Review of The Ancient Magus' Bride
My review is 3 because the basilar relationship, around which the plot centres, appears to be a fan fic written by either a 13 year old girl or a 40 year old predator. The world is interesting, although I think it could have been explored more deeply. The animation is pretty good. And the story is cliché: outcast girl/boy with special powers sacrifices herself to save everyone. The major problem with this anime is that it romanticizes/normalizes an abusing relationship between a minor and an ancient (therefore adult) person. I would have no problem if it would explore the creepy, degrading and destructive parts ofthe relationship between Chise and Elias, but it means to show the audience this beautiful story of how two lonely people come together and live happy (despite how unbelievably unhealthy the relationship is).
The worst of their relationship (with spoilers):
- Their relationship a great example of child grooming. I would have given Elias the benefit of the doubt in the beginning, seeing as he is not human and does not seem to fully grasp the meaning of "bride". However, his twisted view of Chise does not change.
He preys on her insecurities and abandonment issues. Chise is a teenage girl, a minor with deep traumas and no (healthy) relationships in her life. She craves someone that will love her and not abandon her. She is the typical target of real life sexual predators. And Elias is not romantic when he lures a defenseless, suicidal and lonely teenage girl, desperate enough that she would sell herself, into a romantic relationship.
The anime would have been a thousand times better if they actually explored how twisted, destructive, unhealthy and disgusting their relationship is. Instead they normalize it and present it to the audience as an example of romance!
- She's his slave. The power balance of their relationship is already a mess at the beginning of the anime and does not improve throughout the story.
In the last episode, just as Chise is leaving the house, Elias demands that she recites a list of things she will and won't do, as a teenage person/child would do to their parent.
Another sign of how unhealthy the relationship is, with Elias, being an adult, and assuming a paternal, authority and control based position in their relationship.
- Elias is a possessive abusive and jealous "partner" that throws a tantrum that ends in physical assault when Chise spends normal happy time with a new friend. If there was truly a healthy care or love for her, Elias would have been happy and supporting of Chise for finding a friend, something that she has always been missing in her life.
He actually assaults her for it. There's no larger redder flag than this.
Oh wait, there's actually a time when he tries to kill that same friend so he could extend Chise's life. Because he obviously loves her so much, he can't be parted from her. This is not love, it's a twisted infatuation and obsession.
- People can try to justify Elias behaviour by saying that he is also emotionally immature, so it's as if they were the same age. A lot of the people that groom minors also have a lack of emotional maturity (adding to the psychological disturbances) and it does not justify anything.
- They can also justify it by saying that Chise seems to consent. Chise is a teenage girl that lost her father and brother, was strangled by her mother and witnessed her suicide. She is deeply troubled and suffers from deep loneliness, self-esteem issues, depression, abandonment. She feels welcomed for the first time in a relationship between a master and a slave. This is not a person that has the emotional ability (not her fault) to even understand how damaging and distorted her relationship with Elias is. She is glad that he needs her just as much as she needs him. And all the abusive possessive behaviour are just a con (a too heavy con) she feels she has to endure, when she deserves so much better.
I cannot give a good review to a story that has in its base something so sick and perverted as this relationship and presents it as something good, romantic and salvific to both parts. Even if Chise were an adult woman it would have been a terribly destructive, controlling and obsessive relationship. And it's wrongness is drowned in interesting supporting characters, wordbuilding and animation.
The target are teenage girls that can be led to believe and see relationships as this as goals, romantic and normal. It is not normal and it should not be normalised through a platform such as anime.