REVIEW: ‘Wonder Egg Priority,’ Episode 10 – “A Story No One Knows”

Content Warning: Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10 includes misgendering, rape/sexual assault, and suicide

Last time on Wonder Egg Priority, the show shifted focus to Neiru, providing a powerful narrative that marked the beginning of the end of Wonder Egg Priority’s cour. A lot of plot happened, resulting in a powerful, heart-wrenching end to episode 9 that opened up a whole ‘nother can of worms. Naturally, all of that built towards this week’s episode: Wonder Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10, “Confession.”

Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10 shifts focus to Momoe, the final member of our egg quartet. I think I speak for all viewers when I say that I’ve been waiting for a Momoe-centric episode since we first saw her. Better, this episode focuses on Momoe’s first date, which has all the girls excited. Momoe dons an incredibly cute green and gold dress and lives her best femme life. And honestly, she looks so cute! What a great kid! It’s clear she’s excited about her date: even more clear she’s excited about something that a lot of teens find important. Then… the date happens and once more, Momoe is mistaken for male, when she is absolutely not.

Flashforward to the dreamscape and Momoe is in action, protecting yet another lost soul. At first glance, viewers might think that this is yet another young girl trying to survive the dream realm. I think that’s exactly what Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10 wants you to assume. Except that’s not correct. This lost soul named Kaoru isn’t a girl. They’re a transgender boy, down to their soul.

This takes us into a really important part of Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10: Momoe’s gender. You see, Momoe is a transgendered girl. Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10 doesn’t come out and say it outright, but if you’re queer -and if you are trans or non-binary- it’s clear that Momoe is constantly being misgendered in her daily life. It’s even more clear that this misgendering causes her a lot of heartache and pain.  Reasonably so because Momoe isn’t being seen for who she truly is by the world either.

Dear reader, I myself am not trans. I have trans loved ones and found-family that’s trans, but I can’t claim that identity myself. I can’t speak to being misgendered because I present as female, which was my assigned gender. And while I am non-binary -and use she/they- I still feel unable to speak to Momoe’s story as a trans woman, because I’m just…not. I’m just your everyday, non-binary Black woman. However, I do want to speak to the idea of being seen and speak as someone non-binary who has struggled with feminity my entire life.

Momoe’s arc made me cry. I mean, full-on ugly cry. Snot, eyes burning, stomach aching cry. I think that’s because so often, characters like Momoe are a one-two punch used for a gender reveal gag. Most anime would have mishandled a character like Momoe. They would have punished her for deviating from the binary, would have cloaked her in tropes to drag her down. She would have been a joke, a shocking reveal, a punchline. Momoe would have been ridiculed, especially by a certain subset of anime fans on the internet.  Heck, she still might be ridiculed. I wouldn’t put it past transphobic viewers, though I hope that gets crushed quick, fast, and in a hurry, should anyone try some mess.

In truth, I think far more viewers will see Momoe for who she is: a young woman whose kindness, earnest nature, and desire to be seen is authentic. I think far more viewers see a young woman who’s trying to live as she is, not as who the world wants to perceive her as. Momoe is a girl: there are no ifs, and, or buts. If you aren’t on board with that, then I’m honestly not sure what series you’ve been watching with me. I say this because Wonder Egg Priority isn’t playing around with these girls. When they drop clues to who they are, believe them.

Ai is a traumatized young woman who so often turns her rage inside until it comes out in her anguish and grief at losing her friend for not speaking up. Neiru is a genius who is perceived as a cool beauty despite being a deeply emotional young woman who’s just trying to do the right thing. Rika is an ex-idol whose fatphobia caused a tragedy that she’s trying desperately to do better from. 

Momoe is a girl, down to her very soul. A girl who’s chaffing from being misgendered. A girl who’s tired of not being seen, but still brushes off transphobia with a world-weary smile. But Momoe also contains multitudes and is just as much a hero as the rest of the egg quartet. My hope is that trans and non-binary viewers see Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10, and feel seen themselves. I think Momoe is a powerful character who a lot of teen trans girls could use right now. I’m not going to shut up about her for the rest of 2021 and beyond.

If you’re a cis viewer who’s reading this article, I implore you to watch this episode twice. Look for the colors of the trans flag. Listen to Kaoru’s words. Watch Momoe’s mannerisms. Maybe you didn’t get those hints on your first watch but get them now. Internalize them and carry them with you into the last two episodes of Wonder Egg Priority. Then go back and watch Momoe’s introductory episode. I won’t say that Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10 is perfect. In fact, I’d say that there’s still a hint of trans panic surrounding Momoe, which really is a shame. Additionally, Momoe’s trans identity is never confirmed. In fact, the word “trans” is never used in the subtitles. It’s all context and imagery, though Kaoru is most definitely confirmed as a trans boy.

And as I said above, I don’t feel able to speak to Momoe from a trans perspective. For that, I suggest checking out Anime Feminist’s Managing Editor Vrai and their commentary on Twitter to get some more authentic insight. I gave my two cents, but I think Vrai is a much more articulate person, and can better speak to Wonder Egg Episode 10 than I ever could. A lot of my watch of Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10 consisted of me screaming, “My sweet daughter Momoe!” because I just really, really love her. I love her earnestness, her strength, and her courage. Really, I want to protect Momoe. And honestly? I want to celebrate her and to tell her that I see her. 

But that’s how I feel about a lot of young trans kids, and honestly, a lot of trans adults. I want to uplift them and remind them that there is space for them. I want to let them know that there’s absolutely a seat at the table: that there is healing to be found. That one day -one day soon- they’ll be seen as wholly themselves, even if some jerk out there wants to invalidate everything they are.

In the end, Wonder Egg Priority Episode 10 leaves viewers on a few major cliffhangers. I would love to say that I know where episode 11 is going, but I absolutely don’t. The anvils that get dropped in this episode are really, really intriguing, and a bit heartbreaking as well. I still don’t really know what the ultimate resolution of the series will be, but I’m all in. More than I already was by episode 4. Coincidentally, that’s when Momoe was introduced.

I implore you to watch Wonder Egg Priority. I think I’ve done that in every single article, but this time, I really want to encourage you, dear reader, to pick this show up if, for some reason, you haven’t. Mind the content warnings, of course: don’t watch this and hurt yourself. But please, do right by yourself and engage with Wonder Egg Priority. It’s too important a series to go unnoticed.

Wonder Egg Priority is streaming now on Funimation.