Crime
Death by Lightning
Netflix’s miniseries ‘Death by Lightning’ shines a spotlight on two fascinating historical figures. But it betrays the period with unnecessary problems.
Yuken Enma didn’t expect to be kidnapped by a magic mirror today.
Yu had been waiting patiently at a bus stop. He hoped to go home and rest before his Kendo match the next day.
But then the black carriage arrived. Next thing Yu knows, he’s at a strange school called Night Raven College in an even stranger land known as Twisted-Wonderland. Headmage of the school, Dire Crowley, congratulates Yu on his admission to Night Raven, which he explains exists to train exceptional young magic-users. Seven houses comprise the college, each of which pays homage to an infamous Disney villain such as Maleficent, Ursula or the Queen of Hearts.
According to Crowley, the Dark Mirror identified an aptitude for magic in Yu. But there’s one problem: Yu doesn’t know how to do magic.
And he’s not interested in learning either.
Before Crowley or the other students have time to process Yu’s peculiar situation, an opportunistic, cat-like monster named Grim proposes a solution. Grim offers to take Yu’s place, and Yu can go back home to his Kendo match.
But Crowley’s having none of it. He carts Grim off into custody, and a student named Riddle Rosehearts—a leader in the Queen of Hearts-inspired house known as Heartslabyul—confronts Yu for “making a mockery” of the school’s traditions.
It looks like Yu won’t be leaving Twisted-Wonderland anytime soon.
Twisted-Wonderland on Disney+ draws its main characters, setting and premise from the Japanese anime-style mobile game of the same name. Available in Japanese (with English captions) or with English dubbing, the TV show playfully nods to its smartphone app predecessor and Disney villain inspiration.
True to its TV-PG rating, the show’s most “explicit” language includes words like “heck” and “dang.” And in the fight scenes, situations don’t become overly violent—though a character does suffer a cut to his arm in the first episode.
But as you might expect, Twisted-Wonderland relies heavily on themes about magic. The first episode begins with a voice reciting an incantation, and people cast magic spells for both nefarious and noble purposes. Additionally, students at Night Raven College seem to have positive opinions of Disney’s villains—you know, the ones we usually refer to as the bad guys.
For those who can navigate the show’s magical elements and dark setup, Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation certainly isn’t out of the question for a family watch. But if you’re hoping for something with a more overt “happily ever after” sentiment, you’ll have better luck looking at the anime’s source material: the classic Disney films themselves.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Yuken just wants to prepare for his Kendo match tomorrow. Unfortunately, a mysterious black carriage transports him to Twisted Wonderland, where he is expected to learn magic at Night Raven College. When Yu attempts to go home, a fire-breathing creature gets in his way. And Yu’s rejection of the school’s traditions offends its most prestigious students.
A voice emanating from a magic mirror recites magical incantations. A character explains that students are sorted into their houses at Night Raven College according to their “spiritual attributes.” A student says, “Off with your head” before casting a spell that traps his opponent. A character casts a spell that covers the school in dangerous blue flames.
Running from the flames, a student complains that his bottom is on fire. Characters use potentially rude words like “dumb,” “dang” and “heck.”
School-aged boys face off in a Kendo match. One boy falls down while fighting. A character finds himself trapped in a coffin, surrounded by hooded figures. A character gets a gash in his arm.
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