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Funimation's The Ancient Magus' Bride Anime Release Includes Prequel OVA
posted on by Karen Ressler
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FUNimation Entertainment announced at New York Comic Con on Thursday that it will release the first 12 episodes of The Ancient Magus' Bride on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and Digital on January 29. The release will include the three-episode original video anime (OVA) The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a Star.
Funimation also announced plans to release the complete Citrus series on home video on January 22.
The first episode of The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a Star (Mahō Tsukai no Yome: Hoshi Matsu Hito) prequel OVA series had a two-week run in eight theaters throughout Japan in August 2016. The episode was later bundled with the sixth compiled volume of Kore Yamazaki's original manga series in December 2016. The second part opened in seven Japanese theaters in February 2018, and shipped with the seventh manga volume the following month. The third episode opened in theaters in Japan in August 2017, and shipped with the eighth volume of the manga in October 2017. Crunchyroll streamed all three episodes.
The Ancient Magus' Bride premiered in Japan on October 7 and Crunchyroll streamed the series in Japanese with English subtitles.
Funimation describes the story:
The award-winning manga comes to life with a highly anticipated anime series! Suffering a tragic childhood and sold at an auction, Chise Hatori has little hope for a better life. But when a mysterious sorcerer named Elias takes interest in her aptitude for magic, he decides to make her his apprentice—and his bride.
Most of the staff from the prequel anime returned for the television anime. Norihiro Naganuma directed the anime at Wit Studio, and he was also in charge of the series scripts. Aya Takaha penned the scripts. Hirotaka Katō adapted the character designs for animation. Junichi Matsumoto composed the music, and Flying Dog produced the music in collaboration with BASiLiCA.
Source: Funimation's NYCC panel (Kerry Erlanger), email correspondence
