Review of The Ancient Magus' Bride

A story that eclipses through fantasy-esque likeness with the cruelty of mankind: the love story of a mere human with magical mysterious powers unlike any other (Hatori Chise, a Sleigh Beggy (or Sleigh Vega which keeps true to the manga translation) and Elias Ainsworth, an ancient monster of a mage). Disclaimer (Spoilers warned if skipped): For those who haven't been up-to-date with the series, I'd recommend watching the 3-part prequel OVA series (Those Awaiting A Star) as it sets the story for Chise's entrance into the magical world and reveals tidbits of her relationship with Elias with a firm grounding before engaging the main 24-episode series. Comingfrom the manga source of the same name by Kore Yamazaki, I'd say that Mahoutsukai no Yome or The Ancient Magus' Bride is one of the more prominent works to have come out at this season, handled by a well-known studio (Wit Studio) that knows what it excels at, and magnifies it tenfold. Honestly, I'm quite impressed with the storytelling and the fluent and vibrant animation that is always perceived as top-notch, with a few exceptions that I'll get into a bit.

Story:
Coming off from the 3-part prequel series, we encounter 15-year old Hatori Chise, being sold off not just as a human slave at an auction, but a rare breed known as a Sleigh Beggy (which her powers made her a target of many ire people). Sold off to the weird monster-looking that is the ancient mage Elias Ainsworth, a simple sentence ensues: "I want to make you my puppy (which meant an apprentice)...NO...I want to make you my bride." And so the not-so happy-ever-after relationship of Chise and Elias starts with lots of stories folded into one, from magical dragon creatures to creepy Cartaphilus burning the rakes on the couple and other related characters as they go.

Being faithful and keeping true to the plot of the manga (heck, even the ending scares and tears me to death) that its consistency is right on par with the translation makes this work really a coveted one, and it's easy to see why. By just referencing off the original source material, the storytelling may have more plot holes to fill in, but whether may it be following or side-lining (also known as filter), the execution is brillantly well-done and it never gets old...but hey, no liberties (for a distinct high 8.5 score on MAL) right?

Characters:
Other than the well-foretold story comes its characters, and is considered as another strong point for the show.

Hatori Chise is not your usual young girl (that's for sure) as she is the "One For All" equivalent, jam-packed with magical abilities that render her both effective and not in times of distress, being a Sleigh Beggy that amplifies the power of magic around her, both used for good (that when threatened, her power is able to defeat all evil) and evil (when Cartaphilus comes in the fray). An emotionless girl due to her tragic past that saw her parents cut all ties with her at a young age, Chise may seem breathless and lifeless, probably due to the effects of her memories, but with Elias, she becomes the puppy that wags towards him, acknowledging his monster-like feature with a heart that wants to learn to be like a human, and for that, she's the most calm and composed girl that I have seen in quite a while, one that is strong under pressure.

Elias Ainsworth is (definitely) not your usual monster magus either, because of his weird antics (e.g. shapeshifting into human form, the one time where Chise was life-threatened and his monster-likeness grew hatred for Cartaphilus), but as always, the main character that preserves his life to protect the one he is growing to love, is a man in my books. It's as though sometimes we may not understand the fullness of Elias, but as the series progresses at its natural pace that we come to understand Elias more through his actions towards the surrounding people and his reasoning which is succinct to say the least.

The main antagonist, Cartaphilus (or the alternate good Joseph) is clearly the series "All For One" that you don't want to mess around with. A freaking jerk, a master experimentalist who uses others for his gain, a terrorist for his cruelness and terror. Though like Chise, his backstory (Spoiler warning: towards the ending) irks of the same amount of wreck that Chise had in her younger days, he will stop at nothing to commit lifeless acts that will benefit to him at the expense of others. Not to mention that he is a good-for-nothing negotiator, he is the epitomy of evil at its core.

The other characters:
Ruth and Silky both reprise their roles as Chise's watchman and guardian respectively and though their efficiency is not fleshed out much (even less for Silky), the anime adaptation DID at least showcased their prowess at what they could do.

Lindel and the dragons (at the beginning) were fun to watch for their antics, especially after the couple's encounter, and the young children feels kick in with the young dragons playing as though their happy days, and the most important dragon of all: the ever mature, old and dying but not decaying Nevin. Just by looking at Nevin alone, I honestly learned a lot of life lessons through this old dragon (and props for Nevin's VA, it's really good!) and it made the time watching this series a hell of good warmth.

Renfred and the gang made their appearances as ones who have first encountered Cartaphilus with his deadly acts of killing (first with Ruth who became Chise's dog/watchman, then the dragon rage and his parallel world), and these guys are in for the extermination for justice, that will stop at nothing to bring Cartaphilus down.

Overall, a large character library, with their roles reprised as they should be, with great fervor and confidence.

Art/Animation:
What to expect from a studio that's well respected for the brillant animation and visual feel? Simply nothing but the best, and that's the idea of Wit Studio coming in to direct this fantasy world with the most visually appealing look that at times may look dark and creepy and at times filled with the brimness and fullness of the world, and it works wonders. Even if you managed to spot a tint of inconsistency with the artwork, the show blemishes that out with the ever-so-smmoth animation that will come off as striking the instant you watch it, and it further stands out in the best way possible.

And something to note in the Winter 2018 season: most people think that masterpiece-like animation such as Violet Evergarden is a masterpiece in its own right, granted that is too, but there're others like YoriMoi and this too, and with the false thinking of knowing that with good animation comes a great story, it's easy to see why it's notable for all the wrong reasons.

Sound:
The OST is honestly a killer soundtrack, though I WILL stick to my beliefs that the 1st cour is better than the 2nd cour of the OP and ED. Not to mention that the times where the background music plays along with the different tunes of the show, makes it work tremendously well suited for the scenario at hand.

And for the same reasons, I remember that people harshly criticize the 2nd cour's OP and ED because of the high standards of the 1st cour that didn't match ideally towards the narration of the series progression up to that point, and I raise this question: If you would have thought of a much better interpretation for the series, would we see it come to fruition? The answer would be suited to your own tastes, but I can point out a few:
- 2nd cour OP had repeating scenes from the 1st cour OP: Seems lazy for the studio to have a new, fresh take on the series with new artwork, plus the music itself is good but honestly doesn't hold a candle to the one that preceded it.
- 2nd ED is technically better than the 1st ED, but the style of implementation is different: Notice the progression of beginning-midway and midway-ending. I know I'm not evident much, but its a subtle hint to the progressing episode(s) that come next.

Overall:
Despite all the minor (or major if you can spot) flaws it has, this series is really enjoyable, and a delight to watch from start to end. The various cliffhangers, sense of foreboding, understanding the world surrounding the characters, all that makes for a series that stays true to the hype from the manga and OVAs to this wonderful piece of a work that will ensure your investment of a time well-spent and honour via its conscious execution and well-balanced progression. As always, a recommended watch for everyone who is tired of the typical romance genre and needs a subtle genre mix with it.