The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 8

Into the Wilderness

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 8 covers the camping trip Chise and her classmates went on. The purpose of this trip was to teach the students to fend for themselves. Sorcerers (and mages) need to be able to survive to pass their knowledge to the next generation.

But, it doesn’t seem like the students actually learned very much on this trip. They had to set up tents, start fires, and catch and cook their own food. That sounds pretty good in terms of self-sufficiency. However, it seemed more like those who already knew what they were doing did everything.

We only saw one student actually learn how to do something. That was Chise when Lucy taught her how to start a fire. So, if the students were on their own in the wilderness, I’m not convinced they’d be okay.

Anyway, there’s another reason why I don’t think this little excursion was a good idea. Apparently, the woods in which the students went camping are home to a variety of fairies. Most of the fairies we see in the woods are good and won’t harm anyone. But, that’s not the case for all of them.

So, if you’re going to teach a sorcerer survival class, shouldn’t that be considered? I mean, they already had a magic class in which Elias showed them how dangerous fairies can be. But how are they supposed to know what to be wary of if they don’t know what’s in the woods?

For example, Chise’s the one who warns Lucy about the Each-Uisge. It looks like a friendly animal but actually eats humans. That seems like exactly the kind of thing the students should be warned about beforehand. And, this is important information for future survival situations, too.

Friendly and Not-So-Friendly Neighbors

As I’ve already mentioned, most of the fairies in the forest appear to be friendly. That’s according to Chise, who is by no means an expert in fairies. But, if she says they seem “good,” I’m inclined to believe her.

With that said, Chise also likely would have called the fairies from Elias’s magic class “good.” And yet, the other students managed to make those fairies attack them. So, a good way to think about fairies is like any other wild animal. If you make them mad, they’ll hurt you.

But, also like wild animals, sometimes they’ll hurt you even if you leave them alone. And in this episode, we see two such creatures. The first is the Each-Uisge, which looks like a horse. But, unlike a normal horse, the Each-Uisge drowns people in rivers and lakes and then eats them.

While this is certainly a dangerous creature, the good news is that there’s a way to avoid it. Many dangerous, legendary creatures have very specific rules they need to follow. You know, like how Vampires can’t enter a building without an invitation. Well, the Each-Uisge is in the same boat.

Apparently, you have to choose to get on its back. Then, it has to take you to a body of water and toss you in. Only then can it eat you. And if you escape from the water before it kills you, then it can’t harm you. So, if you see a horse near water, don’t climb on it.

Then, there are the dangerous creatures that look dangerous. The Nuckelavee falls into this category. At first, Chise thinks it’s a Centaur of some kind. But, I have a feeling she would have figured out the difference pretty fast. It’s a sea monster.

Those Who See Behind the Shadow

I didn’t find the Nuckelavee to be that scary for the majority of the episode. But, then we got to the final scene with it. You know, before Chise murdered it with her dragon arm or whatever.

The last thing the Nuckelavee said was, “You see behind the shadow. And I will not spare you. So long as you look into our side, we will…” That was a bit intimidating. It had the same vibe as the Hound Dogs saying they’ll “chase you forever” if you break the rules of the back passages. Both the Nuckelavee and Hound Dogs also have similar physical traits.

But, the thing that’s scariest about what the Nuckelavee said was its use of the words “our” and “we.” This could be referring to multiple Nuckelavee. But, I took it to be referring to the creatures that call “behind the shadow” home.

With the Hound Dogs, I’d say we got our first glimpse of the horrors that live on the other side. But now we know those horrors aren’t rare. There are many of them and at least some don’t take kindly to humans who can see into their world. Just by existing as a mage, Chise’s life is in danger.

There is good news, though, if you can call it that. As a mage, Chise has already lost part of her humanity. So, in time, the creatures behind the shadow may no longer view her as an outsider. Like, do you think they view Elias the same way they view humans?

I guess Elias isn’t exactly the best example. As far as I know, we don’t actually know what Elias is. He could originally be from behind the shadow himself. But, Chise’s lack of humanity keeps coming up.

Conclusion

What do you think of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 8? Have the students been adequately prepared to survive in the wilderness? Did you think Chise was going to befriend the Each-Uisge? And, who do you think the Nuckelavee was referring to when it said, “we?” Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 9 is available now.