Following the success of the 3-part OVA, Mahoutsukai no Yome: Hoshi Matsu Hito, an official anime series for Mahoutsukai no Yome has started airing during the Fall 2017 season.
First Impressions
The episode opens with a broken, anxious, and destitute Hatori Chise being auctioned off as property before being snatched up by a man named Elias. With a skull for a head, the menacing Elias proves to be rather kind as he explains to Chise that he’s a mage and he had paid for her in the hopes of training her as his apprentice. After Chise is given a warm welcome into Elias’ home, she almost ends up entering the fairies’ world during a midnight stroll. However, she rejects the forceful offer since Elias had called her family, which is something none of her adoptive families ever did despite all of them being blood-related to her. Elias then swoops in, warns the fairies to never try that sort of stunt again, and carries her through the forest back to their home. The episode ends with Elias admitting that while he purchased Chise with the intention to raise her as his apprentice, he also hopes that one day she would be his wife.
There’s something universally attractive about magic. Just think of all of the popular anime that feature magic! The possibilities that exist within such settings is certainly enticing, as with the flashy displays of magic that are simply cool. Mahoutsukai no Yome, however, doesn’t opt to just rely on such theatrics and has already woven an emotional message into the narrative by tackling a topic that resonates with many a viewer. While exploring the concept of family is not exactly original, the series executes the concept well and is successful at getting the audience to care for Chise. Seeing a misfortune girl regain her sense of confidence after being told that she actually belongs is likely one of the major reasons why most are interested in following Mahoutsukai no Yome.
Another reason to get excited is that the series seems to be much more than just Chise’s story. If the opening is anything to go by, then the series is set to feature some climatic and dramatic moments. Having nothing to go by other than the 3-episode OVA (which I would highly recommend watching before watching this first episode yet isn’t strictly necessary if one wants to get technical), I can only look forward to seeing how Mahoutsukai no Yome progresses from here on.
Verdict
Worth Watching – Give it a shot! It almost feels like I watching a fairy tale unfold, to be honest, and that has me wishing for emotional scenes and moments that’ll leave me breathless and wanting more. And so far, Mahoutsukai no Yome has proven to be sincere, touching, and beautiful (due to its wonderful animation), leaving me hopeful that my expectations will be fulfilled. There’s a lot of hype surrounding this series, frankly, and it’s easy to see why. Whether or not it can deliver remains to be seen, but so far the series is off to a decently strong start. Be that as it may, the way Elias refers to Chise as “my puppy” is a bit off-putting, but perhaps he’s just socially awkward. The 3 OVA episodes seem to support this theory.
Speaking of which, I suggest watching the OVA episodes before jumping into this first episode, however. Think of it as a potential time-saver – you might feel nothing for the series after spending roughly an hour and half watching Chise tell a story from her past, so you can feel justified in refraining from following Mahoutsukai no Yome in its entirety, which is set to air for 2 seasons and thus will take around 12 hours to watch over a period of months. I myself wasn’t sold until I finished watching the OVA episodes, so you might be surprised!
