Step into the world of magic and fantasy
- Episodes : 24
- Genre : Slice of Life, Fantasy, Magic, Shounen
- Airing Date : Oct, 2017- Mar, 2018
- Producers : Wit Studios
Contains Spoilers
Mahoutsukai no Yome Introduction and Story (Spoilers)
Mahoutsukai no Yome follows 16-year-old Chise Hattori as she is just about to be sold in an auction due to her supreme magical elements. Known as a Sleigh Beggy, Chise cannot only use magic—initially she is unable to though—she can also be a conduit for beings in the magical world. Chise’s life changes during the action when she is bought by a man named Elias Ainsworth who just so happens to be neither human nor beast. Elias buys Chise to be an apprentice to be taught magical spells and abilities but later asks her to teach him how to be more human in nature. From here on out, Mahoutsukai no Yome’s story begins by following the lives of both characters very closely.
The first several episodes of Mahoutsukai no Yome don’t do much for a grandiose plot. Really what these episodes do is they show the viewers what to expect in terms of the world Chise is now an inhabitant of—which is really just our world but seeing behind the scenes where magic rules—and begin to show her companionship to various characters she meets. Chise meets a slew of strangers like Lindell—who takes care of dragons in the Land of Dragons—and Ruth who is drawn to her because of his love for his now deceased sister. These are but a few of the components in Mahoutsukai no Yome that ultimately lead Chise along a journey of knowledge and self-understanding. Chise begins our journey nearly shattered thanks to the family that abandoned her and the various beasts she had to deal with as a child. However, Chise begins to grow stronger and by episode 12—the midway point of Mahoutsukai no Yome—we see an almost entirely different Chise.
As we mentioned above, the earlier episodes of Mahoutsukai no Yome aren’t meant to really create a simple love story or to show an antagonist rise up for Chise to face. Instead, Mahoutsukai no Yome focuses on building up Chise and Elias together as they endure various challenges such as saving a girl’s brother, find a succubus who has fallen in love with an ailing old man and even meeting a being that has lived for hundreds of years. Once episode 20 hits, we see Chise gather her strength gained over the course of Mahoutsukai no Yome’s run and begin to deal with her biggest threat yet, Cartaphilus. Here is where Chise musters up the courage grown in her heart and utilizes her powers in true form.
Mahoutsukai no Yome really aims to show a girl—in this case Chise—go from being homeless and alone to finding what it means to have a family and how far you’re willing to go for those you love. Chise and Elias both grow closer as the narrative of Mahoutsukai no Yome continues to lead to a climax that shows them realizing they need one another despite their still somewhat broken selves. Chise by episode 24 is a lot stronger yes but she still has a long way to go to fully become someone self-sufficient and who is more vocal about what she needs. Likewise, Elias—who underwent several dark moments in Mahoutsukai no Yome and nearly killed a girl to save Chise—knows that he is a jealous being who loves Chise but has a long way to go before he can even consider himself partially human. The moral of the story in Mahoutsukai no Yome is that to grow up as a man or a woman, you must endure life’s various trials and tribulations. If you can somehow learn from your mistakes and deal with what mysteries life has for you then you can become like Chise who is strong and only will continue to grow stronger.
What We Liked About Mahoutsukai no Yome
Chise’s journey, as whimsical and strange as it was, compelled us in ways very few anime have ever done before. While the world of Mahoutsukai no Yome might have magical spells, beast straight mythology and beings that have been around for thousands of years, Chise and Elias’ tale has a reality to it that can be considered truly relatable to the viewer. We witness Chise go through a gambit of emotions such as sorrow, self-loathing, doubt and depression but slowly she allows her friends that she meets to repair and mend her shattered existence. Sure, Chise and Elias’ romance was sometimes very strange, but just like everything else in Mahoutsukai no Yome, this was more of a backdrop for a plot and setting then meant to be the main focal point. Chise’s love for Elias was that of two people who needed each other and dealt with the world as they dealt with themselves. That’s why ultimately, Mahoutsukai no Yome is one of those anime that we have a lot more good to say about it than bad.
Discussion Time
Now as much as we love Mahoutsukai no Yome, we know we need to go further into detail about it. Maybe you haven’t seen any of Mahoutsukai no Yome or are on the fence about starting it. That’s why below we plan on telling you several things we loved about Mahoutsukai no Yome and a few things that might make you want to skip it. We will explain in greater detail each point for the pros and cons about Mahoutsukai no Yome. Let us here at Honey’s Anime now convince you guys and girls to watch Mahoutsukai no Yome first. Then we’ll say why you might want to skip Mahoutsukai no Yome.
Why You Should Watch Mahoutsukai no Yome
There are many reasons why Mahoutsukai no Yome should be a series you should check out. While it ended only recently—more so during the Winter 2018 anime season—it was the talk of the anime community when it first aired on October 8th. Aside from the gripping narrative that makes use of various mythological beasts and fantasy related creatures, there are three specific reasons we think we should share with you to truly sell why Mahoutsukai no Yome is a must watch anime. Below we have explored several reasons you’d enjoy Mahoutsukai no Yome and why it will hook you from episode 1 to episode 24. Now scroll on down further to read what we think makes Mahoutsukai no Yome one of the best shows of Fall 2017.
1. Relatable narrative
There are numerous characters in the world of Mahoutsukai no Yome and all of them are truly unique with engaging back stories and impressionable dialogue. Now you might believe that Mahoutsukai no Yome being a fantasy focused story with dragons, magical beings and a talking dog-human would be anything but realistic; That is where you would be extremely wrong about Mahoutsukai no Yome as this narrative is both magical and all too real. Let us give you some further proof of what we mean by discussing several characters and why they could be comparable to many one of you reading this Mahoutsukai no Yome review.
Chise Hatori—our main female protagonist—is a girl that has come from dark beginnings and has endured hardship for what seems like the greater majority of her life. While we won’t spoil what Chise went through exactly—episode 22 and the OVA series explain it—her drama can be almost alarmingly like a person who is dealing with depression and self-hatred. The same can be said of Stella for example who gets into a fight with brother and in the process almost loses him to supernatural forces that take her angry words seriously. These characters are but a few who have relatable themes seen in the real world and it makes Mahoutsukai no Yome so understandable as many of us have gone through drama like Chise, Elias, Stella and even the antagonist himself, Cartaphilus.
2. Stunning visuals
Wit Studio—the studio behind Shingeki no Kyojin, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri and dozens of other anime—are usually known for making their anime truly beautiful. Mahoutsukai no Yome is no exception to this with absolutely stunning visuals and animation. We knew Mahoutsukai no Yome was going to look this good when we saw the prequel OVA series—which we highly recommend checking out before starting Mahoutsukai no Yome—but the actual series for Mahoutsukai no Yome was better than we could have imagined. Every character is incredibly animated and the magical effects/spells are mesmerizing to witness. If you need to watch an anime that holds nothing back, then we know you’ll love Mahoutsukai no Yome.
3. Romance filled despite not being considered romance
Strangely enough, Mahoutsukai no Yome isn’t considered a romance story which always struck us strange, here at Honey’s Anime. The relationship between Chise and Elias might begin very peculiarly with an almost master-servant theme, but that is quickly dissolved and their relationship feels akin to a newly wed couple. Not only do they have several fights—which are more prominent near the end of Mahoutsukai no Yome—but they show moments of genuine love. Elias even gets jealous at one point seeing Chise befriend a human girl named Stella. That’s why, if you want a romance fantasy story, you can obtain that feeling watching Mahoutsukai no Yome. Even the very ending explains that Chise and Elias are a pairing that will continue long after the credits roll.
Why You Should Skip Mahoutsukai no Yome
We here at Honey’s Anime HQ have been gushing about Mahoutsukai no Yome for quite some time already but now, we need to step back for a brief moment and realize something important. As great as Mahoutsukai no Yome might be—and it’s pretty great indeed—it does have some flaws that might irk some viewers and equally might be a reason to avoid watching. Do we truly think these are reasons to completely hate on Mahoutsukai no Yome? No, but for some viewers, the reasons below might make Mahoutsukai no Yome hard to watch. Stick with us as we now examine the few issues keeping Mahoutsukai no Yome from perfection. Mahoutsukai no Yome might be incredible but we know that is our opinion and we don’t wish to be overly biased.
1. Overly fantastical
While magic and fantasy themes might be truly wonderous for many, for others it can be a bit too much. During the majority of Mahoutsukai no Yome, Chise gets an absurd amount of magical abilities and equally meets characters like Angelic Varley, Titania—queen of fairies—and numerous others who have mystical and magical abilities alike. These themes make for a truly cool fantasy/magical anime but equally might annoy those who like more grounded anime. That’s why we think Mahoutsukai no Yome might be a pass for you if fantasy and magical beasts and powers isn’t your cup of tea.
2. Dark themes
Earlier in our why you should watch Mahoutsukai no Yome section, we talked about the narrative being very relatable and why some might love that about it. However, that same narrative might be too difficult for some viewers to stomach as it is indeed very real to life in nature. Mahoutsukai no Yome deals with themes of suicide, sacrifice, servitude and even some self-mutilation, we’re looking at you episode 21. Mahoutsukai no Yome might be hard for viewers who have endured some of these themes in their own lives and that makes the plot/narrative for Mahoutsukai no Yome a bit too realistic. If you are easily affected by storytelling that utilizes real world problems then Mahoutsukai no Yome might be a show you’d wish to skip to avoid heartache. Even we here at Honey’s Anime were sometimes taken aback by how far Mahoutsukai no Yome went despite the rating of PG-13.
Final Thoughts
Mahoutsukai no Yome is one of those anime series that doesn’t come around often enough and even though it just recently ended, we miss it already. From Chise’s dark beginnings of trying to find herself to the ending where she finally gains strength thanks to her own powers and her friends, the world of Mahoutsukai no Yome continued to grab us and hold us in our chairs. We absolutely loved Mahoutsukai no Yome and while it wasn’t perfect, it was pretty darn close in our minds here at Honey’s Anime. Have you completed Mahoutsukai no Yome and have some of your own thoughts you’d wish to share with us and other readers? Comment those thoughts and opinions down below and let loose what your inner heart is thinking about when it comes to Mahoutsukai no Yome. Remember to keep stuck to our hive here at Honey’s Anime for more anime related articles and reviews alike.
Author: Aaron
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