The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 1 (2024)

OK, this... is what I get for browsing Amazon after midnight when the gremlins are abroad, but anyway, this one is intriguing. I was looking for a counter to the latest very shonen thing I'd read, and this was.

Someone once said the two ur-models for romance are Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast and this tale falls squarely into the second camp. It is also, I suspect, informed by the The Tale of Genji romance model, less known in the West. Some other reviewers who are having very 21st-Century freakouts over the age and (so far) power differentials of the two protagonists may be unaware of the latter thousand-year-old Heian classic novel, dunno. (I've actually read Genji, ages ago in translation.)

Shall not attempt to describe the plot so far, but the mode is on the whole gentle, with dark edges. I liked it enough to consider buying Vol. 2 for my tablet, we'll see.

Ta, L.

Much later: have just read this through to the end of Vol. 9, and found that the anime tracks the manga very well throughout, even, mostly, the ending at episode 24 which I had incorrectly suspected to be an anime add-on. Vol. 9 does go on one scene farther, which starts a new arc. Vol. 10 is not yet at my library. Still very pretty artwork.

L.

"It's true that the world in which you grew up was not kind...but it was not your enemy. There's already a key in the lock that holds you. All you need do now is open it."

Wow. If you like Harry Potter or A Darker Shade of Magic or anything with a fantastical twist that delves deep into folklore, the surreal and makes you want to live there, this is the manga-or book-for you.

Chise Hatori has lived a life of solitude. No one loves her. Her parents abandoned her, and since then, everyone who wanted to care for her dumped her to the side like garbage. So when we find her chained, scared and with circles under her eyes, it becomes clear that Chise is a very damaged girl. She can see fae and other magical things that were the cause of her abandonment, and the reason her life was turned upside down. Elias Ainsworth, a renowned Mage, buys her for 5 million dollars.

With her freedom, Chise is to be trained to become a powerful witch that draws all power to her body, known as a Sleigh Beggy. Not only are they extremely rare, but the fact that she can see magical beings is also unusual for her kind. Elias gives her the chance to live with him or to make her own life, but after how kind he is and how he refers to her as family, she can no longer go back to her old life.

Except that Elias forgot some important information. He intends to wed her, but we don't know why. It might seem strange for this creature to marry Chise, but he is much more human than he first appears. He is intelligent, holds a dignified and refined air and is very well known.

I could easily describe this series as a mix between Studio Ghibli and Harry Potter. There's something so magical about this that it seems so sweet until you realize just how dark this series can go. Chise has struggled with depression and attempted suicide in her past, and the fae she comes across may or may not kill her depending on their mood. The story draws from a lot of English folklore-mainly Irish. We have Silkies, fae, dragons and even a cat kingdom!

While the idea of the story might turn some people away, I ask you to please reconsider. This is a rare beauty that I never knew I needed until I read it. I want MORE. I want to see more interactions between Elias and Chise, and I want to see Chise grow into a powerful witch. With the first antagonist stepping up and attempting to slice Chise to bits, things have gotten even more interesting than ever. And the art is beautiful and so different than most manga art I see.

I'll be picking up volume 2. If you are interested, here are some youtube videos about the mangaka. She was a complete noob just doing her thing when an editor told her, "Hey, let's make you a mangaka!" And instantly, her manga has become a hit. And there's good reason for it. Also, I will link a short amv that captures some of the dark beauty of this series and made me interested in the series to begin with. I hope you will at least give them a look!

Amv: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1H-G... (ONLY 1 minute and 41 seconds!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxlMx... -video about manga and success part 1.

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNg5x...

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47ZYT...

Omfg I am obsessed with this vibe and despite the whirlwind of this story, I shed actual tears over one particular scene that just hit me in the emotions :’)

I don’t think I’ve ever had such a visceral reaction to a manga before, especially not for the first volume. But my god, something about the eccentric magic paired with kindness/being shown the wonder in the world really just got me.

I won't say that I loved this first volume, but it definitely caught my interest enough that I'd like to continue the series. There were some really interesting characters here and I love the designs of a lot of them, especially Thorn/Ainsworth and the Ariels. I was a little iffy when I realized the whole "Magus' bride" bit in the title is referencing the fact that Thorn intends to eventually marry this teenage girl he's "bought" (though to be fair, he hasn't bought her as a slave at all — he essentially bought her freedom and offers her a home/family), but I decided to stick it out, and there is no romance at all at this point, so I'm going out on a 'benefit of the doubt' limb here and assuming that this is not a grooming story. (If I'm wrong in later volumes, I'll come back and update this with a warning 😬)

Oh wow I'm really loving this concept! Good strong first volume and I feel like there was a good amount of plot to go with the character introductions.

Definitely makes me wanna start the anime sooner...

Characters and settings are well drawn; the magical lore, exciting. I would be more supportive if not for the circumstances of Chise's new life. Being an ancient, nonhuman mage doesn't excuse 15-year-old prisoner bride situations. Chise's father is gone, mother dead, and relatives cruel and greedy. Her natural abilities seem to alienate her from modern society and she has sunk into such a state of lost depression--as a neglected, abandoned child--that the twisted Sotheby's of the magical world is able to whisk her away into its slave auction.

The story too easily accepts and has light, teasing behavior (e.g., paraphrasing Ancient Magus to Chise: 'Time for our Honeymoon!," 'Let's plan our Honeymoon!') toward a minor's sexual enslavement, even if prefaced by an apprenticeship. Also, the magical universe may be unknown and dangerous for Chise, but placing her constantly in need of rescue by her 'owner/slave master' (he removes her chains, but gives her no freedom regarding her home and future, pg. 28) underscores this. (And: damsel in distress, an annoying, sexist cliche the literary world over.)

Chise may possess a matured understanding, but she is still fifteen. It's possible the mangaka may have her defy her age, and escape her creepy, pedophilic captor (he may 'wait' until she's an adult, but 'informing' a kid she's his future mate whether she likes it or not is criminal). If not, I'm not sure I could ignore the gross plot of a fatherly captor raising his own slave bride. Maybe she could survive him, grow into her powers, and then blast apart his freaky purple-necked skullface.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 1 was a nice start. I liked it, but wasn’t overly wow’d. I do plan to continue the series and see where things go. The thing that got to me was the young girl in the situation she is in. I think a lot of manga take this route.

What we have is a 15-year-old prisoner bride situation. The bone-headed mage bought her, for reasons we haven’t yet figured out. I’m happy that he hasn’t done anything other then give this young girl a safe place to live, grow, and learn about her unique powers. He is at the moment showing her the mage world and teaching her what she can do.

Chise has struggled with depression and attempted suicide in her past and the Fae she comes across may or may not kill her depending on their mood.

The artwork and drawings are beautifully done. The Ancient Magus’ Bride brings us Silkies, Fae, Dragons, and even a Cat Kingdom. There is something magical about this manga until you realize just how dark it can be.

Rated: 3 Stars

Romanian blurb is incorrect; she does not sell her life, she is sold as a slave.

Regardless, I did not like anything in it. Blurry illustrations, more so because of the lack of colours, and the story verges on the creepy side with the relation between the two.

Definitely not for me.

Again, I am just sampling some manga that would seem to be somewhat similar to a couple I am reading. One, The Girl From the Other Side, is darkly atmospheric, not very forthcoming with respect to details about its world, featuring a monster dressed in an elegant suit who is called by the girl he takes care of, Teacher; Witch Hat Atelier focuses on a girl who wants to be a witch and is taken on as an apprentice by a cute guy, her teacher.

This one has a monster in a suit, ancient mage Elias Ainsworth, who buys a teenaged (and manacled) girl named Chise for 5 million pounds to give her the opportunity to be his apprentice, if she so chooses. Choice? She comes from poverty and abuse and he is rich and seems nice (and is not [yet] sexual with her), so she’s inclined to like him, especially when (in Beauty and the Beast fashion?) he uses magic to look like this hunky younger guy in public.

Then he casually mentions he wants her to be his bride in addition to his apprentice. Power imbalance? Everyone in this world (including all the women) seems to generally approve of this move, though one notes the extreme age difference between them with exasperation. He gives her lots of choice and space, and we see she has special powers which may have something to do with her being referred to by this obscure Gaelic term, “sleigh beggy,” (which could just be wee one, or fairy, who knows). Anyway, this seems to be set in a fantasy frame of an ancient historical period, so maybe that in itself makes it okay?

And then there are lots of adventures they go on, so it looks promising, actually. There’s a lot of Celtic folklore references to fairies and references to Shakespeare’s fantasies such as Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Die Zeichnungen fand ich super - vor allem Elias hat mir sehr gut gefallen..allerdings war die Story leider nichts..alles irgendwie durcheinander und es kam mir vor, als hätte ein Kind es geschrieben..teilweise war es, als würden Seiten fehlen oder es ist einfach wahnsinnig schlecht übersetzt..für mich leider ein FLOP

Omg, it was really good. What makes this manga truly special is its exploration of themes such as love, redemption, and the profound significance of human connections. The Ancient Magus' Bride delves deep into the complexities of the human heart, revealing the magic that resides within it, all while unveiling a grand, overarching plot that promises even more wonders to come. And I cannot wait to dive into the subsequent volumes.

A fifteen-year-old girl is sold at a slave market, bought by an ancient (and super magical) pervert who intends to marry her. This magical pedophile has an animal skull for a head, which is never explained in the book, but after he rips off the girl's clothes in a semi-violent bathing scene, he decides that it's an excellent time to announce he will marry her.

Published in 2014, I became aware of this book because "The Ancient Magus' Bride" has been turned into an animated film -- I saw the trailer for it when I went to see "Wonder Woman" this summer (in July of 2017).

Not only is this story disturbing af, it doesn't even make sense. The artwork, dialogue bubbles, and narrative text are convoluted and incoherent. Words and images appear on the pages at random. I felt like a three-year-old wrote this book, the storytelling was so nonsensical. Maybe the translator and the artist were both drunk? I just don't even know.

The teenage girl in this story is supposed to be the magical apprentice of the ancient animal-headed pervert, but there is very little magic in this book. It's just a fantasy setting for a bizarre marriage to an enslaved, powerless, and depressed underage girl. I don't have enough 'what the f*cks' for this crap.

It makes me sad that there is even a market for this book. Utterly gross.

DNF 44%
Don't like the dialogue, don't particular like the graphics, no investment in the story, I will not continue this manga, nor the series.

I loved it and I do wonder what will happen next :)

4.5 stars

Phew! That was certainly unusual. *scratches head*

I really enjoyed this!! The Ancient Magus' Bride is unlike any manga I've read before (please note: I have not read much manga but the general consensus is that this is somewhat different to the rest). It's fantastical, magical, and at times, slightly confusing.

It tells the story of Chise, a girl who is bought by Elias Ainsworth (the bone-headed creature) from a slave auction, and who is repeatedly referred to as a 'sleigh beggy'. She learns that she is to be his apprentice and future wife which is a little disturbing considering she is fifteen and he is much older (plus, he has a skull for a head)! But anyway, Chise goes on some extraordinary adventures and is told that one day she will become a mage too since she possesses an ability where she can perceive magical creatures (including fairies). The story ends on a tense cliffhanger so I shall definitely be picking up the sequel.

What I loved:
- the story - it was strange and slightly bizarre at times but wonderfully refreshing
- the artwork - it was beautiful! I loved Chise's clothes, the fairies and the kitties!!
- the pace - I didn't find it slow or too fast; it was a happy medium

Aside from the above, there were a couple of things which perplexed me:
- the way the writing was set out - it wasn't clear cut who was speaking at times, and whether it pertained to the illustration in question
- also, the story itself seemed to jump around and I wasn't sure what was happening. In the end, I decided to just go with the flow and I'm hoping that the sequels will fill in the gaps as there is a lot to be explained.

All in all, The Ancient Magus' Bride vol. 1 is an entertaining and unusual fantasy manga with some stunning artwork. Just be prepared to not fully understand everything!

I missed my old days when I read manga. So yeah, not actually my first time reading this actually. I stopped midway through some of the volumes since manga always TOOK AGES to end.

Anyway, great introduction to the world. Not actually that unique of a plot but I love the male lead in here. He broke your typical stereotypes of hero (he's literally a skeleton in a sense) but then I've read a manga where a ghost banging a witch. Scratch that, he broke it in a sense that he doesn't look pretty or conventionally handsome.

The heroine, still need time to warm up to her. She's very bland. Hey, we still got bazillion volumes to go. So yeah, somewhat a nice read. Plus it has an anime based on it. 😌

Esa portada tan interesante...

Esa historia y sinopsis extraña...

Totalmente enamorada de este manga. Cuando creía que Chihayafuru sería el único manga bueno de año, llega The Ancient Magus' Bride a decir "quítate, que ahí te voy". Una grata sorpresa me he llevado con este manga que es reciente porque apenas lleva 26 capítulos publicados (tomando en cuenta la fecha de la reseña), pero les puedo decir que me tiene impresionada.

La historia es, hasta cierto punto, no muy profunda, pero el autor sabe manejar bien todos los elementos de alrededor para crear un mundo mágico que para el lector es real. Se basa en diferentes mitologías y nos sumerge en una Inglaterra que no es como se ve. Magos en extinción buscan a aquellas personas dotadas para la magia desde nacimiento y entrenar a las nuevas generaciones. Chise es una chica especial y es comprada (como ya lo leyeron,

El dibujo cumple con las expectativas, tiene su encanto y estoy enamorada con el diseño de Elías. Tiene ese toque oscuro con algo de fantasía que tenía tiempo que no encontraba. Este es un manga de *feels* con muchos secretos, hadas, un grim, vampiros (?), magos y un amor que se gesta de la manera más tierna posible. Recuerden, no todo es lo que parece.

***BEST SCENE EVAAAAH***

Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

We first meet Chise, chained by the neck and wrists being passed over to her new owner, a bone-headed mage whose name she learns later is Elias. A penniless orphan sold on the black market she learns about herself, the magical world filled with fairies and other fantastical creatures as well as what it means to be a part of a family. Her new life as a mage's apprentice is just the beginning as it comes with the secondary title of Ancient Magus' Bride...

I love the art! This is my favorite type of manga art style. Crisp and clean but with lots of detail when called for it. I like rich backgrounds and strong style and the art's subtle ornateness is perfect. This has it all! Every once in a while the stark style rounds out into the more cute Chibi style when a relationship moment happens. It's the perfect balance! The character looks of our leads are really spot on! I love Elias' twisty horns and the huge dramatic black robes he wears.

Chise, my love! A slave, you get this sense that she either accepts her fate or chose it somehow... She accepts whatever horrible thing is bound to happen to her in this situation and so it makes you so happy that it is nothing as she expects. I love that she doesn't get outraged or hot... she's had it tough and you know that because she'll just accept anything - there is no escape in her mind. As a result though she is also emotionally needy and sympathetic, which is great in a heroine! She's soaking up knowledge and listens attentively when things are explained to her! We get to learn with her and that experience is one I enjoy...

Oh Elias!! From the beginning he played his cards with just the right touch. I love when authors use kindness and treating someone as a real human being as something worthy of loyalty and trust!! I loved how the first neighbors she meets calls him a bonehead and acts like he's not all that. It's just the right contrast that stirs in your gut just what kind of being Elias is, thorn mage or no! I liked that he is of the shadow and he is always calm. Someone whose lived as long as he has ought to be calm.

Honestly I LOVE the two of them together!! I love the twisted almost fatherly relationship they have where he protects and guides her. At the same time Elias totally believes in Chise and treats her like an equal even though she has no hope of being so at this time. Right now they are awkward about the whole bride thing and it is dropped in very abruptly, almost with an extremely dry sense of humor. (Which I love, of course!)

This volume we meet Lindel Elias' mage master, Angelica a mage artificer and Simon a priest who watches Elias for the church. SO GREAT! In fact, I love everyone we meet from this world. The faerie neighbors who greet Chise when she first arrives, the ancient dragon Nevin and the dragon pups, everyone! They each have their own nature and we get a small taste of it... I loved how each meeting was used to share a little about either Chise or Elias, it was a great balance and felt very natural! Later we meet Molly, king of cats too!

This is by its nature as the first volume a setup of the story and so the plot tends to be rather formless. It was very good, naturally arose from the situations a hand and was terribly fun!! The world building is incredible from the explanations of the magic vs. alchemy to the creatures and animals to those that will obviously be a part of Chise's life with Elias. They are given three tasks to do for the church and it creates some fascinating situations. If this is a glimpse of what is to come in other volumes then I am ALL FOR IT!

Since the world building was so good, the tension was perfect! I was fully of curiosity as to what little tidbit would be shared next. We learn that she is a sleigh beggy and a little of what that is. The information is NOT just info dumped but comes from different sources and situations. The chapter endings were funny and cute... not exactly suspenseful but more intriguing. I WANTED to keep reading straight through!

As you can see from my ENTIRE REVIEW that the development of this series IS SO GOOD! Superior is a word I would throw around that is how much I am loving it! I do love my fantasy type of worlds with magical creatures and Fae especially so this is literally MADE FOR ME!

Overall, I am going to CONSUME this series... it is a relatively newer manga and has under 10 volumes out right now and I can only get a hold of 5 of those... There is an anime out recently too that I may look up! For a shonen series this is so well balanced... I am seriously impressed and now have the #1 shonen series to suggest to others!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Leads
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Others
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Development

BOTTOM LINE: More "magical fairy romance" please!

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...

2023 update: my rating still stands but i've cracked it. i know why this is so popular. it's today's twilight set in a more fantastical regency(?) era. that's literally it. i know i mentioned it in this review 3 years ago, but i'm reminded that that's the only way anyone liking this series makes sense to me. also STOP comparing this to studio ghibli. there's no glorified human trafficking, there's no romanticized abuse, and there's no pedophilia...like the bar is in hell guys c'mon.

I HAAAATE the Studio Ghibli comparisons because this doesn't even come close. There could've been so much to love about Ancient Magus' Bride but their entire relationship is predicated on:

1) an older non-human man

Chise and Elias could have been terrific characters in their own right but their relationship is marred by poor choices and bad writing. So many things Elias said reeked of things predators actually say to their victims and romanticizing the abuse gives me the ick. He even admits outright that he's grooming Chise and "raising" her to be his perfect bride. Yamazaki didn't need to make it so that the characters meet via human trafficking and to continue the narrative that a man "saved" Chise—just glossing over the fact that they romanticized human trafficking is gross.

I can't imagine reading this series without watching the "Those Awaiting a Star" OVA because Chise is even more watered down and underdeveloped as a character. She always looks like she's dead inside, even when she's smiling. Considering everything that's happened to her, I don't blame her but it's depressing and constantly reminds me that there's nothing good about being with Elias. Other characters would talk about how special she is because she's a rare, glass cannon mage. However, I never felt her importance come to light. Not to say Chise's experiences are invalid, but she's a child witnessing horrifying things and I felt squicky as an adult reading it. She also doesn't have a personality outside of being a powerful mage. Things are always happening around her or to her and she was just moving with decisions people made for her. Again, she's a traumatized child but these qualities don't help with Ancient Magus' Bride's lack of entertainment value and overall "ick"-ness.

Ancient Magus' Bride reminds me of the Twilight series. Chise is Bella Swan. She's a child who is loyal to an old monster dude who has no respect for her, she suffers from Same Face Syndrome, and everybody immediately loves her despite having no personality. Elias is Edward Cullen. It's his way or the highway and everybody has to bend over backwards to cater to him otherwise he literally becomes a violent monster. Chise made friends with another child 3 years younger than she, and he got jealous that her attention wasn't on him for a day. She returned that same evening, he ran away when she arrived, Chise ran after him, and he TRIED TO CONSUME HER by constricting her entire body to the point where she was almost lifeless. He says he "can't control himself" and warned her that he is likely to cause Chise more physical harm like HUH????? 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 Elias is abusive and possessive. Much like Bella, Chise sticks around anyway. Another jarring thing is that he's surprised by mundane human interactions despite living among humans for more than a century. Also like Twilight, every supporting character is more interesting than the main characters. They're complex, they're mysterious, they're charming, and they have a tapestry of history that is engaging. The amount of similarities between Ancient Magus' Bride and Twilight is comical. I'm convinced this is Twilight fanfiction.

It's such a shame because the art is beautiful and I personally have a weakness for jersey devil skull monsters. That's the only reason Ancient Magus Bride even has a star. Aside from the poor writing, I'm sick and tired of the stupid anime tropes that keep popping up in manga and anime. Editors need to do better about their creators and keeping their creepy lolicon fetishes in check. I would rather support projects with mangaka who aren’t afraid to create protagonists older than 30—or even 20 (like Wotakoi)—instead of children whose lack of world experience is taken advantage of by predatory adults. Pass.

2023 reread: I'm enjoying this and hoping to actually get farther in the series this time!

This was my first foray into manga and I loved it! Granted, Ancient Magus Bride is an urban fantasy which is a genre that I generally enjoy, but I was still really pleasantly surprised and plan to continue with the series.

This follows a Japanese girl who is sold into slavery for a magical market and then purchased by a Magus. He brings her back to England to be his protege and eventual bride. (that part seems a little weird, but there isn't really any romantic development in this volume and I take it this is a typical trope for the genre?) It is a magical world of mages, fairies, and interesting characters. Very much enjoyed it!

Reakce po okamžitém dočtení (zoufalé zprávy úžasné Vendee, co mi dala vědět, že něco takového u nás fakt vychází):

ach ku*va :))
mám dočteno
co budu dělat se svým životem, o bože
JÁ POTŘEBUJU VĚDĚT, CO JE DÁL
POTŘEBUJU VÍC ACTION MEZI ČISE A ČARODĚJEM
O BOŽE, O BOŽE, O BOŽE
ONI ZVLÁDNOU TU OBJEDNÁVKU EXPEDOVAT AŽ 2.5. KVŮLI DEBILNÍMU STÁTNÍMU SVÁTKU, PAČ TA PŘEDOBJEDNÁVKA VYCHÁZÍ NA PODĚLANÝ KONEC DUBNA
JÁ TO NEPŘEŽIJU

...

Ne, tohle fakt nepřežiju. Po asi dvaceti přečtených stránkách jsem dostala totální záchvat, co budu dělat a proč jsem tak blbá, že jsem si nepořídila hned druhý díl, že mi mamka šla hned hledat, kde by se ty dva další díly měly vzít. AND I NEED IT.

So this is really my first experience with any type of Manga. I did enjoy but I think I’m missing some understanding. I think there is a lot of reading between the lines of learning the facial expressions of the characters that I still have to learn.

I feel this story is really jumpy. It was hard for me to follow, but again that maybe just me not being used to this writing style. The story that there however is very interesting and intriguing.

You have a young orphan girl, Chise who’s relatives don’t wish to keep her because she keeps having strange visions. She is sold to a mage who tells her she is a powerful witch and he intends to make her his bride. Lots of other things are going on dragons, fairies, evil doers etc. I wish I had had a bit more plot but it was interesting.

I’m glad I finally got around to trying some manga. I’m not entirely sure it is my thing, but I enjoyed trying something new.

This is an odd little story, and I'm not sure how to rate it yet. I really like the unique magical world, and the feel of the story reminds me very much of Natsume's Book of Friends. There are parts of it, though, that feel really odd. I'm interested in where this goes, though, so I'm definitely picking up volume 2.

An amazing start for this series! Cannot wait to read volume 2

Update! Here's my full review: https://bookishrealmreviews.blogspot....

I liked this a lot more than I expected. It was so good but also super heartbreaking. I didn’t expect there to be such an emotional pull but Chise’s background plays a huge role in how she perceives the world and what she thinks of others around her. I really enjoyed how Elias and Chise set out on this journey together because it gives the reader more insight to the world of mages. I’m interested in seeing how this relationship is going to work between Chise and Elias since she’s younger than him and right he seems to be taking on more of a fatherly role. I’ll definitely be doing a full review of this one on my blog.

Placeholder for volumes 1-2
Unpopular opinion time, but what's so cute about an old-as-the-hills mage, who turns into a human form that looks like he's in his 40s, deciding to marry a 15-year-old human he bought as a slave at an auction? And he's the good guy here. Do y'all hear this premise?? "Oh, but he saved her from an even worse fate." Ok, cool, but he still didn't set her free afterward and forced her to be his apprentice/wife.
I'm sorry, but that's a no from me.

Review for volumes 1-9

This is really quite a unique series and I'm at a loss of where to begin - there is so much to say about it, and that's only for the first 9 volumes! Perhaps I shall start with why I have only read the first 9 volumes; I've never been a fan on long manga series and this is still ongoing. I'd been contemplating dropping this as I only start reading series once they are at the very least close to completion. It was only after I was told that the first arc - as in the first 9 chapters - work well enough as a standalone work. I'm glad to see that that's indeed the truth, while it hints and new beginnings, it wraps everything up in a satisfactory manner so that anyone interested in this but not wanting to commit to a long and ongoing series can safe just pick up the first arc.

Going into this, I was caught off guard by a number of things; it was a good deal darker than I expected and I wasn't exactly counting on this being set in contemporary times. Furthermore, I didn't realise it would be about a Japanese girl but set in England. So although Chise is Japanese and there are occasional mentions of Japanese folklore, the plot is very much steeped in European myths and a lot of the expressions I find common in manga are quite toned down here. This actually makes it an excellent choice for people who have never read manga before but would like to give it a shot - it is much more accessible for those who are not familiar or used to typical manga symbolism and mannerism.

As someone who loves both fantasy novels and manga, this was such a lovely and rare blend to read. It was refreshing, unique and oftentimes thoughtful. Although it is set in contemporary times, you more often than not feel like you're stepping into an old dark fairy tale. The creatures Chise meets are both magical and terrifying. It was witches, wizards, alchemists, faerie folk and all a fantasy loving heart could desire. I wouldn't exactly call the art beautiful, but it is undeniably talented and well-drawn art that suits the mood of the story perfectly.

On a bit of a downside, as the title suggests, Chise also fulfils a bride role of sorts. Firstly, I am not a huge fan of romance between characters that aren't aesthetically near human - Elias doesn't meat the mark with a skull for a head. Don't get me wrong, Elias the magus is a great character and I like him a lot, but I struggle to see him as a romantic interest for Chise just alone due the nature of his head not even being able to forming expressions being made of bone and all. I think some people might generally struggle with the set up; not only is Elias vastly older than Chise, he bought her from an auction making her in a sense his property. He takes her under his wing as an apprentice but also with the thought in mind of having her as his bride later on. I can imagine this would rub a lot of people the wrong way, but there are a few things to keep in mind; Elias is not human and doesn't think as humans do. When he thinks of Chise as a bride, it is more in a practical than romantic sense and it is made pretty clear that creatures of his kind do this commonly.

The plot revolves a lot around Elias learning about human emotions and it's also a journey for Chise to come to understand her own. Both have a lack of understanding of common human thoughts and emotions, albeit for different reasons. Apart from the fact that Elias sometimes does things that doesn't match with human morals (based on the simple fact that he isn't human and has different morals altogether), I do think they form a beautiful bond and learn a lot from each other. I just personally feel that I would have rather seen this as a platonic bond rather than a romantic one, even though the romance was extremely toned down and could indeed be seen as platonic if not for the usage of words such a bride and marriage.

I have on occasion seen this series compared to Harry Potter and I can see traces of it, although this might be more pronounced in later volumes. From volume 10 onwards, Chise will attend a magic school and it's almost disappointing to me; I love academic settings and even more so if they are magical. I think the direction of this series could be fantastic, I am just unwilling to read on while the length of the series remains unknown. If an end is announced, the chances are pretty high that I will continue this series to see what this magic school is all about.

honestly, it was the cover that drew me in, & i loved it even more knowing this manga had so much depth & detail in such a short amount of space.

i love the magic aspect of it & the different clues & pieces of information we get from interactions with other characters.

also the illustrations are beautiful i love it.

the only thing is that it was a little fast paced. i would’ve liked it more if we spent a little more time & took things slower so i could absorb more of it, but overall i was impressed.

Toto bola veľmi impulzívna kúpa, ktorú však ani v najmenšom neľutujem. Úprimne je to o dosť lepšie, než som čakala. (Aj keď sa mi to čítalo o čosi horšie, nakoľko som si už odvykla od toho opačného čítania.)

~
Trebuie să specific de la început că am început această manga cu multe așteptări, poate prea multe, iar recenzia aceasta e strict experiența mea cu prima manga în limba română și cu faptul că e destinată persoanelor 14+ ( lucru de care sper din suflet că țineți cont atunci când vă achiziționați exemplarul).
~
Povestea ne prezintă viața unei fete pe nume Chise Hatori. Aceasta este o orfană fără bani, tulburată de viziuni și care ajunge să fie vândută ca sclavă unui mag inuman. ( Cei care ați prins anii de pe Wattpad, sigur nu sunteți străini de acest scenariu, nu? ) Ea este pe cale să înceapă o nouă viață ciudată, plină de magie, zâne și alte ființe de natură fantastică avându-l alături pe viitorul ei soț ( căsnicie pentru care nu, nu își dă acordul).
~
Înainte să spuneți că acest scenariu nu e atât de rău pe cât probabil îl fac eu să sune, țineți cont de vârsta lui Chise - 15 ani.
~
Fata e evident traumatizată de tot trecutul ei și speriată de prezent dar faptul că acum primește o casă și "o familie" o face ușor de manipulat.
~
Avem replici cringe, wattpad vibes but magic version, child abuse and manipulation. De ce specific aceste trigger warnings? Fiindcă multe persoane cred că vor întâlni o poveste drăguță și magică și probabil o vor recomanda copiilor și nu-mi doresc să încurajez un minor să creadă că e ok să te lași manipulat de un adult doar fiindcă îți oferă o casă sau lucruri frumoase. Abuzul atât emoțional cât și fizic nu ar trebui normalizat .

Dacă sunteți la vârsta la care puteți face diferența între bine și rău, then go and read this! Dacă nu, mai bine spuneți pas și nu luați drept bun exemplu relația lui Elias cu Chise.
~
Mi-ar plăcea să cred că pe viitor relația din carte nu va fi una de pedofilie chiar dacă fix într-acolo pare că duce. Mi-ar plăcea să cred că povestea devine una mai bună da, sinceră să fiu, nu știu dacă voi mai acorda timp și următoarelor volume fiindcă aproape că regret că am citit și acest volum 😅
~