The Ancient Magus' Bride

“The Second Season”

After the hit response for season 1, The Ancient Magnus’ Bride is here for season 2. The fans were waiting to see where Chise and Elias's story went next. After a climactic battle with Cartaphilus, Season 1 ended rather hopefully, with Chise and Elias exchanging rings and solidifying their promise of staying together. With the release of Season 2 come new adventures, characters, and mysteries. Season 2 is divided into two parts. Parts one and two both consist of 12 episodes each.

The Ancient Magus' Bride Season 2 Review: Chise's Magical Growth | Pinnedupink.com

The plot picks up where season 1 left off and dives deeper into Chise's magical education at the Alchemist College and the complexities of her relationship with Elias. Chise currently possesses two curses: one that allows her to shapeshift and another from acquiring one of Cartaphilus's eyes, which lets her see strangers' memories. A central theme this season is Chise learning to be more independent and mature without always relying on Elias as she grows into her powers and sense of self.

Season two started with Adolf offering Chise a place at the school and Elias a teaching position so he could stay close to Chise. Chise currently possesses two curses. One of the curses lets her shapeshift. She also acquired one of Cartaphilus’s eyes, allowing her to see strangers' memories. Chise has to be independent and mature. She cannot always rely on Elias. She also needs to accept herself. This was the main idea behind Season 2.

There are so many new characters among the already familiar faces. Lucy Webster, Philomela Sargeant, Rian Scrimgeour, Zoe Ivy, and Veronica Rickenbacker are some new characters introduced in Season 2. Each character has a distinct role, and they do not overlap.

Chise has come a long way since the beginning of Season 1. She was a girl who had a tired soul due to her tormented past. She was also weary of social relationships and did not care about her life. But in season 2, it has drastically changed. She possesses two curses: the immortality cure and the dragon cure.

Chise faces death countless times but always emerges as a stronger character. Adolf offers her a place at a magical school, where she learns magic and meets new people with magical abilities. This is a great arc that widened Chise’s horizons. She is not alone in this, though, because Alice also attends the same school.

Because of Chise’s unique physiology, she is also a subject of curiosity. She was also treated as a test subject, of course, with her consent. In season 2, Chise also goes out of her way to make friends. Philomena, a silver-haired girl, faints abruptly in front of Chise. She is suffering from nervousness. Chise is quick to take action. She prescribes her some calming tea.

The threat to Chise is not over yet. A grim insecurity is building inside her. Having one of Cartaphilus’s eyes burdens her with years and years of memories that are not hers. She becomes sensitive to malice and gaze. She even starts fearing that her personality may be altered because of such memories.

One good thing about Chise is that she remembers her life lessons. She had kept Nevin’s lesson in her heart. While meeting four dormitory mothers, cats who specialize in meeting the needs of children, Chise reminds herself of the ‘freedom in her heart’ that she received from Nevin. She chooses Rose-Lyn’s dormitory. Soon after that, she meets her roommate, Lucy Webster.

Chise also meets Rahab, who bestowed the name “Elias” upon our skull-headed protagonist. She learns more about Elias’s past life and thanks Rahab for staying loyal to Elias.

Chise starts accepting herself as a Sleigh Beggy. She learns to be independent by voicing her desires and urges, which is a step towards improvement because Chise has had a subdued personality up until now. She is also very fluid and accepts whatever is thrown her way. But this time, she lets Elias know that she wants to go to school alone because the school is all about self-efficiency.

Chise has come a long way since the shy, troubled girl in season 1. Attending the magical college allows her to make friends, like supportive roommate Lucy, and use her abilities to help others, such as prescribing calming tea for anxious Philomela. However, Chise still struggles with the burden of Cartaphilus's memories, fearing how they may change her. Her arc concerns gaining confidence, voicing her desires, and accepting herself as a Sleigh Beggy.

Elias also experiences significant growth as he navigates unfamiliar emotions like jealousy over Chise's expanding social circle. He supports her wish to attend school alone by dividing himself so part of him can stay with her through Ruth. Elias later reveals that he initially made Chise his apprentice so she would stay with him, but a husband and wife's bond is more permanent, showing his deep feelings for her.

Elias felt ‘jealous’ when he saw Chise meeting new people and befriending them. This was new to him. Until now, he was the only one Chise relied on, but due to new relationship dynamics, Elias felt somewhat threatened. That solidifies the statement that Elias is not just a ‘halfling’ who cannot empathize; he is indeed a being who can feel emotions.

When Chise asked Elias the real reason behind his purchase, Elias revealed that initially, he wanted Chise to stay with him, so he made her his apprentice. But an apprentice leaves after learning everything. A husband and wife’s relationship does not end; they stay together. Thus, he wanted Chise to be his wife so they could stay together.

Fascinating additions include half-human, half-gorgon Zoe Ivy, who hides his snake hair under headphones, and Chise's standoffish roommate, Lucy Webster, whose tragic past slowly comes to light. Philomela and the other students also get compelling mini-arcs and backstories.

It would be a shame not to mention this fantastic new character who graced the screen. Zoe Ivy is a central character in season two, one of Chise’s new friends, and perhaps the most exciting character. She is like a demigod with Medusa-like traits. At first, Zoe Ivy appears aloof and distant. When Chise wants to converse with Zoe, he shows no interest. He also wears headphones wherever he goes.

One of Chise’s friends snatched the headphones, and the secret that Zoe was trying to hide came out. He was half-human and half-gorgon, born due to the love between a human and a Gorgon. His hair transformed into snakes, just like Medusa's. His headphones were acting like protective gear for him.

Lucy Webster is Chise’s roommate. Her backstory is sad. She is the last surviving member of the Webster family, which was slaughtered. Among the college authorities, she is infamous for being the problem child. She never smiles, primarily because of her traumatic past. She is not approachable, but that does not mean she is villainous. Lucy has shown compassion and helped Chise from time to time.

Lucy had a brother who got kicked out because of his inabilities. Lucy’s father claimed that she was born to replace her brother. This made Lucy disheartened and upset. She locked herself in a room for two weeks, grieving. She hears the screams and emerges from her room, only to discover that her entire family has been slaughtered at the hands of the wolf people. Surprisingly, the wolf people spared her, and her brother—now known as Seth Noel—took her in.

The Webster family was complex. Lucy later learns that the destruction of her clan was inevitable. Lucy is a tsundere. She observes people but does not actively pursue building relationships with them. She does not like her brother, either. But when he gets injured, she always helps him out.

Once again, the artwork and character designs made the anime enjoyable. The animation was detailed, and the story moved well. Chibis were adorable.

Studio Kafka, founded specifically to create this season, brings their A-game under the direction of Kazuaki Terasawa (Overlord). Terasawa aimed to make the show visually comfortable for adults with a subtle color palette evoking foreign dramas.

Character designer Hirotaka Katō (Fate/Apocrypha) refines the cast's looks for animation while keeping their essence. Under the direction of art director Seiki Tamura (Mushishi) and production designer Nobuyuki Takeuchi (Monogatari series), the art department creates immersive backgrounds and lighting that enhance the storytelling.

Detailed artwork, expressive acting, and seamless integration of 2D and 3D animation, especially in the many magical flight scenes, demonstrate the animators' skill under Terasawa's vision and the core staff's supervision.

Junna once again sings the first opening song of The Ancient Magnus’ Bride Season 2, ‘Dear.’ She also did the second opening theme, ‘Nemurasareta Lineage.’ Junna’s songs are very catchy and soulful, and her lyrics are profound. She also sang Season 1’s opening theme. The first closing theme song is ‘Mubansu’ by Edda. The second closing theme song is ‘Fam’ by Yuyu.

Season 2 faithfully adapts the manga's College arc, streamlining some details and exposition for a tighter anime narrative without losing the essence. A few skipped scenes expand on lore and backstory in the manga, but the 24-episode format allows the anime to cover the major plot points and character development.

With a stellar production that keeps viewers hooked through engaging characters, an expansive world, gorgeous visuals, and music, The Ancient Magus' Bride season 2 is a worthy successor that leaves me enchanted and eager for more magical adventures to come.

The plot of the anime was intriguing once again. It was also lovely to see a unique touch in the anime. Seeing Chise attend the magic school reminded me of Hogwarts. It was nice to meet new faces with unique characteristics. The music and the animation were once again well executed.

One thing I like about The Ancient Magnus’ Bride is that it keeps the audience hooked to the story. There is so much happening, yet everything is so well developed. There is no overlapping or overshadowing. The plot is pretty much concrete. The inclusion of mythology is an added positive point—for instance, the inclusion of a banshee, a fae cursed to wander aimlessly for eternity.

The Ancient Magnus’ Bride can appeal to many people by seamlessly blending many elements and genres. If one likes mythology, it has it; if one likes gore, it has it; and if one likes romance, it also has it.