The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 3

Masters and Apprentices

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 3 went by pretty fast for an episode that was only alright. Not all that much happened this week. First, we learned a bit more about Rian. Next, Chise’s classmates introduced themselves to her. And finally, Chise and Elias did some farming.

Let’s start this review by discussing Rian. And to understand Rian, we first need to discuss Chise and Alice. You see, Rian’s situation is most similar to the situations of those two. He’s not a mage like them. But, he does have a master (teacher) just as they do.

Obviously, Chise is Elias Ainsworth’s apprentice. And Alice is Mikhail Renfred’s apprentice. Likewise, Rian is Tory’s apprentice. And while I don’t remember who Tory is at all, I understand from context that he was in Season 1. Chise knows who Tory is and Tory knows of the relationship between Chise and Elias.

We know from Episode 2 that Rian wants Chise to teach him magic. But, that may not be the only reason he’s interested in Chise. He may have recognized that their situations are similar. And when Chise, Alice, and Rian are heading off to find Elias, Tory mentions as much.

Tory mentions that he believes the three of them will be able to get along well. But, there’s one potential problem I see cropping up in the future. Rian doesn’t really understand Chise’s relationship with Elias. Chise is more than Elias’s apprentice — she’s his wife (or fiancée, I don’t remember).

That could get a bit awkward for Rian. Already, we’ve seen him get teased for hitting on Chise. So, how is he going to feel when he finds out she’s married to Elias? It’s worse than being friend-zoned. He thought they were in similar situations.

Fear of the Unknown

Despite Zoe’s name, I’m going to assume he’s a guy. I’m sorry in advance if I’m misgendering this anime character. I know someone out there will send me a strongly worded DM or email if I did. But, life goes on.

So, Zoe is a somewhat interesting character, even if I think his design sucks. Why is he always wearing headphones? Is he actually listening to music? And why does he have a pair of snow goggles around his neck? It’s not snowing indoors. And I doubt he hits the slopes much.

Anyway, what makes Zoe interesting is his reaction to Chise and Elias. At first, Chise thought Zoe might hate them for some reason. But, her dragon instincts are telling her that’s not the case. It’s not malice he feels toward them. However, if not that, then what? He clearly has some problem with them.

After Zoe leaves the cafeteria, we get a scene of him freaking out in the hallway. He then thinks to himself, “What’s wrong with those two? They aren’t human.” And in case you didn’t pick up on it, he seemed afraid when he was thinking this.

Why would Zoe be afraid of Chise and Elias, though? And if he’s so afraid of them, why isn’t anyone else? Well, it seems pretty safe to assume he’s not afraid of them because they’re mages. He wouldn’t be taking a magic class at a magic school if he was.

My theory is that he can sense something within them that others can’t. In Chise’s case, it’s most likely the dragon’s curse that Zoe is sensing. And in Elias’s case, it’s the fact that he’s a monster himself. I don’t remember the specifics, but Season 1 established this.

A Quiet Life in the Country

It’s a bit interesting that Zoe is the only one who can sense there’s something not quite right about Chise. You’d expect that some of the teachers would pick up on this. After all, her left arm is black.

But, either they haven’t noticed, or they decided it’s not important. Even if they know about the dragon’s curse, it might not concern them right now. Narcisse even reports to the vice principal of the school that Chise appears to be a normal girl. Well, as normal as a mage can be, I suppose.

Something we do need to consider, though, is that there are people keeping their eyes on Chise. Both the principal and vice principal are interested in her. And for now, we don’t know exactly why that is. Is it because of the dragon’s curse? The fact she’s a Sleigh Beggy? Or her connection to Elias?

Speaking of Chise’s connection to Elias, at the end of the episode, we see them visit home. It’s implied they don’t live very close to the college. After all, the college is beneath a city and their cottage is out in the country.

But, I guess they can use some sort of teleportation magic because, after only the first day, they’re back home. And what do they do when they’re back home? Well, Chise takes a nap outside and Elias decides that sounds like a pretty neat idea, as well.

Of course, their relaxation time doesn’t last long. It’s harvest season. And since they live in the country, that means working on their farm picking pumpkins. This was a pretty strange sight. I never expected to see Elias out in a pumpkin patch with boots on. Farmer Elias is a powerful look.

Conclusion

What do you think of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 3? How do you expect Rian to take learning that Chise is married to Elias? Why do you think Zoe is so afraid of Chise and Elias? And, do you think Elias wears a Halloween costume or is his usual appearance enough? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 4 is available now.