Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Band 1

かがみの孤城 [Kagami no Kojō] #1

by Mizuki Tsujimura, Tomo Taketomi, Anne Klink (Translator)

Kokoro traut sich nicht mehr in die Schule - zu viel ist dort vorgefallen. Doch dann stellt sich ihr Leben auf den Kopf, als sie eines Tages durch ihren Schlafzimmerspiegel in ein mysteriöses Schloss gelangt. Dort sollen sie und sechs weitere Jugendliche den versteckten Schlüssel zu einem geheimen Raum finden, in dem nur einem von ihnen ein Wunsch erfüllt wird...

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

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 19, 2019

About the author

Associated Names:
* Mizuki Tsujimura
* 辻村深月 (Japanese)

Tsujimura is an award-winning novelist, she is best known for her mystery and children novels. She studied at Chiba University and won the Naoki Prize in 2012 for Kagi no nai Yume wo Miru (I Saw a Dream Without a Key), and in 2018 she won the Japan Booksellers' Award for her novel Kagami no Kojo (Lonely Castle in the Mirror).

Japanese name 辻村 深月

Reviews

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

i enjoyed this first volume so much! the art was fantastic and i wish i could continue reading the manga, but the other volumes aren’t available on my libby ): so i’m excited to at least listen to the audiobook of the novel!

[Corn8lius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un bon début, j’ai hâte de lire la suite !
Je voulais lire le roman depuis des années, mais je pense plutôt continuer l’adaptation en manga qui est vraiment intéressante.

Le 3/5 peut sembler un peu bas, mais ça a été une bonne lecture sans être un coup de coeur ou une excellente lecture. J’ai cependant passé un très bon moment. Vivement la suite.

[Sandra || Tabibito no hon · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10, cudowna, ale jednak moc słowa to moc słowa i książka jest dla mnie ciut lepsza ❤️

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

[Lilli Immel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der erste Teil hat mir sehr gut gefallen, die Dynamik zwischen den sieben Schülern und der Wolfskönigin im Schloss hinter dem Spiegel ist vielversprechend - die folgenden 4 Teile warten schon. Zuerst bin ich aber auf die Romanvorlage und deren Erzählweise & Perspektive gespannt.

[Elena Coorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este primer tomo conoceremos a Kokoro, una joven de primero de secundaria que no sale de casa desde que un grupo de chicas del instituto la acosaron. Sus padres hacen esfuerzos para que ella cambie de colegio y vaya a una academia especial, pero Kokoro siente que no puede salir de su habitación. Una mañana, su espejo empezará a brillar y, como Alicia en el país de las maravillas, Kokoro atraviesa el espejo y llega al Castillo. Un lugar un poco tenebroso regentado por una niña con una máscara que se hace llamar “Señor Lobo”. Una vez allí se encuentra con otro grupo de niños y su anfitriona les explica que el Castillo estará abierto durante un plazo en concreto y que en el interior hay escondida una llave. A quien la encuentre se le concederá el deseo que quiera. A partir de entonces Kokoro va haciendo incursiones al Castillo y descubriendo que es capaz de hablar con otros jóvenes.


Es un manga raro y peculiar, con una historia y dibujo un poco creepy y un primer tomo que es introductorio, pero que tiene un muy buen ritmo y unas ilustraciones muy acorde a la historia.
Lo he disfrutado mucho y espero seguir leyendo los siguientes. 😍

[Feyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich habe letztens den Film im Kino gesehen und war jetzt neugierig auf den Manga. Der mir tatsächlich gut gefallen hat. Die angesprochenen Themen sind nicht einfach, aber es ist wichtig, dass darüber auch in Literatur und Kunst gesprochen wird. Ich bin sehr gespannt auf die weitere Umsetzung der Geschichte.

[Shaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think manga format adds anything, not continuing. I'd rather read the novel. Why is it split into so many volumes - to make money at £13 per volume.

[Courtney]

The novel obviously does the story telling so much better but it’s just as heartbreaking. The art adds another layer to it just as the movie did. I can’t believe I have consumed this story 3 different ways now and it’s still just as good.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5 ⭐️ Ein echt süßer und zugleich verdammt trauriger Start in die Serie. Ich bin sehr gespannt, welche Schicksale die anderen Charakter erlebt haben 🙈

[esther! · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
first 5 stars of the year, im so glad im giving it to this book<3 i missed the story sm

[inouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like a kid on Christmas cause I love when books are adapted into another format, mangas are a first! 🫶🏻

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though the plot has always intrigued me, I have never read the novel Lonely Castle in the Mirror . So, I was curious about a manga adaption of the story. And I am pleasantly surprised!

The story is cute, magical and mysterious. The characters are lovable and intriguing. And it works so well as a serialised manga. I am hooked and enjoying the experience, rooting for the characters' developments. And I a little more likely to eventually pick up the novel as well.

[Lesebiene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das war mal ein ganz anderer Manga als ich sonst lese, aber ich wurde total in die Welt hineingezogen. Erst hat es sich ein wenig so wie ein Ghibli-Film angefühlt, bis es plötzlich sehr erst wurde. Dicke TW an der Stelle: M0bbing. Kokoro ist mir schnell ans Herz gewachsen und ich hoffe wirklich, dass die mit den anderen Leuten im Schloss im nächsten Band noch mehr bonden kann. 💛

[BreAnna (Bre'sBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but hard story so far, check trigger warnings.

[Carm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean… I already loved the story. Now I can add amazing artwork to the love fest. 😍

[kornik]

nie będę oceniać tej pozycji, bo był to pojedynczy skrawek historii, po którym nie wiem jeszcze praktycznie nic.

[Carlos Ortiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primera entrega de este manga de 5 volúmenes que nos pone en la piel de una chica que deducimos de que no puede salir de casa por ansiedad… hasta que un día su espejo se convierte en un portal hacia un castillo en e que hay una llave escondida que le permitirá cumplir un deseo. Aunque allí se encontrará también a otros adolescentes de su edad.

No me ha parecido gran cosa este primer volumen en el que básicamente se presentan a algunos de sus personajes principales. La narración me ha parecido algo caótica y el arte nada del otro mundo.

A pesar de esto me parece muy buen fondo de armario para una biblioteca escolar de secundaria.

[Cindy Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up thinking that it sounded familiar - and then I remembered that I have the novel version of this book (although I still need to read it). I always love when books are so good that they can be adapted into many different formats - good stories transcend the limitations of whichever medium you happen to encounter. Not only is this a book and an a manga, it has also been translated to anime.

This is the story of 7 teenagers who step through their glowing mirrors into a castle - a castle being monitored by a girl in a wolf mask and a fancy dress. They each learn the rules on the first night, and they are given a year to find a key that will grant them to a room which will fulfill one of their deepest wishes. In the meantime, they are given a room in the castle that they can visit during set hours, and they learn about each other during these mysterious visits to the castle. The main character is named Kokoro, and during the course of this manga, you learn that she faced terrible bullying. In this first entry, you only learn about her story, so I am guessing that each of the characters will get their own book where their story is the focus.

The illustrations are well rendered and convey a lot of emotion. There were several points in the story where I stopped to think about what was said and to really take in the images. There are lots of questions that still need to be answered, so I am definitely interested in continuing this series. I am also inspired to go back and read the novel.

[Susanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very distressing read, and if you’ve ever been badly bullied at school, probably doubly so. Kokoro has experienced severe bullying and has stopped going to school. Her parents are very understanding, but she hasn’t been able to tell them why she’s no longer attending.

One day, she’s pulled through a mirror in her bedroom to a lonely castle with six other kids her age. We don’t get their stories yet, but likely everyone is there for a similar reason. The start is rough and I felt like the castle keeper was bullying them too. The kids have a mission. They have one year to find a key that grants them their greatest wish. So far though, no one is seriously looking for it. They’d rather try making friends, no matter how awkwardly.

This was good, but not for me, and I won’t be continuing.

I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the novel Lonely Castle in the Mirror and I liked the premise of the story...but found the pacing really slow for my personal tastes. And...apparently I added a notify me tag on Libby to the manga series and then completely forgot about it. And then...a year or so later...I was notified the library added the titles I had tagged...and I didn't even remember tagging them. Needless to say...I figured it out pretty quickly.

And I'm so glad this all worked out because I really enjoyed this! I wouldn't say it's a new favorite...but I had zero issues with the pacing and already feel more connected to the characters than I remember feeling when reading the novel. Kokoro's story is one I feel connected to and I'm excited to jump into the next two volumes.

[Pamela Mancilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

El manga de uno de mis libros favoritos del año pasado, un precioso regalo de mi amiga.
Los dibujos y sus expresiones capturan muy bien la imagen mental que me había armado de la historia, me gustó. De hecho había olvidado lo desgarrador que era un momento en específico y las imágenes lo volvieron más terrible.

[★julia✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐️
Dobrw rozrywka, chociaż na poczatku trochę nudna. Kreska prześliczna. Tylko te rzeczy które się tam dzieją są jak dla mnie trch zbyt crazy jak na coś, co mieliby robić dwunastolatkowie (główna bohaterka i nasz główny podrywacz chodzą do 1 klasy gimnazjum w Japonii). Raczej kupię drugi tom, jak wyjdzie, ale sama manga nie przekonała mnie do zakupu książki.

[Gabriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

he leído muy pocos mangas en mi vida pero este se acaba de convertir en mi preferido, NECESITO MÁS

[Aria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels quite bare compared to the book but the emotions still manage to come out a little. Looking forward to see how the rest of the manga develops!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mega gut! Geschichte und Protagonisten sind mitreißend!

[Rebecca Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher / edelweiss in exchange of a honest review.


In this gorgeous manga we meet a girl named Kokoro, she has stopped going to school (and we learn more and more on the why as the volume continues), then one day her mirror glows and she can enter a new world, a castle filled with secrets. But she is not the only one, there are many other kids who also got the chance. In this castle you can find a room locked, if you find the key to it you can have your one wish desire be fulfilled, there is a deadline but it is months away. Sounds awesome right? Well, everyone wants it of course! But instead of immediately hunting or going into it extensively, they also see the use of a castle. A place to hide. A place to just be themselves. A place to have fun. I would have definitely done the same. I am sure in a castle that size there must be a library stocked to the brim with books, I need to read read read!

We do learn there are rules. The castle is open certain hours. There are hungry wolves outside. And those wolves will also devour you if you stay inside… but break the rules. Red riding hood, anyone? Oh, and btw, if you are there breaking the rules, everyone who was in the castle during the correct hours will also be punished. Yep. Fun right?

But while we get plenty of hints that something is terribly wrong in this castle and that we should be more careful I did miss a bit more tension, I think for me I would have liked if at least something dark happened. A betrayal. The wolves. A child disappearing/getting lost. More tension between the characters. Now it felt pretty tame, sometimes even boring, and I just kept waiting for poop to hit the fan. I hope that in the next volume something scary/terrifying will happen and the kids will get that this is not just a fun playground.

Next to the castle we also dive into the whys of Kokoro. What happened at the school. How did the bullying start and how did everything escalate to the point that Kokoro is afraid of going outside. Things were already pretty WTF at the start with the ringleader girl making up names and saying bad things about Kokoro + isolating her from the class, but as the story continues we see how far this girl is really going and HOLY SHIT. I can imagine that Kokoro would collapse, it amazes me that she choose to hole up in her room instead of just ending it all. I can also imagine her not telling her mom, though we do see that she wishes with all her might that she could have told her mom. But she just couldn’t. Was worried for the consequences, didn’t want to worry her mom too much.

Ureshino was the most horrible character of the group in the castle. He just went from one girl to the other and he was very creepy. If he doesn’t change his ways I can see him go to jail for how far he wants to go to get the girl. shivers

The art was just absolutely stunning though, WOW, I loved it so much. It was so pretty.

All in all, despite the lack of tension I did like this first volume and I am definitely going to be reading on because I need to know who will survive, who will get their wish, and if all of them will stay friends… or not. Recommended!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Margaux D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un petit manga, emprunté au CDI où je travaille, bien écrit et entièrement adapté aux collégiens. Le thème du harcèlement scolaire est traité avec justesse et empathie, notamment envers les victimes. Je lirais le tome 2.