Review: Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Episode 1: Caught in Her Own Trap

Screenshot taken from: http://www.crunchyroll.com/wolf-girl-and-black-prince/episode-1-chapter-1-caught-in-her-own-trap-662121

Review:

Erika has a problem—she is a liar. In all fairness, she is a high school girl who wants to fit in, and if memory serves this reviewer well then having a group is almost a necessity in Japanese social life. I could be wrong, but it would certainly explain the anxiety of Erika wanting to find someone to accept her. Then again, this happens even in American society—how many kids transform themselves into something they aren’t just so they can fit in with the “cool” and “popular” crowds? So I suppose Erika’s situation isn’t all that unique. Nevertheless, it doesn’t justify lying, but this seems to be Erika’s modus operandi, and as we quickly see this gets her into trouble.

By the time Erika actually makes it into her homeroom, the only “group” she manages to find consists of a couple girls who are of dubious morality. As her newfound friends begin to talk about their boyfriends (including one friend’s comments about her sexual relationship with her boyfriend), Erika feels the need to step in and talk about her non-existent boyfriend. Her new friends become suspicious, of course, which requires Erika to step up her game. How does she do that? By snapping a picture of a random guy on her phone and claiming him to be her boyfriend. Things become more complicated when the guy not only ends up being a student at her school, but also turns out to be a high-profile student known as the “prince of class 8”.

The plot continues on a downward spiral from there, as Erika drags off Sata (the aforementioned “prince”) and explains the situation to him, gaining his support at one cost: she has to be his “dog”. It seems that Sata has something of a sadistic side to him. My prediction for this series is that it will ultimately result in Erika and Sata actually falling in love with each other, and in the process they will either help each other change or find that they are the “perfect” couple because no one else could ever deal with their character quirks.

I have to be honest in saying that I’m not entirely sure if I will stick this one out. It will depend on how subsequent episodes go. There are some mildly lewd conversations in this episode that ultimately discuss premarital sex and bondage, although they don’t go into any really graphic detail. On top of that, there is always the potential that Sata’s attitude towards Erika could turn perverse. It is kind of stated in this episode that he won’t go in that direction, but only time will tell if that is true. Then, of course, there’s the fact that neither of these characters really has any redeeming qualities. Erika is a liar and Sata kind of is, too, although Sata’s actions near the episode’s end suggest that there may be a little more to him than what we’ve seen thus far. So, for now, I will keep this one in the rotation, but I am prepared to drop it if need be.

A Christian Perspective:

Exodus 20:16 – “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

And in case you’d like to argue that the above Scripture doesn’t necessarily condemn lying:

Revelation 21:9 – But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Well, I don’t really think I have to expound upon this connection very much. Erika is a habitual liar, and Scripture clearly condemns lying. On top of that, we see the consequences of her lying crop up throughout the episode, as one lie ultimately leads to another, until Erika finds herself neck deep in a situation that she never could have imagined. Proverbs 22:7 reads, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”

While Erika may not be borrowing money from Sata, she is still indebted to him. Basically, if he doesn’t play ball, then her high school reputation is ruined, she’ll have no friends, and her worse fears will come true. Yes, her motivations are shallow, but regardless her goals depend on his cooperation. Since he owes her nothing, she finds herself at his mercy, enslaved to whatever requests he may throw at her lest he expose her lie to her friends.

Content Guide:

Language: 2 “h*ck”

Alcohol/Drug Use: None

Nudity/Sex/Fanservice: Intro shows a male character lying in a seductive pose with his stomach exposed and a chess piece in his mouth; some lewd conversations between two high school girls–mentions of purchasing lingerie and sex outside of marriage

Violence: A character is hit in the head with a soccer ball; a character’s cheek is pinched; a character is flicked in the forehead

Blood/Gore: None