English Dub Review: The Ancient Magus’ Bride “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie”

As kind as this series is, it sure puts the characters through a lot.

Overview:

Chise takes a look into Ulysse’s past and snaps out of it before Elias turns into a real monster.

Our Take:

We meet the sorcerer Cartaphilus and see just how inhuman he is. Compared to Elias, who is at least trying to understand humanity, Cartaphilus has no intention of doing such a thing. He is purely interested in experiments that push the boundaries of life and death and has lived so long that he can’t even remember why he’s compelled to do so. He’s immortal, seemingly unaging, and takes the body parts of other people to use for his own missing parts. While he looks human, it’s clear from his motives that he’s anything but.

On the other hand is Ruth, who doesn’t even realize he isn’t human. He became a Grim after waiting at his master’s grave, not realizing that she had been dead.  This series is largely about lonely people finding each other, and this time its Chise that extends her hand. Elias saved her, and now she can use her position to save someone else. Chise understands loneliness and emptiness all too well, so she is incredibly kind to those seeped in it. Her kindness and willingness to fight for Ulysse move him, and despite his attachment to Isabel, he finds himself wanting to help and protect Chise, and even offers to become her familiar. Kindness is rewarded with kindness, and lonely people find each other.

Interestingly, this is probably the most action-based episode we’ve gotten so far, but there is comparatively little based on what one might expect from a confrontation with the main antagonist. Instead, the majority of the episode is dedicated to empathy and the result of the strong bonds between characters. There are some violence and some magic, but the strongest point is still heavily character-driven. This sets Magus Bride apart from most magic anime like it, and it comes out all the stronger as a result.