coping mechanisms become our weapons to help others.
A dub has been announced, which excites me. It’s a very good show, from an interesting team of creators, and the show deserves a wider audience.
If you decide to go ahead, you should know that while the show is primarily about the survivors of suicide, the show touches on some other subjects. Here’s a list of TW for the series.
If you decide to watch the show, or if you have already watched it, comment and tell me about it!
