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Crunchyroll Streams The Ancient Magus' Bride's Prequel Anime Part 1

Media distribution service Crunchyroll announced on Saturday that it is now streaming The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a Star Part 1 anime. The stream is available worldwide except in Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The anime is a three-part project based on Kore Yamazaki's manga The Ancient Magus' Bride (Mahō Tsukai no Yome). Seven Seas publishes the manga in North America, and it describes the story:

Chise Hatori has lived a life full of neglect and abuse, devoid of anything resembling love. Far from the warmth of family, she has had her share of troubles and pitfalls. Just when all hope seems lost, a fateful encounter awaits her. When a man with the head of a beast, wielding strange powers, obtains her through a slave auction, Chise's life will never be the same again.

The man is a "magus," a sorcerer of great power, who decides to free Chise from the bonds of captivity. The magus then makes a bold statement: Chise will become his apprentice - and his bride!

The anime project tells an original story from before Chise meets the Magus. The first part was bundled with the sixth manga volume in Japan on Saturday, and it also had a limited two-week run in eight theaters throughout Japan starting on Saturday, August 13. The other two volumes of the anime will be bundled with the seventh and eighth volumes of the manga on March 10, 2017 and September 9, 2017, respectively. The second part will also get a limited two-week run in Japanese theaters beginning on February 4, 2017.

The anime's cast includes:

Atsumi Tanezaki as Chise Hattori

Ryōta Takeuchi as Elias Ainsworth

Kōki Uchiyama as Ruth

Aya Endō as Silky (Silver)

Takahiro Sakurai as Toshikazu Miura (name romanization not yet confirmed)

Atsumi Tanezaki as 8-year-old Chise

Yamazaki wrote the original story for the anime. Norihiro Naganuma (Hozuki's Coolheadedness assistant director, Yowamushi Pedal movie director) is directing the anime at Wit Studio (Attack on Titan, Seraph of the End), and Aya Takaha (Psycho-Pass episode 12 script) is penning the scripts. Hirotaka Katō (Empire of Corpses animation director, Hozuki's Coolheadedness) is designing the characters for animation, while Bamboo (Hozuki's Coolheadedness, Empire of Corpses) is handling the background art. Film composer Junichi Matsumoto (Hidekazu Kore'eda's Like Father, Like Son film) is composing the music.

Thanks to Rukiia and Dessa for the news tips