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The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 was released on Thursday, April 20, 2023, bringing with it a somewhat slow yet incredibly informative sequel. However, the snail’s pace is excused because of the sheer amount of setup for the rest of the season.
A major focus of The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 is the ulterior motives of the College’s leaders and staff. Viewers also see what appears to be a deadly competition between the students.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 looks toward the future with an introduction-heavy episode
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3: Scoldings and Introductions
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 begins with someone waking up, and having overslept for magic class. It seems to be in the evening based on the degree of natural light present, suggesting that this person is waking up at roughly the same time as the final events of the previous episode. This is seemingly confirmed by the student saying they believe they’ve slept through class.
As they open their dorm room door, they see Rian Scrimgeour asking Chise to teach him how to be a mage, as was seen in the previous episode’s moments. They grow wide-eyed at hearing Rian’s words as the episode begins its opening sequence.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 then reveals this to be Tory Innis, who greets and joins Rian and Chise. He asks her how she’s enjoying school thus far, to which she says it’s going well. She then asks him if he knows what room Elias is in since she’d like to see him. Rian answers that he was getting dragged away by Mikhail Renfred earlier, asking if they’re related.
Chise explains he’s her teacher, to which Tory says it’s just like him and Rian. Tory says he’s more like Rian’s guardian than his teacher, but Rian himself says that he is indeed Tory’s apprentice. Chise says that this is why he asked about magic, but Rian intentionally cuts her off before she can say anything else.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees him walking in the direction Elias was taken, offering to take Chise there. She asks him about his visit to Tory, but Rian answers he only came to wake him up. Tory then calls out to her and Alice, asking them to be good to Rian since he thinks they’re all quite compatible.
As the trio departs, Tory has a somewhat worried, pondering expression. Rian, meanwhile, recognizes Alice as Alice Swayne, saying he’s heard rumors about her. She and Chise comment on how dangerous rumors can get, while Rian approaches Alice and asks to see her use magic.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees Alice agree but emphasizes that she doesn’t want to be a mage. Blue Flame and Ruth then appear, each agreeing that Alice isn’t cut out to be a mage. The Blue Flame says she isn’t one to go with the rules, looking at Chise and calling mages “the dimwits who get caught up in rules.”
Alice then throws the Blue Flame, asking what’s wrong with it. Rian then approaches it and calls it a fairy, with the Blue Flame calling Rian no good. It says his strength smells of rust, which Rian understandingly calls unfortunate. Chise asks why he wants to learn magic, to which he says there’s someone he wants to make happy as an image of what seems to be Tory appears on the screen.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 then sees Chise hear someone yelling from a nearby room, revealed to be Renfred lecturing Elias. Narcisse Maugham is also present, which he explains as a need to spectate due to how furious Renfred was. Narcisse then points out the three students also listening in, with Alice and Chise approaching their respective instructors.
Narcisse then approaches Chise and Elias, saying he wasn’t sure what to expect out of her before calling her “just a normal girl.” He encourages her to speak to him if she has any interest in “language arts,” also telling Elias that he’s excited to work with his new colleague. The two shake hands as Chise happily smiles, which Elias seems to notice.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 then sees Narcisse depart to “get his beauty rest,” encouraging Chise and Elias to visit the cafeteria before leaving. Rian says they’ll show them the way, while Alice and Renfred say that they’ll eat at home. Rian then approaches Alice and says he’s heard she talks with her first, prompting Chise to ask if she “did it again.”
Chise smiles as Alice blames others for talking behind her back, while Narcisse is approached by Gregory, who instantly asks him about Chise. He calls her normal, saying she’s “not the kind of person who would be a detriment” to the college or their principal. He asks Gregory if he’s happy now, who asks Narcisse to report anything unusual while adding that Chise isn’t the only oddball this year.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees him comment on maintaining “the balance of power,” walking away afterward while Narcisse calls him the vice principal. The episode then shifts to the cafeteria, where Rian is explaining the hours and process for grabbing food to Chise and Elias.
This is when Elias is spotted by Beatrice, who approaches the pair and invites them to join their table. Chise agrees, with the duo then shown seated with the others. Everyone introduces themselves here, with the full list of those introduced being Beatrice Byrne herself, Sofia Healey, Isaac Farrar, Kevin Forbes, Martin Chandler, Jasmine and Violet St. George (who are twins, with Violet being a boy and Jasmine a girl), Lazarus McGovern, Roy Truman, and Zoe Ivy.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees Chise greeting everyone, with the group beginning to pick at the various plates on the table. Sofia offers Chise a pastry, while Lazarus and Roy fight over a piece of meat. Kevin asks Sofia to pass the pepper to him, getting angry when Martin does it instead.
Isaac then tells Zoe, who is also a first-year like Chise, to ask him if he ever needs help with anything. Zoe then spills something and apologizes, while Violet and Jasmine share food. Beatrice apologizes for everyone else being so noisy, explaining that they all just arrived from “the primary division.”
Chise comments on how they all seem close but notices Lucy sitting all by herself nearby. The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees her ask Sofia about this, but she tells Chise that Lucy is always like that. Beatrice then reveals that even more students have arrived, these being Veronica Rickenbacker, April and May Atwood (another set of twins), and Philomela Sergeant. Rian asks Chise about mages being nomadic, with Chise explains that they live out west in the countryside.
Beatrice teases Rian for “hitting” on Chise, while the St. George’s ask Elias about his head and if he’ll use his other form anymore. A stunned Elias is silent, while Beatrice asks him to be her model. Similar requests continue until Chise notices Zoe seemingly angrily staring at something. Zoe stands up while slamming his hands on the table, but he brushes it off as being nervous about how many people are around.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3: Friend or foe
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees him abruptly leave, while Elias asks Chise if she’s alright. While staring at Zoe, Chise confirms that he wasn’t feeling malicious before trailing off wondering what just happened. Lucy, meanwhile, questions making friends since they’ll all become enemies anyway, adding that she pities them.
Zoe is then seen in the halls, putting his hands on his knees and panting while asking what’s wrong with Chise and Elias. He calls them inhuman, while the episode jumps ahead in time to later that night. Adolf Stroud is then seen contacting his former teacher Lindel, nicknamed “Echoes,” and asks him if Elias has ever shown an intent to harm someone around him.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees Lindel comment on how it sounds like something has happened already, but Adolf assures that he’s being proactive. Lindel asks Adolf if he knows why Elias is called Pilum Muralis, as the scene transitions to a house by a body of water. None other than Rahab, the former instructor of Lindel, is shown to be waking up from a nap, before reaching for something on her neck which she seems to not have.
The episode then cuts to Chise, who is laying out in the fields of her and Elias’ home with Ruth. Elias approaches her and asks if she’s tired, which Chise confirms. Ruth adds that it’s been 18 months since she went to class, with Chise confirming that the life of a student has worn her out.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees Elias ask if it's unbearable, but Chise explains that she’s found something she wants to do and enjoys despite the work. She adds that a few things are bothering her, thinking of Lucy and Zoe, but instead asks Elias if he’s tired as well.
Elias says he is indeed extremely tired, adding that being at the college gives him “an urge to rub what’s on [his] inside.” He then lies down on the blanket next to Chise, prompting her to ask what’s wrong. He says he wanted to try lying on the ground like her, but his horns got in the way. She then tells him to come close, forcing him to lie down on his back and look up at the sun.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees him say it’s the first time he’s lied down like this, which Chise laughs at. Silver then approaches Chise and jokingly snaps her garden shears shut next to Chise’s ear. She then asks Chise to come help with the harvest, but after realizing that Elias is asleep, Chise asks if they can wait a little longer.
The trio is then seen harvesting some pumpkins, with Chise asking if they’ll use these for Halloween. Elias then lectures on Halloween as a holiday and the history behind Jack-o-Lanterns, explaining ancient traditions which celebrated various gods in the process. Elias lectures on how gods may have been worshiped long ago, but they’re now regarded as a mere facet of the seasons and human activities.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 then sees an image of Morrigan, the Goddess of Winter and Death, and the Deer appear as Elias talks further. Elias attributes this decline in worship and tradition to science, which has “given humanity fewer reasons to fear the world.” He then mentions how they’ve planted turnips which should be ready around Halloween, with Chise suggesting they make turnip lanterns.
She then volunteers to go wash the pumpkins down by the river, unintentionally crushing one with her cursed arm. An image of her arm covered in blood appears, with Joseph then appearing. Joseph is who is responsible for Chise’s having a dragon curse, as well as having tricked her into exchanging his left eye for hers by holding a hostage.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees him caress her eyeball (which is his), warning her that she can’t get away from him anymore even without his eyeball. Her eye is then shown to be gray, returning to Chise’s green after his fingers pass over it. Chise says she’ll be borrowing his eye for a little longer, with a now-annoyed Joseph then saying he’s going to sleep.
However, before departing, he reminds Chise that he still hasn’t gotten her answer, to which she agrees. Ruth then appears telling Chise she has a guest, which turns out to be Stella, Chise’s friend, and Joseph’s aforementioned hostage. Chise asks her why she’s here, and Stella reminds her that they texted about the plans for this weekend.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 sees Stella jokingly admonish her for not checking her phone and being busy with school. Elias, meanwhile, is staring at Stella, which she notices and asks what the matter is. Elias then tells the two to head home, saying he’ll do the rest of the harvest work himself.
The two and Ruth walk off, as Elias watches and thinks about how something regarding Stella seems different from before. He chalks it up to circumstances but trails off as the scene shifts to the departing trio. Stella notices Chise’s necktie and asks what it is, to which Chise says she’s just holding onto it for Elias.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 then sees a fog roll in out of nowhere, with Stella now by herself on the forest path and surrounded by the aforementioned fog. Chise and Ruth, meanwhile, have been taken to a wide open area with water, and the episode ends with her asking where they are.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3: In summation
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 3 is a somewhat dull but necessary entry into the sequel season for the smash-hit anime series. While seeing Chise and Elias make friends isn’t the most exciting thing in the world, there are a few engaging moments in the episode that more than make up for this.
Just two of these highlights are Narcisse’s conversation with Gregory and Adolf’s with Lindel. It seems that both the governing body of the College and some of its staff personally have issues with Chise and Elias’ presence. While the season does feel to be moving slowly thus far, it’s likely building toward a powderkeg scenario, with one spark set to start the fire.
Be sure to keep up with all The Ancient Magus’ Bride anime and manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
