The Ancient Magus' Bride, Vol. 15

魔法使いの嫁 [Mahōtsukai no Yome] #15

by Kore Yamazaki

LOCKDOWN!

As the College continues its desperate search for The Testament of Carnamagos, the danger has grown so dire that the Vice-Chancellor has decided to put the College in lockdown until Christmas. Through their shared plight, Chise and her classmates come to know more about each other. Thanks to their experiences in the Abandoned Hall, they all begin to change, whether they like it or not. Some grow closer, while others begin drifting apart.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Comics, Romance, Comics Manga

202 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2021

About the author

Name (in native language) : ヤマザキコレ

Born in Hokkaido. Also known as Yamao Mitsu.

Reviews

[Vanessa]

Things are picking up now that I very minorly give a shit about all these random school children, but I'm really ready for the college arc to be over. It doesn't feel like it expands Chise's magic in any relevant way and it only stresses the age difference between Chise and Elias. Because she's a student and he's a professor, it actually distances them a great deal throughout the whole arc. In this volume alone, Chise and Elias have ONE SINGLE conversation. He's only on like 6 pages! And now I have to wait a year for anything more?

I preferred the story wild with the neighbors and the silver lady. I miss the vast enchanted forests, the beautiful landscapes, and Ghibli-like architecture of the English countryside. Before the story existed outside the constraints of the ordinary. Now it feels like it's falling into the manga/anime high-school-trope black hole.


Sigh.
This is a dark time in this manga's life, but I'm going to stick by it. I'm not giving up on us!

[Kara Jorgensen]

The formatting of this one was very confusing and I actually checked to see if my pages had been bound incorrectly (they hadn't), but the author keeps skipping back and forth in time when it isn't necessary (like the recent past). It breaks up the flow and just adds confusion.
Also, this is a filler/bridge book between sections, so not particularly thrilling compared to other volumes.

[Raechel]

2.5 stars, rounded down for being boring af.

Chise and Elias (aka, the BRIDE and MAGUS) barely interact in this one at all. This college arc absolutely drags and it's 90% side characters talking about tragic pasts and Vague Feelings. I honestly don't understand the point of this entire storyline, we never see Chise learning or applying new knowledge. What is the payoff from all of this?

[Anna Quilter]

"Ah....Ainswor...Elias rather...do you use human toilets?"
Questions that probably needn't be raised

Quieter Volume....the College is in lock down and the students find their own amusements.
And Yes....this Arc is feeling a little stretched.

[kaitlphere]

I enjoyed the last few chapters of this volume more. Chise and Elias actually talk to one another, and the story is starting to open up the mysterious backstories of Rian and Philomela.

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings)]

12/22 After bingeing the entire college arc again, this volume was a little better the second time around. Still felt mostly like an overly wordy emotional character info-dump, though.

10/21 With its now overly-detailed world and magic and dozen-plus focal characters, the College Arc has become way too wordy for me to truly enjoy. Yes the characters are interesting, but with each of them wielding a tortured past the backstories are now wearing on me, and the many magic classes and types make my head spin. I adored the original Arc and came to this series for the Chise-Elias relationship, but that has been all but lost in the College Arc as they pretty much live separate lives. It's like the College Arc is a spinoff series, and it's not exactly my cup of tea. After this I will not be auto-purchasing the next volume and will instead get it from the library, to see if it's even worth adding to my collection (sadly doubtful).

[Marquise]

[Nanao253]

Man muss die Serie wohl am besten am Stück lesen. Es dauert Ewigkeiten bis ein neuer Band raus kommt, ich habe mittlerweile vergessen wer diese ganzen Charaktere sind und welche Backstory bzw. Verbindungen sie hatten. Der Collage Arc gehört leider nicht zu meinen Favoriten und ich würde mir wünschen, es ginge wieder zurück.

[Bara]

Nic moc. Kresba pořád stejně hezká, ale je to takový filler, kde se nic neděje. Škola je pořád zavřená a děti si stěžují, že nemohou ven.
Čise s Eliasem prohodí jen pár slov o tom, co si uvaří k jídlu, až budou doma v chaloupce.
Tohle snad není ani na celé 3* ale spíš na 2.5*

[Zrzi čte]

Ač ovládají magii, pořád jsou to děti. Děti co jsou zavřené ve škole a učení jim už leze krkem. Takže je čas na trochu her a vzpomínání.
Noříme se hlouběji do minulosti některých postav a mě velmi zajímá co dalšího se dozvíme, protože už teď je jasné, že to bude pořádná nálož.

[Val Cuellar]

Va un poco más lenta la historia y definitivamente hay algo con la directora, pero no avanzó mucho.

[DonutKnow]

I hope Philomena can be freed.

[Dagmar Garciová]

3,5*

[Riley]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that's a little fed up over the college arc because it's becoming incredibly lengthy and I'm very confused by the characters and motives at this point. This one felt especially disjointed and it was hard to tell what was current, what was a flash back, and what was taking place at the same time in different locations.

[Kiri Alvarado]

Does the art feel different to anyone else?

And I don't really care about alchemy, or the other students or teachers. It feels like filler that isn't going anywhere. I just want Chise and Elias, and the beautifully drawn outside world that there was so much of in the early volumes. There's just not enough of that.

[Tanner]

Still very little traction on our main plot but it at least feels like we're approaching something now with some of the cutaway scenes of dramatic irony.

I think the thing I miss the most from the first arc is seeing the Joseph's struggles and motivations mirror Chise's and even Elias's. This time, our big bad's motivations seem to be...greed and social status? And they're certainly not struggling with it. Fine and dandy as villainous impetuses go, but it feels so disconnected from Elias and Chise that even when the horrible things they've done are revealed, it's not compelling. Oh look, the evil person is being evil again. But at least we got the reveal I hoped for. I still suspect there's more to it than meets the eye, though.

Anyway, we FINALLY got some conflict and resolution out of the students. I found all the dialogue and development of them more engaging in this volume. If we keep up this level of connection between the students, I'd rather read about them than whatever typically dark machinations our antagonist has brewing.

[Barry Haworth]

In my latest catch up on this series, I read it from volume 9 (the conclusion of the Cartaphilus arc) to the end of volume 17. This follows Chise and Elias as they join the school for Alchemists, and follows them as they meet a large number of new characters and learn about the situations they are living in. Volume 17 does not complete this arc, though it feels like it is getting close to a conclusion. I very much enjoyed the story, but there is a *lot* going on, with a lot of very different characters to meet who all have their own back stories and inner demons. Reading any one of the volumes in this set would be pretty confusing, and the story is not yet completed. While I read and enjoyed it up to volume 17, it would be more satisfying to wait until the current arcs are complete (volume 18? 19?) and read it all in one go.

[Moriah Venable]

I was so excited when this came in for me at Cleveland Public, but I grabbed it at Lakewood Library and started right away.

Nothing really happens in this that furthers the plots. Just leaves me with more questions then answers and we won't get the next volume until next year. I think I read somewhere in June.

There wasn't much interaction between Elias and Chise. Which I understand. Feels like they are growing around others instead of just each other.

I really want to know more about Philomena. She mentions how she couldn't even drink the water that a classmate gave her and it was not because she didn't want to.

I can wait for volume 16. Hopefully we get more answers. Whoever took the grimoire is inside the college. I wonder if it is one of the Professors.

[Maria Fitas]

As usual, it is a pleasure to delve into the magical work of the College. Although I do personally find Chise and Elias' adventures in the cottage more interesting and captivating, the story arch around the College has finally gotten me glued to the volume.
I do enjoy the seemingly philosophical moments that pop here and there throughout the volume; yet, I would like to see more of Chise and Elias interacting with one another (I feel this College arch has been stealing the spotlight from the bride and magus, but I do understand its importance in drawing this fantasy world even if sometimes it seems to drag on and on forever).

[Zian B.]

More of a 3.5 star rating;
A familiar witch and an ally of hers are helping the college look for the missing grimoire and it was very interesting seeing where their journey took them; by interesting I mean worrisome. I knew it was a matter of time before the students become a bit restless with being lockdown at their school but seeing exactly what played out, makes my heart ache for Philomela.
I’m very nervous of what could happen to her, physically and especially mentally, in the next several volumes. Her grandmother seems like a devious old woman and I’m also a bit worried for Chise due to how badly she seems to want to help Philomela

[Kate]

4.5/5
I appreciate the character and relationship building in this volume. Chise is beginning to connect more with her classmates and we’re starting to get more backstory for each of them. This volume is primarily focused on Chise and there is less progression of the overarching college plot that includes Elias and the missing book. Even so, this feels like crucial work to ensure that Chise understands her peers as she begins to connect with them on a deeper level. Ancient Magus Bride never disappoints and this volume is no different. Excited for volume 16.

[Sara]

This volume was disappointing. The College Arc has not been particularly strong, but this installment was a slog. Yamazaki is clearly trying to develop Chise and Elias as characters apart from each other, but it hasn't been successful. Elias's interactions with the professors and other adults and Chise's interactions with the students have been forced infodumps, not organic conversations. It seemed like both characters were finding themselves more easily in the previous arc than in this new environment, as well. Hopefully the issues work themselves out in the next volume.

2/5

[Katja]

3,5 stars but I'm rounding it up to 4 because of my general love for this series. ...which was tested a little bit with this volume though. It's meandering so much... There wasn't that much magic stuff or it was just a teacher using it and I miss the wondrous atmosphere it created. There were some nice moments with the characters though, basically everything with Philomela. And chat between Elias and Alcyone. :D

[Mir]

Lots of interesting stuff going on in this installment, different people in different places but connected narratively by the grimoire/attack on the school. But it ends with "To be continued..."! And my library doesn't have 16 yet! We don't even know why there are chickens on the cover!

Also some really sad stuff, like the stolen werewolf(?) babies and the way Philomela is emotionally abused by her family.

[Jamie Weber]

The self-defense training sequence in the beginning of the volume was excellent, and I wished this excitement was in more of the volume. Instead I found myself impatient to get through the conversations between students. Like many of the other readers, I’m ready for the college arc to complete, or for more events to occur. The previous two volumes had excellent pacing and excitement, but this “filler” volume was definitely not as enjoyable.

[Laureo Laufeyson]

Con tantos personajes siento que se pierde lo que mas me gustaba al principio, la dinamica entre Elias y Chise, no es que odie a los estudiantes pero son tantas tramas al mismo tiempo pero que al mismo tiempo estan conectadas al parecer... Apenas y tienes escenas ahora Elias y Chise, eso me molesta un poco...

[Niina]

Ei tässä mitään isompaa vikaa ollut, en vaan muistanut enää mitään edellisestä osasta ja tämä tuntui olevan pelkkää sillisalaattia, ei siis oikein löytynyt mitään juonta, vaan sellaista fillerihaahuilua, joka ehkä jossakin vaiheessa hahmottuu eheäksi kokonaisuudeksi, mutta ei ole siellä vielä. Tuskin jaksan jatkaa sarjan parissa, kun jo parin osan kanssa ollut aika hälläväliä fiilis.

[BookChicGeek]

4 stars or maybe 3.5 stars. I like that we are getting more info about Philomela but man that cliffhanger about us finally knowing her past with Veronica is just cruel. I like that there has been alot of build up to the mysteries in this College Arc but again my patience is waning and I want answers now lol.

[Maria]

OOH well this is getting more and more interesting especially whatever is surrounding that one character. There's something about her that's similar to earlier Chise but also not.

A lot more moving of pieces in this volume but it's leading to something big as more of these students have history together than what I originally thought in the previous volumes so I can't wait for the big reveal.

[Sundee Perkins]

There is a lot of backstory and drama in this volume, as the College is locked down and the characters are forced to mingle with each other. I did like the fear challenge at the end; it was very Halloween-spirited to me.