Mahoutsukai no Yome [Review]

Posted on April 21, 2018 by KiritoNarukami One comment

“Chise Hatori, a 15-year-old Japanese girl, was sold for five million pounds at an auction to a tall masked gentleman. Abandoned at a young age and ridiculed by her peers for her unconventional behavior, she was ready to give herself to any buyer if it meant having a place to go home to. In chains and on her way to an unknown fate, she hears whispers from robed men along her path, gossiping and complaining that such a buyer got his hands on a rare “Sleigh Beggy.” Ignoring the murmurs, the mysterious man leads the girl to a study, where he reveals himself to be Elias Ainsworth—a magus. After a brief confrontation and a bit of teleportation magic, the two open their eyes to Elias’ picturesque cottage in rural England. Greeted by fairies and surrounded by weird and wonderful beings upon her arrival, these events mark the beginning of Chise’s story as the apprentice and supposed bride of the ancient magus.” -MAL Rewrite

Mahoutsukai no Yome did an excellent job at promoting itself, releasing 3 OVAs, prior to the airing of the anime, that consisted of Chise’s life before being becoming Elias’ apprentice. With wonderful art and an engrossing story, it’s hard to not be curious about how the story will develop!

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Story:

Mahoutsukai no Yome’s story brings an enchanting yet menacing atmosphere as it is seen through the eyes of Chise Hatori. Chise’s journey to find the meaning of life and in living is a long and hard one but it’s so heartwarming to see her grow up as she meets all types of different people. And of course, the ending included a standoff against the antagonist, Joseph, which wasn’t as big as I expected it to be. Yes, all the characters showed up and did their part in the final showdown but it felt insignificant. The last three episode was clearly squeezed to get the ending out. My question is why didn’t the show go ahead and air for twenty-four episodes? The story would’ve had more time to talk about Joseph’s backstory as well as the result that came after the incident between Chise and Joseph.

Artwork & Animation:

If there’s anything that sticks out the most from Mahoutsukai no Yome, it’s the artwork. The wonderful sets of color schemes, bring the world and its character to life. Through the dark and the happy moments that Chise goes through, there’s a color scheme that compliments it making the entire show visually appealing.

Character(s):

There’s an immense amount of character development with Chise as well as Elias, given that they are the main characters. Chise’s reserved personality opens up as she’s influenced by all the people she meets along her journey, growing more independent as the days go by. Even seeing how Elias beings to understand the emotions that he feels towards Chise like love, loneliness, and even jealousy becomes a very satisfying experience. Although one character that was neglected, and shouldn’t have been, was Joseph. His actions at the beginning gave the impression that he had lost something before going mad. That reason, in the end, lacked a real motive and, ultimately, made Joseph a pathetic antagonist. Other than Joseph, the side characters are all very interesting and the thought behind the anatomy of the magical creatures made them interesting and multilayered characters.

Sound (OST & Voice Acting):

The first opening performed by JUNNA was incredible, it depicted the era setting as well as a hint of dark chanting in the background to give the feeling of something ancient and powerful. The opening animation also blew it out of the water with stunning visuals. The second opening, performed by MAY’N goes towards more of a JPOP sound and the opening animation consists of (recycled scenes from the anime).

Enjoyment:

I loved the visual aesthetic that the world of Mahoutskai no Yome offered from the dark forest to the bright city everything felt like an adventure.

Overall: Score 8

While Mahoutsukai no Yome had a very strong start, it dropped off as the anime continued on. Although the ending was unsatisfactory in many ways, it still turned out to be a very stimulating show with its soundtrack and its art.

Best Girl:

Chise Hatori

After seeing everything that Chise has gone through, it’s an obvious choice to choose her. Chise deserves all the good things in the world! Who can resist a red-headed cute magician girl?!?