Meeting Date: 10/24/2017
Disclaimer: The Herald Anime Club discusses shows as they’re airing. Naturally, there will be spoilers for a given episode. You have been warned!
Mike Ferreira: Good evening everyone, and welcome to the Herald Anime Club. I’m Mike Ferreira, and I’m joined by L.B. Bryant, Anthony Simpson, and Matt Brown
L.B. Bryant: Hello
Matt Brown: Greetings
Anthony Simpson: Evening.
Mike Ferreira: Tonight, we’re continuing our discussion of The Ancient Magus’ Bride with episode 3: With Regards to David the Gnome
Matt Brown: And if your heart is truuuuuuue, then you will find them toooooo~
Mike Ferreira: Haha. I’m sure anyone who’s older than 20 gets the reference already. But, yeah… this was one of *those* episodes.
Matt Brown: With a splash of the common fantasy theme of “now that humans are here, all the magical things are becoming obsolete; no reason.”
Mike Ferreira: Yeah… that trope always makes me scratch my head a bit.
Mike Ferreira: It’s like “dude – you bring forth a fucking phoenix. I’m sure there’s at least a million people who want to do what you do.”
L.B. Bryant: lol
Mike Ferreira: It’s just a strange trope overall. Like… I could understand “people hunt us because they fear us” or “people want us dead because I look like a fucking nightmare come to life” – but that one seems out there
Matt Brown: In this episode we travel to the Great Valley where Littlefoot and the other kids or whatever their names are stare at a pile of rocks as entertainment
Anthony Simpson: I will admit I got the feels for the little dragons.
Mike Ferreira: They were adorable
L.B. Bryant: The dragon hatchlings were almost the best part of the episode.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed – I think that’s why we got like 90% of the episode with them, then 10% of the old dragon kicking the bucket
L.B. Bryant: Indeed.
L.B. Bryant: Has anyone else been paying attention to the background music? Particularly the music in this episode. Just beautiful stuff. It’s hard to believe that Junichi Matsumoto has never done an anime OST before.
Mike Ferreira: Oh man, yeah.
Mike Ferreira: Matsumoto’s been killing it this whole run
Anthony Simpson: The music was great.
Mike Ferreira: A shame. I liked the old dragon – I liked the whole idea around him, and that whole “circle of life” concept in overdrive
L.B. Bryant: Agreed there.
Anthony Simpson: Speaking of the episode so we learned a little more about Chise and her abilities. We also got to learn that she doesn’t have many years left in her.
Mike Ferreira: Well, unless she can get her powers under control
Mike Ferreira: Given that the series is ongoing, I’ll wager that happens
Matt Brown: I finally had to look it up: the Internets tell me that “Sleigh Beggy” means “little people”, or apparently in context, “fairy”
Mike Ferreira: Interesting.
Anthony Simpson: Hopefully Anise can help her get her powers under control.
Mike Ferreira: I’d figure Ainsworth or Angie will help somehow.
Anthony Simpson: Hopefully.
Matt Brown: I get impatient about shows like this. Not because I don’t like the material, but because there’s no middle ground between an appropriate conflict to span an episode vs the hammer falling in 7 or 8
Matt Brown: I don’t need 6 episodes to bask in the comfort of my safe place.
Mike Ferreira: I appreciate it in this case. They’re building a world and a vibe up – I’d rather they do it right than just say “OH FUCK HERE’S BADBAD. GATHER YOUR MAGICKS AND PERSONS AND FIGHT!”
Mike Ferreira: I can appreciate the impatience, and usually I’m right there with you, but this is a case where I’m OK with it
Anthony Simpson: I can see going that route if they were only doing 12 or 13 episodes, because then they wouldn’t be having the luxury is having more episodes to set things up and do world building.
Mike Ferreira: Exactly.
Mike Ferreira: If it were a 12-13 episode show, I’d be annoyed that they’re wasting time.
Anthony Simpson: I mean the same thing can happen in a 25 or 26 episode show due to shitty writing, but I’m liking that the stew is simmering right now instead of rushing to a boil.
Mike Ferreira: Well said.
Mike Ferreira: That said, if this keeps going at a glacial pace by episode 9? Then I start asking questions
Anthony Simpson: yea, I’m not sure how much of the manga is being covered in each episode other than the first episode basically covered the first chapter of the manga.
Matt Brown: So, a couple thoughts: 1) I disagree with any notion that it’s ok to waste time world building just because the show is expected to last longer than a season. And 2) I don’t know what kind of show this is yet, because it’s giving me mixed messages. The first TV episode is quite different from the OVAs and the two after it. Is it a slice of life? Is it a showdown to the end of magic? (shrug)
Anthony Simpson: Well the OVA I know cover later parts of the manga at least from what I am told.
Mike Ferreira: Interesting. Good to know.
Anthony Simpson: According to Wikipedia (so take this with a grain of salt) the genre listed are Supernatural, mystery, and fantasy
Mike Ferreira: I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on point 1, though. I rather like that they can at least spend some time world-building. I like the idea that there’s something more, outside the edges of the frame, and that we have real characters who can just grow into themselves.
Matt Brown: I happen to like slow pacing in some cases, if that’s the character of the thing. If there’s stuff going down though, let’s get on with it :)
Matt Brown: Yeah, I didn’t put that the best way.
Mike Ferreira: Heh. Fair enough. :)
Matt Brown: I don’t think world building is a waste of time.
Anthony Simpson: Well from what I am gather the 3rd episode covered (not sure how much) of the third chapter of the manga since they have the same exact title.
Matt Brown: I think substituting that for plot because you don’t know where the plot is going is a mistake though
Mike Ferreira: Fair enough.
Mike Ferreira: And again – if we’re saying this by episode 7 or 8, I’ll be right there with you.
Matt Brown: Anyway, cute dragons are cute, and death is part of the circle of life, and as yet I couldn’t care less about the main characters, because they haven’t offered me anything. But it sure is pretty. :)
L.B. Bryant: It is very pretty indeed, heh
Mike Ferreira: Agreed, there. They have a real budget for this series and it shows.
Anthony Simpson: So from what I can tell episode 2 was all of chapter 2 and part of chapter 3. Episode 3 then covered the rest of the third chapter of the manga.
Anthony Simpson: Wit studio can do good work when the money.
Mike Ferreira: Amen to that.
Mike Ferreira: Now… thoughts on the whole “Dragon flies, dies, Chise cries” moment?
L.B. Bryant: I thought it was really well done. The whole package sat well with me. I didn’t get misty eyed like I thought I would but it was just a great sequence.
Anthony Simpson: It was touching. I mean we barely met the dragon but it didn’t feel like a cheap death.
Mike Ferreira: I admit, I got a little misty-eyed. Then after the episode, I said “Jesus Christ, they David the Gnomed me”
Mike Ferreira: For our younger readers, David the Gnome ended with the two main characters – David and Lisa – dying, and turning into trees.
L.B. Bryant: Geez, spoiler alert. :) j/k
Matt Brown: | Trolls and wizards, and fairy kings; birds that talk and fish that sing~
Anthony Simpson: I remember that show airing when I was a lad. I enjoyed it.
Mike Ferreira: It was a cute show. Super downer ending, though
Mike Ferreira: Especially when your target audience is six
Anthony Simpson: Don’t remember the ending.
Matt Brown: Hm, I don’t know if I ever saw the end..
Mike Ferreira:
Anthony Simpson: If I did see it I don’t remember. Sometimes all those parts of my past just meld together.
Matt Brown: …thanks youtube for laying out everything that happens so I don’t have to click
Mike Ferreira: Haha, yep.
Anthony Simpson: I forgot the name of the show then when I looked it I remember that I had watched it when I was little.
Matt Brown: Now that the David moment has happened, our Chise can pull a Saikano and destroy everything.
Mike Ferreira: Magical robot doombringer girl gogogo?
Mike Ferreira: …On that note, Saikano is incredible
Anthony Simpson: Never watched it
Matt Brown: At least if you like feeling hopeless
Mike Ferreira: Well, yeah.
Anthony Simpson: I’m not feeling that hopeless.
Matt Brown: It works surprisingly well for how unsympathetic the protagonist is
Mike Ferreira: It really does.
Mike Ferreira: Anyway, does anybody have any final thoughts on this week’s Ancient Magus Bride?
Anthony Simpson: Looking forward to more of it.
Matt Brown: All kidding aside, this episode of AMB did take me back to childhood, but how the show starts is in the back of my mind. For me it’s too early to decide overall feelings, which is actually unusual for me. I’m usually mister “first episode yeay or nay NO RAGRETS”
Matt Brown: *yea
Matt Brown: To illustrate what I mean, is the mage observing her thinking “wow, the return on investment here is going to be incredible,” or “can she really be the beauty to thaw this beast’s heart”?
Mike Ferreira: Personally, I did dig this episode, myself. I felt that the major story beats were well-handled, and that there were enough hooks for the next couple of episodes that I’m thoroughly intrigued.
Mike Ferreira: I’d probably say “yes” having seen how Ainsworth acts
Matt Brown: Yes to which? FIND OUT NEXT EPISODE
Mike Ferreira: Haha, exactly.
Mike Ferreira: Aniwho, I think that’s all the time we have this week. ’til next time, remember that in every wish and dream and happy home… oh wait. wrong show.
Matt Brown: Is it?
Mike Ferreira: Eh, probably not.
Mike Ferreira: Anyway, have a great night, everyone!
Matt Brown: p.s. Lindel and Ainsworth? Totally a bromance gone wrong. I’m calling it.
Mike Ferreira: I ship it
