The anime adaptation of the popular mobile game by Disney and Aniplex has finally arrived! As a huge fan of the franchise, I was thrilled to finally see many of my favorite characters brought to life in animation, especially after nearly four years of silence about the anime adaptation, until Disney surprised us all with the announcement last year.
With Takahiro Natori (Tokyo Mew Mew’s director) as the chief director and screenwriter alongside director Shin Katagai (The Ossan Newbie Adventurer), Disney’s Twisted-Wonderland The Animation is animated by Yumeta Company and Graphinica. The series is based on the manga adaptation written by Wakana Hazuki and illustrated by Sumire Kowono. The first season, Episode of Heartslabyul, takes place during the “Heartslabyul” arc, which is based on Disney’s version of Alice in Wonderland and the Queen of Hearts. It is also the first book in the mobile game. Episode of Heartslabyul follows Yuuken Enma, who is whisked away from his home world, Japan, to Night Raven College in Twisted Wonderland. In a world of magic, Yuuken stays in Night Raven College until he can find his way back home. There, he meets new friends who get him into all sorts of trouble.
Since I’ve read the manga, I knew the anime would follow the same storyline from the mobile game with only some changes. So, I had high expectations for the series, especially after seeing the trailers leading up to the premiere.
Almost Exactly Like the Manga
The first three episodes started off strong, especially the first episode, which introduced the setting, the story, and the characters. Although the series didn’t immediately start with the Heartslabyul arc, it began with the prologue that fans of the franchise are familiar with. In fact, the first three episodes cover the whole prologue from both the game and manga.
Everything played out almost exactly like the manga, with some changes and a couple of scenes cut. I loved the direction they gave to certain scenes, but I had no idea why they cut out a couple of scenes from the manga. I understand that they were trying to fit everything into thirty-minute episodes, but I felt like some key scenes were missing, such as a scene where Riddle, Trey, and Cater were talking a bit about the orientation or Deuce’s using his magic when Grim and Ace fought in front of the Statue of Seven. It made the transition from one scene to another a bit weird, especially after re-reading the manga before the premiere.
Only a few scenes have been cut so far, and although they didn’t really impact the story as much, it would have been nice to keep them. Although it made me worry a bit, I hope that if they do cut more scenes, it won’t be too much. Aside from a few missing scenes, everything played out exactly like the manga and how I imagined the anime would look.
Amazing Animation
If there is one thing that I am pleased with in this adaptation, it’s the animation. Yumeta Company and Graphinica did an amazing job animating the series. I really love how they handled the backgrounds and setting — especially their use of color to bring iconic places to life, such as Ramshackle Dorm and Night Raven College. I’m also very familiar with Yumeta Company since they animated almost all the anime adaptations of my favorite otome games. My satisfaction with their work makes me quite happy that they took on this project.
I am also especially pleased with the character designs and how they were animated in the anime. The trailers did not lie. What you see in the trailers is what you get in the anime. I was happy to see all the characters that I love animated. The character designs are similar to those drawn by Kowono in the manga and Yana Toboso, who created the original concept and character designs for the game. They even kept the charm that Toboso gave to each character, which made fans love them.
Everyone Gets Screen Time!
Speaking of characters, I really love that all the important characters in the game get their screen time, no matter how short, in the first episode. And I don’t mean Yuuken, Grim, Crowley, and the Heartslabyul cast. When I mean characters, I mean all the characters from the different dorms getting their own screen time as an introduction to the series.
Not to mention, the best part is that all the voice actors are reprising their roles. Aside from Yuuken, voiced by Yohei Azakami, all the characters are voiced by the same actors as in the mobile game. I squealed in excitement upon hearing their voices once more in the anime.
Great Opening and Ending
I also really love how the opening and ending were animated. The opening is the main theme song of the entire franchise, “Piece of My World” by Night Ravens, while the ending theme song is “Obedience,” sung by the cast of Heartslabyul. “Obedience” is also considered the dorm’s song to fans. I love that they highlighted the characters in the opening and that they used the Heartslabyul dorm song for the current season. It made me excited to think that the opening and ending will change to match the other seasons once the time comes.
Lots of References from Disney Movies
We also can’t forget the Disney movie references. Throughout the episodes, there are a lot of references and Easter eggs from classic Disney movies, including the statues of the seven classic Disney villains and the dwarves’ house from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The world and its characters are all inspired by the Disney movies, so there is no shortage of Easter eggs. It was fun to guess each reference and what movie it came from whenever they popped up. However, I wasn’t expecting to see actual original clips from classic Disney movies. I grew up watching them, so a wave of nostalgia hit me when I saw those clips.
Overall Thoughts
While Disney’s Twisted-Wonderland The Animation started off strong, it definitely feels like it’s for people who are already fans of the franchise, although this is a good introduction to people new to the series. As a fan myself, I am familiar with the story and characters, so certain things like the story’s pacing or the characters’ actions don’t bother me as much. I do wish the season had more episodes than the eight announced, though the Heartslabyul arc is actually shorter than the rest, not including the prologue. I feel like the anime could have at least nine or ten episodes rather than eight.
I am still excited to see what happens next, since the actual Heartslabyul arc starts from Episode 4 onward.
Disney’s Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode of Heartslabyul is streaming exclusively on Disney+.
