Disney Twisted-Wonderland, Vol. 2: The Manga: Book of Heartslabyul

Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Manga: Episode of Heartslabyul #2

by Yana Toboso, Sumire,Hazuki, Wakana,Komoto, Sumire,Kuwono Sumire Kowono (Illustrator)

Yu is formally enrolled in Night Raven College. He’s even a prefect…of Ramshackle Dorm. But that doesn’t mean things are getting any easier for him. When his classmate Ace shows up on his doorstep after getting in trouble, Yu faces his biggest challenge yet!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Magic, Graphic Novels, Comics, Young Adult, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2023

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this right after volume 1 last night but it was like 3 AM when I finished it and promptly passed out after lol.

Still loving the series!! I hadn't realized it was only 4 volumes so I'll probs try and finish this one tonight into tomorrow!

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might have been expecting a little more on the magic-fight side of things, but this odd little slice of life stuff is kinda cute too. The character designs are ridiculous, and the names are atrocious (in the best way), and I can't help but keep going. I do want to bonk Riddle on the head with something though. C'mon, man.

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse me while I try and calm my giggles because this volume was everythingggggg!!!

Literally with every new cameo or character appearance I started giggling and squealing because I love these characters so so so much and this manga has only strengthened that! It was INCREDIBLE to see these characters drawn as wonderfully and beautifully as they were!

And not just that, but one of my favorite parts is how it captured the fun of Cater's character specifically, but also this slightly dangerous side to him that made everyone pause for a moment and gulp. LOL! I really feel this series continues to bring a darker edge than the game does and I am 100% here for that! (I will also add that it's very much in Riddle's expressions too and totally forgot how unhinged he is in the beginning! LOL!)

Another one of my favorite parts is how funny this volume was! I definitely remember laughing at a lot of the shenanigans that unfolded when playing the game, but Yu's expressions were wayyyyyy too on point that I would often burst out laughing! He really does have a strong presence in this series that even if he is not the focal point, he is still there blending in with these characters so well!

Lastly, my other favorite part was delinquent Deuce. OH MY GOODNESS MY HEART!! HE IS WAY TOO PRECIOUS!! 😭😭😭

Another fantastic and very well-done volume! I need the next one ASAP!!

[lapetitepritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

riddle never did anything wrong

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Getting better. Riddle and his rules are over the top but he makes for a good villain at this point. I think he’s more misunderstood. Yu’s dreams are tying the old Alice series with this manga which I’m liking. The world building is better with volume 2. Looking forward to the next volume

[pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

got too hogwarts-y way too soon

[Enairolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

À peine sorti en librairie que le second tome est déjà englouti et qu’il va falloir attendre début juillet pour avoir le troisième tome entre les mains.. Quelle attente cruel ohlala.. J’ai tellement mais tellement aimé ce manga! Déjà le premier tome m’avait complètement séduite, de toute façon dès que ça un rapport avec Disney vous êtes certains de m’avoir pour le coup. Et ça n’a, encore une fois, pas loupé avec ce titre. Je sens que ça va être le genre de manga que je vais adoré de plus en plus au fil des tomes!

Dans ce second tome, après avoir vaincu le monstre de la mine des nains, Ace et Deuce se font « couper la tête » et emmener de force par Riddle à la maison Heartslabyul. Maintenant impuissants et entravés, leur avenir au campus dépend de Yu et Grimm et de la pierre magique qu’ils étaient venus chercher… Entre une chanson pour hérissons, un binôme inattendu, un crime inexcusable et une embrouille d’œufs cassés, les premiers jours de cours et la vie au dortoir s’annoncent on ne peut plus mouvementés…

Déjà je suis clairement fan de l’univers en lui même. On mélange l’univers Disney a un monde fantastique avec une école de magie qui a différentes maisons, toutes en rapport avec un grand Villains de chez Disney (La Reine de Coeur, Hadès, Scar, Maléfique, Grimhilde, Ursula et Jafar) mais en plus de ça, les professeurs font aussi références aux méchants. Contrairement au sept fondateurs qui sont les vrais méchants, les professeurs, eux, nous font penser à d’autre méchants. Le prof de sport qui ressemble à Gaston, la prof d’histoire de la magie qui ressemble à Lady de Trémaine avec Lucifer ou encore le prof de potionologie qui ressemble étrangement à notre chère Cruella d’enfer! Bref j’adore. Mais l’histoire est excellente elle aussi, j’aime beaucoup les personnages que l’on rencontre. Ace me fait beaucoup rire avec sa façon de ne jamais respecter les règles, et parfois sans le vouloir d’ailleurs. Grimm qui me fait beaucoup rire aussi avec sa façon de parler parfois, Yu qui se retrouve embarqué dans tout ça alors qu’il ne voudrait qu’une chose : rentrer chez lui. L’histoire est très dynamique et on découvre des tonnes de choses. Ça donne vraiment envie de pouvoir dévorer la suite. J’ai très hâte de découvrir ce que le prochains tomes va nous réserver, surtout quand on voit les drôles de rêves que fait Yu!

Un second tome aussi bon que le premier, j’en attendais beaucoup de ce manga et je ne suis clairement pas déçue pour le coup! C’est même encore mieux que ce j’en espérais c’est pour vous dire! Je suis même triste de me dire qu’il n’y aura que quatre tomes mais bon, toutes les bonnes choses ont une fin comme on dit. J’attends début Juillet avec une très grande impatience maintenant, je veux le troisième tome!!!

[✨Rebel Fairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am totally sucked into this!

I have checked for the mobile game, but it is unavailable in my country...😭 At least I can get the manga and be part of the world.

The story continues with Yu's introduction into the world. He gets these weird dreams in the form of the Disney Alice in Wonderland Animation - Queen of Hearts and the cards. Might this be an Omen?

I can't wait to continue this series - I am hyping high on it.

I melt with the cuteness and laugh out loud at the Warden of Heartslabyul. The Art is still amazing and I can see the character's resemblance to Black Butler.

#MyNextObsession.

[Katarzyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love riddle
Riddle save me
Save me riddle

[Martin Maenza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disney-Twisted Wonderland volume 2 will be released on November 14, 2023. VIZ Media provided an early galley for review.

Earlier this year, I was able to review volume 1 of the series which I found very enjoyable. I am eager to see how the story continues in this collection of the manga.

The first of the seven chapters here finishes the opening arc of the series, with Yu and Grim finding their place at the school. Then chapters 6 through 11 provide a lot more world building details of other locations on campus, especially the Heartslabyul dormitory house where Ace, Deuce and Trey are assigned. In fact, we start to get a bit more establishing details on these three who are adding to the core of the book's team of protagonists.

Once again, I enjoyed when the classic Disney elements are emphasized - in each of the houses, in several of the instructors, and even in the two page spreads from Yu's dreams. The Disney connection works very well here, just as it did in the Kingdom Hearts video games and manga from the earlier part of the 2000's. The addition of the style guides at the end offer more details from the faculty members modelled after additional Disney villains.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You've already started down the path of being a perfect student. And if you feel that strongly about it you can use this setback to propel you forward. And someday, you will accomplish your dream."

The second volume of Twisted Wonderland: Book of Heartslabyul is even more fun to read than the first one! Yu and Grim are accepted as students, after successfully retrieving a magestone and their new condition as students sets the reader up for an exciting adventure!

In this volume, there is a lot more when it comes to world building: Yu and Grim learn about the different dorms (which is one of the most interesting parts of the volume, in my opinion) and about the workings of the school too. There is also a lot more information about the way the Heartslabyul dorm functions, which was really interesting to read about!

There are a lot of new characters introduced, like Cater and Trey, which I adored; we got to know more about Ace and Deuce's personalities and then there was an introduction of some students from different dorms. Even though they were shown briefly, they truly add up to the excitement of discovering the way things work, along with Yu.
There was also an introduction to three different teachers and I really liked them!! The three were based off Cruella de Vill, Lady Tremaine and Gaston and I think they are really well characterized! I hope they show up more!

Finally, much the same as the first volume, the are in this is absolutely gorgeous, making the reading experience more immersive and enjoyable.

I can't wait to read the next volume! I hope Ace gets back into Riddle's good graces, finally hahaha

[havies_tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can definitely say I enjoyed this volume more than the last. We're getting more information on the school and its different dorms. Each dorm is based on one of the seven villains (Queen of Hearts, Jafar, Scar, Maleficent, Hades, The Evil Queen, Ursula) Which I'm so happy about because I was confused on if they were going to expand on the other students.

Also, the main character is able to see the future through dreams? I'm very intrigued.

Would be a five if it wasn't so slow to get going. The meat of the story starts a ways in imo. I'm still enjoying the series, nevertheless.

[Michelle Easton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely adorable. The game is so much fun and so is the manga. There are so many nods to the game even when it diverges from the plot a tiny bit. I love the characters, especially Grim. There are so many things to love about this manga, so I can’t wait to keep reading.

[Kaitlynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the character designs in this series.

[Melissa Flanagin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Asia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Als ik het spel niet kan spelen, dan maar de manga lezen.

@Nik, jij zou deze ook vermakelijk vinden

[merodeadora · Rating 3 out of 5]

esto me está gustando más de lo que creía 👀

[Coco Nut · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars 5 starsss! Can't wait to see riddles ob!!!

[Teeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.


Disney's Twisted Wonderland Vol 2 is pretty much an exact continuation of the concepts laid down in Vol 1. Tumblr sexymen everywhere, standard Isekai plot points, overly cartoonish animal sidekick, hot upperclassmen. However, I'm really starting to get the vibe that this is going to take a *long* time to get anywhere interesting with the plot. Right now it's almost entirely slice of school life, even if that school life is magical. In this volume we meet a few of the upperclassmen from the Heartslabyul dorm, get a quick rundown of the other dorms, learn about unique spells, and have a run-in with the character who is based on Scar from the Lion King. And other than that, really nothing happens, which is disappointing. There's no romance threads, no overarching villain established, and no goal that the students are working towards. It feels kind of listless where the first volume felt like setup. Too much of a chill thing is apparently detrimental. I really want to see some establishing work for a villain or a problem in the next volume or meet more of the characters who will be genuinely important.

[Amanda Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute second installment to the series. I would have liked to see more action than I did, but I get that there is still a lot of world building happening. I like the stage that was set in this one with Yu's dreams. It leaves room for some potentially really cool twists.

[Mindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have really spent way too much time thinking about the plot of this series.

So as of right now there are only the first two volumes available in English. As the title indicates, those books are both centered around the Heartslabyul House, or the House that honors Alice in Wonderland. More specifically, in the story they revere the Queen of Hearts. And supposedly, all of the houses at Night Raven College exist to honor a different Disney villain. I mentioned this in my review of volume 1, but this series is based on a game. And I think that's why if you think about the plot too much you realize that there are some pretty big holes here, and things that just don't really make sense. This entire franchise exists as a flashy Disney vehicle. The characters are fun and good looking, and the world of the school is pretty cool, but as soon as you start to dissect the plot, everything just becomes a mess.

This series is obviously meant to be a lot like Harry Potter in a Disney setting. Disney villains are popular, so they used a handful of them to act as mascots at a school of magic. But the way it's set up in the books doesn't make a lot of sense, especially with the other houses. It's hard to make this point with Heartslabyul, because everyone just dresses in clothing that looks like playing cards, but in volume 2 the protagonist has a run-in with the House Warden of the SavanaClaw Dorm. This dorm honors Scar from The Lion King, and all of the students look like lions, and actually have tails.
In Harry Potter students are sorted into houses based on their personalities, but how you end up in a dorm at Night Raven College is never explained. It would seem that your physical appearance is the only thing that determines which dorm you live in. And that makes zero sense.

But like I said, I think I've spent way too much time thinking about this story. Sure, it doesn't make a lot of sense, and I've just mentioned the tip of the iceberg here, but I don't want to ruin the series for anyone. I don't hate this series, I just think that you need to enjoy it for the art and not try to pick it apart too much. Especially for a manga that's based on a Disney game.

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

And here's where we really start to get this story going. Once again I have to reiterate that I do highly encourage everyone interested in this series to start with the game itself. As the source material I feel that there is a lot within the game, in terms of experience for the audience and in terms of the way that it is written, that gets somewhat lost within adaptation. And I still maintain that the manga does seem to rely on the reader already being at least somewhat familiar in passing with the actual plot and setup of the game. None of that to say that there's no value within the manga; to the contrary, there absolutely is! I think it can still be a decent introduction to the overall story and world of Twisted Wonderland, and I think that it has extra added value for people who are already fans of the mobile game!

Volume one previously, though it is marked as being part of the first book of Heartslabyul, really just covers the events of the prologue book from the game. This volume is where we actually start to really kick off the storyline that we get in-game in the book of Heartslabyul. There's a lot more focus on getting to know our characters of Ace and Deuce, introducing the characters of Trey and Cater, and seeing where Riddle Rosehearts propels the story forward. Not just the story of this particular book but honestly the entire overarching story of the game/Twisted Wonderland itself. It can take a moment to hook you but it's worth it.

I cannot praise the art enough and I do genuinely enjoy this adaptation a lot. I really hope that I continue to see more people taking an interest and reading the manga so that way we can hopefully get more of it translated and adapted into English! Sadly, the mobile game isn't well advertised by Disney despite the fact it has phenomenal writing and fantastic love and respect for the Disney source material it pulls from (far more love and respect and care than I see from so many other Disney spin-off properties,) so any interest in the manga really does help keep the adaptation alive!

[Kajen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minęło dużo czasu odkąd czytałem pierwszy tom, więc musiałem sobie kilka wątków poprzypominać w umyśle podczas pierwszych stron, ale na szczęście zostały one mniej lub bardziej przytoczone przy okazji – w końcu konsekwencje akcji bohaterów z pierwszego tomu do teraz się za nimi ciągną i przez następne tomy też będą.
Kreska jak zwykle świetna, dobrze oddaje styl gierki (w którą dalej nie mogę zagrać, duh...), mimo iż wg notki autorka obawia się, że rysowanie ich charakterystycznych fryzur dalej jej nie idzie. Podoba mi się to, jak Yuu nie jest kompletnie pozbawionym cech bohaterem, który po prostu ma wejść w miejsce gracza. No i tu też trzeba dodać, że w tym tomie w końcu pokazani są szczegółowo uczniowie innych domów w NRC i z niektórymi są już interakcje (Leona, kocham cię). Nie powiem na ile jest to zgodne z tym co się działo w grze, bo cóż... Mimo wydawania mangi (komiksu?) w Polsce, gra nie jest nawet dostępna w Europie. Szkoda. Jedyne co mi się nie podobało to strona techniczna, tj. tłumaczenie w niektórych momentach – i tu zaznaczę że serio tylko w MOMENTACH, gdzie było po prostu... sztywne? Chociaż trzeba dać plusa tłumaczom za to, że nie spolszczają wszystkich nazw własnych. Lecę czytać resztę tomów o Heartslabyulu.

[Lauren ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Viz for an ARC of this volume in exchange for my honest review!

I’ve started playing the game, so I was thrilled to see another opportunity to read the next volume as an ARC.

Rules are important - and the structure for this whole volume. Best not to lose your head, yeah? The world building continues and is a bit more solid here. (I’m just very much not a Heartslabyul fan!) it was very exciting to see the introduction of the other dorms and classmates start.

Riddle is a lot for me - I don’t really enjoy the rules he sets and the structure he’s created. I know that’s the point, as many of the Heartslabyul dorm members are feeling frustrated, but sometimes I wonder if it’s too much? Perhaps I’m letting my personal character bias get in the way here. I’d love to see more of the other dorm members user their magic - not just a magic lock around their neck. We got some of that in this volume and I can’t wait to see more:

I’m looking forward to the rest of this English release by Viz!

[Andrea Ambroso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cap. 5-11
Yu riesce a riportare la pietra al preside del Night Raven College e riesce a guadagnare un posto come studente nella scuola, ma siccome non è dotato di poteri magici il suo compagno di studi sarà Grim, il gatto parlante e loro saranno considerati come uno studente unico. In questo volume si va a conoscere il passato di Deuce, ex teppista ravveduto, che cerca di diventare lo studente perfetto. Ace invece non riesce più a sottostare alle assurde regole del dormitorio Heartslabyul, rischiando un’altra volta l’espulsione. Riddle Rosehearts, il capo dormitorio, non ammette infrazioni, ma proprio il suo essere cosi’ intransigente, porterà un malcontento generale tra tutti gli studenti del dormitorio. Menzione d’onore ai professori presentati in questo volume che sono cattivi Disney, anche donne, ridisegnati al maschile: Divus Crewel, professore di pozionologia; Mozus Trein, professore di storia della magia; Ashton Vargas, insegnante di educazione fisica.

[Ellyn → Allonsythornraxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

23/03/2025
3 ⭐
This world is interesting for sure, but the series isn't grabbing me yet.

✨ 50/100 read for 100 Graphics in a Year Reading Challenge ✨ + also read for the graphicsathon round 14!

Letterboxd | Instagram | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Twitter | StoryGraph | Hoemance Book Club | Graphicsathon | Scoobathon | Wishlist

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the dramatic events of book 1, Yu manages to rescue his classmates from expulsion and is granted conditional acceptance to the magic college. But Ace can't seem to stay out of trouble and Deuce isn't quite what he appears. And don't get me started on the upper classmen! If Yu is going to keep things in order, he'll have to learn a lot quickly.

So, the worst part of this was that the plot was all over the place and is still fixed on introducing a cast of zany characters. But honestly, the characters are a hoot. The disney tie-ins are delightful, and this book manages to create familiar scenes while ensuring everything still feels like Heartstabyul. The artwork is optimal for a fairy tale shoujo, and the baking scenes are pure sweetness. I wasn't so sure about this series after just reading book 1, but I might be officially hooked now.

[MaguiWorld · Rating 3 out of 5]

En este segundo tomo de Disney Twisted-Wonderland, Book of Heartslabyu tenemos la oportunidad de conocer a otros personajes y de profundizar en aquellos que ya conocimos en el primer tomo.

Al igual que el primero, se leer muy rápido, la historia te atrapa y me encanta la mezcla que tiene con otras producciones de Disney y también los guiños hacia otros historias como por ejemplos las casas de Hogwarts.

Twisted-Wonderland es una historia para poder despejarse un ratito, para divertirse con los personajes y para maravillarse con las ilustraciones.

Muchas gracias Planeta Comic Argentina por el ejemplar y la confianza.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm getting the impression you can only really enjoy this series if you're familiar with the game. I'm not, and so the manga is doing absolutely nothing for me. Honestly feels like a bit of a Harry Potter rip off and I don't understand why there are zero female characters? Unless it's an all boys school but I don't recall that being mentioned in either of the first two volumes. Anyway I made the mistake of buying all four volumes before I knew if I'd like the series or not, and usually when that happens I push through and read the whole thing since I already own it anyway, but with this one I don't think there's any point. So for once I'm gonna cut my losses and give up here.