#twisted wonderland EN

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Now don't throw tomatoes at me but I'm actually really excited to finally see malleus again— I've always loved malleus since we met him in the story, but I'm also sooo curious about what's gonna happen next,, I'm wondering the obvious thing, about whether or not we might get a parralel scenario like what happened with the KoD and silver will have to "slay" malleus or at least be the one to land a killing blow, but I also saw a really interesting post focusing on how magic is a manifestation of dreams and deep desires and imagination,,,, in that case, I may (VERY delusionally) hope that Yuu finally gets to be a major part of the story for once??? Even reading the novels, there HAS to be something bigger for yuu— while the idea of crowley simply being an incompetent airhead is fun and more comfortable, haven't you thought that meybe he pulled them into this world deliberately??

All to say, what if at some point, Yuu somehow manifests magic in a very dire moment ?? You know lol?? Agh idk. I just want yuu to finally make impactful choices but that IS too much to ask, as far as we can see for now,,, (but hey, that part leading up to ace getting is UM, and the convo between him and yuu,,, it *does* give one a sliver of hope, doesn't it? :') )

Don't worry, no tomato throwing here! 😅 I may not care for certain characters, but I’m not going to shame anyone that does. You’re free to think however you want about Malleus!

dbjsvsJcwhj My personal feelings about him aside, I am actually glad he’s finally relevant to the main story again. He’s missed out on so much of his own book OTL In the time he’s been gone, the fandom has been left to speculate about both his and Lilia’s potential death flags. I really doubt Twst will have the balls to kill off one of them, but it would be cool to at least see Silver delivering the final blow to knock some sense into (not necessarily kill) OB Malleus.

Yes, it’s true that Silver states in the recent update that magic was originally considered “a miracle borne of strong desires from the heart.” But 💦 I don’t think that means Yuu would randomly manifest magic in the final fight?? It feels more like a “let’s save the day with the power of friendship” to me, but I could of course be wrong.

I understand being frustrated that Yuu’s participation in the main story seems to fluctuate a lot, with most of their activity being books 3, 4, and segments of 1, 6, and 7. That’s not much, especially considering how long books 6 and 7 are. Sometimes (even in events) it feels like Yuu is barely there, as most dialogue options don’t involve different reactions from the characters. Even Yuu's quest to find a way home is barely addressed or taken seriously until early in book 7. Yuu hasn't gotten "real" development unless you count them realizing their Disney dreams are prophetic in book 5, taking the initiative to save Grim in book 6, and that dialogue option about them being worried they're not contributing + the related convo with Ace in book 7. All very short moments in the grand scheme of things. And honestly, I think that makes sense for the kind of character Yuu is. A blank slate, a self-insert, an outsider that's easy to exposit information to, someone with which to view the story, characters, and world through. Yuu is primarily there to be the POV character, the lenses, the camera that we see Twst through. They're not really meant to be a traditional "main character". It's possible that Twst gives them a slightly bigger role at the very end (especially with what went down in the dream in book 7), but I doubt it will be a huge triumphant moment where they and they alone save the day or deal the final blow in a crazy act of self-sacrifice. Twst has always been a story that puts the NRC boys first, while Yuu is the observer.

I've noticed that the complaint of Yuu not doing a lot in the story comes mainly from English speaking fans?? And I guess that makes sense, given how western culture tends to emphasize independence and standing out. They want Yuu to reflect that. They want to be the ones to make a difference. I don't even remember ever seeing these same comments from the Japanese speaking fans; it's definitely a less common sentiment for them. The Japanese fans seem pretty content with Yuu being an observer and taking on more of a minor or supporting role. Again, this fits in with what I understand of many eastern cultures. They're demurer, not wanting to stand out too much from the crowd and instead prioritizing group harmony. Very interesting cultural difference to note!

It's a common theory (with many variants) that Crowley intentionally summoned Yuu to Twisted Wonderland for his own nefarious motives. People found him pretty sus right away due to how he seems to not put in any real time or effort into investigating a way to send Yuu home. Plus, there's that ominous opening monologue of his to consider. However, I don't think he summoned Yuu because of their (potential) great magical capabilities. The Mirror of Darkness tells us that it doesn't sense a shred of magic in Yuu, and Leona smells zero magic on them (though that could be because it hasn't technically manifested yet, as some fans claim).

The idea is that Yuu is supposed to be plain. They are supposed to be magicless. Why? To humble the NRC students and to show them that asserting yourself violently or with great magical power ISN'T the way to go. To show them value in strategizing (which Yuu does in the prologue by helping Grim aim at the ghosts), of camaraderie. What does it say about the story's themes if Yuu, the person who is supposed to be showing them the worth of mundane things, is suddenly... "secretly ultra-strong, actually/“just like you guys” (even if it's only a temporary hope-fueled magic)? It might contradict what has already been set up. It also breaks the self-insert appeal of Yuu, since developing magic would also mean Yuu would later have to further develop things like proficiency in magic, best/worst subjects, and an unique magic/signature spell... meaning Yuu HAS to become better "defined", thus losing their blank slate nature. This would surely upset some fans who deeply project onto Yuu, have a Yuusona, etc.

Yuu can still make an impact on the characters and the world--and they have, judging by how much closer the boys are with each other--without having to be The Most Special One or like everyone else. I think it undermines what Yuu has already managed to achieve to say that they haven't made an impactful choice at ANY point in the main story when I believe they definitely have. Yuu made the choice to sign the contract with Azul. Yuu made the choice to approach Malleus. Yuu made the choice to go against Crowley's orders and go retrieve Grim from S.T.Y.X. Yuu made the choice to get Leona’s help with the contracts. Yuu made the choice to stand with Adeuce against Riddle in book 1. Yuu made the choice to let the VDC/SDC tribe train at Ramshackle. Yuu has done a lot, and all without needing to seize the spotlight or to do anything big and flashy. I don't think Yuu needs to be big and flashy. There is pride to be had in simplicity and being humble too. There is pride in representing the 90% of humans in Twisted Wonderland that are ordinary and without magic.

(An aside: so if Yuu wasn’t able to manifest magic in many other extreme instances, does that mean their desire to save Grim in book 6 wasn’t “enough”? That their desire to save Ramshackle, their one and only home in this world, wasn’t “enough”? It implies that Yuu didn’t wish hard enough for these other things they clearly care about and want.)

I think a good way to give Yuu a decent role while staying true to their design as a blank slate would be for Twst to really lean into the whole "beast tamer" aspect that was introduced all the way back in the prologue. This would work well with their deep connection to Grim as well. Assuming that Grim ends up being the final OB... We could easily have the NRC students and staff on the ropes, Malleus at his wit's end after exhausting himself with his own OB, a rampaging Grim about to end it all. And then... one lone figure shakily rises from the rubble and confronts Grim. One human. Magicless, defenseless. A human lost in an unfamiliar world, a human who believes they're useless and don't contribute much. A human who is always in need of being protected by others. But not anymore. This time, it's Yuu's turn to protect what they love--their friends, this world they've come to love, Grim. Ace and Deuce yelling at Yuu to not be stupid, to get back--but Yuu just advances, calling out to Grim and begging him to stop. And maybe it's Yuu's wish that rallies everyone and/or gets OB Grim to hesitate. That's when they can strike. Is that corny? Yeah. Does it sound like the ending to a Disney film? Sure. But it still grants Yuu, a magicless human that is supposed to be there to teach everyone about friendship, cooperation, and humility, their big moment to shine. The best of both worlds, I'd say.

[jinxthejubilee]

I feel like Twisted Wonderland is in its own 4Kids era from how bad the English translations are sometimes.

We got people out here believing Azul, Jade, and Floyd aren't really friends, Jamil's plan wasn't caused by the caste system and he's just out to get Kalim for no reason, Riddle is a whiney little b*tch, Trey not having a spine AT ALL, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I really didn't think the translations were that bad when it first came out, but as someone who's been following the story and has been a part of the fandom since the game's debut, I genuinely don't understand why they changed so much of the dialogue.

A call to the English translators: GET. IT. TOGETHER.

[amnayel]

i asked for water and they gave me a feast

WHAT TF HAPPENED IN THIS BANNER

HOW DID I MANAGE TO GET ALL MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS BEFORE THE 100th PULL????😭😭🙏🙏🙏

“i hope i get dorm malleus one of these days”

he came

“omg!!! vil could appear too lol”

he appeared

“damn, whats next, jade???”

IT WAS.

then i got idia after i threatened him and i saved the rest to malleus masquerade, you guys wont believe what happened-

SURPRISE MF!!!! BEFORE THE 100!!!!!

now idk if i save these two pulls for azul or if i try to uncap malleus

[twst-migraine]

AAAAAAAAH

TAMASHINA MINA IS HERE BITCHES AND GUESS WHO GOT THE SASSY LION MAN?

ME BITCH!

[winterspellsfrozenkit]

In case anyone is asking, YES, I'm still salty about the removal of Minna de Yahoo from Book 5... NO, I haven't forgotten what happened in 2022, so imagine my concerns finding out it popped up again in JP Book 7.

My post about why Minna de Yahoo was important to Book 5 here:

[statix0juice]

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME 😭😭

AFTER ANNIVERSARY !?!?!

[deluxe-rabbitsu]

TWST EN WHERE IS APPLE BOA,,,IS GOING TO HAPPEN RIGHT¿,,,,YOU DONT UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I NEED EPEL'S CARDD WE ARE HAVING TSUM TSUM AND I WONT BE ABLE TO ROLL,,,H ELP,,

[egalitarian-tomboy]

My Twisted Wonderland Updates

Finally got Book 6 completed on my iPad, Idia was a bitch to beat & I will never fight him again in his overblot form. Never. You couldn't pay me.

With Port Fest starting tomorrow, I'm praying that Jack will come home on both accounts. I will only go to about 40 pulls for my phone & like maybe 50 for my iPad because I desperately need more Fire-Water cards. If anything Book 6 showed me how unbalanced my cards were in terms of effectiveness.

Also!!! Just a heads up to people - THERE IS FURNITURE THAT'LL BE CRAFTABLE FOR THIS EVENT!!! So if you're into crafting like me for your guest room, remember to do the Crafter's Gauntlet in order to get the materials needed for it. This is the first event I think in EN that you need in order to craft something but I could be wrong. I might be misremembering something.

I'm super close to leveling my iPad's Guest Room to level 28, where there'll be more furniture available to craft, that it'll take me tomorrow and the next day in order to reach it. So my brain will be preoccupied by doing Port Fest stuff, crafting, and balancing teams. Since now I have time to kill before Book 7 comes out in EN.

[thesmilingkitty]

When you get SSR Leona on twice on the free pull

[batneko]

in honor of the Event Flashbacks being released, here's an inexhaustive list of lines that have taken up permanent space in my brain

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Raveeennn!!! When u said Malleus isn’t as popular in JP than it is in the English/int. server, who would you say takes up that #1 spot in the JP fan base? if you know.

[Referencing this post!]

It's hard to calculate for certain since there are no official Twst popularity polls (though there are several unofficial polls run by Japanese magazines or websites, with thousands of votes and mixed results) However, I have consistently seen Floyd in the top or second place spot overall, and he has a TON of yume works on Pixiv (~15.5k), whereas Malleus only has around 3.5k. Other popular characters include Jade at 12k, Azul at 10k, and Idia and Leona at 7k+. For reference, there are ~5k Ace yume works on Pixiv, which is more than Malleus despite Ace often badly losing to Malleus in EN popularity polls. This indicates that Ace may overtake Malleus in the JP fandom. I think it's also worth noting that, in 4 consecutive years of yumejoshi polling, Idia and Trey were the only Twst characters to appear in all 4 years whereas Malleus only appeared in one year (while both Octavinelle members and Ace appeared twice each). I've actually previously speculated on the cultural differences between JP and EN and why it might have resulted in Malleus being so popular in EN and Trey is popular in JP. In most JP character popularity polls (which typically feature only students and staff) I've seen, Malleus ranks 9th or lower. Meanwhile, it feels like you can't walk two steps in the EN fandom without running into a post showering Malleus with love. Malleyuu is the most popular reader insert ship on AO3 and, in one fan-run poll considering 46 characters, Malleus still won over 50% of the votes (though please note the sample size is much smaller than what you’d find in a JP poll). Second and third places (Idia and Azul) only got ~33% apiece by comparison. As you can see, there is a very noticeable gap in Malleus’s popularity between the JP and EN fandoms.

[jinxthejubilee]

The reason why stuff like the master/slave theme gets omitted in EN for Kalim and Jamil and now 'spanking' has been changed to 'sweeping', so because they want to protect people who has triggers for certain things or find topics problematic. They heard how the community reacted to the Fairy Gala calling boys like Jamil, Kalim, Ruggie, and Leona as exotic. So it was now changed to windswept. They had to change master/slave thing because slavery is bad and spanking is considered major child abuse. If you want to stop localization removing stuff, then it's time for people to not be too sensitive about these things or just get the hell out of the fandom and series. If people are gonna be whiny about problematic themes, then just get out. Don't force companies to bend over backwards to change it.

There's a difference between changing problematic elements and taking out stuff that doesn't need changing at all.

The whole "exotic" terminology, as a black/Hispanic woman, I can definitely understand why that would leave a bad taste in people's mouths. Us dark-skinned folks in the real world are often fetishized even though we should be seen as normal by now.

It's good that the team takes precautions for unnecessary things like that, but you're right. The whole servant/master dynamic is a huge part of Jamil's background and motivation.

Heck, you can't escape the child abuse aspect of Riddle's backstory. Nor the child death (A.K.A Ortho). That's just unavoidable. Blatant, even.

I don't think the answer is to tell people to "get out" of the fandom really, I think the answer is to ask the translators to find the line between problematic terms and necessary plot themes. And maybe try to reason with our fellow fandom members about their concerns.

[amnayel]

GLOMAS IS GETTING A RERUN‼️‼️‼️

THIS IS MY MOMENT

MALLEUS MY BELOVED PLS COME HOME🙏🙏🙏😭

I’LL GET YOU AÇAÍ YOU’RE GONNA LOVE AÇAÍ

[incorrecttwsted]

[terristre]

i love what they have

[kenchann]

welcome to the world baby ernesto and gino 🦊😼