Review of The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a Star

Its usually a very hard thing for me to rate OVAs, as they are not as long, deep and important in terms of plot but rather to promote an anime. In this case it was not the case. Without talking about the story, first I would like to point out the stunning art style used, the entire OVA has so many beautiful and stunning moments, that I often had to stop and replay because I just kept getting lost in them. The music as well is great, doing a great job in supporting the visuals and the story. But what I loved most was thesetting of the OVA. It was obviously set in Chises past, so people who did not know the Manga might have been confused, but is a great and heartwarming story in itself. Fear of magical creatures, which cannot be seen by most, together with this emotional feeling of being an outcast because of that, has moved me to tears. As the story goes on and we find the library, I got even more engrossed, as the beauty about bonding over books, and finally finding a place of solace in this for Chise frightening outside world. Riichi as a kind man, who could emphasize with Chise, while being troubled with fragments of his own past, improved the story quite a big deal, as a guide, a teacher and most importantly a friend to the young child. Their interactions and bonding in the library was very well done, as it showed a glimpse of hope for Chise, as she found finally a place she was at peace. The tragic and bittersweet ending moved me to tears, as it managed in a perfect way to show how to move on, and yet to still remember beautiful moments in the past.
Especially as someone who read countless books when I was Chises age, I was mesmerized how much this reminded my of my own connection with books and how this changed my as a person. I started to return to the old library I frequently visited and found so many beautiful memories hidden inside.
This is the reason why for me this OVA cannot deserve anything less than a 10 out of 10. A perfect reminder of my own childhood, a beatiful and touching story about magic and a love that was not meant to be and in the end a wonderful example of the beauty that is Mahou Tsukai no Yome