A new player enters the game, and while she may come off shallow and highly annoying, there might be more to Rika Kawai than it appears.
Director(s) | Yūki Yonemori |
Writer(s) | Shinji Nojima |
Aired (Funimation) | 1/26/2021 |
Introduced This Episode | |
Rika Kawai | Saitou Shuka |
Mr. Sawaki | Nakazawa Masatomo |
Cheimi | TBD |
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Recap
More Details Emerge – Ai, Kaito, Mr. Sawaki
Mr. Sawaki is the man who keeps coming to Ai’s house, since she became a recluse at the beginning of the semester and is also the man Kaito was found crying into the arms of. Was it because of the bullying, or something else? Why did Ai feel she intruded on something she wasn’t supposed to see? Could more have been going on, but Kaito didn’t feel comfortable or safe telling Ai? Heck, considering how the show is set up, will Mr. Sawaki be the final boss Ai has to face to potentially bring Kaito back to life?
I Don’t Like Her – Neiru, Ai, Rika
While buying a new egg for herself and Neiru, Ai runs into another girl named Rika. She is blonde, puts a high value on beauty, and pretty much follows (stalks) Ai for the entire day into the night. This leads to Neiru meeting her and not necessarily liking her, for Rika is shallow and a user. She eats all the snacks Ai brings, isn’t nice to Ai despite doing so, and the more Neiru hears about her, the more reason she has to not associate with Rika.
I’LL PAY YOU BACK! – Ai, Rika, Cheimi
Which, as Rika reveals more about herself, makes you feel the same way. She calls this girl who she is trying to save her wallet and makes fun of her weight. And just to really show you she is an ass, she notes she told the girl they couldn’t be friends not only due to her being a fan but because of how she looked. So, the girl, Cheimi, literally starved herself to death.
Now, mind you, between that and maybe other things that happened in Rika’s life, she is now or a former cutter. So it isn’t like Rika doesn’t have issues – a note that doesn’t excuse her actions. However, like Ai, maybe Neiru as well, you can see this all as an attempt to atone. Maybe, through the pain received from protecting strangers, understanding what their friend, sister, or associate felt before they took their life.
Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Is it only 500 yen to get an egg? Ai did give that much to Rika, so is it safe to assume that’s the cost?
- Aren’t the little demonic things not usually focused on the protectors? Why did one bite Rika?
Review
Community Rating:
Highlights
There Being More To Rika Then There Appears
We’re a bit torn when it comes to Rika. On the one hand, she is shallow, a user, lacks boundaries, and is utterly rude. Yet, she is also a teenager, if not a pre-teen, whose father spoiled her, and with being a junior idol, clearly, something went left. Now, one doesn’t 100% explain the other or excuse it either, but all of it is necessary to understand who Rika is. Including taking note of both the cuts on her arms and her weapon of choice likely being the blades she used to self-harm.
This pushes you to wonder what Rika’s life was like as an idol and her relationship not just with her dad but also with her mom? Never mind, since she is a former idol and attaching herself to Ai, are her parents even in her life anymore? Heck, to add in one more thing, she clearly was talking to herself when in the bath, right? So, when and why did she pick up that habit?
Still Developing Kaito’s Story
While someone new was introduced, with seeing Kaito cry into Mr. Sawaki and then him visiting throughout the week, a red flag gets raised. Because, with Neiru hinting at the possibility Rika has sex with older men, Rika saying she wouldn’t want a sugar daddy, and us seeing violence done to or by children, it’s not clear where the line is. When you see adults shown to be violent and abusive physically, a character who cuts themselves and seeing multiple characters who committed suicide, there is a need to ask, how far is Wonder Egg Priority willing to go?
Leaving you to wonder, when it comes to Kaito, what was the final straw and how much did Mr. Sawaki play a role?
On The Fence
Not Getting More of Neiru’s Story Before Introducing A New Character
Rika came out of nowhere and became the focus of this episode. Meanwhile, Neiru has been around since the tail end of episode one and remains a mystery. Outside of wanting to save their sister, nothing else is known. Not who she was, what happened to their sister – nothing. And with Rika’s introduction spilling into two episodes, it makes you wonder how long we may need to wait to learn about Neiru?
Wonder Egg Priority Directory
Character Guide |
Created |
Collected Quotes |
Not Created |
Season Reviews |
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Affiliate Links (If A Purchase Is Made, The Vendor Will Provide Us A Commission) | |
Title | Excerpt |
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The Best of 2021 - Television & Anime | Originally in order of season finales, but now in no particular order, here are many of the best shows whose season or series ended in 2021, or we only got a preview of. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 13 [Special Episode] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | Despite being a 40-minute episode, 25 is spent recapping the first season, and what is left? Well, it may not feel like it was worth the time you waited. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 12 "An Unvanquished Warrior" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | Wonder Egg Priority comes to an end, and it leaves a load of unanswered questions that might not be answered until this summer. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 11 "An Adult Child" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | Why Ura-Acca and Acca started the Wonder Egg Project is revealed, and the story is quite heartbreaking. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 10 "Confession" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | In a Momoe-focused episode, she meets a trans man and might be the first to reunite with who they're trying to save. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 9 "A Story No One Knows" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | In an episode finally honing in on Neiru and her personal life, we learn her company may have a connection to the Wonder Egg Project – without Neiru knowing! |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 8 "The Happy Friendship Plan" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | In this recap episode, we get minor new details, but not a whole lot. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 7 "After School at 14" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | In another Rika-focused episode, we meet her mother, learn more about her home life and the struggles she goes through. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 6 "Punch Drunk Day" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | As Mr. Sawaki finds a way to become a permanent fixture in Ai's life, the question of what was his involvement with Koito continues. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 5 "The Girl Flautist" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | We finally get some idea of what happened with Neiru and her sister, as Rika presents an idea of what happened with Koito and Mr. Sawaki. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 4 "Colorful Girls" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | Wonder Egg Project goes where most anime don't, as one monster is a pedophile, and we are introduced to an additional girl trying to save someone who committed suicide. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 3 "A Bare Knife" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | A new player enters the game, and while she may come off shallow and highly annoying, there might be more to Rika Kawai than it appears. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1/ Episode 2 "The Terms of Friendship" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | In "The Terms of Friendship," Ai is forced to do beyond the minimum, as she has done in the past, if she wants to save Koito this time. |
Wonder Egg Priority: Season 1 Episode 1 "The Domain of Children" [Series Premiere] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers) | What begins as a story about an adorable recluse becomes a rather bloody tale about how the lead character's friend committed suicide. |
Summary
Community Rating:
Not Getting More of Neiru's Story Before Introducing A New Character - 76%
Still Developing Kaito's Story - 82%
There Being More To Rika Then There Appears - 83%
80%
Despite wishing we got more about Neiru before a new character was introduced, it's hard to say Rika doesn't make her presence known and leaves you wanting to know more.
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Community Rating: