Stranded in the world of Twisted Wonderland, Yu must brave a magical school filled with ghosts, monsters, and uncooperative students!

Yu is now enrolled at the arcane academy Night Raven College. It's winter break, and while most others have traveled home, Yu discovers that Grim and another mysterious student are still at school. As they wander the solitary halls, they find that the supposedly empty school is far from desolate! They are not alone…

Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Manga–Book of Scarabia has a story by Yana Toboso and art by Majiko!. English translation is done by Alethea Nibley & Athena Nibley and lettering by Joanna Estep and an adapation by Jann Jones. Published by Viz Media (March 10, 2026). Rated T.

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

This is my favorite entry into the Disney Twisted-Wonderland franchise so far, and there are two very specific reasons for that. The first is the tongue-in-cheek nods to Aladdin - they straight-up start quoting the song “A Whole New World” at one point, and it's much more fun than the more subtle nods to Disney films that the other entries in the franchise indulge in. Book of Scarabia doesn't just wear its influences on its sleeve, it runs around shrieking them at the top of its lungs.

The second reason why I enjoyed this is the iteration of “Yu” we get. While I still don't love that each new arc changes who “Yu” is – I think it's needlessly complicating things – this Yu is vastly different from the others we've met. Like in the Savanahclaw manga, Yu is a girl, but unlike the more staid protagonists of other arcs, this Yu is a farmgirl-turned-gyaru. She was isekai'd to Twisted-Wonderland while on her way to Tokyo to pursue her dreams of being a gyaru model, and she is not going to let being trapped in some weirdass otherworld get her down. She takes everything in stride and her friendships with the Heartslabyul boys Ace and Deuce feels much more organic than her counterparts'. She's outgoing, cheery, and excellent at going with the flow, although she's also not afraid to say when she's not happy.

This works particularly well with one of the central issues of Scarabia. Jamil, the vice-warden of the dorm, is based on Jafar Aladdin, and as such his signature spell (or maybe just his innate power) is that he can hypnotize people. Yu and Grim don't know that he's doing it, but Jamil seems to (correctly) feel that Yu won't do as he and Kalim desire if she's not hypnotized. While prior Yus might have just accepted their situation as hostages at the Scarabia dorm, this Yu isn't likely to…or at least won't let it go without comment.

The most interesting aspect of this arc thus far, though, is that it seems to be setting Kamil up as more of the protagonist of his source film than the villain. He has Aladdin's magic carpet and his short stature feels like it might be a callback to Jasmine's father, although he tells Yu that he's not royalty. The aforementioned flying carpet scene also sets him up as more of an Aladdin figure than a Jafar, and this deviation from the series norm does a lot to make this book stand out. While I've enjoyed prior entries, especially in novel form, this is the first one that I actively want to keep reading.

Lauren Orsini
Rating:

There's an inherent freedom in adapting a game with a player character into a manga, and taking advantage of this opportunity is where Disney Twisted Wonderland: Book of Scarabia vol. 1 shines the brightest. In the Mouse-forward phone game on which this story is based, you play as Yu, pronounced “you,” also known as yourself. He or she is different in every adaptation of this game, whether it's a manga or a light novel. Your Yu-sona can be anyone, and here she's a larger-than-life gyaru. With her extensive beauty routine, upbeat attitude, and catchy nicknames for everyone in the cast, this iteration of Yu breathes new life into the franchise and makes it worth experiencing again. Even if you've already played Book of Scarabia, it's worth seeing it again through Yu's eyes.

This is the fourth chapter of Twisted Wonderland to get a manga adaptation, so it shares a lot of similarities with what came before. It has the same polished art style that accentuates the charms of the pretty-boy cast. It has the same two-volume length, which means this book is only the first half of the game's fourth chapter. It introduces readers to Kalim, who is based on the Sultan from Aladdin, and Jamil, who is based on Jafar. Familiarity with the Disney movie is not essential, but will help readers guess plot twists well in advance. For example, when characters' eyes glow while they suddenly feel compelled to do Jamil's bidding, it might put you in mind of a certain sorcerer's snake-shaped staff. While the main plot, depicting Yu and Grimm's winter break gone awry, translates faithfully from the game, Yu's trademark bubbly pep is what makes this retelling special. Unlike some of the other Yusonas, she isn't especially gifted in the smarts department, and her Dumb and Dumber routine with Grimm makes for plenty of laughs. Even though I was familiar with most of these characters already, her chemistry with them made me see them in a different light.

My biggest problem with Disney Twisted Wonderland: Book of Scarabia vol. 1 is entirely by design: it's only half of a whole and it feels like it. It would be far better to offer the entirety of Book of Scarabia as a single volume. There's no momentary satisfaction in the book's conclusion, just loose ends. Of course, there's no need to wait to find out what happens next; all you need to do is boot up the game. However, this retelling and its ebullient protagonist have me hooked, so I'm absolutely planning to snap up volume 2. Knowing what happens next is one thing. But I want to find out how this iteration of Yu experiences it.