The Ancient Magus' Bride

Episode 4

From the country of dragons, a magic steam train whisks Chise past idyllic landscapes to Ulthar, the Kingdom of Cats where a terrible end will befall those who murder a feline. Technically it hasn't been confirmed, but all signs point to Matthew being the one who enjoyed killing cats and was eventually killed by them in turn. There are probably going to be other circumstances in play beyond simple bloodlust for his soul to end up in such a sorry state.

After our brief visit to modern-day London, the trip to Ulthar feels like travelling back in time to a pastoral life where things aren't quite as peaceful as they might appear to the village's human residents. In this world, the nine lives of cats are not a proverb used to describe their agility and toughness, but a literal description of their nature. And while a cat will gain wisdom with every death, they also inherit the responsibility for deeds done in their predecessors' lives. For the cats of Ulthar (the title of a thematically related Lovecraft short story), this entails containing the spread of Matthew and Mina's corruption, sacrificing a few of their lives if necessary. For Chise, it means stumbling from a story about death as a peaceful transition from appreciating life into much darker, more unsettling waters. When she sinks into those literal waters yet again, it's no longer about contemplating her own death, but someone else begging her to kill them. And for someone with so little regard for her own life, Chise still possesses surprising amounts of empathy towards the suffering of dragons, cats, and humans alike.

There might be no playful dragon pups to lighten up the mood, but the different cat breeds were enough to make me chuckle at least. From the noisy, clingy, possessive Siamese to the majestic, gentle, loyal Maine Coon, they're all pretty apt portrayals. It's also curious to hear even Molly, Ulthar's gorgeous feline king, refer to her magically oblivious human family as her "owners" (as if cats would ever think of themselves as being owned by puny humans), vowing to protect them at great possible cost. While Chise and Elias' relationship is more complex than that of pet and owner (despite the uncomfortable nicknames), Chise is far from considering herself his equal. That doesn't keep her from caring about his feelings, asking him if he cares about Ulthar so that she too can have a reason to protect it, and wondering if he might lose faith in her should she fail at her first task as Elias' apprentice.

With no magical training to speak of, the Thorn Mage asks Chise to perform a cleansing ritual that immediately feels a lot more dangerous than crystallizing half a room by accident. We've only seen her great potential alongside her inability to control those powers. It probably doesn't help that Chise already has a pretty good idea what "cleansing the corruption" is actually a euphemism for, which is a much bigger deal than Elias makes it sound, especially for someone with Chise's past and disposition.

But despite Renfred's accusations, I don't think Elias is playing with her. Given how he's treated her so far, the show doesn't give us any reason to question the explanation of his own powers being ill-suited for this particular task. He might have his own less selfless reasons for saving Chise's life (in fact, I very much hope he does), but as far as the Ulthar mission is concerned, he simply seems to have changed plans from containment to cleansing upon witnessing the corruption's progression.

Of course, Renfred's extremely unlikable behavior doesn't help lend credence to his claims. Angelica already introduced us to the dichotomy of mages and sorcerers, and the cats have made it clear how much they despise the latter. Renfred's treatment of the ariel visually reinforces the starkly different approach to magic between people who rewrite reality using their own powers and people who borrow the powers of others to perform miracles. It's no wonder mages like Elias, Lindel, and Angelica would approach the wider magical world with so much more respect than sorcerers like Renfred, who can afford to bask in their own arrogance. These mechanics alone are enough to color past conflicts and promise future ones organically through the laws of the story's world. Its portrayal of magic and the world this magic creates for its characters continues to be one of The Ancient Magus' Bride's greatest strengths.

While I dread the prospect of getting more visual details of the taboo Matthew and Mina broke to end up in such a state, this week's cliffhanger leaves me impatient for Chise to process the implications of her Sleigh Beggy fate. Learning that death will come for her much earlier than she might have planned or even actively wished for is sure to change her outlook on life. Going through the motions will no longer be an alternative to jumping to her death, now that she knows she's already falling at a slightly slower pace. And contrary to Molly and her subjects, Chise won't get eight more chances to become wiser and happier. Instead, she has to learn to appreciate the world for all its shades of grey, once again beautifully relating the outer world of magic – neither inherently good nor bad – to the emotions of its characters. It's delightful to see a series putting so much thought into the thematic consistency of its fantasy setting. Still, if it wasn't for such magical moments as Chise walking on water to an enchanting piano tune, I'd still be torn to recommend watching this story over reading it.

Rating: B+

The Ancient Magus' Bride is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Anne is a translator and fiction addict who writes about anime at Floating Words and on Twitter.