The Ancient Magus' Bride (2016)

[魔法使いの嫁]

Volume 5

Author/Artist: Kore Yamazaki
Publisher: Blade Comics

Synopsis:
The leannan sidhe seeks out Chise's help with an ailing Joel.

Story/Characters:
Chise answers the leannan sidhe's call and finds that Joel is dying. Despite the leannan sidhe insisting that she doesn't love Joel (as loving him would involve draining his lifeforce), she's actually been draining him all the while and his time is short. Chise decides to make a fairy potion that would allow Joel to at least see the leannan sidhe before his death. There are a number of pitfalls involved. First, it's not something the Fae appreciate, so Chise can't rely on their help. Second, the process is very involved and without a great chance of success. Despite his misgivings, Elias consents to letting her try (as he expects she would try to do it even if he forbade it). She makes it work, giving the leannan sidhe and Joel the chance to have a proper parting. Once that's over, Oberon shows up to take the rest of the potion and it looks like things will get tied up peaceably, but then the after-effects of Chise's exertion hit her. At Oberon's insistence, Elias takes Chise to the Land of the Fae for treatment. When Chise comes around, she's introduced to Shannon, a changeling who grew up in the human world and became a doctor before being brought back the Land of the Fae. We also meet her husband Shanahan, the human raised among the Fae who she replaced. Apparently after spending time in the Land of the Fae, humans become more Fae-like. While this is going on, Titania speaks with Elias, trying to encourage him and Chise to live in the Land of the Fae, but he refuses. Shannon then relies on some questionable methods to kickstart Chise's recovery, but I guess results are results.

Before Elias and Chise make their way back, we check in on Silkie. Due to the time flowing differently between realms, it's already winter back in jolly old England. We get a glimpse into her past, as a banshee who lost the household she was bound to. We then learn that the Spriggan helped her find new purpose in her current form. Once Elias and Chise settle in, they begin to make preparations for Yule and it's neat to see an exploration of the old pagan traditions that still persist in vestigial form to this day. The mistletoe scene at the end is very cute.

Art:
The emotional punch of the leannan sidhe and Joel story gets delivered ably by the visuals. Shannon's "treatment" of Chise is also quite striking. Also, once again, the mistletoe scene is cute.

Other:
We get a color illustration of Chise's workspace and an afterword comic where Yamazaki talks about her interest in stories about humans and non-humans mixing, which is obviously a big inspiration for this series.

Conclusion:
The leannan sidhe and Joel story is one of the most touching in the series (as far as I've seen thus far) and it was neat to see the Land of the Fae and to learn about Silkie's backstory. There's plenty of good insight to be had into both the world and the characters which should be sure to please the fans. Be sure to add this to the collection.

Rating:
Own It