Lonely Castle in the Mirror

By Tsujimura Mizuki

Translated by Philip Gabriel

(2017, trans. 2021)

Random House UK
A popular and much-beloved young adult novel in Japan,  Lonely Castle in the Mirror combines elements of the coming-of-age drama with fantasy, computer gaming, and the supernatural. Tsujimura uses these genres to address the impact of bullying in Japanese middle and high schools. Books about bully culture in China, Japan, and Korea are a long-lived genre, and many of them involve shocking levels of psychological abuse and ultraviolence (consider Mieko Kawakami’s Heaven). Tsujimura steers well clear of those horrors, instead concentrating on the experiences of seven sensitive young people who have been deeply wounded by betrayals from friend groups, false rumors, theft, and shunning. Though Tsujimura showcases the internal worlds of the seven and their interaction with one another, adults are (mostly) on the case. Thoughtful teachers spot problems, school counselors are involved, and many of the parents are doing whatever they can to support their children as they deal with shame and fear that is so strong they need to withdraw from school. These children are fleeing into themselves, and they would likely never leave the safety of their homes if Tsujimura did not offer them a through-the-looking-glass opportunity to meet one another each day in a castle under the control of a creature called the Wolf Girl. She tells them of a hidden treasure – a wishing room – that will give the finder the opportunity to make any wish come true, with the caveat that once the wish has been granted, the seven will never be able to meet again. After this spectacular introduction, Tsujimura allows the quest and the Wolf Girl to all but disappear as the seven children share their life stories, family histories, and the cruelty they experienced in classrooms, hallways, playing fields, and chat rooms. They also confess their insecurities and their shame. Readers looking to dive into the many clues in the palace soon realize that Tsujimura is offering a much more interesting challenge: as they talk and listen to one another, the children discover odd details, apparent contradictions, and inconsistencies in the narratives. No one accuses anyone of lying, but it becomes more and more clear that the castle contains puzzles that may be beyond human comprehension. Trust is shaken, the stability of the castle/sanctuary begins to develop cracks, and even as the children grow closer to solving the mystery, the Fox Girl becomes increasingly unpredictable and violent. As testimony to the popularity and influence of the novel, Lonely Castle in the Mirror achieved success in both the manga and anime genres..

…It was clear Tojo-san no longer wanted to be in Kokoro’s company, especially not in front of Sanada and her gang.
Tojo-san and Kokoro had been discussing which after- school club to join. But when the time came to meet, as they’d promised each other, Tojo-san strode right out of the classroom with Sanada and her crew. When they were out in the hallway Sanada said, loudly enough for Kokoro to hear, ‘I feel so sorry for those loners!’
As she slowly packed away her school books, ready to go home, she noticed the stares from the other kids, and Kokoro finally understood: the comment had been meant for her.
Loner, loner – the word whirled around in her head as she left the school building. She intentionally avoided the other kids eyes. If that gang was going to be there, it was enough reason for her to lose all desire to check out any clubs.
Why did they pick on me like that? she wondered.
They gave her the silent treatment.
They whispered about her behind her back.
They told other girls not to have anything to do with her.
They laughed.
Laughed and laughed.
Laughing at her, Kokoro.