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The Ancient Magus' Bride
Episode 15

by Anne Lauenroth,

How would you rate episode 15 of
The Ancient Magus' Bride ?
Community score: 4.3

Episode 15 isn't The Ancient Magus' Bride at its most enchanting, but not because of my usual directorial pet peeves. While scenes like Shannon and Chise slowly walking/riding through the forest in a distant long shot left something to be desired, the storytelling issues present this week were more significant.

We start off with a few examples of the show's familiar sound design. From Chise's blood dripping to the ground to Elias' heavy steps carrying her to the entrance of the fairy kingdom, every sound adds a physical and emotional weight to the actions on screen and their consequences for the characters. Chise's body seems to be tearing itself apart from the inside (which explains that frightening sound around 2:23), and Elias' responsibility for her weighs heavily on him, just as his reluctance to bring her to a place where his existence has been repeatedly rejected.

The problem is that I'm no longer worried about Chise being mortally injured. After all those cliffhangers of her being abducted, transformed, or otherwise in danger have been resolved within minutes, it feels safe to assume she's going to be fine, even if it takes half an episode to get there this time. Unfortunately, how we get there – Chise having to reaffirm her will to live by fighting back against being drowned in order for her wounds to heal – has little to add beyond what previous episodes already did a better job establishing. Of course the scene of her struggling under water and eventually fighting her way back up to the world isn't about fixing this week's physical injuries, but about overcoming much deeper emotional trauma. (Hence Shannon turning into Chise's mother and Elias breaking the chains/chokehold.) Had this scene happened at an earlier point in the journey, it might not have felt quite as forced and redundant.

I'm all in favor of Chise's recovery being a gradual process instead of reducing it to one defining moment that too many stories opt for because it's cleaner and more dramatic. Working through deep-seated feelings of worthlessness and learning to appreciate life should take time, but it's beginning to feel like we're caught moving in unnecessary circles. When Chise almost drowning changes from an underlying threat symbolizing her depression to something almost akin to a running gag, it loses some of its power, especially since her desire to continue living has already been confirmed more than once. It doesn't help that the gravity of what Shannon put her through to help her is quickly laughed off, breaking not only the moment's tension but also my immersion. We've seen Chise attempt to put her foot down politely but firmly before. What if she'd gotten just a little bit angry? Wouldn't her questioning Shannon's behavior more have added agency to what felt like a simple reaction to a physical threat, making the whole scene feel less redundant?

The most interesting part about Chise and Elias' trip to the fairy kingdom was how Titania's words about the human world poisoning one's soul and body reflected on both Shannon's backstory and unconventional behavior, as well as Chise's fate as a Sleigh Beggy – which she might not have to suffer if she relocated permanently to the fairy world. But Elias, who always felt more accepted by humanity than fae (at least on an individual level), wants her to stay human – maybe because he fears that a non-human Chise could also start seeing him as incomplete?

Even if the episode ends with Chise coming home in recovery mode, this week's title is more about what her return home means to someone else. After all, just as Chise's reaffirmed her desire to live more than once, she's already made the choice to come back home when offered alternatives. There's no place like home thanks not only to Elias, but also Silky, his silent housekeeper who finally gets some backstory in the second half of the episode, forming its true emotional core.

Before becoming acquainted with any of our protagonists, Silky was a banshee. As harbingers of loss and sadness, banshees announce and lament the deaths of the humans they're attached to by wailing. That's why Silky's eyes are red from crying when we meet her in the flashback, and that's why she pretty much never speaks, unable to either cry for herself or call out to the humans living in the village after having no one left to mourn. Left without a reason to exist, she meets a surprisingly kind Spriggan, who not only changes her appearance to the one we know, but also her specific fairy nature. By doing that, he gives her a new purpose; instead of mourning mortals bound to perish, she will tend to the living, providing a home for them to return to. And instead of abandoning her chosen home after the previous occupants died or moved on, Silky could stay to keep the fire burning for the next person to move in. It's her house that Elias moved into at some point, not the other way around, telling a small beautiful tale for a character who's always been present but never given a voice. Silky's fully capable of expressing emotion through tiny actions, though – magically redecorating the house and installing new doorbells in anticipation of her family's return.

When The Ancient Magus' Bride returns next week, we'll see more of Renfred and Alice. I'm already looking forward to that after this slightly disappointing reunion with Titania and Oberon.

Rating: B-

The Ancient Magus' Bride is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Anne is a translator and fiction addict who writes about anime at Floating Words and on Twitter.


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