Kagami no Kojou (The Solitary Castle in the Mirror)

[Stark700]

Manga Kagami no Kojou (The Solitary Castle in the Mirror) gets theatrical adaptation for Winter.

Plot Synopsis

Kokoro is a first year middle school student. Or at least, she's supposed to be. A dark and very frightening experience has left her with a severe case of social anxiety that has her dropping out of school and shutting herself away from the world in her house, where she spends her days dealing with the guilt the disappointment in her parents eyes causes her.

One day, the mirror in her room begins to glow. Dragged into the other side of the looking glass by a little girl wearing a wolf mask, Kokoro there finds a fairy tale-like castle and six other children, all close to her in age. The little girl (who calls herself "Ookami-sama") tells them that the one who finds the Wish Key that is hidden within the castle will have a single wish granted. There are no rules, save for one: if they stay past 5 PM, the Wolf will eat them.

Source

https://movies.shochiku.co.jp/kagaminokojo/

[Guardian Enzo]

It’s actually a novel that already got a manga adaptation. But yes, looks very interesting - it’s very highly regarded.

[Last Sinner]

I finally got round to watching this.

Spoiler for spoilers:

This is probably one of the most earnest tales about bullying. It was very relatable and welcome. I guess a lot of people who haven't experienced something similar wouldn't be able to understand or want to. I'm also guessing the animation budget not being big deterred a lot of people. But that really isn't fair. The background art is pretty darn good, the music really suits the film. As for the story, it really doesn't hold back much while avoiding being graphic. There's some pretty grim stuff the seven are going through.

The scenes of teachers blaming the bullying target with their inadequate actions and virtually siding with the bully is so damn accurate. I experienced this and can vouch for such a scenario being genuine. Along with the fear of being next in line to be bullied, or a similar dynamic emerging even within a small group of those bullied. I felt the personal journey of Kokoro was believable, as well as the others. I felt all of the seven mattered. Now, the criticism some film critics loved to level at this - several of the major plot twists were too easy to see. Perhaps - but if it is well executed and the resulting effect really hits home, is that a problem? There is a valid explanation for everything that happens, there is a lot at stake, the finale for the seven is apt and hopeful. It's also heartening to see the character that made a difference in the real world and why - because their backstory was freaking chilling.

In short - give this a watch. It's criminally underappreciated. Clearly, some aspects are lacking/underfunded but it is well worth the experience.

8.75/10.