Mahoutsukai no Yome Season 2

I embarked on watching The Ancient Magus' Bride Season 2 - part 1 with high expectations. While I wasn't a fervent fan of the first season, I did find it enjoyable. This season, however, seems to address many of the issues and shortcomings of its predecessor.

Right from the start, it's evident that the show's tone has shifted. It adopts a more serious approach to its storytelling and character development. While some may find this departure from the previous setting off-putting, I personally view it as an enhancement. This shift adds weight to any potential dangers or challenges faced by the protagonists, elevating the stakes and ... injecting a sense of unpredictability into the narrative, which makes watching the second season quite engaging.

Furthermore, there's notable progress in the relationship between Elias and Chise. There's less meandering and more substantive depth, not only in their bond but also in their individual character arcs. While the first season laid a solid foundation for their backstory, I often felt somewhat disconnected from it. However, the second season does a much better job of fleshing out believable characters with relatable emotions and struggles.

While there's still a strong magical presence in the show, there's a noticeable reduction in the overt display of magic compared to the first season. This shift highlights the existence of rules and limitations within the magical realm, adding a layer of realism and removing some of the plot armor that magic seemed to provide in the previous season.

Another significant improvement is the pacing of the story. The narrative feels more purposeful and moves along at a brisker pace, with events unfolding in a more consequential manner. It's as if there's a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the story beats, contributing to a more engaging viewing experience.

Overall, I'd consider the second season a substantial improvement over its predecessor. While I appreciate the direction the show has taken, there's still a sense that something is lacking. However, it's a commendable step forward in refining the series' storytelling and character development.

I loved the first season because it felt magical. However, I felt this second season part 1 was a totally different story with "visiting" characters. I haven't finish reading the manga, so maybe there is a point to the change from a fantasy/romance story to a gakuen/fantasy story. However, the shift was not positive or to my liking. I'm still going to give a try to season 2 part 2, but I have no high hopes based on this one. It is not hat the story is bad, it is just a complete 180 from the original series, like 2 completely separate stories. The first ... season feels more mature audience while this one feels YA. In addition, what's up with the bunch of new characters? A bit overwhelming and all of these side stories take you away from the main one. If this was a book, I would complain about the editing, because it feels all over the place!

Although I was really looking forward to the season, it was very disappointing. As the title describes, it's about the bride, who only played a miserable supporting role this season.
It's also not much about magic but about sorcery. From the first part to the last it was all about a budding sorceress named Philomela who just complained until the last part of the season, it was hardly bearable so I skipped most of the scenes with her. She was mostly annoying and infuriating, which led to me not liking the entire second season at all. Elias and Chise only play pathetic supporting roles, there was ... even less of Elias than Chise. I would have preferred to continue lingering in the magic. Cartaphilus was also hardly shown. Explanations about Chise's arm and curse were not discussed further, and the audience was also left in the dark about her new abilities, which I found very unfortunate.