This Week in Anime

What Makes The Ancient Magus' Bride's World So Magical?

Nick D
Steve, let me ask you a very important question. It's something that's been weighing on me for a while now.

So I need you to help me figure out. Why. The fuck. Everyone is so horny for this fucking bone man.

I mean I get it to a point. Some people in my generation got awoken by The Nightmare Before Christmas. But this dude's just a fursuit past its expiration date yet everyone's calling him daddy.

I'm not familiar with the manga - though I've heard it talked up for ages. I've read some of the mangaka's other works but AMB was one I kind of just slept on until the anime started. And as an anime-only viewer, I can say one thing with certainty: Kore Yamazaki is the biggest fucking nerd creator I've ever seen.

It definitely stands out among its peers. Anime's no stranger to magic and fantasy settings, but usually they take inspiration from contemporary fantasy settings, JRPGs, or occasionally western fantasy tales. Magus Bride, on the other hand, is based in a ton of old mythology, folklore, and even modern neo-paganism practices.

It's really impressive world-building done with a really subtle hand. It crafts a world that feels as rich with history as it does with wonder. This isn't a world created just to give the main character or audience an adventure. It's one that's been around for ages beyond human comprehension, with facets nobody may ever really understand.

That's an astounding feat for 5 episodes of content so far.

Gotta say, my little nerd heart went doki doki when they dropped that term. It's ridiculous how many little tidbits of real-life folklore gets dropped with nary an explanation or discussion. The show even uses it for sly little character moments! Like in episode 2 when Angelica is giving Chise her magic starter kit. It includes an athame, and my inner edgy 12-year-old was thrilled at this.

But she also gives Chise a few extra trinkets after seeing her lose control of her powers earlier:

So fluorite, at least in most modern incarnations of stone magic lore, is assigned qualities meant to calm excess mental and emotional energy and ground a magic worker's focus to their given task.

It's essentially Angelica winkingly giving Chise a hint that she needs to learn to rein herself in when training as a Magus. But it's something that passes over her head and the audience's, unless they know that particular bit of trivia.

I busted out laughing when it happened because there's such a thing as being too subtle. But it's also impressive for how dedicated AMB is to making its world feel real and lived-in. People refer to events or concepts Chise has no clue about, that we never see expanded on, but it all serves as a gorgeous backdrop to her story.

I'll admit I was pretty iffy about the show starting out - beginning your story with human trafficking is, to put it politely, a bold first impression that's pretty rife with pitfalls and red flags.

yanks slave chain
"Believe in yourself."

getting some mixed signals Mr. Skellington

So you're saying Chise is a goth furry.

ANYWAY. Despite the iffy start, the show has done wonders to assuage my fears so far. Especially given how far Chise has come in just 5 episodes. From dead-eyed and taciturn to actively fighting to help a stranger find peace in the afterlife. All without any big speeches or dramatic revelations. Her growth's a result of finding companionship and support from someone, opening up to the experiences of others and gaining a sense of belonging, however tenuous.

And some cute as hell talking cat friends, the cats are very important.

Looks like somebody tried to rub the belly.

Anime has a lot of cats, but these are some Primo Grade A Wholewheat Organic No Filler Good Anime Cats

Don't make me remember Sailor Moon Crystal.

I've seen that sentiment a fair bit, and to a point I get it - the show is polished and consistently competent, but it doesn't have the ostentatious or attention-grabbing visual direction we usually get with big, anticipated anime adaptations of beloved works. But at the same time, I find a lot of interesting details and choices in the show's more subdued style. In fact, a LOT of the direction seems to be motivated by focusing as much on Chise as possible - getting the audience into her headspace, introducing us to the world as she experiences it not just by sticking to her POV, but by framing the world by how she chooses to (not) interact with it.

Like one of my favorite moments is this inconsequential sequence in Episode 2, when Simon first shows up and starts grilling Elias for not being home when he said he would be.

We stay on that shot for the whole conversation. The two guys talking are cut off by the frame and while we hear them, what we see is Chise, hunched and avoiding eye contact and just not engaging at all until she's addressed. It's a tiny choice, but one that feels really well chosen for keeping us with her and presenting a tiny, mundane part of how she deals with people.

And on the world-building front, the background art is consistently fantastic. Just a few shots can bring the greens of Iceland or the sleepy villages of the English countryside to life.

Pictured: Elias' brother probably

Actually sidenote: Elias' skull is apparently a DOG skull he glued ram horns onto. So not only is he a Hot Topic t-shirt waiting to happen, he's a tryhard one at that.

That does bring up the topic of Elias though - so far I've had a hard time getting a read on him.

He's certainly a bit off-kilter - his idea of a honeymoon is running errands - but otherwise he's a lot of mystery wrapped up in a suit.

Here's a tip: don't dress like a Harry Potter OC my man.

I'm definitely interested in seeing more from these two. Chise's been well-established in these first episodes, and I buy her attachment to Elias so far, but if we're going to be building a romance out of this, (if we are...?) I need a little more meat to chew on with Mr. Bones.

Well you horny skullfuckers out there can look forward to that I guess.

Meanwhile I, a man of taste, will be watching for more superb character writing, enthralling fantasy craft, and superb sound design.

and Nothing. Else.