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REVIEW: The Ancient Magus' Bride GN 1


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bobob101



Joined: 28 Jun 2013
Posts: 201
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 9:32 am Reply with quote
This one is really good, and it shares many similarities to a wonderful manga called Ran and the Grey World around her by Irie Aki. Both of them depict magical as something fascinating, beautiful, and unexplainable. Sadly, Ran has yet to be licensed, but this one has so that is a win. I know that Magus has won some awards in Japan too, so that is another selling point.
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Lactobacillus yogurti



Joined: 17 Aug 2011
Posts: 839
Location: Latin America
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 10:11 am Reply with quote
"Sleigh beggy?" Seriously? I prefer the term on the scanlation, Slay Vega.
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Saffire



Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 1255
Location: Iowa, USA
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:00 am Reply with quote
Lactobacillus yogurti wrote:
"Sleigh beggy?" Seriously? I prefer the term on the scanlation, Slay Vega.
Sleigh beggy is an actual thing in fairy folklore. Slay Vega is not.
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Collectonian



Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 104
Location: Texas
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:18 am Reply with quote
I really enjoyed the first volume as well and look forward to more.

The potential power play in the presumed future relationship (since it is billed as a "dark romance") doesn't bother me too much because Elias is very quick to destroy Chise's chains, freeing her from bondage, and noting that he will respect her wishes. He also at no point, at least in this volumes, pulls any sort of "well, I spent all this money on you so do what I say...".

I got the impression that if Chise had said "okay, I want to leave" he'd let her go, though would try to implore she stay long enough to learn what she needs to survive as a sleigh beggy.

There was much less of the potential stockholm syndrome type feel versus say Dawn of the Arcana where it is seems clear Nakaba would have little to do with Caesar if she hadn't been forced to marry him. Though that dynamic changes as the series progresses, there is still that feel that he owns her so how much choice does she really have?
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myskaros



Joined: 13 Jun 2011
Posts: 598
Location: J-Novel Club
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:24 am Reply with quote
Saffire wrote:
Lactobacillus yogurti wrote:
"Sleigh beggy?" Seriously? I prefer the term on the scanlation, Slay Vega.
Sleigh beggy is an actual thing in fairy folklore. Slay Vega is not.

Here is the response Seven Seas posted about that translation:

http://sevenseasentertainment.tumblr.com/post/120370462795/hello-on-the-account-of-the-sleigh-beggy
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Chibi Shoujo



Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 97
Location: Wisconsin, USA
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:44 am Reply with quote
Collectonian wrote:
The potential power play in the presumed future relationship (since it is billed as a "dark romance") doesn't bother me too much because Elias is very quick to destroy Chise's chains, freeing her from bondage, and noting that he will respect her wishes. He also at no point, at least in this volumes, pulls any sort of "well, I spent all this money on you so do what I say...".


I'm also wondering about the connotation of "dark romance". My personal interpretation aligns with yours in that I don't think it's associated with personalities, but more related to the physical characteristics of Elias. I mean, it may be considered "dark" to be in a relationship with someone who has a skull for a head.

For now, I'm looking forward to the rest of this series. It's got great potential with the story, and the artwork is beautifully done and detailed.
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Animechic420



Joined: 25 Sep 2012
Posts: 1724
Location: A Cave Filled With Riches
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:44 am Reply with quote
This manga is so beautifully drawn, has lovable characters, and a dynamic plot. I stopped reading the scanlations months ago when I found out the paperback was coming out.

I wanted to be more surprised Smile

Side note: when I showed my mom the cover for Magus' Bride, she said, "...that thing has a skull for a head."

Almost made me drop the book! Laughing
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Chrno2



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 6171
Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:52 am Reply with quote
I've been curious about title for awhile. First time I saw the manga was from sub leader of Morning Musume Haruna Iikubo who (also mentions she's an otaku) reads this series. I found it interesting that one of the characters dons an animal skull for a head...is it his head? Maybe I'll request this or wait until someone from my local public library. If I do it I'll be doing a great service to someone else by helping expand their collection. Surprised
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malvarez1



Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 1628
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 12:24 pm Reply with quote
This is one of the only ever romance manga I followed via scans, partially because I liked that the love interest wasn't some bishonen pretty boy. I mean....a magician with a skull head? Neat.

Anyway, for those worried, their relationship (at least as of now) has not been creepy in the slightest. Actually, quite the opposite, IMO. If anything, the only creepy thing is some unfortunate animal violence later.

Anyway, it's a very charming series, partially because of how different it is.
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here-and-faraway



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 1528
Location: Sunny California
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 12:25 pm Reply with quote
Thank you for the review. You did such a lovely job putting into words what I enjoy about this series.
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belvadeer





PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 2:41 pm Reply with quote
So happy to hear it finally got an official translation. Definitely going to pick this one up. Because skull heads. :D

EDIT: Just got back from B&N with the book. Yay. :)


Last edited by belvadeer on Tue Jun 09, 2015 4:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
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blessed



Joined: 03 Nov 2014
Posts: 68
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 3:48 pm Reply with quote
Warning: the following manga is extremely addictive and will need the utmost patience until the next chapter comes out.
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vashfanatic



Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 3489
Location: Back stateside
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:59 pm Reply with quote
bobob101 wrote:
This one is really good, and it shares many similarities to a wonderful manga called Ran and the Grey World around her by Irie Aki. Both of them depict magical as something fascinating, beautiful, and unexplainable.

As someone who admires that manga and is curious about this one, is it just the world-building, or it is also the issue of problematic-content-handled-intelligently?

(Ran and the Grey World, for those who don't know, is about a young girl from a family of sorcerers, who, ala Big, wants to become an adult and uses magic to achieve it. While she's in adult form, an adult falls in love with her having no idea she's actually a child, again ala Big, believing her to be a free-spirited young woman. Obviously that can be uncomfortable for the reader, watching him try to get in her pants while we know she's like 8 or 9 years old. However, unlike Big, spoiler[they never develop a sexual relationship and Ran winds up with an age-appropriate love interest at the end. Like Big, the moral is that "growing up" is less about physical maturity and more about the emotional maturity from life experience.])
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Doodleboy



Joined: 23 Dec 2013
Posts: 296
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 7:31 pm Reply with quote
The premise and alot of the opening chapter is really creepy. The art is really nice though.
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ailblentyn



Joined: 28 Mar 2009
Posts: 1688
Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 7:55 pm Reply with quote
Thanks for drawing attention to this. I think I need to read it — your review has enough that reminds me of one of my favourite authors, Le Fanu, to make me track it down as soon as I can.
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