Since it’s initial conception as a set of OVAs The Ancient Magus’ Bride anime adaptation has risen in popularity and found a place in the hearts of anime fans of all types. Based on the manga of the same name The Ancient Magus’ Bride follows a Japanese girl named Chise who is adopted by a powerful British mage named Elias to become his apprentice and eventual wife in her new home of Britain. As Chise’s magical prowess grows so does her bond with Elias and the target painted on her by the magical world, in case you’re looking for something to watch on your weekend you can watch the ancient magus. I discovered this article that lists some free anime streaming sites which you’d find helpful.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride is a 2017 shounen anime series, it is produced by Wit Studio and licensed by Crunchyroll (streaming) & Funimation (home video). It is currently available in English on watch anime online free, DVD, and Blu-Rayand.

Editor’s Note: A Limited Edition Blu-Ray of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Part One was provided by Funimation in support of this review. Near complete to complete spoilers for The Ancient Magus’ Bride may be present within this review. An Amazon Affiliates link for this title is present within this review. 

Ancient Magus’ Bride is a dark fantasy shounen about a lonely Japanese girl named Chise Hatori who grew up in a harsh environment with an even harsher home life. Chise is eventually forced out of Japan and sold into a slave auction in London, being bought by an abnormally large man named Elias Ainsworth. Following her purchase Chise learns that Elias’ size is the least abnormal thing about him and his world.

THE GOOD: After being purchased in auction by monstrous looking man named Elias Ainsworth, Chise Hatori is introduced into the mystical world of magic full of strange creatures both friendly and dangerous. Chise begins to hone her craft as a mage and overtime grows fond of her master Elias. While we don’t currently know what species of paranormal being Elias actually is, it has been widely theorized that he is in fact a Wendigo; a paranormal cryptid which is said to be born into the world when a human resorts to cannibalism and turns soon after. Although this has as of yet to be confirmed by Ancient Magus’ mangaka or the series itself, several clues throughout the story and Elias’ background are heavily convincing of this, in addition to his character design, traits, and abilities. But Elias’ species is only one of the mysteries that begin to unfold during the course of part one’s run.

We learn that Chise initially had a loving family with her mother and father being very caring of her and that Chise was going to be an older sister. However, something occurs that causes Chise’ mother to despise her (I’d wager it relates to Chise’s sibling as we haven’t really seen much of them at this point in the series), whatever caused Chise’s mother to hate her eventually drives her into nearly killing Chise. It’s later implied that Chise’s mother decides to commit suicide instead. Something else we learn about Chise is the fact that she’s a “Sleigh Beggy” a type of human mage with extraordinary magical powers, though this power in most cases eventually ends the Sleigh Beggy’s life after a rather short lifespan.

Chise’s skills as a mage grow exponentially and she is eventually granted her own wand by Lindel a mage with a past connection to Elias who watches over the Land of Dragons (where the world’s remaining dragons live…). Having bonded with one of the dragons who “died” and became a tree, Chise opts to use one of his branches as her wand upon his personal request. Chise also gains a familiar which she renames Ruth who is a humanoid Black Dog/Hell Hound. Sorcerers are also introduced into the series, though here they’re portrayed as potentially untrustworthy and evil compared to the much more preferred mages.

THE BAD: Episodes often have a habit of seeming to fly by. I’m not sure if this is due to a particularly short run time per episode or if the story is just incredibly fast paced.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: The Ancient Magus’ Bride’s first half is an impressive halfway point to the story and one of Wit Studio’s best works to date. Full of charm, comedy, and some dark action scenes this anime may have something for everyone. Otaku Dome gives The Ancient Magus’ Bride an 87 out of 100.