I think there’a a tendency to try to deconstruct episodes like this week’s Mahoutsukai no Yome more than we should – to parse the symbolism and search for hidden meanings and gush about the art and cinematography. In truth, it was just sad and beautiful – nothing else is as important as that. I always worry when met with such brilliance that anything I might do in the aftermath could only diminish the experience, not enhance it.
When I saw the first three episodes of this series in the theatre a few months back, this was certainly the one that stood out to me (all the more so on a big screen). And it didn’t disappoint the second time around, though in truth this was actually my third run-through if you include the manga and the emotional impact was more a lingering ache than a punch in the jaw. It’s certainly the best anime episode this season so far, and it would be no surprise if it still was when the season comes to and end.
As we saw at the end of last week’s episode, Chise has been taken by a dragon and rider – and that rider is Lindel, the caretaker of dragons in Iceland (their last stronghold). Even in the manga I never saw Lindel as hostile so the cliffhanger wasn’t so much whether Chise was in danger, but what new wonders we would see next. Dragons may be more “docile” now, as Elias (who Lindel calls “Thorn”) says, but they’re still ancient and powerful beasts at odds with the modern world. Like mages. they’re a dying breed – pushed to the remote corners of man’s existence, in the pockets of space that escape his attention.
After the dragon carrying Chise in its jaws unceremoniously drops her in a freezing pond and Elias (with the help of a few fire faeries) comes to her rescue, we meet some of the dragons in Lindel’s brood – three younglings who immediately take to the strange human child in their midst, and most memorably Nevin (Ootomo Ryuuzaburou). He an old Uil dragon who’s close to the end of his life – patient and wise and gentle, and seemingly at peace with what’s coming. Upon its death an Uil will become one with the land, a fertile bed from which trees and grasses may grow.
Certainly there’s nothing so groundbreaking about that notion, which would be equally at home in Judeo-Christianity or Buddhism. But it’s presented in such a beautiful and elegant manner here. I’m not even talking about visually, though the art and animation is stellar and memorable – the poetry of the moment is perfect. The old dragon is thoroughly prepared to move on, and the young girl whose memories he peers into was all too ready to end her own life before its time. He could fly once, and no longer can – she never could, and almost chose to end her life in a mockery of flight. Through a melding of his magic and hers, Nevin is able to take one final flight – and to take Chise with him, to show her the true beauty of the existence she was ready to cast aside.
Well – it speaks for itself, pretty much, a beautiful and powerful sequence that shows off both this series and anime at their very best. The living should indeed never envy the dead – but Chise admits to herself that in seeing the peaceful way Nevin’s transition came (largely thanks to her power) she feels a pang of jealousy. She has a long way to go yet to be able to embrace what Nevin tried to teach her – and Lindel admonishes Elias that by giving of her power so freely, Chise might only have three years or so to live. Nevin’s final gift to Chise is that if she returns one day, she can use of of the branches of the tree that his body gave life to as her wand – an elegiac and bittersweet benediction to their short-lived friendship, and one final admonition for her to keep moving forward.
Kurik
October 22, 2017 at 1:07 amWhen the dragon dropped he in the water I laughed….when she didn’t come up and was fine just sinking I worried. Was it that she was just willing to die in that moment and couldn’t be bothered with struggle until Elias woke her? The sadness for me was more surrounding her as I was quite fine with the Nevin dying as its was his time and he was happy to go – you can’t want more than that on your death bed – no regrets and a life lived how you wanted. Her struggle is definitely felt and I am glad they haven’t just flipped a switch on her past and she is all for the future as that’s not how it goes in life. Great episode. Cinematography-wise I think this and Tales of Zestiria are probably on par in that regards this year so far.
mrew
October 22, 2017 at 2:30 amI honestly wasn’t buying Mahoutsukai no Yome at the beginning of the season,. Sure, the hype train is strong with this one but the awkward pacing of the first and the second episode didn’t help it so much. But i’m glad sticking with this one until this episode, because that flying scene and the conversation with Nevil was beautiful, and really really sad. Chise is such a sad character and her broken past as a neglected child remind me most of Natsume Takashi, another character that I adore. I haven’t read the manga and doesn’t know where it is heading, but after this episode I’m excited to find out.
Guardian Enzo
October 22, 2017 at 8:56 amI think the parallels between Chise and Natsume are so apparent as to be unavoidable. But the two series certainly take very different stylistic approaches to developing their characters.
Bokusen
October 23, 2017 at 2:55 amIf the next episode doesn’t impress me I think I might drop this series…I feel like I might have liked this episode better if I liked any of the characters, (which I really, really want to do, it’s just that Chise is so passive & Elias remains creepy) but as it stands I was just waiting for the episode to end. Maybe it would have worked better for me in a movie theater. I’m not sure. Kujira (the other fantasy series I had big hopes for) already let me down, so I really hope the next episode doesn’t make me want to drop this series…
elianthos
October 27, 2017 at 5:03 am@Bokusen: just a friendly reminder Chise is a CAS with what appear to be (C-)PSTD symptoms. Talking by experience that kind of sh*t does not go away in a day or – ohohohoh – magically disappears. Her recovery/healing might be too slow or not ‘visible’ enough for your taste hence the accuse of passivity but it’s pretty believable in context 🙂 .
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– NamiDai speaks. HNNNG. I had to rewind the beginning of the episode a few times because boy the audioporn was borderline distracting :°D
– There were a few moments where they could have achieved and conveyed a bit more imho (Uil and Chise’s last dream flight was a bit underwhelming had it not been propped up by the insert song. In an episode graced by such lovely backgrounds they could have spared some goodness for that sunset for instance) but the moments that followed sort of made up for that with their gentle yet majestic elegiac quality.
Linden trees are well worth their symbolism btw 🙂 http://www.journal-hfb.usab-tm.ro/romana/2015/Lucrari%20PDF/Lucrari%20PDF%2019(2)/41Tenche%20Alina%202.pdf (2nd and 3rd page of the short essay feature a nice recap of linden/lime trees’ status and meaning across time and cultures. Yamazaki-sensei did choose this tree for Chise for a good handful of reasons ) .
There are a lot of lime trees in my area, lots of them are flowering again – due to the abnormally warm Fall climate + extensive bush fires unfortunately – . Their honey-smelling flowers are saturating the air bringing comfort and warding off the ashy smell nearby. Much like the tree sprouting from the gentle giant dragon’s body they seem to carry the promise and hope of rebirth ( passing on has a at least two meanings here ) and resisting despair… and memories and love like a scent that lingers.
Guardian Enzo
October 27, 2017 at 7:53 amNamikawa’s career apotheosis is no doubt Rotom. Nothing will ever top that.
elianthos
October 27, 2017 at 8:18 amGRAWRRR ENZOOOOOOOOOOOOO I was trying to keep it (mostly) dignified up there ;3; . Never mind. GAP MOE <3