Kore Yamazaki‘s The Ancient Magus’ Bride manga, which went on hiatus in March following the conclusion of the “College Arc,” is making its return on December 21 with the “Hunting Arc.”
The fantasy manga will notably resume its serialization on the Bushiroad Works web magazine Comic Growl, currently known as Comic Bushiroad WEB (the rechristening will take effect on the date of the manga’s return). The Ancient Magus’ Bride has been published by Mag Garden since it began in 2013, initially as a Monthly Comic Blade title and later in Monthly Comic Garden.
Yazamaki’s other ongoing manga, Ghost and Witch, is also transferring from Mag Garden to Bushiroad. December 22 has been marked as the date of its Bushiroad debut. Ghost and Witch first began in 2021 and was put on hiatus at the same time as The Ancient Magus’ Bride. Its first tankoubon volume and The Ancient Magus’ Bride‘s 19th tankoubon volume were both released on March 10.
The circumstances behind the publisher change appear to be amicable, with Yamazaki expressing her appreciation to Mag Garden and Production I.G (Mag Garden and Production I.G merged in 2007) in a statement.
Comic Bushiroad WEB launched in January 2021 and currently features titles like Teppen!!!, Blue Archive: Problem Solver 68 Business Diary, and Twinstar Cyclone Runaway. It predates Bushiroad Works, which was founded in July 2023 with the stated purpose of creating original IP.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride has inspired multiple anime: a three-episode OVA and TV series produced by WIT STUDIO, and another three-episode OVA and a second season produced by Studio Kafka. The first OVA was released from 2016 to 2017, with Season 1 running from late 2017 to early 2018. The first episode of The Ancient Magus’ Bride -The Boy from the West and the Knight of the Blue Storm OVA arrived a few years later in 2021, while Season 2, which tackles the “College Arc,” began in April of this year. Season 2 is a split-cour show, with the ongoing latter half premiering on October 5.
Seven Seas Entertainment describes the manga as:
Hatori Chise has lived a life full of neglect and abuse, devoid of anything resembling love. Far from the warmth of family, she has had her share of troubles and pitfalls. Just when all hope seems lost, a fateful encounter awaits her. When a man with the head of a beast, wielding strange powers, obtains her through a slave auction, Chise’s life will never be the same again.
The man is a “magus,” a sorcerer of great power, who decides to free Chise from the bonds of captivity. The magus then makes a bold statement: Chise will become his apprentice–and his bride!
As of Season 2’s second cour, The Ancient Magus’ Bride anime is directed by Kazuaki Terasawa with Kohei Tokuoka as chief animation director, and Yoko Yonaiyama, Chiaki Nishinaka, and Akane Takahashi as scriptwriters. Some of the returning staff from the WIT era include Hirotaka Kato as character designer, Aya Takaha as scriptwriter, and Junichi Matsumoto as music composer.
Sources: Press release, @magus_bride
