Sunday, May 21, 2023

Book Review: Disney Twisted-Wonderland volume 1


Stranded in the world of Twisted Wonderland, Yu must brave a magical school filled with ghosts, monsters, and uncooperative students!

Yu is whisked away to Night Raven College, an arcane academy in the world of Twisted Wonderland. Stranded until he can find a way home, Yu is allowed to stay on campus despite having no magic of his own. But when his new friends land him in trouble with the headmage, his future at the school looks bleak. Now Yu’s only hope of avoiding consequences hinges on bringing together a pair of argumentative first-years and a fire-breathing monster cat…

Disney Twisted-Wonderland. presented by the team of by Yana Toboso, Wakana Hazuki, and Sumire Kowono, will be released on July 11, 2023. VIZ Media provided an early galley for review.

I am a life-long Disney fan, and I have also delved a bit into the world of manga. So, a marriage of the two sounded interesting. This particular manga is based on Twisted-Wonderland, a mobile video game. The opening chapters of the game are reflected in parts of this volume's adaptation.

The story handles well the classic "stranger in a strange land" trope - a strange land where classic Disney films are part of the history and the classic Disney villains are celebrated as leaders. I enjoy all of the references - from phrases ("off with your head") to locations (the cottage near the mine and a haunted mansion) and more.

The artwork is also very well done. Manga very often utilizes the school uniform style, but here we get it with stylistic flare. The inking is especially well-done, especially when it comes to patterns that help to make fabrics pop off the page.

This is a story I will be interested in continuing to follow as it unfolds. With so many different kingdoms introduced, there is plenty of material opportunity for years worth of releases.

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