Kara Dennison
October 24, 2021 
It’s happened at last. Disney: Twisted-Wonderland mobile game will be getting its own anime series. Locked and loaded for streaming service Disney+, the title turns your favorite villains into… you guessed it… hot boys. And considering the whole thing is the brainchild of Black Butler creator Yana Toboso, you should have some idea of how it’ll go.
The Aniplex co-production will take viewers to Night Ravens College, each of whose houses represents a Disney baddie. The students within each house reflect the characters, their sidekicks, and their powers. There are too many to run down in one article, but here are a few reinterpretations that caught our eye:
Ursula’s Eels Are Cute Twins
House Octavinelle takes its inspiration from The Little Mermaid. Azul Ashengrotto is the game’s Ursula analogue, and he’s fun. But we all know any series with cute boys needs twins. Fortunately, Ursula had those eels, Flotsam and Jetsam… here reimagined as Floyd and Jade Leech.
Naturally, as anime twins, they have opposite personalities. Floyd is laid-back, while Jade is formal. Of course, both have the capacity to be sinister in their own ways. One other thing they have in common? Their favorite foods both have octopus in them. Interesting.
Dr. Facilier Runs the Shop
It’s not just the students of Twisted Wonderland who take inspiration from Disney villains. The faculty is also recognizable — from gym coach Gaston to a Cruella de Vil-inspired science teacher. Naturally, there’s only one person who could run a twisted item shop: “Sam,” a.k.a. Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog.
With a name possibly inspired by Baron Samedi (the inspiration for Facilier), Sam offers up goods for the students. He’s got items, he’s got gacha, he’s got things he ain’t even tried. He’s also got an interesting new look. Dr. Facilier already had one of the coolest character designs in recent memory for a Disney villain. This version takes a little of that murderous edge off… but not so much that we’re ready to buy from him sight unseen. (Unless it’s a really good gacha event.)
The Evil Queen’s Gentler Attendant
Not every character in Twisted Wonderland is a direct adaptation of a Disney character. House Diasomnia, for example, contains Malleus — this world’s Maleficent — and characters based on her magical abilities and items. Similarly, the Snow White-themed Pomefiore has Epel Felmier: a young boy who appears to combine aspects of both the Queen’s poisoned apple and her magic mirror.
While seeing Toboso work her magic on specific characters is fascinating, it’s even more interesting to see her work from more abstract ideas. Characters like Epel mean that no matter how big a Disney fan you are, you’ll still be surprised by something.
Disney: Twisted-Wonderland will cast its spell worldwide via Disney+.
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