Meeting Date: 12/2/2017
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 Lydia Rivers, L.B. Bryant, and Anthony Simpson.
L.B. Bryant: Hello!
Anthony Simpson: Evening
Lydia Rivers: Hiii everyone!
Mike Ferreira: Tonight we’re discussing The Ancient Magus’ Bride episode 9: “Two girls, a dog, and a monstrous master.”
L.B. Bryant: Or as I like to call it Don’t. Fuck. With. Silky.
Mike Ferreira: Damn straight.
Lydia Rivers: She’s got a hammer yo.
Mike Ferreira: She will straight-up murder you.
Anthony Simpson: It was a good breather episode after the last few episodes.
Mike Ferreira: It was. Some great character building for Chise, Angie came back and gave some real-world lessons, Silky kept her crown as best landlord ever… and some new intrigue for Elias
Lydia Rivers: I liked it, but on the other hand I’m starting to feel bored. It’s paced like a slice of life, but it’s a supernatural drama, and I’m just getting impatient.
L.B. Bryant: This episode really felt like something big is being set up though.
L.B. Bryant: They raised a whole lot of questions.
Mike Ferreira: It did, but that hammer really needs to drop before episode 11.
L.B. Bryant: I think we’re headed towards a season climax that is going to re-spark a lot of interest.
Lydia Rivers: Maybe. They did, but she’s already going to be whisked off to dragon land. I like the dragon characters a lot, and I really like that Elias is flawed and stuff. I LOVE these characters! It’s just, the pacing…
Mike Ferreira: Yeah… it feels like they don’t let the impact of the moment sink in enough, there. Like… the end of the last arc was fantastic.
Lydia Rivers: I think there needs to be more variety in the pacing and then I will be satisfied.
Anthony Simpson: I don’t mind the pacing myself.
Lydia Rivers: Right? this episode would have a much greater impact if the rest of the series isn’t a plod. A lovely, beautiful, enjoyable plod
Mike Ferreira: Yeah… I am with you in thinking the ending to this episode was just… super sudden and out there. Like “OK, we have our big character moment, now sell- OH SHIT THEY GOIN TO DRAGON LAND, SON!”
Lydia Rivers: It was kinda jarring. Transitions are hard.
Mike Ferreira: They are. As someone who just wrapped on a book, transitions are fucking tough.
Lydia Rivers: Were we supposed to feel teased as an audience? Sometimes I’m amused by that intention, it’s funny. But it was just annoying here.
Mike Ferreira: I think it was that attempt at a cliffhanger moment that worked so well in the past
Lydia Rivers: Ah.
Mike Ferreira: Of course, it was much more natural in the past episodes too, so…
Lydia Rivers: Yeah.
Lydia Rivers: Well, part of loving something is noticing its flaws. So don’t anyone get the wrong idea!
L.B. Bryant: I’m with Anthony, I haven’t had any issues with pacing.
Mike Ferreira: I liked the overall pacing, really – the ending, though, felt weird to me. It was jarring.
Lydia Rivers: Hehe. I’ll be the devil’s advocate this week then.
Lydia Rivers: Speaking of DEVILS
Mike Ferreira: Yes! This week we had the lovestruck Leanan Sidhe.
L.B. Bryant: I need a fairy like that.
L.B. Bryant: Like now.
Lydia Rivers: And Elias drooling all over Chise, literally.
L.B. Bryant: Seriously, I’ll give my address to anyone who can deliver one to me by the holidays.
Lydia Rivers: Don’t, it’s a scam!
Mike Ferreira: You think you’re getting a Leanan Sidhe, but you wake up one morning without a kidney!
L.B. Bryant: I have two. :)
Lydia Rivers: That’s what they’ll tell you, but the next thing you know…
Lydia Rivers: “I wanted to bring something home for my friend…”
Mike Ferreira: “I also need one for my other friend.”
Lydia Rivers: “You understand, don’t you…?”
L.B. Bryant: Totes worth it. :D
Lydia Rivers: Haha! Can I have your anime collection?
Lydia Rivers: I’ll remember how you died happy while watching it.
Mike Ferreira: So that’s why you asked for the strychnine and chamomile tea.
L.B. Bryant: You can join the ring of fire battle royale that I plan to hold after I die, Lydia. Winner takes all.
Lydia Rivers: Mike, why you gotta be like that? And LB, can I use a robot proxy?
Mike Ferreira: …dammit, PUBG invades everything, even inheritance negotiations.
Anthony Simpson: Great let me go sharpen my knives and grab my weapons.
Lydia Rivers: Ffffffff Anthony has an edge here.
Lydia Rivers: (get it?!)
Lydia Rivers: …..
Lydia Rivers: Someone say something
Mike Ferreira: While we were discussing Leanan Sidhe murder, he studied the blade.
Lydia Rivers: We’re nuts. So is that Leanan Sidhe, but her personality is so cute that I can’t help but like her
Mike Ferreira: Agreed. She was just amazing the whole time.
Anthony Simpson: She is hard to hate.
Lydia Rivers: I missed the axolotl puppy, but we had lots of Ruth puppy this episode too.
Mike Ferreira: Ruth puppy is great
L.B. Bryant: I still think Ruth is kind of an odd name choice.
Lydia Rivers: It is. I’ve never heard it be a male name, ever, but I guess it might sound that way to a Japanese?
Mike Ferreira: It is odd, but you have to remember, John Wayne was named Marion, so stranger things have happened
Anthony Simpson: Ruth also means a feeling of pity, distress or grief.
Mike Ferreira: That also
L.B. Bryant: That’s interesting.
Lydia Rivers: Marian is a bigendered name
L.B. Bryant: I actually didn’t know that about Ruth.
Lydia Rivers: because unless I’m mistaken, it can be from Maria, or Marius.
Mike Ferreira: So it is. My mistake, there.
Lydia Rivers: It looks like Wiki thinks the same thing, but the source isn’t cited. So who knows lol. But I’ve seen it both ways in lots of genealogies.
Lydia Rivers: A nerdly aside!
Mike Ferreira: Heh.. indeed.
Lydia Rivers: Ah, so with Ruth they seem to be pulling from the antiquated (Middle English) noun instead of the biblical name.
Lydia Rivers: Anyway, he is a good puppers
Lydia Rivers: And a good big brother
Anthony Simpson: He is both.
Mike Ferreira: Good doggo, good brother. Good broggo
Lydia Rivers: Broggo = love
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
Lydia Rivers: So, let’s get uncomfortable for a minute and wonder whether Lydia just has a dirty mind, or if everyone else felt the double entendre of the beastly Elias when Chise barged into his room.
Mike Ferreira: No, it was there.
Lydia Rivers: That was another thing so weird about the pacing. That scene was so fast, that it only felt weird instead of like, prompting pity or understanding or even just affection at their acceptance of one another?
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. It just kind of happened, and that was it.
Lydia Rivers: And it wasn’t dramatic enough to inspire horror either.
Lydia Rivers: Or fear
Lydia Rivers: It was just. WEIRD.
Mike Ferreira: And not that good “The Wall” kind of weird, either
Mike Ferreira: Just weird weird
Lydia Rivers: Yeaaaah
Lydia Rivers: What say you, other fellows. How did you feel about that scene?
Mike Ferreira: Not enough of a payoff for what they were trying to do. Too short to be impactful, too long to be an aside.
Anthony Simpson: It could have went on a little longer. Like maybe 20 or 30 seconds longer.
Lydia Rivers: That sounds like a good ballpark, yeah.
L.B. Bryant: I actually found the scene intriguing. I liked that they were showing some real attraction towards Elias on Chise’s part if that makes any sense at all.
Mike Ferreira: They were, but it just didn’t have enough of a hook to stay there. The mise-en-scene, the framing, even the sequence of events were on point, but we needed just a little more to seal the deal and make it a grand scene.
Lydia Rivers: Hm, I didn’t see it. I saw acceptance and an unwillingness to let him control their interactions all the time, but not really attraction yet.
L.B. Bryant: *shrugs* Maybe it was just in my crazy imagination :)
Lydia Rivers: And then on his part, I saw the double entendre of a girl accepting that part of him, and attracting him (like he has been all along), and then also the fact that she’s a sleigh beggy and he’s part fairy and probably wanted to literally consume her magic, like she did him when she was about ready to turn reality inside out
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. There’s a lot at play.
Lydia Rivers: It might not be, it could just be that I refuse to accept they’d hurry that part of her personality faster than the rest of it haha
Mike Ferreira: I’m kind of hoping that, myself… Chise is an interesting character – rushing that particular element above all else would just be detrimental
Anthony Simpson: Hopefully they won’t rush that.
Mike Ferreira: Yeah.
Lydia Rivers: Yeah. I mean she is already attracted to the fact that he wants her around and stuff, but that’s different than wanting, quite crassly, his pants off.
Mike Ferreira: Exactly!
Lydia Rivers: It was one of the problematic things I was worried about that they haven’t tipped yet, and I’m glad.
Mike Ferreira: I’m with ya, there. I’m just hoping it can stay that way.
Lydia Rivers: They seem to be developing her independence and stuff, which will make any actual love story feel much more rewarding and happy.
Anthony Simpson: I like that.
Lydia Rivers: And that is why I LOVED THAT GIRLS DAY OUT
Mike Ferreira: Yeah… and characters like Angie continue to push her to be her own person – I love that
Lydia Rivers: And Chise knew Angie was right, even though it made her angry and stabby lol
Lydia Rivers: That was such an organic scene…
Mike Ferreira: It was a beautiful scene, because you could see it happening… you know, minus the fairy and the magic talking dog
Anthony Simpson: I think its important that they keep developing her independence. I would be worried if they were pushing the love story but not developing her independence.
Mike Ferreira: Yeah… if this starts turning into High School DxD, I’ll be slapping my veto card down.
Mike Ferreira: I saw that movie before – it ends in sadness and shame
Anthony Simpson: I don’t think that is going to be happening.
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, I think we’re safe there.
Mike Ferreira: I’m exaggerating, obviously. :)
Lydia Rivers: Either that or people pretending it’s actually ok, and getting into internet brawls about it in comment sections of reviews
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
Lydia Rivers: But, so far, so good!
Lydia Rivers: Keep walking that knife’s edge ^-^;
Mike Ferreira: Booyah!
Mike Ferreira: Any final comments before we wrap up for the night?
Lydia Rivers: I think that exhausts everything I want to say. I’m looking forward to seeing a dragon ride for a bit of excitement.
Anthony Simpson: It was a good breather episode and a good episode to show Chise changing from how she used to be at the start of the show.
L.B. Bryant: I’m hooked on this show to a stupid degree.
Mike Ferreira: Hehe.. fair enough. ’til next time everyone, have a nice night, and don’t piss off a Silky. They will break your legs
Lydia Rivers: I’m going to say this every episode, all episodes… MORE. AXOLOTL. PUPPY.
Mike Ferreira: We need more axolotl pupper. He’s adorable
Lydia Rivers: Stay shiny everyone!
Mike Ferreira: Have a great night!
Anthony Simpson: Good night.
