Review of The Ancient Magus' Bride

I loved this anime!! It was heartwarming, had cool characters and nice art. I think the thing people get most caught up on is the age difference, which is obviously understandable, but who knows what Elias is or how he ages. He’s gained a lot of knowledge about magic, apparently, but is completely ignorant in every single other aspect and often acts similar to her age. I love their interactions because most of the time he might as well be younger than her with their dynamic. Characters: 10/10 My favorite part was the characters!! I love Chise and Elias’ dynamic, but I almost love Chise andRuth’s more. It’s hard to choose. A lot of the secondary cast are fun and interesting as well, and the antagonist(s) are top tier. Chise, the main character shows such depth in personality with her struggle in wanting to nurture Elias but also not wanting to make him share things about himself he is uncomfortable with sharing. Elias shows his depth by wanting to protect Chise, and let her know that she is loved, while consciously making an effort not to squander her potential, hold her back, or suffocate her.

Animation: 9/10
Classic wit style. Super pretty, can be serious and also can be funny. I liked it but it’s not extraordinary or anything

Plot: 7/10
The plot was probably the biggest downfall, as it moves really fast. As SOON as something is resolved, something else comes up. There is no rest, making the action overwhelming sometimes. But, the arcs were emotionally moving and developed characters well.

Music: 7/10
I liked the music but it never struck out to me super strongly.

Overall I love this anime and personally consider it to be a favorite. I can certainly understand why people aren’t a fan from a critical standpoint, but if you like the “I can’t open up to you because I’m afraid to lose you/please open up to me because I love you and want to care for you” troupe and/or the supernaturalxhuman troupe (kamisama kiss, Jibaku shonen hanako kun, etc), and are okay with heavy themes such as suicide, depression, abuse, and neglect then you will probably like this anime. 🙂