REVIEW: ‘Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation’ Episode 6 — “An Army of One”

All of the groundwork laid down in developing Riddle Rosehearts (Natsuki Hanae/Paul Castro, Jr) as the overwhelming villain in this inaugural season of Disney Twisted-Wonderland pays off. Arguably the most streamlined episode yet, with the majority of the events taking place at a very important unbirthday event, Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 6, “An Army of One,” pushes Rosehearts several steps closer to inkblot corruption and House Heartslabyul towards rebellion.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 6 starts the night before the unbirthday. Archival footage from Alice in Wonderland depicts the Queen of Hearts, one of the Great Seven at this school, demanding the heads of the cards working in the garden. For Yuken (Youhei Azakami/Jonathon Ha), this scene he dreams up feels like an omen, and heading into the festivities, he can’t help but wonder if things will be okay.

The next day, everyone from House Heartslabyul gathers, with many wearing the magic-sealing collars Rosehearts likes to dish out to rule-breakers. At first, everything seems fine. The mood is light and everyone, including the typically dour and tense Rosehearts, is having fun. This all changes when Ace (Seiichirō Yamashita/Max Mittelman) brings out the chestnut tart.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 6 sees Riddle Rosehearts reach new lows.

Upon the reveal, Rosehearts’ attitude changes swiftly; his mood darkens to depths we haven’t seen yet. Of course, there is another arbitrary rule that honestly seems like an excuse to diss chestnut tarts, and the topic of how many rules there are – last count is at 810 – shows the dissension and exasperation gripping the house. As the subject of Rosehearts ‘ ire, however, Ace is done and rightfully blows up at the housewarden.

This does little to assuage Riddle Rosehearts’ anger, and not only do Ace, Yuken and the gang get slapped with those collars again for their interference and insolence, but they are also promptly ejected from the party. It is here in the episode that it becomes clear that Ace and co are all back at square one. A non-rule-breaking apology still needs to be made, but Ace refuses and, honestly, I can’t blame him.

After some time, Trey Clover (Ryota Suzuki/Jonny Yong Bosch) meets up with the gang to explain why Rosehearts is the way that he is. Grey-toned flashbacks reveal Trey and Rosehearts as kids, with Rosehearts’ mother insisting on absolute perfection from the child. It is insinuated that abuse is happening behind closed doors, and the isolation away from everyone in his youth creates a clear divide that is seen to this day.

A brief period of fun and happiness is merely the calm before the storm.

Even with the explanation, Ace calls out Trey. Sure, it is incredibly victim-blaming, putting the onus of responsibility on Trey for not intervening (plus, he was a kid himself), but a couple of decent points are made. Most telling is that Trey could and should do something now, but it is unclear in Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 6 whether he will have the courage to do so.

It ultimately doesn’t matter because the Headmaster (Mitsuru Miyamoto/J. Michael Tatum) randomly pops up behind everyone with a proposition. Ace could battle Rosehearts for the position of Housewarden, but non-magical means cannot be used in the battle. It is a convenient solution that culminates in a rather intentionally underwhelming battle between Rosehearts, Ace, and Deuce by the end of Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 6.

Still, Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 6 shows the fruits of the writer’s labor, with the negative impact of Riddle Rosehearts’ actions making ground. With corruption taking hold of his rage, the question that emerges is what will actually happen once the mage stone is fully corrupted. Given the episodes left, that question will likely be answered.

With tensions rising between Riddle Rosehearts and the rest of the students, things can only get worse.

There are a couple of awkward instances of wonky proportions with some of the characters at the unbirthday gathering, some of which are most prevalent when Caten multiplies. It’s a minor quibble, but given the inconsistencies throughout Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 6 in this monumental space, they can distract at times.

On a more general note, we are deep enough into the series that Yuken should have had more depth by now. Yet he has not yet felt fully formed, beyond occasional leadership moments and quips. As the audience surrogate, the argument can be made that the lack of development here helps with immersion. However, in Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 6, Yuken is essentially forgettable and could be swapped out for anyone else at this point.

That frustration aside, Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation Episode 6 perfectly illustrates the heightening tension within House Heartslabyul, with frustrations bubbling over not just for its Housewarden but for the students under his domain. With Rosehearts coming out on top at the end of the episode, the question now is who will be the one to bring him down and how this season will end.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland the Animation Episodes 1-6 are now streaming exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu.

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