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Japanese dark fantasy shōnen manga and anime series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ancient Magus' Bride (Japanese: 魔法使いの嫁, Hepburn: Mahō Tsukai no Yome) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kore Yamazaki. It is serialized in Bushiroad Works' Comic Growl manga website and is licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. Wit Studio produced a three-part prequel original animation DVD (OAD) series which was bundled with volumes of the manga from September 2016 to September 2017 and an anime television series that aired from October 2017 to March 2018. Studio Kafka produced a second three-part OAD series which was bundled with the manga from September 2021 to September 2022, along with the second season of the anime, which aired in two parts from April to July 2023 and October to December of the same year.
| The Ancient Magus' Bride | |
 Cover of the first volume | |
| 魔法使いの嫁 (Mahoutsukai no Yome) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kore Yamazaki |
| Published by |
|
| English publisher | |
| Magazine |
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| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | November 30, 2013 – present |
| Volumes | 20 |
| Original animation DVD | |
| The Ancient Mage Bride: Those Awaiting a Star | |
| Directed by | Norihiro Naganuma |
| Written by |
|
| Music by | Junichi Matsumoto |
| Studio | Wit Studio |
| Licensed by | |
| Released |
|
| Episodes | 3 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by |
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| Produced by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Music by | Junichi Matsumoto |
| Studio |
|
| Licensed by |
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| Original network | AT-X, Tokyo MX, MBS, TVA, TVS, CTC, BS11, HBC |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 7, 2017 – December 21, 2023 |
| Episodes | 48 |
| Manga | |
| The Ancient Magus' Bride: Jack Flash and the Faerie Case Files | |
| Written by | Yū Godai |
| Illustrated by | Mako Oikawa |
| Published by | Mag Garden |
| English publisher |
|
| Imprint | Blade Comics |
| Magazine | Manga Doa |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | April 12, 2019 – present |
| Volumes | 4 |
| Manga | |
| The Ancient Magus' Bride: Wizard's Blue | |
| Written by | Makoto Sanda |
| Illustrated by | Isuo Tsukumo |
| Published by | Mag Garden |
| English publisher |
|
| Imprint | Blade Comics |
| Magazine | Manga Doa |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | April 12, 2019 – present |
| Volumes | 9 |
| Original animation DVD | |
| The Ancient Magus' Bride: The Boy from the West and the Knight of the Blue Storm | |
| Directed by | Kazuaki Terasawa |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Music by | Junichi Matsumoto |
| Studio | Studio Kafka |
| Released | September 10, 2021 – September 9, 2022 |
| Episodes | 3 |
Having been ostracized by both her relatives and partially by society, orphaned Japanese high school student Chise Hatori decides to sell herself at an auction in order for somebody else to take her in and have a new place to call home. At the auction in London, she is sold for five million pounds to Elias Ainsworth, a seven-foot-tall humanoid with an animal skull for a head. The magus, who seems closer to a demon than human, either brings her the light she desperately seeks or drowns her in ever deeper shadows in her new country, Great Britain. The series deals with a romantic slice-of-life storyline in a surreal and supernatural light.
The Ancient Magus' Bride is written and illustrated by Kore Yamazaki. The series was first serialized in Mag Garden's Monthly Comic Blade from November 30, 2013, to September 1, 2014, when the magazine ceased publication.[32][33] The series was moved to the new Monthly Comic Garden magazine, while also continuing to be released on the Monthly Comic Blade website.[4][33] In March 2023, the series went on hiatus.[34] The series resumed serialization on Bushiroad Works' Comic Growl manga website on December 21, 2023.[35]
Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the series for publication in North America in October 2014.[4][36]
A drama CD was bundled with the limited edition of the fifth volume, released in March 2016.[3]
Some copies of the English volume 8 were printed with black and white covers instead of color.[37]
The series has been collected into twenty tankōbon volumes,[38] with nineteen being published in English as of December 12, 2023.[39]
Two spin-off manga with supervision by Yamazaki were launched on the Manga Doa app on April 12, 2019. The first manga, titled The Ancient Magus' Bride: Jack Flash and the Faerie Case Files, is written by Yū Godai and illustrated by Mako Oikawa, while the second manga, titled The Ancient Magus' Bride: Wizard's Blue, is written by Makoto Sanda and illustrated by Isuo Tsukumo.[40] Both spin-off manga are also licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment.[41]
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 10, 2014[42] | 978-4-8000-0284-6 | May 12, 2015[39] | 978-1-626921-87-0 | ||
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| 2 | September 10, 2014[43][44] | 978-4-8000-0361-4 | September 1, 2015[39] | 978-1-626921-92-4 | ||
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| 3 | March 10, 2015[45][46] | 978-4-8000-0422-2 ISBN 978-4-8000-0420-8 (LE) | December 1, 2015[39] | 978-1-626922-24-2 | ||
| ||||||
| 4 | September 10, 2015[47][48] | 978-4-8000-0498-7 ISBN 978-4-8000-0484-0 (LE) | April 12, 2016[39] | 978-1-626922-55-6 | ||
| ||||||
| 5 | March 10, 2016[49][50] | 978-4-8000-0547-2 ISBN 978-4-8000-0510-6 (LE) | July 5, 2016[39] | 978-1-626922-84-6 | ||
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| 6 | September 10, 2016[51] | 978-4-8000-0611-0 | January 3, 2017[39] | 978-1-626923-50-8 | ||
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| 7 | March 10, 2017[52] | 978-4-8000-0658-5 | July 4, 2017[39] | 978-1-626924-99-4 | ||
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| 8 | September 9, 2017[53] | 978-4-8000-0567-0 | February 27, 2018[39] | 978-1-626925-97-7 | ||
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| 9 | March 24, 2018[54][55] | 978-4-8000-0747-6 ISBN 978-4-8000-0727-8 (LE) | September 11, 2018[56] | 978-1-626928-01-5 | ||
| ||||||
| 10 | September 10, 2018[57][58] | 978-4-8000-0794-0 ISBN 978-4-8000-0785-8 (LE) | February 26, 2019[59] | 978-1-626929-90-6 | ||
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| 11 | March 9, 2019[60] | 978-4-8000-0837-4 | September 24, 2019[61] | 978-1-642751-01-7 | ||
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| 12 | September 10, 2019[62] | 978-4-8000-0890-9 | February 25, 2020[63] | 978-1-64505-201-2 | ||
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| 13 | March 10, 2020[64] | 978-4-8000-0945-6 | October 13, 2020[65] | 978-1-64505-470-2 | ||
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| 14 | September 10, 2020[66] | 978-4-8000-0967-8 | April 27, 2021[67] | 978-1-64505-805-2 | ||
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| 15 | March 10, 2021[68] | 978-4-8000-1055-1 | October 5, 2021[69] | 978-1-64827-272-1 | ||
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| 16 | September 10, 2021[70] | 978-4-8000-1128-2 | October 25, 2022[71] | 978-1-63858-294-6 | ||
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| 17 | March 10, 2022[72] | 978-4-8000-1183-1 | March 7, 2023[73] | 978-1-63858-841-2 | ||
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| 18 | September 9, 2022[74][75] | 978-4-8000-1240-1 | July 4, 2023[76] | 978-1-68579-577-1 | ||
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| 19 | March 10, 2023[77] | 978-4-8000-1302-6 | December 12, 2023[78] | 979-8-88843-052-1 | ||
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| 20 | April 12, 2024[79][80] | 978-4-0489-9608-2 | March 11, 2025[81] | 979-8-88843-800-8 | ||
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| 21 | October 8, 2024[82][83] | 978-4-0489-9639-6 | — | — | ||
| No. | Title | Original release date | English release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ancient Magus' Bride: The Golden Yarn Mahōtsukai no Yome Kinshi-hen (魔法使いの嫁 金糸篇) | September 8, 2017[84] 978-4-8000-0690-5 | December 11, 2018[85] 978-1-626929-75-3 |
| 2 | The Ancient Magus' Bride: The Silver Yarn Mahōtsukai no Yome Ginshi-hen (魔法使いの嫁 銀糸篇) | October 10, 2017[86] 978-4-8000-0692-9 | March 19, 2019[87] 978-1-642750-01-0 |
A three-part prequel original animation DVD (OAD) series was announced in the fifth volume of the manga.[88] The prequel series is titled The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a Star (魔法使いの嫁 星待つひと, Mahō Tsukai no Yome: Hoshi Matsu Hito). It is directed by Norihiro Naganuma and written by Kore Yamazaki, with scripts by Aya Takaha. Wit Studio produced the animation and Production I.G is credited with planning and production. Hirotaka Katō designed the characters and Bamboo is in charge of the background art.[7][89] The series' music is composed by Junichi Matsumoto and produced by Flying Dog.[8][88]
The episodes were bundled with the sixth, seventh and eighth volumes of the manga, between September 10, 2016, March 10, 2017, and September 9, 2017.[90] The first episode was shown in theaters for two weeks, starting on August 13, 2016;[7] the second episode premiered in theaters on February 4, 2017;[91] and the third episode premiered on August 19, 2017.[92] Crunchyroll began streaming the first episode on September 10, 2016.[89][93]
An anime television series adaptation was announced in March 2017, and aired from October 7, 2017, to March 24, 2018, on MBS, Tokyo MX, BS11 and other Japanese channels.[94][10] Junna (singer) performed the opening theme "Here",[95] and Hana Itoki performed the ending theme "Wa –cycle-" (環-cycle-).[96] The second opening theme is "You" by May'n, and the ending theme is "Tsuki no Mō Hanbun" (月のもう半分, The Moon is Already a Half Moon) by Aiki & Akino from bless4.[97] The anime adapted the manga till the ninth volume. It later won the best drama award at the 2017 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Crunchyroll licensed and streamed the series worldwide except for Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.[98] Funimation streamed an English dub on their website and distributed the series on home video in North America.[99][100] Manga Entertainment distributed the series on home video in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[101]
A second three-part OAD series titled The Ancient Magus' Bride: The Boy from the West and the Knight of the Blue Storm (魔法使いの嫁 西の少年と青嵐の騎士, Mahō Tsukai no Yome: Nishi no Shōnen to Seiran no Kishi) was announced in March 2021, with the episodes being bundled with the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth volumes of the manga, released on September 10, 2021, March 10, 2022, and September 9, 2022.[102] The OAD series is animated by Studio Kafka and directed by Kazuaki Terasawa, with scripts by Aya Takaha and Yoko Yonaiyama. Hirotaka Katō returns to design the characters, and Junichi Matsumoto returns to compose the series' music.[103]
A second season was announced on September 5, 2022. Studio Kafka returned from the second OAD series to produce the season, with Kazuaki Terasawa returning to direct. Chiaki Nishinaka is joining Aya Takaha and Yoko Yonaiyama in writing the screenplay. Hirotaka Katō and Junichi Matsumoto are also returning as character designer and composer.[19] The first cour aired from April 6 to June 22, 2023, while the second cour aired from October 5 to December 21 of the same year on Tokyo MX, BS11, Sun TV, and AT-X.[104] For the first cour, the opening theme is "Dear" performed by Junna, while the ending theme is "Mubansou" (無伴奏) performed by edda. The second cour premiered on October 5, 2023.[105] For the second cour, the opening theme is "Nemurasareta Lineage" (眠らされたリネージュ) performed by Junna, while the ending theme is "fam" performed by Yuyu.[15][106]
A stage play at the Owlspot Theater in Tokyo ran from October 5–14, 2019. It featured scripts by Aya Takaha and performances by Haruka Kudō and Naotaka Kamino as Chise Hatori and Elias Ainsworth respectively.[40]
Volume 2 reached the ninth place on the Oricon's weekly manga chart[107] and, by September 21, 2014, had sold 104,518 copies.[108]
The series had sold half a million copies by June 2015,[109] 2.5 million copies by March 2016,[88] and over three million as of September 2016.[110] By December 2017, the series had five million copies in print.[111]
Volume two appeared on The New York Times manga bestsellers list for four weeks, rising to third place for two.[112] Volume three debuted on the list at second place,[113] volume four debuted at first place,[114] and volume five debuted at fourth place.[115]
Reviewing the first volume for Anime News Network, Nick Creamer gave it a grade of A−. He praised the series' art, noting that it "does great work in impressing upon the audience the same sense of wonder Chise experiences throughout. The character designs are expressive and backgrounds ornate". Commenting on the relationship between Chise and Elias, he wrote that "having this story go in a legitimately romantic direction would likely raise thorny issues of power dynamics and consent", but remarked that, as it was, the story "does a commendable job of making both Chise and Elias understandable and likable characters". He concluded his review by writing: "What conflict all these lovely details might be leading towards is a mystery so far, but the execution is so strong that I'm ready to follow wherever it leads."[116] In his review of the second volume, he admitted to coming to an appreciation of the main characters' relationship, writing that "the ambiguities of their relationship actually seem like one more fitting piece of a world where every relationship is ambiguous". He called the series' magic "classic but still refreshing". He also commented that the series' art "remains gorgeous and well-suited to the story all throughout this volume ... the backgrounds are lush and faces expressive, and the whole style has an ornate looseness to it that works perfectly for this kind of fantasy storytelling". He concluded by saying "If you have any appreciation for this style of classic fantasy storytelling, Ancient Magus' Bride is a can't-miss production".[117]
The Ancient Magus' Bride ranked second on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2014 for male readers.[118][119] The series ranked 36th on the 2014 "Book of the Year" list by the Da Vinci magazine.[120] Da Vinci readers also ranked it second in a poll to determine the series most likely to "make their big break" in 2015.[121] The series ranked first on a poll of 2,360 bookstore employees to determine the 2015's top 15 manga series published in five volumes or less.[122][123] It was one of fourteen titles nominated for the eighth Manga Taishō awards in 2015.[124] The series ranked second in the first Next Manga Award in the print manga category.[125]
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