Welcome to the end of Mahoutsukai’s first cour! Apologies for the lateness of this review. I had expected another to come out over Christmas and to simply do a double feature, but Mahoutsukai pulled on over on me! This week we finish up Chise’s wand, get to see Grandfather Nevin again and have an almost literal character rebirth. Lets jump in!
Mahoutsukai finishes up Chise’s wand arc this week with a bang, quite literally. Chise’s flight as a Phoenix was a great payoff. You can tell they put a lot of work into the scene, as she soars through the air and the lighting on her face and body changes. The sweeping Icelandic coastline and the fluffy cloudscape both stood out to me, really selling this whole “rebirth” theme Chise was rocking at the time. Sadly these shots came at the expense of others. Many of the shots of the Dragon Aerie were reused from previous episodes, and Lindel’s song simply didn’t have the magic it had last episode. Its a standout melody, but using the exact same version so soon after its first reveal? It simply wasn’t as special, especially compared to the use of the OP in Chise’s transformation right after it. All in all though, a decent job.
Next up we have Chise, and the big turning point of her journey. I am not sure how much more clear Mahoutsukai could be, considering the incredible Phoenix and rebirth from the flames scene. Seriously, it’s both a figurative and almost literal rebirth for her character. Hopefully this is the turning point for Chise, where she completes her transition from scared and self depreciating little girl to confident and proactive woman. It’s time for Chise herself to drive the story! We also got a look into Chise’s past, with a small scene of her family life. Unlike other scenes like this though, we see a loving family. A caring father, a loving mother and a soon to be baby sibling. It’s nice to see the parents weren’t simply monsters, and that there is more to their story. Hopefully that gets expanded upon as Chise opens up more about her past.
Speaking of opening up though, we have to talk about Nevin, who was the major catalyst to Chise’s change. Nevin continues to be the best character in Mahoutsukai. He doesn’t tell Chise she’s wrong, he doesn’t just try to lecture, Nevin sits back and listens. He lets her vent without judgement, and then walks her through her feelings, asking questions to help her along. Nevin provides support, never speaking negatively about anything, always try to show her the good side of things. He talks of all the people Chise has helped, and how her low self-worth reflects on those she saved, and how even to no one else she has worth to them. I don’t agree with everything he has said but Nevin, and his VA who does a fantastic job, is the loving Grandfather of Mahoutsukai. I can only hope there is more of him in our future.
Finally we have Elias, who only played a small part this episode. Early on there are some interesting shots of Elias, such as him standing under an arch of white flowers, reminiscent of a wedding. Mahoutsukai has been hinting at Elias’s feelings these last few episodes, in silent shots without much dialogue. Clearly he is developing feelings for Chise, unable to stay in his house while she is away. If they can make his remaining 12 episodes with Chise, I think this new dynamic could make for some great character drama and really help it out. There are two things I wish we had though. The first is an actual reaction from Elias in regards to Chise’s flight, as I personally feel that was pretty impressive. The second was a real plot hook to lead us into the next arc. Both would have made the ending better.
All in all, a better end to the arc than I was anticipating. Nevin was an unexpected boon, which made this final episode of the year a lot more enjoyable. I also wasn’t expecting Chise’s inevitable transformation so soon, but its a welcome surprise. Everything is setup so that the second cour of Mahoutsukai is better than the first. All they need to do is not screw it up. See you soon for episode 13! I promise, with that we will be back on the usual schedule.
