Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts
The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 20 – Quick Summary
In The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 episode 20, “Even a worm will turn.,” we caught a glimpse into Philomela’s childhood. Her parents, Adam and Iris, tried their best to raise Philomela. Adam even created an artificial fairy named Alcyone to protect hber. But Adam could not escape his past as Lizbeth’s son. What did Lizbeth send after him? Where are Adam and Iris now? And is there anything that Alcyone do to help the monster that Philomela has become?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 20
She even called him a “child of her domain.” Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Well, Morrígan (or the Morrígan) isn’t one to mince words, is she? The way The Ancient Magus’ Bride depicts supernatural beings impresses and delights me, just in general. But when it comes to this war goddesses, the show seems to be in its element. Every word she uttered felt like it could evoke the end of times, didn’t it?
Especially in my favorite moment, but we’ll get to that.
But there are times when the goddess just says what the goddess wants to say. I’d say “courtesy be damned,” but that would suggest courtesy was even on the table. I don’t think it ever was.
Apparently, Morrígan knows of Elias. In fact, she considers him a part of her domain. She made her awareness of him clear by how casually she greeted him. It was almost as if they were old buddies.
“Yo amalgamation,” she said cheerfully (15:22).
Of course, now I want to know even more about where Elias came from and how. But for now, I had to chuckle at Morrígan’s familiar and dismissive greeting.
Favorite Moment from The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 20
Chise just unleashed a war goddess on her enemies. I wonder how Chise will feel when she looks back on this moment? Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: The Supernatural Is Not Tame
One of the things I miss from modern depictions of the supernatural is just how dangerous those encounters can be. The creatures and gods of Lovecraft’s works about Cthulhu appealed to me because of how they suggested that the mere sight of one of the elder gods could drive a human utterly insane.
Interacting with gods and goddesses in the Irish myths carried a cost as well. I’m sure they’re hardly alone in that regard, but being a quarter Irish, I’ve had an interest in that culture’s myths, so I’m a little more familiar with them than some.
In the case of my favorite moment, I think The Ancient Magus’ Bride chillingly captured the dangers of talking to Morrígan. When the goddess showed up and asked for Chise’s offering, Chise knew enough to know she didn’t know what to do. She wanted to help Philomela, certainly. But she had enough sense to know she was in trouble. Fortunately, Elias showed up and tried to help.
Elias revealed himself just in time to prevent Chise from misspeaking. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
But even Elias didn’t quite know what to do. When Morrígan referred to the offering, Elias was mystified – though Ruth seemed to suddenly recall the encounter (15:56). All Elias could do was beg for more time in the most gracious words he could think of.
Fortunately, Elias was saved by one of Lizbeth’s biggest tactical mistakes to date. She sent soldiers after Chise, Elias – and Morrígan. In a voice that suggested she most welcomed the distraction, the goddess said (16:46), “While under siege, none would have the time to search for the fruit of love.”
Now, the goddess wasn’t done with Chise. She made a play to put Chise into her debt by asking what Chise wanted. Elias was too smart for that and stopped Chise from asking, earning back-handed praise from Morrígan in the form of (17:20), “You clever little runt.”
Delivery: Invoking the Name of a Goddess
After saying she would be happy to fight, she told Chise (17:35), “Seek my form. Create my outline. Bind me to myself. Speak it.”
I guess that meant Morrígan hadn’t fully taken form in this continuum. She wanted Chise to summon her. Which, with Elias’s help, she did.
This is where I had the sense that if Chise or Elias misspoke, they might well have become one of the targets of Morrígan’s joy in battle.
“Chise,” Elias said, having come to a similar conclusion (17:49). “Neither you nor I can refuse the requests of an ancient god.”
So they began the incantation (18:17). “Beautiful is the battlefield.”
Lizbeth’s troops realized the danger. One gave the order to kill Chise before they could finish the chant. Elias threw up a barrier of thorns around himself and Chise. They returned to the chant, saying “… Queen of nightmares, cackling in the night.”
I should note that the music switched to a brass-heavy, fast-paced tempo.
“Mistress of heroes, mother of warriors. Bring to your head the crown of thorns. Bring here your name.”
The camera showed Morrígan’s hair changing color from black to blood red.
Well, someone’s about to have a bad day. A last day, too. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Her own eyes now glowing green, Chise intoned (18:50), ““Bring here the name of the goddess Morrígan.”
How brutal was the “fight” that followed? Morrígan herself strode to one of Lizbeth’s dying soldiers. Plunging her spear through the man’s head, she said (19:54), “Poor thing. You never expected your first battle to end like this, did you?”
I’m pretty sure he did not. And the answer is, “very brutal.”
Interacting with ancient gods should not be a fun-filled affair. It should be dangerous. It should be awe or terror-inspiring. And it should be impactful. In other words, it should be pretty much everything this scene delivered.
What did you think of Zoe accidentally declaring his affection for Lucy? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 20: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Mahou Tsukai no Yome Season 2 Part 2 • The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 – Episode 20 discussion
- Kvasir369: Ancient Magus Bride: Season 2 – Episode 20 Review
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 13 – Nothing venture, nothing have. I
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 14 – Nothing venture, nothing have. II
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 15: Needs must when the devil drives. I
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 16: Needs must when the devil drives. II
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 17: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 18: Coming events cast their shadows before.
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 19: Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 20: Even a worm will turn.
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 21: A burnt child dreads the fire.
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 22: Give a thief enough rope and he’ll hang himself.
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 23: Of two evils choose the less.
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Part 2 Episode 24: The show must go on. I
“What did you think of Zoe accidentally declaring his affection for Lucy?”
I’d say he’s a man of fine taste!
My respect for him climbed quite a bit! Fine taste, indeed!
I find myself wondering how and why Morrigan appeared. Surely between Elias and Chise there is enough power to stop a small army.
If I understand your question right, I think I remember reading in a Reddit thread that Morrigan is the winter version of the spring god that Chise mid from before. Ruth remembered it; that’s why he acted freaked out.
I don’t actually remember it, but it supposedly happened in the first season.
I remember that. That’s a bit of background that would have been opaque to me. Maybe I missed it? Chise didn’t seem to know it either. Elias wasn’t forthcoming with information.
If I hadn’t read the explanation in the Reddit thread (I think it identified the episode), I would not have remembered, either. I like fiction that shows and doesn’t tell and that respects the intelligence of the viewers. But I feel like maybe this show respects me a little too much sometimes!
Did Chise call on her and they didn’t show it? Did it happen and I fell unconscious for a moment and miss it?
I might be wrong, but this threat on Reddit mentions when Ruth met the spring form of Morrigan:
https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/11y1fz2/rewatch_the_ancient_magus_bride_episode_18/
If I look at episode 18, I find the spring form goddess say (12:14), “Next winter, when I become Mother, I hope you’ll offer me raindrop fruits and branches again.”
This was after she helped Ruth find Chise. It seems that Chise didn’t know anything about the exchange. That explains why Ruth seemed like he remembered but Chise didn’t.
There might be another encounter — I think someone mentioned Chise actually getting close to a goddess and having to avert her eyes. But this reference is the one I could track down.