Twisted Wonderland: The Animation is an anime show that fans have been waiting for since early 2020: a whimsical world filled with magic, mages, and most of all, Disney.
The series draws inspiration from the well-loved, older characters of classic Disney movies and places them into a magical school called Night Raven College. There are seven dorms in total, spinning off movies such as Alice in Wonderland, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and more. Heartslabyul, for example, follows the theme of Alice in Wonderland with elements such as the Queen of Hearts’ 810 rules and decor around the dorm such as the rose trees and the hedgehogs and flamingos for croquet. Additionally Savanaclaw, the dorm based on The Lion King, is shown later on to be very sandy, with elephant bone decor similar to the hyenas’ land.
The overall plot is well written, revolving around the idea that a magicless student is sent to that academy and is unable to get home. This causes the main character to deal with each problem in a dorm, making them the prefect of the school. What makes this anime unique is that each season is a new protagonist: every main character of a season has some sort of identity that plays into the fact that the main character could be anyone, regardless of their gender and Night Raven College being an all-boys school.
The series starts off by diving into the strong-willed main character of the first season, Yuuken Enma. The first episode introduces the viewer to his character with his first appearance in an after-school kendo club. However, on his way home he gets run over by a carriage and wakes up inside of a coffin in the world of Twisted Wonderland.
The show cleverly builds up own characters, showing a subtle depth to their personalities already within the first few episodes. One of the best examples of this is the character Riddle Rosehearts. Riddle is the head of the Heartslabyul dorm, also known as the Housewarden, and is based on the Queen of Hearts. This is portrayed very well from the start, ranging from his temper in the first episode, where he wants to keep the ceremony proper, to even in later episodes when the dorm rules are broken. He has a short-fuse temper and a strict set of guidelines to follow. As the show progresses, the viewer sees how his character unfolds as he softens up.
The target audience for Twisted Wonderland is Disney lovers and anime fans who enjoy shows that launch the main character into a new world. If you enjoy the isekai genre, then this may be the series for you.
