After I've first started watching the anime adaptation, doing research on the series on the internet, I've found this series to be flawed. For one example, the magic system the author created is inconvenient and unnecessary. Because the author categorized 4 different magic user classes that can use magical energy, and they are: Mages, Witches, Sorcerers (alchemists), and Sleigh Beggies. Now as for sorcerers, they don't have the ability to draw magical energy from the outside world, instead they have to use their own physical energy to generate magical energy. Now as for sleigh beggies, they are born with the ability to draw near limitless magical energy into their own bodies, at the costs of having their lifespans being shortened. And this class is extremely rare in this world, to the point where I don't understand why this classification even exists. And I find these two magic user types being inconvenient and unnecessary, also if they never existed, do you think anybody would notice?

Now as for the romance between the two main characters, I think the series could've been better if it was romance focused from start to finish. Because of the title having the word bride in it, and after seeing the first season of the anime adaptation, I felt that the series has completed its job of doing so. And that season 2 was unnecessary, or at the very least focus on tying up loose ends, instead of doing a cliche: a magic school setting where the secondary characters from season 1 were sidelined. By a bunch of new characters, and I think this way is the author doing too much. And this would cause the series to lose its appeal, since recently I've found people complaining about this series earlier this year. And I think that's a shame.

It's like fruit basket with another annoying shitty damsel self sacrificing FL with help complex and her all protective unconditional ML.

Why I'm comparing this shitty trash to fruit basket you ask coz they both contain shitty FL/MC who only cries and d*es for others only to be saved by some men.

That's the whole premise of both shows at the core.

Also without the plot armour the MC isn't worth sh*it this whole plot would just crumble in illiterate fools endeavour without the ALMIGHTY plot armour. which is just another way for author to post their shitty work with confidence in any form.

This one Just fruit basket with steroid boost of fantasy and adventure.

Not the best on the market with literally useless FL who would always cry and help other mobs

3rd rate at best 3/10

... Last updated on March 21st, 2024, 11:37am

When I saw the cover, title, tags: "WOAH!!! LOOKS LIKE THIS IS IN MY BALLPARK! THE CHARACTERS APPEAR ON THE COVER ARE SO COOL LOOKING! AND THE PROTAG'S DESIGN LOOKS TO BE MY THING! "

However...

After getting through the 10-chapter mark, I couldn't be any further off my initial expectations (set by the glazing reviews most people here gave):

Here's my evaluation (My rating are based on how fun and intriguing I find reading it is):

VIBES: 7/10
ART: 10/10
FUN: 3/10

Recommended?

- If you are in to look for an amazing, critically acclaimed plot. You won't find it here.
- If you get intrigued in mysterious and well-researched world buildings, you might enjoy it 7-10.
- If you are an ART FIRST, STORY SECOND, I think that it'll be to your liking (essentially, the opposite of those who enjoy mangas like One Punch Man (not the one illustrated by Murata but the scribble-ish 'nemu' storyboard version by ONE)).

Personally, I'm the type of reading that looks for fun first. And it wasn't engaging enough for me. I thought I could find an interesting story, but was met with a pseudo DnD world building book. Allow me to elaborate:

Author has the same problem as J.R. R. Tolkien and Jules Vernes who focus 90% on the world building: Hence, there's barely any tension or stakes or threads of a high-stake plot brewing. OK, I get it, guys, you have this cool world in your head that you want to introduce us to! Essentially, you guys are making a very sophisticated sandbox template for everyone to build their own headcannon, which is very cool for board games and stuffs. But for a manga who mostly relies on the narrative to thrive, is that really the best medium?

When I face 'manga where nothing seems to happen in the beginning'. I always give it the benefit of doubt. I try to find what the author intend to be the 'highlight' of the series. For some manga, it seems to be a cozy Slice of Life experience. For some mangas, there's a hidden, thrilling conspiracy brewing beyond all the iceberg. For some manga, the characters' drama seems to be the bread and butter. WITH THIS MANGA, my problem with it is that doesn't go for any of the above mentioned archetype, but instead, rely on its WORLD BUILDING solely to carry it. If you do things this way as an author, then you don't seem to be someone with a story to tell, but a world to share. Then I ask this of you, wouldn't this have been better as ANYTHING BUT A MANGA? (e.g. Video game backdrop, board game setting, DnD session)

---

Now enough of the ranting, let's go and check how it does things:

Story-wise, it opens up like the typical slow burn series... but lacks some critical elements that make it enjoyable to read. I think it's the way that it does it: Boring info dump, uninteresting interactions that doesn't provide much value.

The problem is that the plot(?) or the things it tries to build towards is done in such a way where it can't grab my interest (believe me, I manage to crawl through Houseki no Kuni and Beastars with a similar slow lead but even so they managed to hold my interest---with subtle mystery, foreshadowing, intrigue, hints, and some light comedy---while this one lacks any redeeming elements that can retain my attention). Like c'mon, show me something interesting, crazy, cool, anything!! Well, for this manga author's language, it seems to be: "OH HERE"S SOME PRETTY ART AND MYSTICAL CREATURES, HOPE THAT'LL SATISFY YOUR FOMO."

It's not a bad "read" if you just enjoy some pretty nice eye candy, the author should go do set designs, costume designs to maximize the value of their skillset. Or world building like G R R Martin did for Elden Ring. That seems to be their strong suit after all.

I also don't mind reading through guidebooks or lore books if I find the "main narrative" interesting. I do that all the times with franchises with multiple lore spanning across multiple entries like Nier, Xenogears, etc. The reason why it won't work here with this series is that the main narrative DOES NOT EXIST WELL AS A STANDALONE.


As such, this whole thing might be better as an artbook only release if the author doesn't have energy to retool this series into something else. I swear, if this is novel-form or has stickman-level drawing care... it would receive this level of reverence. It speaks how much the art carries this series (lots of flair, and induces a really nice ambience).

So if you are looking for a "story" that can hold strong on their own, you won't be able to find it here. (Kuroshitsuji which has a similar aesthetics is more enjoyable 'plot-wise' even though I gave it shit for its weird direction; just because it feels like things are progressing...)

... Last updated on February 17th, 2024, 12:43pm

The Ancient Magus Bride starts very strong, quickly establishing a fairly novel "Beauty and the Beast" relationship, with an intriguing, magical twist. In the early chapters, you'll join Chise into exploring this new magical world, trying to get better after her horribly rough past, while Elias tries to learn how to be more human (to an extent). You get immersed into the interesting lore and rules of this world...

...But then the story slowly devolves into a series of "contrive drama/contrive solution to drama" scenarios. Magic rules are introduced and broken terribly often. This wouldn't be a problem, if they often weren't critical to the circumstances of the story arc (and eventually, of the the main characters' arcs as well).

Everyone, and I mean, EVERYONE, has an over the top, tearjerker story, to the point you have to conclude this world is only populated by cursed beings. The delicate equilibrium between a wounded young girl and the alien creature that gave her a home is battered or mended in the blink of an eye, for cynical, maximum emotional manipulation of the audience, with little care for coherence or believability.

The characters slowly lose their moral compass over the chapters (only to find it again if it's necessary for drama), and with the exception of Chise being (perhaps overly) willing to get hurt to help others, everyone seems a manipulative crazy person, everyone always speaks in quarter-truths (not even half-truths), and mysteries are mantained and built only thanks to this (which is beyond trite after 50+ chapters, which is where I stopped).

If you can ignore the inconsistencies, the world is certainly fascinating, the art is gorgeous and captures a unique look, and the two protagonists are charming, but I don't really feel like recommending this, despite how I really liked it in the beginning.

The characters, world building, and plot, individually, are well done. The art is fantastic. But when put together, there isn't much that can compete with it.

It's mysterious, charming, happy, sad, etc. And there's a certain, old-world atmosphere that sucks you in when reading it.

It's like discovering the manga form of Studio Ghibli but targeted at young adults. A master class in soft magic systems (from a writer's perspective) to boot.

I've followed this manga since 2016 and all I can say is it's amazing, it still keeps me intrigued evertime a new chapter is updated and I just have had so much fun reading it, one thing that I hate about mangas is that they often get boring over time and loose their meaning, this manga seems to be still one of my favorites and is really worth your time!

A relation we rarely see portrayed this well. Plenty of tropes but the jewel of this series is the relation. Between two people learning to trust and have faith and rely on one another. It is very lovely to read.

Wow amazing....a completely different kind of manga...but shounen? Seriously?!?! You think a little boy or even to teenager will read this?!?! No no...maybe 18+ males and young to older females...It is very deep, character detail is below sea level...definitely shoujo...maybe seinen....I understand Shoujo carries a bad connotation for most...(easier for the author to sell shounen) but this isn't shounen. Remarkable work though.

... Last updated on November 5th, 2017, 8:18pm

easily in my top 5. The character development going on in both Chise and Elias is like nothing I've ever encountered before in a manga. The whole setting is intriguing and delightful, and there never fails to be at least one scene PER CHAPTER that takes my breath away.
I'm a cheap person who likes my manga free, but Mahou Tsukai no Yome is one of the very, very few works that i've ever purchased. And you'd better believe i bought every volume i could get my grubby little hands on.

Wow, just wow.

Don't let the fluff and slow start fool you, this is by far one of the best mangas I have ever read. The sheer amount of character depth, lore, and beautiful artwork just sucks you in. The plot is becoming increasingly complex and very tightly woven, and the most recent chapters have ended on cliffhangers that come out of nowhere and leave you begging for more. Or rather, in my case, gasping and screaming in outrage that you have to wait another month to find out what happens. I can't believe this is Yamazaki Kore's first series. It has an excellent balance of action, drama, and character development that few other stories manage to achieve. Seriously, read this thing, it's amazing.

They had better make a full anime series out of this or else I will be so angry.