The Ancient Magus' Bride

The Ancient Magus' Bride

The cover of the first volume.
魔法使いの嫁
(Mahō Tsukai no Yome)
Genre Supernatural,[1] fantasy, mystery[2]
Manga
Written by Kore Yamazaki
Published by Mag Garden
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Monthly Comic Blade
(2013 – September 1, 2014)
Monthly Comic Garden
(September 2014 – present)
Original run November 2013 – present
Volumes 5
Original video animation
Mahō Tsukai no Yome: Hoshi Matsu Hito
Directed by Norihiro Naganuma
Written by
  • Kore Yamazaki
  • Aya Takaha
Music by Flying Dog
Studio Wit Studio
Released

  • August 13, 2016 (Theatrical)
  • September 10, 2016 (DVD)

– September 9, 2017

Episodes 3

The Ancient Magus' Bride (魔法使いの嫁 Mahō Tsukai no Yome) is a Japanese fantasy shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Kore Yamazaki. The series is published in Japan by Mag Garden in its Monthly Comic Garden magazine. The manga licensed is in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. A three-part prequel anime will be produced by Wit Studio.

Characters

Chise Hatori (羽鳥チセ Hatori Chise)
Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki (drama CD, anime)[3][4]
The protagonist and titular character of the story. She is the apprentice and future bride to Elias Ainsworth. Her father abandoned the family when she was young, taking her little brother with him, and eventually her mother committed suicide. Feeling unwanted by her relatives, she sold herself into slavery so that she didn't have to worry about anything, with Elias purchasing her. She is a Sleigh Beggy, a special magus who can draw magic from her surroundings and within herself, at the cost of dying young because of the strain in her body, hence why Elias took her in, hoping to prevent her death.
Elias Ainsworth (エリアス・エインズワース Eriasu Einzuwāsu)
Voiced by: Ryota Takeuchi (drama CD, anime)[3][4]
The Child of Thorns, Chise's master and fiancee, once apprenticed to Master Lindenbaum. A being with both fae and human elements, his origins are a mystery. Known as the Thorn Sorcerer, the other faeries see him as an abomination, something he doesn't mind. Besides using glamour to hide his appearance, he can control and also turn himself into shadows, and when angry enough, he takes on a more monstrous form. Despite claiming to lack human emotions, after some time caring for Chise he has slowly developed a true fondness for her.
Lindenbaum (リンデル Rinderu, "Lindel")
Elias's magician Master, commonly referred as Lindel, lives in the Land of Dragons, the last sanctuary of dragons. His title is Echoes, Song of Flowers and has lived for hundreds of years.
Ruth (ルツ Rutsu)
Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama (drama CD, anime)[3][4]
Chise's familiar, a black grim who was originally a church guard dog who chased away grave robbers and evil spirits. He shares a mental link with Chise and considers her a sister.
Nevin (ネヴィン)
An Elder Dragon from the Land of Dragons who used his body as a seedbed for a tree when he passed, from which a branch was used to make Chise's staff.
Silver (シルキー Shirukī, "Silky")
Voiced by: Aya Endō (drama CD, anime)[3][4]
The fae landlady of the house where Elias and Chise reside. She is silent and takes care of the housekeeping duties in the household.
Simon (サイモン Saimon)
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa (drama CD)[3]
The priest of the local church in the town in England where Elias and Chise live. He has a breathing condition that is treated by Elias's medicine.
Angelica Barlei (アンジェリカ・バーレイ Anjerika Bārei)
An old acquaintance of Ellias. She is a witch and a technician of the magus craft. She has a daughter named Alucia Barlei.
Oberon (オベロン)
The faerie king and husband of Titania. He resembles a satyr, with hooves and deer antlers.
Titania (ティターニア Titānia)
The faerie queen and wife of Oberon. She looks like a beautiful woman riding a donkey.
Spriggan (スプリガン Supurigan)
The bodyguard of Queen Titania and King Oberon, who dislikes Elias. He is the one who gave Silver a new purpose and name.
Renfred (レンフレッド Renfureddo)
A wizard who apparently hates magus, but at the same time is caring towards his apprentice Alice. He was scarred in the face protecting Alice and later allowed Cartaphilius to take his left arm as material to save his apprentice from it.
Alice (アリス Arisu)
Renfred's apprentice. A former street urchin, Renfred found her and gave her a home, hence her devotion towards him. Because of their similar circumstances, she ends up befriending Chise.
Cartaphilius (カルタフィルス Karutafirusu, "Cartaphilus")
Also known as Joseph or the Wandering Jew, he is a mysterious being that looks like a young boy, but is much older. He seems to travel around the world experimenting with the living and dead for the sake of his experiments, although he has apparently forgotten why he experiments.
Leanan Sídhe (リャナン・シー Ryanan Shī)
A beautiful vampire-like faerie who loves men and gives them talent at the cost of dying young. She had strong feelings for an old man named Joel Garland, but denied that they were love. Her presence slowly killed him, so Chise created a remedy that allowed them to see each other one last time. After Joel's passing, she tells Chise she won't look for more lovers anymore.
Hazel
A centaur that works as a mailman for Elias and other mythological beings.
Chise's mother
Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (drama CD)[3]

Release

Kore Yamazaki began publishing the series in Mag Garden's Monthly Comic Blade magazine in November 2013.[1][5] The magazine ceased publication on September 1, 2014,[6] at which point the series was moved to the new Monthly Comic Garden magazine, while also continuing to be released on the Monthly Comic Blade website.[1][6] Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the series for publication in North America in October 2014.[1][7]

A drama CD was bundled with the limited edition of the fifth volume, released in March 2016.[2]

Volumes

The series has been collected into five tankōbon volumes,[8] three of which have been republished in English.[9]

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBNEnglish release dateEnglish ISBN
1 April 10, 2014[10]ISBN 978-4800002846 [10]May 12, 2015[9]ISBN 978-1-626921-87-0 [9]
  1. "April showers bring May flowers."
  2. "One today is worth two tomorrows."
  3. "The scale distinguishes not between gold and lead."
  1. "Everything must have a beginning."
  2. "Misfortunes seldom come singly."
2 September 10, 2014 (regular edition)[11]
September 10, 2014 (limited edition)[12]		ISBN 978-4800003614 [11]
ISBN 978-4800003546[12]		September 1, 2015[9]ISBN 978-1-626921-92-4 [9]
  1. "Curiosity killed the cat."
  2. "Love conquers all."
  3. "The Faerie Queene."
  1. "When one door closes, another opens."
  2. "Speak of the devil, and he is sure to appear."
3 March 10, 2015 (regular edition)[13]
March 9, 2015 (limited edition)[14]		ISBN 978-4800004222 [13]
ISBN 978-4800004208[14]		December 1, 2015[9]ISBN 978-1-626922-24-2 [9]
  1. "Seeing is believing."
  2. "Let sleeping dogs lie."
  3. "None so deaf as those who will not hear."
  1. "Little pitchers have long ears."
  2. "We live and learn."
4 September 10, 2015 (regular edition)[15]
September 10, 2015 (limited edition)[16]		ISBN 978-4800004987 [15]
ISBN 978-4800004840[16]		April 12, 2016[9]ISBN 978-1-626922-55-6 [9]
  1. "Once bitten, twice shy"
  2. "Lovers ever run before the clock."
  3. "Better to ask the way than go astray."
  1. "It is a long lane that has no turning."
  2. "East, west, home's best."
5 March 10, 2016 (regular edition)[17]
March 10, 2016 (limited edition)[18]		ISBN 978-4800005472 [17]
ISBN 978-4800005106[18]		July 5, 2016[9]ISBN 978-1-626922-84-6 [9]
  1. "Looks breed love."
  2. "A Contented mind is a perpetual feast."
  3. "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
  1. "There is no place like home."
  2. "The longest day has an end."

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

  1. "God's mill grinds slow but sure."
  2. "God’s mill grinds slow but sure.II"
  3. "Look before you leap."

Media

Anime

A three-part prequel anime was announced in the fifth volume of the manga. The series will be titled Mahō Tsukai no Yome: Hoshi Matsu Hito (魔法使いの嫁 星待つひと?, The Ancient Magus' Bride - The Man Who Waits for Stars) . It will be directed by Norihiro Naganuma and written by Kore Yamazaki, with scripts by Aya Takaha. Wit Studio is producing the animation. Hirotaka Katō will design the characters and Bamboo is in charge of the background art.[4] The series' music is produced by Flying Dog.[5]

The episodes will be bundled with the sixth, seventh, and eighth volumes of the manga on September 10, 2016; March 10, 2017; and September 9, 2017.[19] The first episode will be shown in theaters for two weeks, starting on August 13, 2016.[4]

Reception

Volume 2 reached the 9th place on the weekly Oricon manga chart[20] and, as of September 21, 2014, had sold 104,518 copies.[21]

The series had sold half a million copies as of June 2015,[22] and 2.5 million copies as of March 2016.[5]

The series was number two on the 2015 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Top 20 Manga for Male Readers survey.[23][24] It was number 36 on the 15th annual "Book of the Year" list by the Da Vinci magazine in 2014.[25] Da Vinci readers also ranked it at number two in a poll to determine the series most likely to "make their big break" in 2015.[26] The series ranked number one on a poll of 2,360 bookstore employees to determine 2015's top 15 manga series of under five volumes.[27][28] It was one of fourteen titles nominated for the eighth Manga Taishō awards in 2015.[29]

Volume two appeared on The New York Times manga bestsellers list for four weeks, rising to third place for two.[30] Volume three debuted on the list at second place,[31] and volume four debuted at first place.[32]

Reviewing the first volume for Anime News Network, Nick Creamer gave it a grade of A-. He praised the series art, noting that it "does great work in impressing upon the audience the same sense of wonder Chise experiences throughout. The character designs are expressive and backgrounds ornate". Commenting on the relationship between Chise and Elias, he wrote that "having this story go in a legitimately romantic direction would likely raise thorny issues of power dynamics and consent", but remarked that, as it was, the story "does a commendable job of making both Chise and Elias understandable and likable characters." He concluded his review by writing: "What conflict all these lovely details might be leading towards is a mystery so far, but the execution is so strong that I'm ready to follow wherever it leads."[33] In his review of the second volume, he admitted to coming to an appreciation of the main characters' relationship, writing that "the ambiguities of their relationship actually seem like one more fitting piece of a world where every relationship is ambiguous". He called the series' magic "classic but still refreshing". He also commented that the series art "remains gorgeous and well-suited to the story all throughout this volume ... the backgrounds are lush and faces expressive, and the whole style has an ornate looseness to it that works perfectly for this kind of fantasy storytelling." He concluded by saying "If you have any appreciation for this style of classic fantasy storytelling, Ancient Magus' Bride is a can't-miss production."[34]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Seven Seas Adds The Ancient Magus' Bride Supernatural Manga". Anime News Network. October 2, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Green, Scott (September 12, 2015). ""Ancient Magus' Bride" Manga to Get Drama CD". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Green, Scott (27 December 2015). "VIDEO: "The Ancient Magus' Bride" Drama CD Previewed". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Ancient Magus' Bride Manga Gets 3-Part Prequel Anime by Wit Studio". Anime News Network. March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Komatsu, Mikikazu (March 9, 2016). ""The Ancient Magus' Bride" OAD Project 1st PV Animated by WIT STUDIO (Attack on Titan)". Crunchyroll. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Comic Blade Ceases Publication, Replaced with Comic Garden Magazine". Anime News Network. July 30, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  7. ↑ Green, Scott (October 3, 2014). "Seven Seas Announces "The Ancient Magus' Bride" Manga License". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  8. ↑ 魔法使いの嫁 [The Ancient Magus' Bride]. Mag Garden (in Japanese). Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Ancient Magus' Bride, The". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  10. 1 2 魔法使いの嫁 1 (BLADE COMICS) [The Ancient Magus' Bride 1 (Blade Comics)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  11. 1 2 魔法使いの嫁 2 (BLADE COMICS) [The Ancient Magus' Bride 2 (Blade Comics)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  12. 1 2 初回限定版 魔法使いの嫁(2) 【描き下ろし漫画小冊子付き】 (ブレイドコミックススペシャル) [The Ancient Magus' Bride (2) Limited edition with booklet]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  13. 1 2 魔法使いの嫁 通常版 3 (BLADE COMICS) [The Ancient Magus' Bride 3 (Blade Comics)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  14. 1 2 初回限定版 魔法使いの嫁 3 (BLADE COMICS) [The Ancient Magus' Bride 3 limited edition (Blade Comics)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  15. 1 2 魔法使いの嫁 通常版 4 (BLADE COMICS) [The Ancient Magus' Bride 4 (Blade Comics)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  16. 1 2 初回限定版　魔法使いの嫁　4巻 (BLADE COMICS　SP) [The Ancient Magus' Bride 4 limited edition (Blade Comics SP)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  17. 1 2 魔法使いの嫁 5 (BLADE COMICS) [The Ancient Magus' Bride 5 (Blade Comics)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  18. 1 2 初回限定版 魔法使いの嫁 5巻 (BLADE COMICS SP) [The Ancient Magus' Bride 5 limited edition (Blade Comics SP)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  19. ↑ "The Ancient Magus' Bride Anime Previewed in 1st Promo Video, Visual". Anime News Network. March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, September 8–14". Anime News Network. September 17, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, September 15–21". Anime News Network. September 24, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  22. ↑ Green, Scott (June 5, 2015). "VIDEO: Promo Spotlights "Ancient Magus' Bride" Manga". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2015's Series Ranking for Male Readers". Anime News Network. December 8, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  24. ↑ Saabedra, Humberto (December 11, 2015). ""A Silent Voice" and More Land on 2015 Top 20 Manga List For Male Readers In Japan". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Attack on Titan Tops Da Vinci Magazine's Ranking for 2nd Year". Anime News Network. December 8, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  26. ↑ Green, Scott (February 7, 2015). "Japanese Readers Pick the Manga Series Set to Make Their Big Break in 2015". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Japanese Bookstores Recommend 15 Top Manga for 2015". Anime News Network. February 4, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  28. ↑ Green, Scott (February 5, 2015). "Bookstore Workers Pick Top Manga to Read in 2015". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  29. ↑ "8th Manga Taisho Awards Nominates 14 Titles". Anime News Network. January 18, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  30. ↑
  31. ↑ "Best Sellers - Manga". The New York Times. December 20, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Best Sellers - Manga". The New York Times. May 1, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  33. ↑ Creamer, Nick (June 9, 2015). "The Ancient Magus' Bride GN 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  34. ↑ Creamer, Nick (October 16, 2015). "The Ancient Magus' Bride GN 2". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 16, 2015.

External links

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