The Ancient Magus Bride Season 2

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Trivia: it's why Ruth has a girl's name. She didn't know it was one.

I... didn't know it was one either

[Guardian Enzo]

Really? It goes all the way back to the Old Testament.

This season Mahoutsukai has at least 4 boys with girls names - Ruth, Zoe, Violet, May. I'm starting to think it's intentional.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Really? It goes all the way back to the Old Testament.

This season Mahoutsukai has at least 4 boys with girls names - Ruth, Zoe, Violet, May. I'm starting to think it's intentional.

I was so confused when I first started reading this arc .

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Really? It goes all the way back to the Old Testament.

This season Mahoutsukai has at least 4 boys with girls names - Ruth, Zoe, Violet, May. I'm starting to think it's intentional.

I thought it was a unisex name.

[Frontier]

On a list of things Renfred probably never expected to discuss with Elias, the question of if he ever planned on getting hitched is probably pretty high up there .

It's not that surprising that Renfred sees Alice as a daughter and not as his legacy or someone to take up his teachings and succeed him...which irks Alice because that's entirely the reason why she's working and training so hard, especially because she feels like she's been nothing but a burden to him and hasn't given back anywhere near the amount of what he's given her .

Simon! It's always nice to see him. Especially when he's getting two bashful, awkward, girls to admit their really friends .

People assuming Elias and Ruth like hanging out together when the only thing that bonds them is Chise and that's about it for their relationship .

Probably a lot to unpack there with the fact that Chise and Elias sleep together but for now it's a sleepover with the girls !

Just a reminder circa season 1 of just how messed up and depraved Joseph was. I mean, I can't fault Alice here, nobody was expecting the giant mantis woman monster. But the way Renfred lost his arm and Joseph just rubbed it in his face...jeez. Also RIP Renfred's ponytail .

It kind of sucks that Alice' idea of a dad is her pathetic junkie of a father compared to Renfred, who has been nothing but the best to her. But I guess it sets up how she views her dynamic with Renfred and why she's not satisfied being viewed as his daughter

There's...a lot to Chise and Elias' relationship. But I don't think she's ever really viewed him as a father, especially because she did have a relatively normal and loving dad (up until he basically absconded with her little brother and left her and her mom. Are they ever going to follow up on that?). But it does set up the two to try to clarify their relationship a little more .

I can totally believe Elias just needed a convenient word or role to keep Chise close to him and, from his perspective, a "spouse" fit the bill. Although that's not even a guarantee these days because of the high divorce rate. Maybe don't make Elias that anxious, Chise .

Though their relationship and dynamic has developed a lot since then, and in a world where people play various roles with each other and in relationships, what should matter is what makes Chise and Elias happy with each other. And if that means being spouses in some form or another, then all the better !

Just your daily reminder that something shady is going on at the college. Looks like they've got some spooky stuff in storage .

[Kanon]

Simon using rhetoric to get Chise and Alice to admit they are their friends is probably my favorite scene of the episode.

I wonder how Alice would feel knowing Joseph was chilling in the backyard while she recounting to Chise how horrible he had been to her and Renfred.

Originally Posted by Frontier

There's...a lot to Chise and Elias' relationship. But I don't think she's ever really viewed him as a father, especially because she did have a relatively normal and loving dad (up until he basically absconded with her little brother and left her and her mom. Are they ever going to follow up on that?). But it does set up the two to try to clarify their relationship a little more .

For that, Chise would need to want to track them down. But the reason she sold herself was to make a complete break from her old life and she's pretty content with her current one so she had no reason to do so. It's not like there's a big mystery surrounding her family either. The father left with her brother because the mom and Chise attracted evil spirits and he had reached his limits when it came to protecting them. He ran out with the one family member he knew he could keep safe. We know he was tempted to take Chise along too but decided it would be too big a risk. It feels like a really cruel thing to do but I get it. From his POV his son was the only one he had a chance of saving.

[Master_Yoma]

Well just a lot of talking about everyone one role that they play to each other

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Simon using rhetoric to get Chise and Alice to admit they are their friends is probably my favorite scene of the episode.

I wonder how Alice would feel knowing Joseph was chilling in the backyard while she recounting to Chise how horrible he had been to her and Renfred.

Chise probably should make sure they don't see each other every time Alice comes over .

For that, Chise would need to want to track them down. But the reason she sold herself was to make a complete break from her old life and she's pretty content with her current one so she had no reason to do so. It's not like there's a big mystery surrounding her family either. The father left with her brother because the mom and Chise attracted evil spirits and he had reached his limits when it came to protecting them. He ran out with the one family member he knew he could keep safe. We know he was tempted to take Chise along too but decided it would be too big a risk. It feels like a really cruel thing to do but I get it. From his POV his son was the only one he had a chance of saving.

I get that, it just feels like what happened to them has still left to be explained because we have no idea what became of the dad or the little brother. Are they alive? I mean, I get Chise isn't in a rush to find them because she has her own stuff going on but it feels like something the story will have to address at some point.

[SeijiSensei]

I doubt we'll see much, if anything, about her dad and brother. Chise lives in such a different world from them now, and there's a long future ahead for her and Elias. I don't think picking up the father storyline would add much at this point.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

I doubt we'll see much, if anything, about her dad and brother. Chise lives in such a different world from them now, and there's a long future ahead for her and Elias. I don't think picking up the father storyline would add much at this point.

I guess just for the sake of an unresolved plot point .

I honestly wonder if her brother is in a similar situation to her too.

[SeijiSensei]

I imagine the father and brother are living a relatively happy middle-class life somewhere far from demons. Wouldn't be surprised if he remarried.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Frontier

I honestly wonder if her brother is in a similar situation to her too.

He took the brother with him because he didn't attract monsters the way Chise and the mom did.

IMO Chise has already gotten closure when she recalled everything during the time she was held by Joseph. She knows her parents loved her and they had reasons to leave her behind. That doesn't make what happened to her right, but she's at peace with it now.

[Twi]

Chise's brother repels monsters just like how the father does. It was why Chise's mom could leave her and her brother alone together. Once the dad took her brother, there was nothing keeping Chise safe when her mother wasn't there. That was part of what caused her breakdown, as she had to struggle to find work where she could still be there for her and she couldn't let her guard down because one night she woke up to see Chise being attacked by a monster.

That's half the reason I really don't give the father a lot of slack and I'm hoping there was another reason for him abandoning her beyond his control because him just ditching his wife and daughter led to a whole lot of issues. And even if he bothered to try to find Chise, you have to remember that when she sold herself they faked her death so no one in Japan would be looking for her. So even if her brother and father were to look, they'd only find records that she was dead.

Really, the fact that Chise's mother lived to both adulthood and having two children is a miracle considering Sleigh Beggy die young for a number of reasons. One of which we saw being Japanese neighbors are just mean.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Twi

Chise's brother repels monsters just like how the father does. It was why Chise's mom could leave her and her brother alone together. Once the dad took her brother, there was nothing keeping Chise safe when her mother wasn't there. That was part of what caused her breakdown, as she had to struggle to find work where she could still be there for her and she couldn't let her guard down because one night she woke up to see Chise being attacked by a monster.

That's half the reason I really don't give the father a lot of slack and I'm hoping there was another reason for him abandoning her beyond his control because him just ditching his wife and daughter led to a whole lot of issues. And even if he bothered to try to find Chise, you have to remember that when she sold herself they faked her death so no one in Japan would be looking for her. So even if her brother and father were to look, they'd only find records that she was dead.

Really, the fact that Chise's mother lived to both adulthood and having two children is a miracle considering Sleigh Beggy die young for a number of reasons. One of which we saw being Japanese neighbors are just mean.

Yeah, I have to imagine there was some reason why he never went back for them or that something happened with them.

It's not that I think Chise needs more closure so much as it's an unanswered plot beat that was set up in a show that's known for it's slow build plotting.

[shmaster]

I think the real question on Chise's dad abandoning the family should be "who is that bird".

[Guardian Enzo]

There's a (very good) spinoff manga called "Wizard's Blue", where the MC is a boy about the right age. It's not totally impossible he could be Chise's brother, though I suspect that'd be too convenient.

[Twi]

I personally think it was the Japanese kid who rolled up to Simon in cut content for the moment, but really what are the chances? Though considering the bird and the fact that there's literally a division in the church called Crows, I feel I have some solid ground to sit on.


Anyway, blog post done and changes below. Ironically, one of the things missing is Chise's thoughts about her father.

Spoiler:

Not that much was skipped or changed this time (unless you count the Spring Cleaning bonus chapter), just some small bits from Chapters 54 to 57 to: "First Impressions are the Most Lasting (I) - Better Bend Than Break (II)":

1. Renfred asks why Elias doesn't just tell Chise what he thinks and if he makes a mistake learn from it, but Elias states he can't afford for her to be disappointed in him anymore (due to all his previous screw-ups).
   
2. Elias even apologizes that he hit on a sore spot about Alice, with Renfred noting that he was being serious about the apology despite not looking the part.
   
3. Alice informs Renfred that she wouldn't be making it home that night before going to Chise after she finished exploring the Gardens seeking out Zoey, asking if she could come over for the night.
   
4. Chise couldn't use the backways for obvious reasons (Alice would be eaten), but Simon didn't mind since he didn't have plans other than couch surfing. He then brings up that Elias would buy Chise a car if she asks, explaining that she could get a Learner's Permit at 16 and a legal one a year later. Chise asks how much it would cost to maintain while Alice brings up she has a Driver's License already.
   
5. Simon also realizes that he should have reported that Chise and Elias attend a Wizard/Sorcerer's School to his boss.
   
6. Part of why Simon considers Alice one of Chise's friends is because he knows she hates burdening others, so asking for a favor like a three-hour drive is pretty out there. Then Chise turns his words back on him about being Elias' friend, which has him state they aren't since he wouldn't be able to help Elias if he was in danger and he can't imagine Elias would shed a tear if he died. So he can't call their relationship a friendship even by his standards, meaning they should cherish what they have. (And keep in mind this takes place after Elias helps him deal with the Auditor from the Church not covered in the anime yet.)
   
7. Alice likens her situation to being a rat in a maze, where someone has been watching over her all this time wanting to see if she could clear it rather than her working towards a goal of her own.
   
8. The reason Alice doesn't consider him her father is because to her that word is associated with her drug-addicted birthfather (who got her hooked on drugs to act as a dealer and then died).
   
9. Ruth originally brings Chise her jacket when she goes onto the rooftops before heading off with Blue Flame, while Chise muses that Rahab was right in why Elias chose to make her his bride. Elias likewise references the relationship between Angie and her husband as a couple being together.
   
10. When they discuss the role of a couple, Chise thinks back to her father and mother. She notes that they looked so happy together and questions why her father chose to forsake that role when he abandoned her and her mother. She can only speculate that to live means to consider things like that which can't be ignored.
    
11. To elaborate on Renfred's admission, he explains that what he did was coercion even if he made sure she wouldn't notice. He suggested she become his guardian to make sure she would never turn away from magic, which is more dangerous than a normal life even considering the fact that he picked her up out of an alley.

[Cloudedmind]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

There's a (very good) spinoff manga called "Wizard's Blue", where the MC is a boy about the right age. It's not totally impossible he could be Chise's brother, though I suspect that'd be too convenient.

Is that the spin off one that takes place in France? I've been somewhat hesitant on reading the spin offs since they're not technically written by Kore Yamazaki although she is listed as story supervisor or something similar.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Cloudedmind

Is that the spin off one that takes place in France? I've been somewhat hesitant on reading the spin offs since they're not technically written by Kore Yamazaki although she is listed as story supervisor or something similar.

It is, and it's very good IMHO. It seems pretty obvious to me that it's intended to be taken as canon as well, which is why I haven't totally dismissed the brother theory.

[Nachtwandler]

Unrelated question: manga-readers, is the current cour enough to finish the arc or they need 12 more eps?