| Title | : | The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 4 (The Ancient Magus' Bride, #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1626922551 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781626922556 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 184 |
| Publication | : | First published September 10, 2015 |
Chise has been summonsed to the Dragon Aerie to begin crafting her very own wand, but her journey has more to offer than she had anticipated: magical wonders, enlightening visions, and perhaps most importantly, insight into Elias' past and the secrets he has been reluctant to reveal about himself.
Yet while Chise finds some answers about the inhuman mage's history, mysterious beings are displaying an unexpected interest in Chise herself.
The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 4 (The Ancient Magus' Bride, #4) Reviews
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Chise y Elías van aprendiendo a comunicarse y hablar del cómo se sienten, él como su maestro de magia, y ella, como su maestra humana, ambos están creciendo de la mano para ir forjando aún más fuerte la relación que tienen.
Este tomo conocemos un poco más del pasado de Elías, de donde proviene y el porque de su nombre.
Sobra decir que necesito ya el siguiente xD. -
I find it really hard to rate manga using the 5 star system, but this series is one of my absolute favorites. It's a hint of dark, a lot of magic, and a lot of complex plot lines wrapped up in a simple premise. Great storytelling.
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Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @
Perspective of a Writer...
This is a review of volumes 3-6 which I read together back to back. See the plot section for my thoughts on the individual volumes.
We first meet Chise, chained by the neck and wrists being passed over to her new owner, a bone-headed mage whose name she learns later is Elias. A penniless orphan sold on the black market she learns about herself, the magical world filled with fairies and other fantastical creatures as well as what it means to be a part of a family. Her new life as a mage's apprentice is just the beginning as it comes with the secondary title of Ancient Magus' Bride...
To be honest the title is what first drew me to this series... but once I opened the first volume I was totally hooked!! It is crafted lovingly in my favorite type if manga art style. A modern, crisp and clean version of the big-eye style with a subtle ornateness that makes the entire style stand out. The humor is a little more subtle than other shonen series with the stark style rounding out into the cute Chibi style when emo moments happen. It's the best of both worlds! The creatures and magic are visually quite cool and add so much to what is a 2D world.
There is this lovely balance of fae, magic and the supernatural that works so well with the slice of life nature of the manga. We regularly start or end with quiet moments for regular life. The celebration of a holiday, the success in some studies and a chat with a new friend! Whatever is happening is a part of the fabric of Chise's life and helps us to understand her better and experience a little of what her life with Elias is like. I LOVE IT!! Chise is finally at home in the world, and as a result she is making friends and forming bonds... (and I love every one of those moments!) Most of all though I love Chise with Elias. He is awkward in the best of ways, doesn't understand the feelings that are arising and Chise herself only barely understands!
In volume 3, we see Elias get vulnerable protecting Chise and she has to reassure him. And then in volume 4, along with Chise, we learn some of his history with Lindel and what he has experienced with humans. Then in volume 5 we learn how Silky came to take care of Elias' home! And in volume 6 a friendship develops with a most unlikely alchemist apprentice! It's lovely and you never know when the dastardly Cartaphilus will appear or if it will simply be one of the dangerously amoral and beautiful fae who will threaten someone this time. It could be fae culture we're learning about or a deeply poignant moment between Chise and Elias we are experiencing. Whatever it is I'm engaged and loving it!
Over our head like an axe is always the knowledge that Chise is NOT safe. Not from the fae denizens, though Elias will protect her, not from the magic she is able to absorb. That tension runs through every single moment of the manga. You wonder when the next blood spurting moment will happen... if this time she won't be able to come back to herself... It makes the sweet moments sweeter and the dangerous moments more harrowing... Always the question lingers will Chise and Elias be able to reach the pinnacle of their relationship before her time is up?! That makes for a beautiful and emotional journey, of which I enjoy every second!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
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You can find this review and many others on my book blog @
Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons... -
The Ancient Magus’ Bride has a lovely balance of fae, magic and supernaturals blending well together.
In Volume 4, we learn some of Elias’ history with Lindel and what he has experienced with humans. I liked that we learn more about Elias. I liked that in this one Chise was told not to be so passive and that she is coming into herself.
Their is one scene that bluntly describes the mages and how they often take apprentices. Now this master-apprentices which changes and becomes a spouse-spouse relationship was a bit weird to read and I balked at the idea, but I found that learning this dynamic helped clarify some things about their relationship. Kore Yamazaki somehow made their relationship less creepy; because of how she is developing the characters, how that the characters aren’t human and haven’t had similar experiences as humans do, so they have more freedom to be flexible in how things develop.
To sum up this was another enjoyable read in The Ancient Magus’ Bride.
Rated: 3 Stars
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This entire series is so enchanting!
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4.8/5 stars
There is so much mythology packed into these, it is absolutely breathtaking ♥ -
Ahhh, this was a beautiful instalment in the series.
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Ich wurde nur dezent emotional als sie mit Nevin gesprochen hat. Ein wundervoller Band!
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"To ty jsi zachránila lidi i jiná stvoření. [...] Jestliže si sama sebe nevážíš a považuješ se za někoho, koho je možné se jen tak zbavit, pak je to jako bys tím říkala, že ani my nejsme dost důležití."
Toužebně jsem čekala, kdy vyjde svazek s těmito slovy draka Nevina. Podle mého je to jedna z nejkouzelnější scén v celém příběhu.
Obdivuji, jak si Jamazaki hraje s kompozicí a rozmístěním panelů na stránce. Například setkání s vodním hadodrakem je krásně znázorněno pomocí kresby přes dvě strany, ale pouze v horních polovinách stran. Dole jsou rámečky opět menší. Skvělý nápad. Vypadá jednodušše, ale skoro nikdo to v komiksu nepoužívá, což mi přijde jako ohromná škoda. Je to působivé.
Komiks na vás dýchá evropskou atmosférou. Kdybych neznala její jméno a národnost, tak bych autorku podezírala z toho, že je to Evropanka kreslící manga stylem.
Už jsem se zmínila, jak se mi líbí obálky této série? Líbí se mi moc. Působí jednoduše, ale když se člověk zadívá, tak si všimne drobných detailů jako jsou prasklinky na kamenech mostu nebo obláčky sraženého dechu.
"Chceš-li něco říct nebo se na něco zeptat, je lepší vyslovit to hned. Slova sice mohou časem uzrát, ale také mohou vyblednout." -
RESEÑA EN EL BLOG ➜
http://bit.ly/39McUtU
Chise fue convocada a la tierra de los dragones por Lindel, el maestro que muchos años atrás guío y educó a Elías, para que fabricara su propia vara que le permita canalizar más la magia. Al llegar se entera que Lindel y Elías pasaron años juntos y así descubre una pequeña parte del pasado del mago.
Mientras tanto Elías se encuentra solo en casa sin capaz de comprender el extraño frío que siente desde que Chise se marchó, un frío que desaparece cuando ella regresa y le confiesa que no le teme aún cuando descubrió uno de sus secretos.
Tanto los dioses como los espíritus están a tu lado. Nadie te mirará por encima del hombro. A pesar del sufrimiento, la tristeza, la soledad... Siempre estarán velando por ti.
*Modo fangirleo activado* Gente bonita y de calidad, de verdad que no puedo encontrar las palabras para expresar lo mucho que estoy amando esta historia y a sus personajes. Si fuera por mi simplemente les diría que lo leyeran porque el manga es perfecto pero trataré de comportarme y contarles un poco de este tomo.
Cómo ya les había dicho en la reseña pasada, por fin comenzamos a conocer un poquito del pasado de Elías y seguimos descubriéndolo en este tomo en donde averiguamos que el mago probablemente fue creado lanzando una maldición de venganza a un humano, es decir que desde su creación Elías ha sido siniestro y eso se confirma un poco cuando confiesa a su maestro que ha probado la carne humana. Pero lo que me encanta de Elías es que pese a su oscuridad y alma inhumana, ha demostrado con pequeñas acciones que en realidad bajo toda esa malevolencia posiblemente sigue latiendo un corazón humano bondadoso. Esto lo confirma él cuando le dice a Chise que es incapaz de comprender las emociones humanas pero que sintió un frío que lo desanimaba cuando ella se fue, ella le dice que quizá estaba triste y así él se percata que aunque no logra comprenderlas, si que siente emociones humanas.
Espero no los haya hecho bolas pero de verdad me encanta Elías e ir descubriendo cada pedacito de él me vuelve loca.
Pero Elías no es el único que confiesa parte de su pasado pues Chise nos cuenta que no siempre estuvo sola, que tuvo una madre y un padre que poseían el don de ver a las criaturas detrás del velo. Una familia que la amó hasta que todo cambió la dejaron sola.
Es la primera vez en el manga que Chise cuenta algo más allá del abandono de sus padres y al igual que con Elías me encanta saber más de ella pues cada pedacito que descubro sirve para revelar a una protagonista fuerte y decidida. -
5/5 ⭐️
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I enjoy reading this manga for two main reasons, 1) It's wonderfully atmospheric in the way that it combines fairies/fae/supernatural ideas, and 2) I'm always pleasantly surprised by the way in which the title is character- and relationship-driven.
There's a particular page that bluntly describes how mages is in this setting often take apprentices, and that the master-apprentice relationship is similar to a parent-child relationship, but that it isn't unusual for this relationship to become a spouse-spouse relationship. Understandably, part of me balks at that thought, because I hate the power imbalance in a teacher-student relationship, so it seems kind of shady when those relationships become romantic. Similarly, I found this series kind of suspect because Elias literally buys the Chise, and she seems more like a trophy or prisoner (hello, Stockholm Syndrome). However, Kore Yamazaki somehow manages to make these things seem less creepy because they way that she develops the characters and their relationships rings true. When I was reading this, I thought that the characters and relationships aren't necessariliy "realistic," but then I was reminded of the major shonen-ai work Heart of Thomas, and how the characters weren't necessarily supposed to realistically reflect people in society, but rather be constructs to explore human interactions and feelings beyond conventional (in that case, gender) roles. I think that The Ancient Magus' Bride does something similar between two characters. They're not necessarily human or have easily-describable life experiences, so they have the freedom to be flexible characters who help the creator explore emotions and relationships.
I also enjoyed that Chise was basically told not to be so passive. A common story is a bland main character suddenly becoming awesome despite being pathetic at the beginning of the story. I enjoy how this series is a slow burn and actually shows Chise coming into herself over time. In the same vein, I enjoy how the relationship between Chise and Elias grows over time, and how it is increasingly being portrayed as bidirectional, and the characters are beginning to think of it as a *mutual* give and take, rather than Elias merely being Chise's guardian, teacher, and benefactor. -
In which Chise gets lots of advice and learns some backstory relating to Elias and his teacher.
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Another interesting instalment. It was definitely more character development focused than other ones and im happy i know a little more about Elias.
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Ve čtvrtém volume se toho co se týče akce moc neděje, ale to vůbec nevadí. Kapitola, ve které si Chise vyrábí hůl, je kouzelná, i když v anime to bylo lepší (Lindel zpívá). Nemůžu se těšit na další díl!
3.5/5*
English Review:
Ancient Magus Bride, Volume 4 is slow paced compared to the other volumes. It has more informative character and it reveals past of Elias and Lindel. As much as I love manga, I preferred this part of story as anime. Reason? Lindel and his singing. Dragon Land and the fairy dancing is just magical and the whole phoenix scene is breath-taking in the anime. I am a little bit disappointed with our Czech publishing house. They publish 4 volumes a year, which is pretty slow compared to the other countries. Not to mention number of manga publishing houses.
It's hard to rate this volume without spoiling anything. So just to mention few things I liked particularly. First one - Chise and her talk with Nevin. It brought back memories. Then Lindel, who is my ultimate husbando in this series. Dragons. Elias and his past. And cliffhanger in the end, of course. Vampire lady and the old man are my fave "couple" in the series and I cannot wait to read another volume, eventhough it's gonna be sad. :(
Ancient Magus Bride is must read for anyone. Doesn't matter you never read manga. It's a good start. Romance, fantasy, beautiful surroundings...
3.5/5* -
How you meet is never really as important as the relationship that follows.
So despite this bonehead and this traumatized girl having met in a not-so-wholesome situation, what it's turning into is something really special.
Can't call it romantic love as the implications are whack.
Can't call it familial love because while she does call him family, there's something a little too UNfamiliar between them.
Can't call it teacher-student since one obviously knows so much more but the other has her own strength & know-how that the other can't comprehend.
And it's MUCH stronger than friendship.
It is something definitely uncategorizable and I think that's brilliant how this lonely Japanese redhead and this lonely ancient mystic creature found each other, and need each other now. -
Profundizamos a la vez que vemos evolución en Elias, la misteriosa criatura que compró a Chise. Nuestra protagonista finalmente vuelve con el hechicero, donde comenzarán a estrecharse poco a poco sus lazos y confiando más el uno en el otro. También veremos varios casos influidos por la magia que harán que Chise vaya madurando como hasta ahora ha ido ocurriendo.
No es un mal tomo pero, salvo los primeros capítulos, es un poco lento y empiezo, personalmente, a querer que ocurran sucesos de más peso en la trama. -
It was really nice to see Chise teaching Elias about his new emotions. He feels lonely when she's gone, it's sweet. I also loved seeing Chise become a beautiful fox. It was amazing!
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Woolybugs ❤
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Awwwww think this one was my favourite so far! On to number 5! 4.8/5 We’ll feeling this series!
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I need to Know more about Ashen Eye but don’t DARE to google it for fear of spoilers or being underwhelmed... GAHD I love it here so much. I’m going to try and save 4-6 for Christmas Eve!
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this is so humanely magical, utterly beautiful
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3.5/5
This definitely makes a better anime due to the pacing flowing better, but I was not totally lost in this volume. I'm invested in the plot now. -
My favorite volume so far. It was a look into the past of both Chose and Elias and revealed some of the old wounds that were standing between them. It was a very emotional part of the story and I cried several times. I am glad that the characters are growing so much and I love the pastoral scenes of magical life in the English countryside.
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So far, all of the books in this series have been lovely and wonderful. That's also true of this volume, but this one touched me a little deeper than the others:
"And yet... A few kind words or an offered hand can be enough to save another creature. Therefore, your parents have my gratitude for choosing to preserve your life... And I wish that you might take a little more pride in yourself. Pride for having the strength...to reach out your hand to another."
It's hard, sometimes, to reach out to others. We don't really know what they're thinking deep down, even if they're kind to us on the surface of things. There is always a very real fear that if you reach out, you might face rejection from those you attempt to care about.
In the end, it's easier not to try.
It takes bravery, and strength, to offer something of yourself to others. In this series, Chise has done that without thinking, without realizing how strong she really is for simply caring about others. She doesn't think very much of herself, so it was gratifying to see another character point out to her how wrong she is to think that way, and encourage her to think better of herself in an honest and forthright, yet gentle and positive way.
Chise is growing, we're seeing it happen bit by bit before our eyes, and I feel like in a way, seeing her grow encourages me to do so as well.
(So, although you'll never see this--thank you, Yamazaki-sensei, for sharing such a wonderful story with us!) -
I WANT A WOOLLY BUG!!!! It would be very happy in my house and could live in my basement in the summer. ^^
*ahem*
So, volume 4. In this volume, Chise gets her wand, learns more about Elias, deepens her relationship with said skull-head, shears some adorable sheep-bugs (the previously mentioned Woolly Bug that are so dang cute), and has a meeting with some interesting visitors to the cottage that leads to general chaos. Elias, meanwhile, learns a bit about what it's like to be human.
So, basically par for the course as far as this series goes.
There were some sweet moments, some adorable moments, some moments that made me laugh probably harder than I should have. As with previous volumes, it's not exactly driven by an overarching plot and is more about the daily lives of characters in this world, and that's even more true of this volume. There's more character development, and you learn more about their pasts.
If you've read previous volumes, definitely keep reading. If I don't say this every time, I certainly think it, and that's this: this is the best volume yet. -
I am loving this manga. Truly a magical story that is fast becoming a favourite. Have caught up with the monthly released chapters now, which sucks because now I have to wait. Wahhhhh... But well worth the wait. Adore the two main characters Chise and Elias. Their relationship is growing fast and just super sweet. The artwork is fantastic and the creatures around them are magical. Might have to collect this one in paperback.
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ittttttt's backstory time!
this volume dives a little more into both chise and elias' history. it's well-placed because last volume had a lot of people encouraging chise to be more active in asking for answers from elias and learning more about who he is helps her make the choice to do so. it's nice because it puts them into a bit more equal ground -- he bought her, it's never going to be 100% healthy but their relationship is becoming something a bit more sustainable
4 stars -
Seriously, my current thing. I have a few manga that I think are the best things ever, and this is one of them. It's close to being up there with 'Twentieth Century Boys' and 'Blade of the Immortal' and 'Loveless' (one cannot accuse me of being narrow-minded in my manga reading). This manga is so lovely. So, so lovely.
...Lovely...
