REVIEW: ‘Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation’ Episode 3 — “To The Enchanted Mine”

After the previous episode, expulsion from Night Raven College is nigh for Yuken (Youhei Azakami/Jonathon Ha), Ace (Seiichirō Yamashita/Max Mittelman), and Deuce (Chiaki Kobayashi/Hunter McCoy) in Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3. This all happened after Ace engaged in battle with Grim (Noriaki Sugiyama/Ben Diskin), resulting in the destruction of one of the Great Seven statues. Now tasked to locate a magestone by the Headmaster (Mitsuru Miyamoto/J. Michael Tatum), the three have to race against time to locate this special stone or risk never learning magic again.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3 gives another glimpse into this strange, twisted world Yuken (and the viewers) experience with the trio of characters encountering a familiar-looking cottage on their way to the mines. While never outright named, it is the cottage that the Seven Dwarves occupied in Disney’s Snow White, filled with miniature cups and a variety of knick-knacks, which the others comment on. It’s a remnant of the past that isn’t explored in its entirety, but leans into the Disneyness of the series.

It is also in this cottage that Deuce offers up exposition into how magic is used in this world. It’s no easy feat to rely on magic, requiring great strength of will to do something so tiny as light a candle. However, this feat comes easily for a creature like Grim, who suddenly pops up in the cottage, having tagged along in search of the magestone himself. Despite his pomp and grandiose behavior, he fails at hiding his fear of going into the mine. It’s another layer to a character that is slowly growing on me, despite his hyperactivity. 

Disney’s Snow White pops into the picture in Disney Twisted-Wonderland the Animation Episode 3.

Once headed to the mine, the group’s bickering doesn’t help their progress. This becomes most clear once the monster, or really, the boss character, emerges from one of the mine tunnels in Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3. Moving as if a puppet on a string, this supernatural being mutters “no give, no give,” indicating that it is the protector or guardian of the sacred magestone these students seek.  As one of the lesser-tier bosses, technically, it should be easy enough to defeat.

However, this boss battle shows how ill-prepared the group is. That is, until Yuken intervenes and forces them to re-group. It is here in Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3 that Yuken’s presence is finally acknowledged, and his leadership skills get a chance to shine with strangers. We’re also getting another glimpse of his ability to adapt as his observation skills allow him to direct and guide the group into victory against the thing. At least, temporarily.

The monster isn’t wholly defeated until the now-annoying Riddle Rosehearts (Natsuki Hanae/Paul Castro, Jr) burns the creature to a crisp before the group’s eyes. While Yuken can give some level of thanks out, it’s rudely cut off by the red-haired magic wielder, who is only there to drag back Ace and Deuce for violating the Queen of Hearts’ Rule 304: On a day when a hedgehog sneezes, all players and soldiers must gather together to perform a song. Since the two were not present, they will now be punished accordingly.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3 sets up House Heartslabyul.

Once Ace and Deuce are led away, Yuken saves them from expulsion by retrieving a previously unearthed magestone. Through their efforts and Grim’s assistance, the Headmaster mentions that Yuken seems adept at becoming a Beastmaster. If viewers hadn’t yet observed, the students at this magical institute don’t seem inclined to work together. In fact, they frequently butt heads. Yuken, though, is the outlier.

This makes sense, given the series’s emphasis on villains. From the Great Seven to the generally sinister air of the world’s design, Yuken remains the fish out of water. However, Yuken’s natural ability to lead, empathize with the people around him, and encourage them to pursue their dreams, as seen at the end of Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3, demonstrates that the qualities typically found in a hero can still be beneficial in a den of magic and mayhem.

That all being said, the Headmaster rewards Yuken and Grim for their exploits in the mine. He makes Grim a student, bequeathing the creature with a special collar equipped with a magestone. As for Yuken, he makes the young man a Prefect, basically staying alongside Grim to make sure he doesn’t get up to any mischief. And, based on Grim’s personality, he needs a babysitter. Badly. 

Yuken is finally acknowledged for his skills in Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3.

It is the start of something new for Yuken. But Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3 doesn’t end on an uplifting note. Instead, we see Ace and Deuce kneeling in a throne room, reciting a song in a monotone fashion alongside their fellow students while Riddlehearts looks down from the throne, smiling. If anyone is shaping up to be the villain, it’s this obnoxious little twerp. And I mean that with all levels of disrespect.

Frankly, Riddlehearts’ minor inclusions so far in this series have proven that the character is beyond grating. It is clear by the end of Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3 that Yuken and Riddlehearts will likely go head-to-head against each other, with one representing flexibility over control. However, what has been shown so far doesn’t offer much that redeems the character beyond his complaints. 

With that all said, Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 3 continues to move things forward, with no level of stagnation in sight. Yuken and Grim are moving up in the world, while Riddlehearts – despite being my least favorite character thus far – is being poised even further to be the one Yuken might face in the end. However, unless something of actual substance happens with Riddlehearts in the next episode, his inclusion so far will be a wasted effort.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland the Animation Episodes 1-3 are now streaming exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu.

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