The newest anime film from director Keiichi Hara is an enchanting and moving story of friendship and the power of wishes.
Lonely Castle in the Mirror is the latest film from director Keiichi Hara and is adapted from Mizuki Tsujimura’s novel of the same name. It’s an anime film that follows a junior high student named Kokoro who suddenly finds herself pulled through her mirror into a mysterious castle that is seemingly overseen by a mysterious girl known only as the Wolf Queen. Kokoro and six other teens are told that somewhere inside the castle is a key that will unlock a secret room and grant a single wish. However, there’s a catch: while they’re free to search the castle each day, they have to leave before 5pm each day, with dire consequences for them all if they break this rule.
Kokoro slowly makes friends with the other six teens: Aki, Rion, Subaru, Fūka, Masamune, and Ureshino. Together they begin to explore the castle, not just to find the key, but also to try and answer the question: why were they chosen to enter the castle?
It should be said at the start that I ended up thoroughly enjoying Lonely Castle in the Mirror. I’d been captivated by the mysteries teased by the film since I first saw the trailer and by and large it does not disappoint. That being said, future viewers should be warned that the film does take a little bit to properly get going. It’s not that the first act is boring, quite the opposite. It’s just the way the narrative is presented makes it a little hard to follow at first. Once the film settles into a groove you end up being sucked right into the story.
And what a story! Lonely Castle in the Mirror touches on some very deep subjects, most notably the incredible harm that bullying can cause. The film doesn’t shy away at all from showing just how bad it can get, and I would caution anyone easily triggered by bullying to be careful going in to see this film. However, the way the film ultimately plays this aspect of the story out is very satisfying. It’s refreshing to see a film not shy away from addressing the fact that a) bullying in school is very much still a thing and b) if left unchecked, bullying can lead to horrific consequences.
The animation in Lonely Castle in the Mirror is quite beautiful. I really liked how the film blended CGI with traditional animation without making it obvious that there was computer animation in the mix. The castle is full of beautiful little details that make it feel like a real place. Interestingly, despite it being shown as being a place all the teens prefer to be, the castle environment does not look more appealing than the real world. One would almost expect the castle to be full of vibrant color while the real world is drab and plain.
As for the hunt for the key itself, I do feel like that part of the story could’ve been played out somewhat differently. To be fair, the film does provide an answer and no loose ends are left hanging. However, the way the film gets there is….well….slightly clunky. The problem is, part of the solution to where the key is revolves around being familiar with a certain fairy tale. I happened to be familiar with the story because I’m a bookworm and I devoured fairy tales growing up. Viewers who aren’t familiar might be a little confused and I feel like the story could’ve been helped if clues to this particular fairy tale had been more clearly dropped throughout the film prior to the last act.
Despite these issues, everything comes together at the end to make a heartwarming story that had me in tears by the time the credits rolled. Lonely Castle in the Mirror speaks of many things: the dangers of bullying, the power of love and wishes, the healing that can be found in friendship. Just because the story is flawed doesn’t make these parts of the story any less important.
While Lonely Castle in the Mirror had a very short theatrical run, I highly encourage everyone to find this film and check it out. It’s a beautiful story, albeit a flawed one, but that doesn’t detract from the message being delivered.
