Lonely Castle in the Mirror

This article will address the topic of Lonely Castle in the Mirror, which is of great relevance today. Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a topic that has generated great interest in various areas, from politics to science, through culture and society in general. Throughout history, Lonely Castle in the Mirror has been the subject of study and debate, raising conflicting opinions and provoking deep reflections on its impact on everyday life. In this sense, it is essential to analyze in detail the different aspects related to Lonely Castle in the Mirror, addressing its implications and consequences, as well as the possible solutions that may arise as a result of its presence. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to provide a broad and updated view of Lonely Castle in the Mirror, in order to promote critical and constructive reflection on this very relevant topic.
Lonely Castle in the Mirror
Novel cover
かがみの孤城
(Kagami no Kojō)
Genre
Novel
Written byMizuki Tsujimura
Published byPoplar Publishing
English publisher
PublishedMay 11, 2017
Manga
Written byMizuki Tsujimura
Illustrated byTomo Taketomi
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintYoung Jump Comics
MagazineUltra Jump
DemographicSeinen
Original runJune 19, 2019 – February 19, 2022
Volumes5
Anime film
Directed byKeiichi Hara
Produced by
Written byMiho Maruo
Music byHarumi Fuuki
StudioA-1 Pictures
Licensed by
ReleasedDecember 23, 2022 (2022-12-23)
Runtime116 minutes

Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Japanese: かがみの孤城, Hepburn: Kagami no Kojō) is a Japanese novel written by Mizuki Tsujimura and published by Poplar Publishing in May 2017. A manga adaptation illustrated by Tomo Taketomi was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Ultra Jump from June 2019 to February 2022, with its chapters collected into five tankōbon volumes. An anime film adaptation by A-1 Pictures premiered in Japan on December 23, 2022.

Plot

Kokoro Anzai, a first-year at Yukishina Junior High School, is avoiding going to school due to bullying. She becomes uncomfortable while attending a child development support class, and has not returned to school since. One day, she finds the magical portal within the mirror at her room. While inspecting, she is dragged into the mirror and finds herself in front of a castle on an island surrounded by water. There, she is welcomed by a girl with a wolf mask. The self-proclaimed Wolf Queen introduces her to six others: Subaru Nagahisa, Akiko Inoue, Rion Mizumori, Earth Masamune, Fūka Hasegawa and Haruka Ureshino. Addressing them as Little Red Riding Hoods, the Wolf Queen instructs them to find a key hidden in the castle, which will lead them to a room where one can make a wish, before the deadline of March 30 of the following year. If anyone makes a correct wish, it will be granted and all children will lose their memories of the castle. She also tells the children to leave before 5pm. Any child who stays at the castle on the evening will be eaten by a wolf.

The seven children start spending time together at the castle, occasionally looking for the key. A year has nearly passed, but they have not succeeded. Kokoro learns from the children that they attend the same school, except for Rion, and have been avoiding school for various reasons. Planning to meet up at school, they find out that they do not exist in each other's worlds. Therefore, Masumane theorizes that they are from parallel universes, but the Wolf Queen discovers and denies this.

The deadline is nearing, but they have not found the key yet. In the meantime, Kokoro has opened up to her mother about being bullied and with the help of her teachers tries to resolve the issue. The others have also taken steps forward.

On the second to last day, Kokoro finds an illustration titled "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats", and realizes that this was a clue to the key's location. As she returns home, she discovers the mirror shattered into pieces. She learns from the children that Aki broke the rule and stayed at the castle after 5pm. The rest of them are eaten by the wolf, as their collective responsibility. Kokoro passes through the broken remnants of the mirror, and uses the clues in the illustration to find the key. She sees fragments of the memories of her friends and learn they all had suffered from various problems such as bullying. Suffering bullying and harassment, Aki took refuge at the castle. Kokoro uses her wish to save her friends. Upon being resurrected, Aki reconciles with them.

Before they have to return and forget about the castle, they realize that they were in fact from the same universe but from different timelines spanning over 40 years. They carve their names on the wall and bid one another farewell. After all of them have passed through, Rion confronts the Wolf Queen, and it is revealed that she is his late sister, Mio. She removes the mask and bids him farewell. Back in her own timeline, Kokoro reunites with Rion and they head to school together.

Characters

Kokoro Anzai (安西 こころ, Anzai Kokoro)
Voiced by: Ami Touma[4] (Japanese); Micah Lin[5] (English)
A first-year junior high school girl and the last person to enter the castle through the mirror's magical portal. She comes from 2005.
Aki (アキ) (Akiko Inoue (井上 晶子, Inoue Akiko))
Voiced by: Sakura Kiryu[6] (Japanese); Giselle Fernandez[5] (English)
The second person to arrive at the castle, who came from 1991. A third year student at Yukishina Junior High. After avoiding her abusive stepfather and losing her boyfriend, the timeline reveals in the past that Aki changed her surname and eventually became a school counsellor.
Rion (リオン) (Rion Mizumori (水守 理音, Mizumori Rion))
Voiced by: Takumi Kitamura[6] (Japanese); Huxley Westemeier[5] (English)
A first-year junior high school boy and soccer player attending a boarding school in Hawaii. His older sister died when he was a child, and he feels his parents wish to distance themselves from him in later years. Rion is the third person to arrive at the castle and comes from the same year as Kokoro. Unlike the other six children, he did not attend Yukishina Junior High, but wished to attend there, because it was the school his sister would have gone to if she had lived.
Subaru (スバル) (Subaru Nagahisa (長久 昴, Nagahisa Subaru))
Voiced by: Rihito Itagaki[6] (Japanese); Kieran Regan[5] (English)
The first person to arrive at the castle, who came from 1984. Subaru is a third-year student at Yukishina Junior High. He lives with his grandparents and older brother, and suffers from emotional neglect and apathy. Inspired by Masamune, he plans to become a video game designer.
Fūka (フウカ) (Fūka Hasegawa (長谷川 風歌, Hasegawa Fūka))
Voiced by: Naho Yokomizo[6] (Japanese); Zoe Glick[5] (English)
A troubled pianist and the sixth person to arrive at the castle. She came from 2018 and is a second-year student at Yukishina Junior High. She is failing in school, because she feels pressure to live up to her single mother's expectations to be a pianist, especially since Fuka's mother has invested everything in their lives into the future.
Masamune (マサムネ) (Aasu "Earth" Masamune (政宗 青澄, Masamune Aasu))
Voiced by: Minami Takayama[6] (Japanese); Adrian Marrero[5] (English)
The fifth person to arrive at the castle, a boy who avidly enjoys playing video games. He came from 2011 and is a second-year student at Yukishina Junior High. His first name is "Earth".
Ureshino (ウレシノ) (Haruka Ureshino (嬉野 遥, Ureshino Haruka))
Voiced by: Yuki Kaji[6] (Japanese); Riley Webb[5] (English)
The fourth person to arrive at the castle, who came from 2026. A first-year student at Yukishina Junior High. He tries to form a romantic relationship with each of the girls in turn, but they are uncomfortable with his behavior and do not reciprocate. Ureshino was bullied in school as other children only hung out with him because he would pay for everyone during outings.
Wolf Queen (オオカミさま, Ōkami-sama)
Voiced by: Mana Ashida[7] (Japanese); Vivienne Rutherford[5] (English)
A girl with the wolf mask. She is revealed to be Rion's sister Mio (ミオ) (Mio Mizumori (水守 実生, Mizumori Mio)).
Kitajima-sensei (喜多嶋先生) (Akiko Kitajima (喜多嶋 晶子, Kitajima Akiko))
Voiced by: Aoi Miyazaki[6]
The future version of Aki and Kokoro's school counsellor. She has also supported Fūka, Masamune, and Ureshino in the future. While training as a counsellor, she also met Rion's sister Mio.
Kokoro's mother (こころの母, Kokoro no Haha)
Voiced by: Kumiko Aso (Japanese); Julie Nathanson (English)[6]
An unnamed woman helping the latter overcome her negative emotions.
Moe Tojo (東条 萌, Tojo Moe)
Voiced by: Anji Ikehata (Japanese); Ashley Boettcher (English)
Kokoro's friendly neighbour and a first year student at Yukishina Junior High. Her father is a folklore professor and their family has frequently moved for his research work. Although Kokoro and Moe are initially friends, she leaves her alone when Sanada begins to ostracize and bully Kokoro. At the end of the school year, Moe admits that she regretted not staying with Kokoro and that she had become the target of Sanada's bullying after Kokoro began staying at home. Moe's father keeps a number of folklore related illustrations and books. This allows Kokoro to solve the mystery of the castle.
Miori Sanada (真田 美織, Sanada Miori)
Voiced by: Ayaka Yoshimura (Japanese); Cassie Glow (English)
A troublemaker and a first year student, who leads the other students in ostracizing and bullying Kokoro, in an attempt to threaten and humiliate her. Kokoro does not know why Sanada chose to bully her, but she speculates that she was in love with her elementary school classmate, Chuta Ikeda, and believed that he loved Kokoro.

Media

Novel

Written by Mizuki Tsujimura, Lonely Castle in the Mirror was originally published by Poplar Publishing on May 11, 2017. The company re-released the novel in a two-volume paperback format in March 2021.[8] The novel was published in English by Doubleday in April 2021.[9]

Manga

A manga adaptation illustrated by Tomo Taketomi was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Ultra Jump from June 19, 2019,[10] to February 19, 2022.[11] Shueisha collected its chapters into five tankōbon volumes, published from December 2019 to May 2022.[12][13]

The manga is licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment.[14]

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 December 19, 2019[12]978-4-08-891450-3November 21, 2023[15]979-8-88843-193-1
2 July 17, 2020[16]978-4-08-891612-5February 6, 2024[17]979-8-88843-366-9
3 February 19, 2021[18]978-4-08-891782-5June 4, 2024[19]979-8-88843-461-1
4 September 17, 2021[20]978-4-08-892101-3October 15, 2024[21]979-8-88843-462-8
5 May 18, 2022[13]978-4-08-892305-5February 18, 2025[22]979-8-88843-463-5

Anime film

An anime film adaptation was announced on February 24, 2022.[9] It is produced by A-1 Pictures, directed by Keiichi Hara, written by Miho Maruo, the characters designed by chief animation director Keigo Sasaki, visual concept and castle design by Ilya Kuvshinov, and music composed by Harumi Fuuki.[4][23] Yuuri performed the film's theme song "Merry-Go-Round" (メリーゴーランド).[24] The film premiered in Japan on December 23, 2022.[4] GKIDS acquired the rights to the film in North America, and screened it in Japanese and English-language formats in June 2023.[25] The film premiered on television for the first time on Nippon TV's Kin'yō Road Show programming block on February 9, 2024.[26]

Reception

The novel placed first in Kadokawa's Da Vinci magazine "Book of the Year" list in 2017.[27] It also won the Japan Booksellers' Award in 2018.[28]

The anime film adaptation debuted at 6th at the Japanese box office, earning ¥140 million ($1.05 million) on its opening weekend.[29] It was well-received by audience, and was rated 3.94 out of 5 on its first day on Filmarks.[29] Richard Eisenbeis of Anime News Network gave the film a 'B-', applauding its social commentary on bullying in Japan and its relatable cast of characters, but criticizing its plot twists, which are 'easy to see coming'.[30] Writing for The Japan Times, Matt Schley gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, praising its social commentary and its characters as well while criticizing the direction of the film, which 'lacks anything resembling subtlety', noting its 'overbearing' soundtrack 'commanding its audience to feel at any given moment'.[31] In 2023, the film was nominated for Animation of the Year at the 46th Japan Academy Film Prize.[32]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Series: Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Manga)". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  2. ^ "Muse Asia - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-02. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  3. ^ "Coming Soon". YouTube. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 27, 2022). "Lonely Castle in the Mirror Anime Film's Teaser Reveals Main Lead, More Staff, December 23 Debut". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Mateo, Alex (June 6, 2023). "Lonely Castle in the Mirror Anime Film's Dub Trailer Reveals English Cast". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 19, 2022). "Keiichi Hara's Lonely Castle in the Mirror Anime Film Reveals More Cast". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  7. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (October 23, 2022). "Lonely Castle in the Mirror Anime Film Casts Mana Ashida as Ōkami-sama". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  8. ^ かがみの孤城 辻村深月 (in Japanese). Poplar Publishing. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Pineda, Rafael Antonio (February 24, 2022). "Mizuki Tsujimura's Lonely Castle in the Mirror Novel Gets Anime Film This Year". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  10. ^ 辻村深月の本屋大賞受賞作を武富智が描く、「かがみの孤城」がUJで始動. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 14, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  11. ^ 2022年3月号 [March 2022 issue]. Ultra Jump (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  12. ^ a b 【12月19日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 19, 2019. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  13. ^ a b 【5月18日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 18, 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  14. ^ "Seven Seas Licenses LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR Manga Series". Seven Seas Entertainment. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  15. ^ "Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Manga) Vol. 1". Seven Seas Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  16. ^ 【7月17日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  17. ^ "Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Manga) Vol. 2". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  18. ^ 【2月19日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 19, 2021. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  19. ^ "Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Manga) Vol. 3". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  20. ^ 【9月17日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 17, 2021. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  21. ^ "Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Manga) Vol. 4". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  22. ^ "Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Manga) Vol. 5". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  23. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 20, 2022). "Lonely Castle in the Mirror Anime Film Teaser Reveals Director, Studio". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  24. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (October 13, 2022). "Lonely Castle in the Mirror Anime Film's Trailer Unveils More Cast, Theme Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  25. ^ Mateo, Alex (May 18, 2023). "Lonely Castle in the Mirror Anime Film Screens in N. America on June 21–22 (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  26. ^ 『かがみの孤城』「金ロー」で地上波初放送 當真あみ&北村匠海らが声の出演【放送ラインナップあり】. Oricon (in Japanese). January 12, 2024. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  27. ^ 高橋一生が表紙に！『ダ・ヴィンチ』「BOOK OF THE YEAR2017」発表！ 小説部門1位は『かがみの孤城』に決定！ 『3月のライオン』羽海野チカが三冠！. Da Vinci (in Japanese). December 5, 2017. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  28. ^ Miyata, Yūsuke (April 10, 2018). 本屋大賞に辻村さん「かがみの孤城」 海外は少部数作品. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  29. ^ a b Komatsu, Mikikazu (December 27, 2022). "Japan Box Office: Lonely Castle in the Mirror Makes Its 6th Place Debut". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  30. ^ Eisenbeis, Richard (December 27, 2022). "Lonely Castle in the Mirror Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  31. ^ Schley, Matt (December 22, 2022). "'Lonely Castle in the Mirror': Compelling characters hold the key". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  32. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio; Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 23, 2023). "One Piece, Suzume, INU-OH, Lonely Castle, Slam Dunk Nominated for Japan Academy Film Prizes". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
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