The Ancient Magus' Bride (2017-2018)

[魔法使いの嫁]

Season 1

Director: Norihiro Naganuma
Studio: Wit Studio
Starring: Atsumi Tanezaki, Ryota Takeuchi, Koki Uchiyama
Episodes: 24

Synopsis:
A girl with the ability to see the supernatural sells herself at an auction and is purchased by a mage who wants to take her on as his apprentice.

Impressions:
This is a title I've noticed but never got around to checking out until now. It's an incredible shame I didn't do so earlier, but at least I've gotten to enjoy it now. I'll go ahead and say right now that this is really good and worth owning. With that said, let's get to the why. I like a good story with an element of the fantastical, but when I see a lot of legwork go into the worldbuilding with great characters to bring that world to life, it truly is rewarding. British folklore and European paganism are nicely woven together with a well-devised magic system and a parallel world that abides by its own order. Our main duo are fascinating to explore. Both Chise and Elias are misfits who are rejected by their respective worlds and are drawn to the other side, ultimately working to strike a balance between the two. Chise reconnects to her humanity while Elias tries to understand it for himself. They are pet and master, teacher and pupil, parent and child, and ultimately lovers where the role can shift from one to the other based on the circumstances. Watching both their individual development and the development of their relationship is certainly one of the highlights. The supporting cast is also quite solid and our chief antagonist gets rounded out rather well in the final arc.

The story has a strong sense of setup and payoff with clear stakes. Magic has its cost and it can often feel like no good deed goes unpunished. Then there's the matter that the standards of the Fae are quite different from our own and their affections can almost be as bad as their malice.

Wit Studio is known for its first-rate work and this series is no exception. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the last series I felt this strongly about was their more recent Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song. Production values are high and you can expect a feast of the eyes in addition to everything else that's so excellent. This is definitely up there among the better series I've seen and as I said back at the beginning, it's absolutely worth having. Do yourself a favor and check this out.

Rating:
Own It