Lonely Castle in the Mirror

 Once again, I've streamed a Japanese import on Amazon Prime that had a two-night theatrical release earlier this year. This is Lonely Castle in the Mirror, the anime film version of Mizuki Tsujimura's 2017 novel. It's a surprisingly twisty film directed by Keiichi Hara (Miss Hokusai, The Wonderland). Let's get on the case.

Kokoro Anzai (dubbed in English by Micah Lin) should have been enjoying her first year of Middle School. But a particularly nasty bullying incident has rendered her a shut-in. She practically secludes herself in her bedroom while her mom tries to transfer her into another school. One day, Kokoro finds her mirror glowing, and when she goes in for a closer look, she's drawn into the titular locale. 

The castle sits on top of a rocky island surrounded by endless ocean. Its only inhabitants are a bossy little girl wearing a red dress and a wolf mask, The Wolf Queen (Vivienne Rutherford) and six other kids who also went through their looking glasses. Those kids are Rion (Huxley Westemeier), Aki (Giselle Fernandez), Fuka (Zoe Glick), Masamune (Adrian Marrero), Ureshino (Riley Webb) and Subaru (Kieran Regan). All have their own personal issues.

The Wolf Queen tasks them to find the key to a wishing room that only one may enter. They have a year to find it, but they can search the place at their leisure. They just have to be out of there by five, or else, a big bad wolf will eat them. The kids spend the next year bonding with each other. But who's getting the wish? Do they even want it?

That's kind of it. It relies a lot more on character interactions than looming stakes. There's barely any friction between them. You'll be intrigued the more you learn about its cast. The first hour drops hints then and there of what led Kokoro to become a shut-in. The conclusive flashback is both horrifying and sad. In another case, Aki enters the castle, shuddering, and the question of what happened will linger in your mind. Many of your questions will be answered in a long, moving series of flashbacks when Kokoro sees her friends' memories.

 In fact, there are plenty of twists that, in any other movie, you should see coming, but are legitimately surprising. I would spoil a few of them if I revealed the dub voice of teacher Mrs. Kitajima. If you think you've guessed the climax once you read my summary, you haven't. You'll be shocked when these twists hit.

You'll empathize with Kokoro's isolation long before you learn of her traumatic incident. She has little reason to trust her tormentor, Miori Saneda's (Cassie Glow), apology letter, and so will you. It's so nice to see her reconnect with her only friend, Moe Tojo (Ashley Boettcher), just before the third act. Let's just say she's the "lucky one" who finds the room. But you'll be on edge as she makes the slow journey.

 As for the others, Subaru and Aki are the likable "big siblings," while Masamune and Fuka hide their tragic stories with sour personalities. The Wolf Queen's bossy personality makes quite an impression. She discards that for a softer personality after her first scene. Rion's fine, though the twist involving him is quite powerful. Ureshiro's goofball personality is delightful, and it's quite impactful when he accuses the others of treating him like a joke. The adults are mostly sympathetic; Kokoro's mom gets the best scene once she learns of what happened to her daughter.

Where A-1 Pictures excels at is the color palette and background designs. The real-world scenes are appropriately down to earth, while the scenes in the castle are splendorous. The titular castle is stunning; perhaps its most appealing locales are its massive libraries. It's quite creepy once we finally see it after hours. The character designs and animation are good, but the big bad wolf is the standout. It's a living nightmare. Harumi Fuuki's score is decent, while the climactic song is perfectly emotional. 

Why wait? Step inside the Lonely Castle in the Mirror for a strong anime drama. It's a slow but rewarding film with a likable young cast. A few reviews have accused it of being predictable, but its plot progression felt anything but that. See what I mean once you stream it on your favorite service. It's a bargain in every sense of the word.