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Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Manga: Episode of Heartslabyul #1

Disney Twisted-Wonderland, Vol. 1: The Manga: Book of Heartslabyul

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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 fate hinges on bringing together a pair of argumentative first-years and a fire-breathing monster cat…

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 27, 2021

133 people are currently reading
7951 people want to read

About the author

Yana Toboso

218 books2,383 followers
Yana Toboso (枢 やな Toboso Yana) is a female Japanese manga artist born in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan and currently resides in Yokohama. She is best known for Black Butler (黒執事 Kuroshitsuji), a popular shonen manga series.

She has also written yaoi under the pen name Yanao Rock (簗緒ろく).

Appearance
Yana Toboso draws herself as a devil with a black body and horns, a white head, and a pointed tail. She has never uploaded a picture of herself, so her actual appearance is unknown.

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5 stars
885 (32%)
4 stars
942 (34%)
3 stars
661 (24%)
2 stars
194 (7%)
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26 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 400 reviews
Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,991 reviews314 followers
July 14, 2023
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/Q-rtRDbIMjs

Oh my goodness this was AMAZING!

I got into the game a few months ago because I heard about the manga releasing and decided to download the app. Well, I have been completely hooked on the game ever since! Idia has become one of my favorite characters and SO deeply appreciated the cameos we got of him in this first volume alone!! EEEEPPP!!

*coughs*

Moving onto the actual story though, I thought this was an excellent adaptation of the game! It honestly felt like I was reading the game but in manga form, which is exactly what I had been hoping for! I was worried that the battles from the game might not crossover well or that it would be like a one-page thing, but that wasn't the case either! There was a great building up and a lot of tension and action that was reflected in each panel. Those moments had me right on the edge of my seat despite me knowing what the outcome would be!

Since I have played the game, I thought another awesome part of this story is that I had no issues with the "transition" of me no longer being a "player" to Yu now being the main character. There is a really great balance where he is established as the character we're following, but also taking the "back seat" while the Wonderland boys shine. I definitely wouldn't say that is a bad thing because I think almost every reader is here for the characters we already know and love, but I think Yu fits right at home with them. I LOVED his determination early on and how despite not having any magic, he establishes a strong presence that has other people acknowledging him simply because of his determination and his strong will.

AND THE ART!!! Everyone seriously looks INCREDIBLE!!! Riddle's fierceness is completely epic! Deuce and Ace's bickering is as funny as always! Cater's happy energy really flows off the page and wraps around me! And Trey's happy and mediating smile and words totally made me smile! AND GRIM! He is just as much chaotically fun as he is in the game!! I absolutely loved it!

Now I've gushed about how I felt as a reader who is a fan of the game, but I think if you haven't played the game and/or are not familiar with the characters, this story could definitely seem pretty bizarre. Since the game thrusts you into this world and you start off confused and not knowing anything about this world you're in, that carries over into the manga as well. Because of that, there isn't that feeling of "I don't know anything about the characters!" or "Am I missing some kind of important information on this scene/character?!" Just like with the game, you slowly get to know each character and what their names are as well as why some characters act A LOT more hot-headed than others. It takes time and think that this first volume may have a lot of questions asked why things are the way they are or why X thing happens, but it's not so puzzling or weird that it makes you want to put down the story. The manga really excels in helping you want to care for the characters and get to know them just as if you were playing on the app for the first time.

With that said, I am SOOOOOO stoked for this to physically release!! I deeply enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it whether you're a fan of the game or not! It's a fun story with great art and great characters!

*I received an e-ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed are my own.*
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,361 reviews69 followers
June 12, 2023
I am, quite possibly, the worst person to be reviewing this book. Is it because I haven't played the game? Maybe in part. But the true reason is that I have what I like to call an Alice Problem - an unreasonable fascination with Lewis Carroll's Alice duology. Add in a knowledge of folklore and I know too much about the things this book is playing with.

Credit where it's due, though, this so far doesn't seem to be confusing the two most famous queens, Queen of Hearts and Red Queen. So far all words attributed to Riddle (a presumptive descendant of the Queen of Hearts) are, in fact, Queen of Hearts things, as is his hot temper. The whole Disney-Villains-as-Progenitors thing is a little weird, as are the choices they've made (no Lady Tremaine?), but it isn't jarring...like, for example, when Ace, Deuce, Grim, and Enma end up at the Seven Dwarves cottage.

Look, I just don't know about this. Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd played the game or was less of an Alice fan. But this is just odd and occasionally awkward as is. I don't dislike it, but I'm also not fully comfortable with it.
Profile Image for Jen.
3,488 reviews27 followers
July 8, 2023
My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

Ok, I'm not a huge Disney-head, nor do I play any console/computer games, so both of those tie-ins didn't ring any of my bells. I did understand the tie-in to Disney characters, it just isn't a huge selling point for me.

I don't think (?) there were any female characters in this book. Lots of pretty guys. I'm not against that, it just seemed odd to me. No whiff of romance, so not a BL that I could tell. Again, not against that, but some gender diversity would be nice if it's not going to be a BL. Maybe it develops into one later? I don't know the game, so not sure of how the storyline progresses.

The secondary characters all seemed to be incredibly immature in comparison to the MC. I felt badly for the MC, because he was completely kidnapped by accident and he LIKED his life, so not your typical portal story.

I guess since there is a lot of Wonderland and villain respect/worship, that the world our MC was brought to isn't going to make much sense and the characters from there would not be rational the way we would see it, but it was just...a tad too strange for me to enjoy.

Recommended if you like the game and are a big Disney fan. The artwork is pretty, so it's not hard on the eyes at least.

2, I am kind of confused and not overly impressed, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for ✨Rebel Fairy Hiatus .
319 reviews6 followers
December 30, 2024
I never knew this was a game, so two things attracted me to it: Disney Twisted and Yana Toboso.

I love Disney and anything Disney twisted on the original tales . . .

Yana Toboso is one of my favourite mangakas. (I swoon over Black Butler.)

I love how an ordinary human gets transported to a school full of magic, and now they have to learn about the world. Our MC is stuck at the Heartslabyul part of the school which is based on Alice in Wonderland.

This was easy to follow and the artwork of some of the characters is to die for. I love Riddle Rosehearts and I cannot wait to continue this series.
Profile Image for Zoe.
14 reviews
October 7, 2023
I’m a TWST fan, clearly, so I’m basically the target audience of this manga.
This volume covers the prologue which is my least favorite part of the story. It’s fun enough I guess. I enjoyed it when I was playing through the game but whenever it gets adapted I just think “let’s get this over with so we can get to the interesting bit”.
I recommend this manga for people who are fans of the game. For people who aren’t, but are interested in the premise, I recommend the game with all of my heart and soul.
For those who don’t know, this manga is an adaptation of the popular mobile game Twisted Wonderland, which was released in Japan in 2020 and received an English localization in 2022. It’s about a magical academy called Night Raven College populated by pretty anime boys based on classic Disney villains. Riddle is based on the Queen of Hearts, Leona on Scar, etc.
I downloaded this game because the premise was extremely funny. Little did I know that it would have some of the most fascinating character writing I’ve seen in any piece of media, let alone a free mobile game. What were the writers on? Why is the catboy such a realistic portrayal of depression? Why does this game tackle themes of privilege with more nuance than I’ve ever seen in anything?
It’s like a natural evolution and subversion of the original Disney movies that told you to “be good”. While being good is obviously a good thing, the ability to have the traits of classic Disney heroes—kindness, courage, motivation—is something that has not been made possible for many of the traumatized teens of NRC. Instead, the story watches them as they (through many trials) learn how to become as good as they can be, for themselves. They learn how to support themselves and achieve their goals.
It’s a story about a bunch of flawed people slowly getting better. That sounds so dumb when you look at the content of the game, because so many dumb things happen. Most of the story is hijinks and comedy, but when it gets serious, it gets serious. Never for too long, though, so the game can keep that ✨E for Everyone✨ rating on the App Store.
If you like good characters, play the game! If you like hijinks and events that are practically situational comedies, play the game! If you just think Leona is hot, play the game!
As for the manga, idk it’s pretty I guess
Profile Image for Michelle Easton.
606 reviews35 followers
August 8, 2023
I love the Twisted Wonderland game, and this manga is adorable. It’s stays true to the characters with a gorgeous art style. The story flows into that of the game. I can’t wait for the second volume to come out and I can experience more of Night Raven College.
Profile Image for Paula.
330 reviews7 followers
October 8, 2023
I’m honestly vacillating between 2.5-3 stars. As a Disney and Alice in Wonderland fan, I really wanted to completely love this manga. There are parts I did enjoy- I like Yu’s character. The portal transport I understand….and it is a twist on Alice falling down the hole; however, it falls a little flat for me. Love Riddle and I’m looking forward to seeing how his “off with their heads” comments actually play out….he’s a good villain. I clapped a bit when the crew ended up at the Seven Dwarves cottage….was hoping for a bit of crossover, but nothing yet.
Maybe if I was a gamer and had played the game, I would have understood better the elements being brought together. I did enjoy it enough I will continue the series….that’s the Disney nut in me.
Profile Image for Jess | jadecanread.
1,299 reviews189 followers
September 15, 2024
I haven’t played this game but I know someone who was obsessed with it so I downloaded the manga for funsies.

Yeah this is not a good intro to the franchise lol. I don’t care for any of this and will not be continuing maybe I’ll pick it up again if I ever play the game though!
Profile Image for kornik.
206 reviews4 followers
Read
November 2, 2025
bardzo dobrze się bawiłam, kreska też przyjemna, ale nie będę tego oceniać, bo nawet nie wiem jakXD
Profile Image for Nea.
16 reviews
January 7, 2025
Pour être honnête je sais pas trop quoi en penser...C'est pas foncièrement mauvais mais franchement j'ai dû forcé ma lecture à plusieurs reprises et j'ai trouvé ça...assez plat ? Je comprends pas non plus la hype dessus, j'ai vu qu'il y avait une adaptation anime prévue pour 2025 mais j'ai pas la vision je crois lol. Je sais pas si c'est dû au fait que je découvre l'univers en premier lieu à travers l'adaptation manga (et pas le jeu) ou que je suis pas une grande fan de Disney mais franchement si les dessins avaient été pas très beaux j'aurais probablement arrêté la lecture plus tôt lol

Je verrais si je me laisse tenter par le tome 2, peut-être qu'un développement plus intéressant m'y attend, en attendant j'ai trouvé ça mid à fond voilà
(Un peu déçue aussi pcq Yana Toboso a travaillé dessus, aka la mangaka de Black Butler et elle nous a toujours habitué à de la qualité à fond)
Profile Image for Masu.
43 reviews
December 26, 2023
Heehee, it was really fun to compare the differences between the game and the manga! Am happy i ran into this book in the wild☆ Getting to see the characters do something slightly different but not out of character (which they have to do because the "mc" isn't a faceless nobody for the player to project on, thus giving them a real personality to bounce off of) is really fun!
Profile Image for Esme.
991 reviews51 followers
March 7, 2025
Well apparently past me had no taste and rated this a 3 star!? Umm yeah no its like a 4.5 ⭐️

REALLY interesting concept! Very excited to see where this leads! Loving the characters and the art! Every one is easy to identify which is so nice with Manga cause it can get very confusing. Really good start to a series!
Profile Image for Austin (Weird).
269 reviews8 followers
November 27, 2023
3.5 ⭐
I'm pretty sure that Disney threw up all over this manga and called it a good day. I think the only good thing about this manga is its art.
Profile Image for Brenda Cannon.
150 reviews
December 14, 2023
If Alice in Wonderland x Kingdom Hearts x Harry Potter had a baby, it would be this. I was hooked immediately!
Profile Image for Coco Nut.
27 reviews1 follower
February 5, 2024
I love my friends so much, Ramshackle gang forever 💙
Profile Image for Iris.
303 reviews46 followers
April 7, 2024
This was such a fun manga to read!!

It is an introductory volume, but it was super fun and it sets the narrative for the next volumes really well, in my opinion, especially considering I have never played the game before!
Yu and Grim are hilarious together and their adventure with Deuce and Ace was both hilarious and intriguing. There is clearly a lot happening at Night Raven College, there's mystery not only concerning the school itself, but also the students!
I just love the idea of having a magic school created around the Disney Villains! I can't wait to know what happens in the Heartslabyul dorm next!! (And hopefully, start to get to know a bit of the other dorms too!!)

There is also absolutely gorgeous art in this manga series, which only enhances the reading experience, making it much richer more the reader.

I can't wait to read the next volumes and to start understanding what is happening!!

Profile Image for Theresa.
680 reviews
June 7, 2023
I received a free ARC of this manga from Viz Media via NetGalley. While I have not played the mobile game I was intrigued by the combination of manga and the Disney Universe. “Yu” is transported into a magical world where everyone arrives to a school because of their magical prowess, but Yu has no magical powers. The school doesn’t know what to do with him so he is assigned janitorial duties and a living space until he can figure out a way back to Japan.

This got better as it went. The art was nice and the Disney references easy to understand. I found the tanuki character who also arrives at the magical orientation a bit annoying, but the action sequences were well done. I’m not sure I would personally seek this out to continue additional volumes, but I could see it as an easy recommendation for teens – especially those who like fantasy and Disney mashups which have been popular lately.
Profile Image for havies_tea.
102 reviews23 followers
April 26, 2025
I'm intrigued! might up the rating once I read the other volumes available in my library. I love how the Disney villains are their legends and how the main character is an ordinary person thrust into this magical world. One complaint I do have is a lot of the characters have same face syndrome, but that's not ruining the story for me. I just hope in the next volumes their designs differ a little more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for s ♡.
190 reviews3 followers
October 14, 2025
me reading any of this, for no reason: wow is that a persona reference
Profile Image for Katie.
682 reviews17 followers
July 1, 2023
On his way home from class, Yuken Enma gets transported into a different world, one that is topsy-turvy and filled with magic. While being employed as a magical school's janitor, he has to figure out how to get home to Japan. Oh, and there's Disney references.

I was in it for the Disney references... but I was pretty lost from the beginning. This looks to be quite the lengthy saga beginning, and there's absolutely no resolution to anything in this book. It sets up a LOT, but nothing is explained at all. I've read manga before, and the art is comparatively on point, but there's a lot of action shots for a story that doesn't seem to make sense or have much going on. There are a few times when it feels like there are missing panels.

Maybe I'm just too old for this now, so I don't "get" it? Maybe because manga isn't my go-to reading source, I just don't connect with the whole thing. Or maybe it's just badly written? In any case, I won't be continuing this series, which is disappointing, because God only knows how Disney obsessed I truly am. Oh well.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!
Profile Image for Katie Kaboom.
303 reviews2 followers
August 3, 2023
I played the videogame up until Book Six! So this was so fun to revisit!!! It is everything I loved about the game WITHOUT ALL THE STRESS OF THE GAME.
Disney + Anime is such a fun combo and as always Riddle is my son and I will protect him.

And the art!!!!! Oh the art is just GORGEOUS
Profile Image for Leeann.
553 reviews18 followers
August 21, 2023
This was such a fantastic read!! I love how its similar to Harry Potter and classic Disney movies. This manga was written so well and I loved reading every part of this story, from the beginning to the end!

I am sooooo excited for book two!
Profile Image for Azbaqiyah.
1,004 reviews
July 30, 2023
Plot - 4 ⭐
Character - 4 ⭐
Writing Style - 4 ⭐
World Building - 5 ⭐
Art - 5 ⭐
Cover - 5 ⭐

Overall - 4.5 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Displaying 1 - 30 of 400 reviews

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