Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic

From someone who has watched countless shounen, it becomes typical to look at a show labelled "shounen", and dismiss it as mundane and cliche. But with every new addition to this vast genre, there are always shows/manga that stick out more than others.

Thankfully, Magi does this.

Story: (9/10) With a setting based on Arabian Nights, you can expect (or at least hope for), a gripping narrative. Thankfully, Magi is structured so that the focus on the two main protagonists (Alibaba and Aladdin) is well orchestrated, and has a unique vibe to it. Through this, the story can become very dark and gripping, while not losing the narrative. What differentiates this from other shounen is the political aspect. As a king, you must reign. But how will you do it? Through this question the different nations and factions can interact in a believable environment, without it ever feeling like the author is asking you to pretend they would do that.

Art: (8/10) Most shounens typically fall under long broadcasting widths. While this allows for a developed story, the art tends to suffer long-term. Thankfully the animators have cut the show into a one season arc, while providing room to adapt more chapters if need be. For this reason, the art is well developed. Backgrounds are detailed and varied, with character models being round and developed. There are few jagged edges apparent, which helps realism. The battle scenes don't suffer with still shots (too much), and motion does not degrade the animation. It stays fluid throughout, with the exception of the comedy scenes. Through these, the show takes a different animation style. While humorous in a way, it detracts from the overall value. I don't see the joke through their expressions, but rather, through the goofy way they're drawn.

Sound: (9/10) One of Magi's strong points. Both openings provide a gateway into Arabia, with a melody and vocalist that resemble the middle eastern style. It opens the door to the show, making the transition to background music worthwhile. With this, you experience a variety of festival soundtracks, battle hymns, and adventure tunes. The depth and well execution of sound makes for a more enjoyable watch. This is followed by the endings which slightly devalue the soundtrack. While not bad, they don't carry the show to the end. Had they been chosen better, the desire to continue watching would have been more apparent.

Characters: (10/10) The characters in a show must be well rounded for the plot to work. No matter how great a set piece, it won't work without strong protagonists. And Magi delivers. Alibabba is a naive individual with to much idealism. This pushes the plot forward. Aladdin is a childish yet strangely deep character. His character shifts add emotion to the story. Morgiana is the strong, shackled female who can offer great moments through her actions. This trio has a well-blended bond that works. Their conversations kept me through the show, eager to see how they will handle future situations. The background characters, of which there are to many to name, are stunning. They have unique personalities, and offer believable lines that push the narrative further. Each new individual can hold their own as a main character, and you can care for each one of them. They're so developed you almost want to root for the bad guy.

Enjoyment (9/10) I spent a week watching this show to prepare for the second season. After finishing, I was impatient waiting for season 2. This show was well worth the time put in, and will absolutely have a lasting effect on your view of how a shounen should be.

Overall: (9/10) Magi is a show that should be watched, for it offers a well developed plot that's backed by great sound, art, and characters. For those into shounen, this'll be a guaranteed favorite. For those wanting to get into the genre, it's a good starting point. And for those opposed of the genre, you're missing out.

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First of all I didn't expect anything from this anime. As I read the description I thought " not another anime, show, movie, about fair tales... who wants to see this .... " But due to the lack of any good anime and thanks to a nice review I've read, I thought I will give it a try.

So I got hooked right away.

After the first minutes I wasn't sure yet if it was a childish anime or if it was made for a broader audience. After watching 12 epsiodes I can tell you its for a broader audience, so no worries!

Story:
Let me tell you, its not 1001 nights as the description states. Its an anime which is set in ancient times (actually bit later propably in 1200..). Magi borrows names and phrases from various known stories like 1001 nights for example.
But this Anime has nothing to do with 1001 nights, only because the names are the same doesn't mean anything. So if you don't like simple fairy tales, dont worry this is all about a fantasy world in post-ancient times with a lot of magic. It also borrows things from other mythologies like Celtic mythology, Chinese mythology..etc.

The Story takes place in a time of chaos and where war ravages and the spirit of revolution is in the air. Where magic has awoken anew. Magic created dungeons all over the world. By conquering those dungeons you can get immense powers. New kings get crowned, people stand up for their rights and people go on adventures.
In this world the main protagonists; Aladadin, Alibaba and Morgiana; try to find their own ways and try to take part in these historic times.

Characters:
I think all characters are nice and you will get fond of them very easily. There are three main characters, which are very well done. Their development is not exaggerated and not underdeveloped. The characters have time to change but they stay true to their key elements. Even though there might be various anime cliches form time to time above all as Alibabas character design is considered, but the anime never got consumed too much into any anime cliches. Actually when you are at the brink of thinkin that this anime turned into another boring "Emo" cliched anime, it doesnt fail to turn the tables and get you hooked even more.

Art+ Sound:
I like the art very much, also how they portray the emotions of the characters, It makes you laugh sometimes and gives the anime a unique flair. The sound is nothing noticeable tho...


All in all, this Anime is really worth watching. It reminds me of those old epic anime I loved so much, and why I started watching Anime in the first place. But it only reminds me of if! It hasnt conquered my heart fully yet, Ive only seen 12 episodes so far there is still a lot of space above this anime and beneath it. I gave it 10 points filled with a lot of hope that it doesn't disappoint me after those 12 nice episodes. ;)

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So, you believe in magic? Whether that answer is a yes or no, Magi sets itself as an unique series of a classical adventure for anime fans. It's a wonderful experience and there are many ways in which Magi portrays its adventures with its cast of characters. Now, get ready because Magi might just be something to refresh your weekend with its old school themes and premise.

Magi (also known as Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic as its full title) is a manga written by Shinobu Ohtaka. The series takes place in an universe that has has desert artwork scattered all around. As such, its theme relates to the classical One Thousand and One Nights and its collections. It feels like a classic honestly with its settings and atmosphere. From the beginning, we quickly meet all three of the main protagonists in the series. It doesn't take long for the action and drama to pick up its pace as in the first few episodes already explores some of the cruelty (such as slavery), the dungeons, and monstrosity that exists in the Magi universe.

The series is packed with both a lighthearted and action style mood as the episodes progresses. One of the things that we see is the interesting and bro-like relationship between the two main characters – Aladdin and Alibaba. Although not related, they have a close bond and a brotherly relationship in which the two often looks out after one another. The two travels together in their quests and adventures . It's a fantasy adventure that gives off that old school like feeling as they explore the world of Magi.

Although not one-hundred percent compatible, the duo has similar personalities. Both Aladdin and Alibaba shares a personality of wanting to explore the world as well as having an initiative to help others in need. They put others above themselves and always constantly looks after each others' well being. The relationship between the two is very fun to watch given their lighthearted interactions and how they conquer obstacles along the way. Additionally, the duo are very loyal and seeks ways to form bonds with others whether through words or their actions.

However, this doesn't always last.

For some reason, the series breaks off its trials for a bit later on. The two goes off of their directions and seemingly begins their own tales. From there on, the duo seems to become independent of their own journeys as they explore their own worlds. It seems to be more character focused rather than a story by this point and things start to slow down. Additionally, what continues on seems to have little influence on the duo's journey and adventures. That and the fact in which their adventures gets off its tracks with no intertwined effect on one another seems to make a few frown on some die hard fans' faces.

Luckily, there's still another character that brings on entertainment to Magi. Her name is Morgania and she's one tough girl with an even tougher childhood.

Joining the duo later on, Morgania (Mor) is a young 14 years old girl who always had a tough childhood. Forced into slavery and with little freedom, we see her struggles in the world of Magi. Prior to her liberation, her personality exists opposite of the dynamic duo that we are already familiar with. Her cold personality reflects on the cruelty of what she already been through. It makes us feel sorry for her as a child and how she came to be. Yet, later on, we do see more of her caring side. In fact, Morgania even begins risking her own life to protect others in need and putting herself above others. It's proven that Morgania has forged a strong friendship with Alibaba and Aladdin and they are possibly the most important people in her life.

Other characters in the series also has a way of setting themselves from the others. Most of their names (including the main protagonists) are based off One Thousand and One Nights along with some of its settings and themes. There are the many tribes with their leaders and prominent members such as Sinbad and Judal. They play their roles and given their status and power are considered respected as well as feared throughout the Magi world.

The magic part of the series also takes in every episode of course. The magic theme of the series involves the power of the djinns that comes along from the users' metal vessels. Other terms related to magic include rukh, magoi, dungeon capturer, and magi itself. It's hard to say that these themes all tie together well by they do go hand in hand. In fact, most of Magi has a desert like setting unlike our modern civilization with fancy cars, technology, and architecture. As a matter of fact, it's portrayed in that fantasy like setting with its old school like backgrounds.

As magi is considered the title, it is also considered a respectful term known by its name. We clearly know and see that Aladdin is a magi with his powers of being able to summon Ugo, a blue muscular like familiar that fights on his behalf. Yet at the same time, it seems that Aladdin also lacks the precise knowledge of how to perfect his skills especially later on against an antagonist. It is by this time we know that there is so much mystery that meets the eye of being what a magi is all about. Yet, with the help of his dear friends, Aladdin may unlock those mysteries.

The series' action is portrayed as being part of the shounen style. It involves the characters powering up, making speeches in the middle of fights, and trying to show off what they can do. To be honest, it is quite generic and some of the same cliched action scenes are forced in many ways. For example, the battle between Aladdin and another fellow magi later on starts one-sided. Yet later on, it turns around the tide and has our main protagonist Aladdin do “what is right and stop him”. The action also seems to be forced as well such as the powering up and dynamic entrances from some of the characters. Whether entering in or exiting out, it seems to be forced and lacks true action.

The artwork design of the series is natural and sophisticated. Because it is based off One Thousand and One Nights and some of its themes, we can expect the desert like settings and their sequences employed further with the usage of magic. Most if not all of the characters are dressed in ways that are old fashioned and suited to the Sahara like backgrounds. The forest, desert, and architecture adapts an old school style that is natural and straight to the point. It doesn't try to stand out above the others in the artwork development. In fact, its visuals are focused and fluid that fits with each other.

In terms of soundtrack, Hiromi Kikuta (Black Rock Shooter, Scrapped Princess) employs his skills in orchestrating the OST. Some of the soundtracks has that classic Arabian rhythms while other times pulls its course together with its full throttle pacing. This is especially true during scenes involving based chased at night time or when there are crucial moments of conflict. Shiro Sagisu does a similar job with his music as well with its appealing scores. The opening song, “V.I.P” by SID catches the viewers' attention with the way it is orchestrated by presenting the montage of its characters as well as some of the action going on. Oh and let's not forget about the all-star cast coming together. Although generic, it is appealing and classic.

All in all, Magi is a classic. It is a fantasy adventure that brings back the old school feeling with its cast of characters, its themes, style, story telling, and visual artworks. The division of the duo in later episodes may catch viewers off balance but it can still be appealing when we see more of the character backgrounds of our heroes. The trio in fact becomes a pivotal point in the series as they explore the world they never thought would come across. With magic, they can do almost anything but with friends and what they believe in, they become the next big thing. Whether Magi is the next big thing is hard to say but the adventure of Alibaba, Aladdin, and Morgania has come a long way.

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I´ll start this review by saying that i haven´t read the manga yet, im saying this because many people say that the anime isn´t on the same level of the manga and that it is a bad adaptation missing out chapters and giving bad explanations about how things work. So keep in mind that i´m doing this review having only the knowledge given by the anime.

Story/Setting/Combat depth - Ok, so i´m not only reviewing the story and world here but the combat depth too, because i think that it´s an important part on any battle anime.

SETTING

The story is set in an alternate recreation of the ancient Old World with several regions and nations having some resemblances with real-life counterparts from that time. In this world, all living beings possess an essence known as Rukh and when they die, this essence returns to the huge flow (also known as "guidance") of Rukh that gives life to all subsequent beings in an eternal cycle of rebirth called "Fate". Once a person is overcome with sadness, anger and hopelessness, their Rukh turns into a corrupted, unstable, black-colored Rukh that deviates from the main guidance in a process known as "Fall into Depravity".

There are also several magic castles full of treasures and traps known as "Dungeons" and each of them is the lair of a powerful magic being, a Djinn. Individuals that manage to overcome the trials of a Dungeon and earn the allegiance of its Djinn are known as Dungeon Capturers, gaining the ability to use its powers infused in a personal item of them known as "Metal Vessel" and create less potent "Household Vessels" for their companions as well.

People can use the Rukh in their bodies to create an energy known as Magoi ( kinda like chakra in naruto ) to power their magical weapons and abilities. This energy must be used with care, as despite the fact that an individual's magoi can be restored with feeding and rest, once fully exhausted it provokes their death. Among those that can perform magic with their own Magoi there is a rare class of magicians known as Magi, that can also use Magoi from the Rukh around them, greatly increasing their capabilities. A Magi usually chooses Dungeon Capturers to offer guidance and protection making of them their King Vessels. There are several nations in history that were founded or improved by the rule of such individuals.

PLOT

So the story of magi starts out really simple but as the anime progresses it keeps evolving and adding important and nice stuff. This is the story about a young boy by the name of Aladdin and his adventures around the world of magi. Like many other series he becomes friends with many people, 2 of them are Alibaba and Morgiana, and so the 3 of them become the main characters.

The story is mostly about war between empires/countries. Where Aladdin enters in all this is that he is a magi, a beeing that acording to legends chooses his king to control the world. Throughout the story we learn that there is more than 1 magi and that they are not on the same side so that only means 1 thing, war. There is a dark organization too called the Al Thamen that are trying to screw up the world and that side up with the empire aladdin and his friends are fighting.

COMBAT DEPTH

Easily the thing i like the most about magi, there is enough depth here to the point you have to google some definitions.

Most of the fodders use normal weapons without any special abilities, but the main weapon of all people here is Magoi, it works out like chakra from naruto, each person has their own reserve and only magi can use the magoi from the rukh around them.

There is the dungeon capturers too, people that successfully pass a dungeon can keep in their control the djinn of that dungeon. The djinn enters into a metal and the capturer can use that djinn´s power. For example, if a djinn´s ability is fire, that person can attack with fire. But that´s not only it, thats the basic. As time passes and you became better with your metal vessal you can use an ability called Djinn Equip, by using that your metal vessal turns into the djinn´s weapon and your ability ( fire in this case ) becomes even better. Djinn equip has diferent levels, at first you can only use the djinn´s weapon but later on you can even cover your whole body with armours and stuff. You can only maintain this ability as long as your magoi reserves let you. Oh and one more thing, if the Djinn capturer is a magi he can summon the djinn in battle ( this is exclusive of magis ).

Household Vessels are objects (weapons, jewelry, accessories, etc) that hold importance to the Household Members of a Dungeon Capturer. Like for example, if my djinn type is fire my household member will have an ability connected with fire. ( Household vessels are not as strong as the djinn equip ( exclusive to dungeon capturers)).

There is magicians too that can manipulate their rukh and create a type of magic ( healing, heat, water, gravity etc ), with that they can create many abilities.

Im only 25 episodes in ( 1st season ) and there is a ton of combat depth, im sure there is many many more things :)

ART

Very colourful, there isn´t much to be said here.
Go to youtube and see for yourself.

SOUND

Not good enough to deserve a better score, like always the japanese voices are great but there is a lack of better osts.

CHARACTERS

Aladdin - Like i said above, a young magi boy that is traveling the world and making many friends ( sorta like luffy ) he is your typical shounen protagonist which in my opinion is a bit to mainstream but whatever.

Alibaba - Aladdin´s friend and main character, he is a really great character and his personality develops really well and you learn about his backstory.

Morgiana - Aladdin´s friend and main character, she, like alibaba in terms of personality develops a lot too. She belongs to a tribe called Fanalis, Fanalis are a really strong type of tribe with power that can crush rocks.

All the other characters are really good in design but as not very much developed ( maybe because its only 25 episodes, i dont know ).

I can´t really say much more without spoiling it, it´s better if you watch.

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MAGI IS AMAZING!

ok first i must say that before i saw episode 1 i was under the impression that Magi would be similar to Fairy Tail. the reason i thought this is because both clearly have magic involved but the difference is:

Fairy Tail = Fanservice + Magic + Action

Magi = Magic + Action + Psychological + Fantasy

When watching Magi, it feels like a combination of Sword Art Online and Mirai Nikki. the reason i say this is SAO and Magi are both produced by A1 Pictures and both are Fantasy Based. Magi is similar to Mirai Nikki in the way that they both have batsh*t crazy mofos in it.

now to the review part.

Story: 10
awesome story. i love the arabian knights concept and the who concept of clearing dungeons and magic ect.

Characters:10
Ali Baba is awesome, i like his design and hes not useless compared to Aladdin. in many animes there will be an overpowered character followed by a useless "sakura haruno" type but this is not the case.
Aladdin always cracks me up when he mentions boobs.
Sharif is also one of my favorite characters so far because hes just straight up insane.

Sound/Art: 10
love the opening and artwork looks amazing

Enjoyment: 10
if i could give it more than a 10/10 i would

Overall: 10
again, if i could give it more than a 10/10, i would be much obliged.

hope this helped persuade you to watch this AMAZING ANIME!!!!

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Shows like Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic really catch me off guard. It's so rare nowadays to see a battle shonen that delivers a feeling of exploration without getting too caught up in itself. Is it perfect? Of course not, but if there's one thing it gets right is its sense of adventure.

Magi takes place in a vast fantasy world with a ton of tie-ins to 1001 Arabian Nights. The setting is huge, spanning across many diverse countries, which presents an enthrallingly enormous scope. Aladdin is a young boy who some call a Magi, and the story follows his journey for self-discovery alongside his friends Alibaba Saluja and Morgiana of the Fanalis, who each have responsibilities and dark pasts of their own. Dungeons have been rising around the world, and the conquerors of said dungeons gain the power of a Djinn, which is basically an elemental genie. They are risen by those called Magi, who are said to be the ones to shape the world. Only three are supposed to be around in one era, but Aladdin, for some reason or another, is seen as the fourth. Along their journey, they encounter people of many kinds, ranging from the Kou dynasty which is essentially Magi's take on China, to even such figures like Sinbad of the Seven Seas. Yes, the allusions to that old desert fairy tale book, no, not the bible, are many, but seeing such a setting in an anime is extremely refreshing and gives way for some awesome locales and set pieces.

The art, albeit mildly inconsistent, if nicely detailed, and the character designs are fitting, memorable, colourful and just generally well crafted. The palette really captures the scorching desert heat as well as the cool city nights, making for a very immersive experience. Sadly, the same cannot be said about the fight choreography. There's a very clunky feeling to a lot of the battles due to awkward shot composition and somewhat lazy animation. The only times the fights actually impress me are when Morgiana gets involved, which may be because the animators are forced to work with punches and kicks rather than actual weapons. A1 Pictures has a bad habit of using cuts to avoid animating motion, which can get quite jarring when used frequently. If you're looking for a big budget action show, then Magi may not be for you, although the aesthetics do a fantastic job of sucking you into the world.

Furthermore, many fights become very anticlimactic thanks to the overly fast pacing. Many of the villains get demolished only minutes after making their debut. This lack of tension becomes especially apparent during the final battle. Some are just downright silly, with the villains getting as laughable as an old man on a floating wheelchair, and some very out of place fanservice. There are a lot of cliches to be found in general.

Despite this however, the show isn't completely generic, and this is mainly true in the surprisingly well founded cast. On the surface, Aladdin is your typical naïve shota, but he has an exceptionally mature mentality in regards to society, and knows when to let others act rather than himself, showing a lot of wisdom. There's a lot of strong personalities in Magi, the highlights being the charismatic Sinbad, and the feeble yet lovable Hakuryuu. Judal is just the right level of crazy, and is a good contrast to Aladdin's light-hearted nature. Most of the humour will be hit or miss, relying on a lot of boob jokes, but there's a lot of heart to be found.

A big theme of Magi is fate, and what it means to accept one's destiny. While there could've been a lot more done with it, the show does a very good job of showing how one's destiny can doom them into despair, or as the show calls it, depravity. Alibaba's relationship with Cassim is not only engaging to watch, but both grow a lot over the course of the show, as does Morgiana as she works through her past as a slave.

For a shonen, Magi delves into a lot of dark themes, but they're handled in a very black and white way, making it difficult to really take something away from them. Every villain bar one is just evil for the sake of being evil, and it's hard to get behind some of the messages when they could only help out in a fairy tale. I wish that more effort was put into making things seem more realistic, but in a way, that's a part of Magi's charm. It's not trying to be a social commentary, but rather a fun adventure, with some darker overtones to appeal to an older audience.

The second opening really makes this apparent with it's sense of wonder. Overall, the soundtrack is quite good, and it brings forth a distinctive Arabic flare while utilizing a lot of modern instruments, the electric guitar in particular. A lot of battle tracks are quite memorable as well, my favourites being Valse Hot and Enfin Apparu.

In the end, Magi season one is a solid watch if you're a fan of a massive setting and well founded characters, as long as you're not looking for the most mature story ever told. There are a few plotholes here and there, but compared to others in its genre, it holds up substantially well. I give Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, a 7/10.

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The series starts off light-hearted like many modern series to come out these days, but starts to get serious rather quickly with a nice pace. The world building is nice and breathing compared to many series that make lack-luster attempts these days, and I could even go as far to compare it to the Full metal Alchemist series for a general feeling towards character development and story. Unfortunately, the series turns to absolute rubbish at episode 16 where the whole politically focused plot turns out to just be a really cliche story about "muh darkness", as mysterious masked men try stop them for the sake of being evil. Everything after episode 16 feels really cliche and shallow in comparison, characters randomly acting like slice-of-life characters from generic high school anime #9840 complete with over the top emoji tier expressions that I so deeply fucking despise in Anime. I tried to continue the series, hoping maybe the writer was just having a bad rut, but it didn't really improve. Dropped at episode 21 and didn't look back.

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Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic is a tale of friendship triumphing over all odds. Perhaps you have heard this kind of story told elsewhere. If so, you've probably heard it told better, too. Magi is all over the place in terms of pacing and tone. Even the morals of the story seem quite in conflict with the methods used to tell it. Above all, it's just dumb and boring, which are two death sentences for an anime from this viewer's perspective.

Magi is about two boys. Aladdin is an impressionable, airheaded young Magi, or wandering mage. He comes across a golden-haired and golden-hearted street urchin named Alibaba, and they go on an adventure through a massive labyrinth called a "dungeon", becoming fast friends. Along the way, they encounter a mysterious and strong-legged slave girl named Morgiana, which completes their trio as they endeavor to right the world's wrongs with the phat lewts they obtained by raiding and "capturing" the dungeon.

It's right here that I should make it clear that Alibaba is perhaps the worst shounen hero I've ever seen. His character shifts between whining interminably about the state of the world, declaring it impossible to change, and attempting to change the world through perhaps the most idiotic and sure-fail ways he could come up with. He is perpetually gullible, all-too-willing to put his trust in other people with blatantly obvious "hidden" agendas. Say what you will about how stupid Naruto is, at least he didn't turn a blind eye to Sasuke's gradual descent into darkness. In contrast, Alibaba's childhood friend from the first arc might as well hold a giant flashing neon sign over his head that says "I will die and/or turn evil" for how unsubtly the series depicts him, but Alibaba never once takes the hint.

In this first arc, we are also introduced to Sinbad, a character that has already become a legendary king and dungeon-capturer by his own hand. He pledges his aid to helping Alibaba liberate Balbadd from the clutches of its fat, stupid king. It is at this point that the series starts undermining its own tension, because Sinbad is ludicrously overpowered compared to literally everyone else, and has eight underlings of various shapes and sizes that are also exponentially stronger than our main characters. There is no quicker way to undermine a character's personal arc than by introducing another character who could snap his fingers and solve everything for them.

The second arc takes place in Sinbad's kingdom of Sindria, where our trio have decided to take the demigod-level king up on an offer to train and hone their abilities. Never mind that Alibaba's country was teetering on the brink of collapse when they finished the first arc! That's not important now! There's adventure afoot!

This series undermines itself so often that at this point I stopped caring and just kinda tuned out any of the dialogue. I became totally disengaged from the subject matter, and was just resigned to seeing this to its conclusion. I didn't miss much. Sinbad continued to faff about and allow the villains in the series to openly taunt him to his face, kill hundreds of innocents, and splash him with some kind of curse mark that turned half his face black, only for him to reverse the curse instantly in the season climax.

So why did he let himself get cursed? As he put it, "to make Alibaba more motivated to clear the next dungeon". Never mind that Alibaba himself has been afflicted by this same curse, which is actually a very real threat to his life or at least his sanity. Sinbad decides to fake sick so he can do nothing and shift the onus of "saving him" onto a blonde idiot, a blue-haired idiot, a traumatized former slave who does all the figurative and literal "heavy lifting" of the group, and a cowardly prince whose only real use is as a literal meat-shield.

So if the characters and story are disappointing every time you turn around, is the action any good? Well, there are quite a lot of fight scenes in Magi, and they're universally bland shounen-style nonsense, where whoever has the most plot-induced immortality will win. A lot of time is spent developing this complex and verbally dense system of magic, but it all boils down to brightly colored energy blasts and sword swings crashing into each other, with the good guys winning through the power of friendship (read: powers pulled straight out of their asses at the last possible second). What makes this more insulting is toward the end when abilities are plagiarized wholesale from Naruto and Fate Stay/Night.

And thus we get to my next big issue with this series: the word "subtlety" is completely lost on the writers and animators. You can easily tell by a character's dress and method of speech whether they are good or evil. (Protip: good characters are attractive and smile a lot!) I couldn't tell if this series was aimed at children or adults. It pairs simplistic, heavy-handed morals that would fit on a poster in a kindergarten classroom with buckets of gore, complicated palace intrigue, and ecchi fanservice obviously intended for a more mature audience. In trying to appeal to both kids and adults, it makes itself inappropriate for the former and insults the intelligence of the latter. This is not how you do this.

I had the misfortune of watching this dubbed, in which I got to hear a lot of high-profile English voice actors I had a lot of respect for embarrass themselves. The only bright spot in this is Cristina Vee as Morgiana, which also matches the fact that she's the only character I found myself able to care about. The sound design is perfunctory. There's nothing special in the sound effects or music to get you interested in what's going on, and the OPs and EDs are such forgettable tripe that I skipped them routinely.

There are some bright spots. Visually, the show is very bright and colorful, further selling me on the idea that this is trying to ingratiate itself to a wide audience. The character designs are unique and definitely inspired by Arabian folklore, which is definitely special as far as anime goes. The cityscapes are largely gorgeous when shown in wide-panning shots, although everything looks remarkably samey when the characters are wandering the streets.

But the greatest sin that Magi commits, more than anything that I've listed above, is just that it's a big long snore. There's no weight to the fighting scenes, and no real reason to care about the political stuff going on in the shadows. It is trite and unoriginal in every way except the setting. You can predict the events of every episode almost down to exact detail five minutes in. Please avoid this series if you value your time.

Until next time, Ko Empire bills are not accepted at this establishment.

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So after much hype from compatriots of mine I finally decided to watch "Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic". My friends who have watched it previously loved it. Praised it even. It quickly become one of their favorite shows, and told me it was fantastic. So did their hype build this show up too high? or Did it achieve what I was told? Well a little of both.

Story: 6

A shounen if I've ever seen one. The story is the usually, a run of the mill group of hero's trying to overcome adversity, and fight against the big bad. It's a formula that most Anime under this genre follow, and that isn't really a bad thing. It's fun, and entertaining. It also has some much needed flare from the addition of using characters from the Arabian Night stories. Sadly being fun doesn't really make it fantastic. Yes I enjoyed my time in this world and enjoyed the adventure, but it just didn't do anything beyond the template. This isn't the worst shounen I've ever seen (I'm looking at you Naruto), but it certainly isn't the best. Besides being generic, it also was plagued with some pacing problems. Some of the arc's lasted way to long. I should also note the thick level of cheese in some of the more "emotional" scenes. The sound designer blared away a lot of the tragedy or serious nature of these scenes with some overbearing music (more on that later).

Art: 7

It isn't gonna win any awards for it's art assets, but they were good for what it was. The show was filled with bright vibrant environments, and wonderfully designed characters. Some of the CG here and there was shotty, but besides that nothing to really complain about.

Sound: 5

Usually the OST to shows don't bug me. I either love them or just shrug, but this was pretty bad. Sometimes less is more, and I don't think the director understood that. When something serious or tragic is happening I want to be able to be taken by the moment. Usually music in any medium adds to the characters and the situation, but not here. For instance in one scene their was something that was meant to be really heartwarming and serious, but this freaking "heroic" trumpet comes in and smashed the scene all together. It was just over bearing, and made something sad into a cheese fest. The only reason that this score isn't much lower is because some tunes were alright, and the voice acting was fair. But my god I hate it when something takes me out of a story like that.

Characters: 7

Quite the lovely ensemble of heroes. Now I assume as the story continues this score will go up. Since this isn't the complete tale there are obviously some characters that aren't fully developed or realized. The ones that we currently have are all fairly enjoyable. Alibaba and Aladdin are fantastic. Oh and Sinbad is fabulous, and a God among men. I could use a little more from Morgiana, but she was still alright. Now for the main problem I had with the characters. The villains were so meh, besides the wonderful midriff Magi known as Judal they just didn't do much. I know they will probably go into more detail about them as the story moves forward, but as of right now the whole "evil organization" thing is pretty lame.

Enjoyment: 8

The more I think about it the more I actually liked the show. Even tho some parts made me question "why this arc was lasting 7 episodes?" or turning to my brother and saying "Yo look at that ass pull" I still had a ton of fun.

Overall: 6.6

Though it wasn't as good as my friends made it out to be "Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic" was still a fun ride. If you like shounens then I suggest giving this one a shot. If they aren't really your thing, but are just looking for some fun in the Arabian sun then I would also say go for it. Although it had some short comings and pretty horrid sound track, Magi's loveable cast of characters and entertaining world help make this adventure one worth going on.

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Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic is a Japanese fantasy adventure manga series written and illustrated by Shinobu Ohtaka (Sumomomo Momomo: Chijou Saikyou no Yome). An anime television adaptation by A-1 Pictures aired in Japan from October 2012 to March 2013 and a second season titled Magi: The Kingdom of Magic aired from October 2013 to March 2014.

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic depicts a fantastic middle-age world, where slavery is common and people are born to live and die unequal. Suddenly, there appear mysterious tall towers called "Dungeons". Any person who is able to conquer a Dungeon becomes very powerful and as wealthy as a king, maybe even more, so even a commoner can become a king. The series focuses on a commoner named Alibaba, who has big desires. But to change the cruel world and make his desires reality, he will need to conquer one of the dungeons, which might cost him his life. Will he manage to do so and uncover the secrets behind dungeons appearing all over the world?

Magi’s story-line is something quite unusual for the anime industry: there are many themes from pre-Islamic Arabian and later Islamic mythology in this series. And because of these high-stakes Magi either is horrible, or as epic as it claims to be. In my opinion, Magi won that high-stakes game and managed to become one of the most epic adventures ever. Indeed, it has a somewhat slow start because of the Alibaba backstory, which might make you think that the series is boring, but it is not. After the Alibaba’s backstory, the series becomes real fun to watch; many characters are being introduced, the story-line does not want to even stop for awhile, it keeps providing you with more and more facts about the world of Magi.

Art wise, even taking into consideration that the series aired in 2012, even for today the animation is awesome. The character designs, background, action scenes, everything looks perfectly well-drawn. Even animation is unique in Magi. Sound wise, another surprise. A good OST is one of these things, which makes series epic. Not only is the OST composed by Shiro Sagisu, you should know the name, if not, find his music pieces on youtube, you will not regret it, but also the series is voiced by voice actors, who did one amazing job. What I mean is that sometimes you have that feeling that voice actors are either too lazy to do their job, or they just cannot. In Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic the voice actors made this series real, thanks to their work, you will be worried for the characters and will want for the series to get a happy ending.

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic has a wide range of characters, who are very different from each other. They all receive enough character development and are very interesting to follow. There are three main protagonists: Morgiana, who is not a very talkative type, but later becomes an absolutely different character, who is not afraid to show her real self. Alibaba is a 17-year-old boy, who seems to be greedy at first and only thinks about money and good payment, later proves to be a person that values human lives a lot. And finally Aladdin, who undergoes some big character development. Anyways, there is nothing I can criticize character wise. The only problem, however, is that some supporting characters could have gotten a better development. But this is not something you should worry about.

Enjoyment wise, Magi is a must watch, both 2 seasons and a prequel about Sinbad. It is definitely one of these series I can call ‘epic’: the animation, the story, the OST, the voice acting, the characters; everything is on the level. The only problem I have with that series is that in 2019 there is still no 3rd season for the main story-line. And that is pretty much the only thing I can criticize the series for. However, it should not be the reason for you to skip the series. Do give it a try, yes, it is somewhat slow, but then it becomes amazingly entertaining to watch.

All in all, 10/10. A must see for all fans of epic adventures.

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Magi is an anime that you've most likely seen before a million times unless you haven't seen anything in the medium. We have the family of tropes here! Everything from characters taking five minutes preparing a single punch only at the end to scream a ludicrous nickname such as "Rebel Power Punch" while the opponent stands still blinking at him to the power of friendship making everything better because friendship powers.

Magi does all of these overused tropes quite well. For a fan of action centered anime, it is a fun watch. But there're two major things that bothered me. The obvious one is the discrepancy between the tones the story goes through. At one moment, you'll see people cracking dumb jokes with cute imagery, but then two seconds later someone gets slashed in half. It's honestly quite jarring.

Even though the show is rather short, it still feels that it went longer than it should've. I'll keep it at that to respect the spoiler policy. But regardless of those two things the show is an enjoyable watch, so if you like the usual magic, punching, friendship anime where friendship transforms you into mecha version of He-man then yeah go watch it.

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I heard of this anime plenty of times, but never gave a bother to try it just by looking at the title picture, shame on me.

For Magi's genre (adventure/fantasy) I think it successfully filled those roles.

Story 9/10:
The anime's about a boy named Aladdin who is joined by his friends Morgiana and Alibaba. The anime contains magical powers but is not centered only around magic. There is also sword fighters, along with fist fighters etc. I won't mention the "plot" because that's a spoiler, but the anime is sort of adventurous and in the settings of empires/conquerors.
I very much enjoy settings where empires, kings, queens, princes and princesses exist. Not for the monarchy though, moreover, for the ability to conquer lands and the idea of warfare. The entire setting of the story, with modern day morals and an outdated century makes the story great. The idea of self government, world government, and dictatorships are portrayed very nicely. Although some people were expecting a story more similar to Aladdin's lamp, they were probably disappointed, but just because the anime doesn't relate to that story doesn't mean it's bad. It's an entire different series of its own so it should not be compared.

Art 9/10: Art is pretty good, the quality is certainly better than some other anime. The colors show out the most, the character art is not bad, the magic is well done.

Sound 9/10: Average sound, sound effects are good, op/ed are also good.

Character 9/10: The characters are likable, there's many different types of characters which would appeal to viewers. Typical protagonist hero, but not as stereotypical as one would believe. Aladdin's sort of a clueless child, but not stupid which makes him likable. Personally, I really enjoy the presence of his friends Alibaba and Morgiana. Thankfully none of the characters hold in "secrets" like obvious secrets where the need to tell someone or bad things will happen. That annoys me greatly, when characters know they should obviously get help, but act as if by trying to treat themselves alone they won't hurt anyone.

Enjoyment 10/10: The anime gets better as it progresses, I find the battle scenes very enjoyable. Keeps me on my toes wondering what'll happen. It's pretty flashy fight scenes to, sorta cool :).

Overall 8/10:. I found it worthwhile to watch and entertaining. It may not be the best anime, yet it's certainly no where near the worst, and it is enjoyable as any other anime I'd recommend.

The anime fell off from the manga towards the end, I think it's fine to drift away from the manga, as long as the anime itself is good. Although the ending may have been disappointing to some, I'm curious to see what it'll bring in the second season. If the anime simply ended as it did, without a second season then perhaps my rating would change, but it did not. I do wish the story stayed with the manga, but hey things change and I'm not going to automatically assume "wow anime destroyed good job" without even giving it a shot. That's just ignorant. Keep in mind if the author of the manga finds it acceptable to deviate away from the manga in some episodes, then no one should be saying "they screwed it all up" since it didn't follow an exact plot line they desired to occur.

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(This has been adapted from my reddit thread)

Something that has bugged philosophers for generations is the idea of a little thing called "destiny." Do we have control over our own fate? Is everything we do just predetermined, with the outcomes already an inevitability? It's a strange topic because in reality we don't fully know the answer. In Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, the show would have you believe that while "destiny" may guide your path, you alone have the ability to change its course.

STORY

M:L (what I'll be calling it from now on), begins with our star Alibaba having a chance encounter with Aladdin. Both boys decide to work together in order to fulfill the dreams and goals that they each have.

Something that sets M:L apart from other shows is in its world building. Immediately, it enthralls you in this world that deals with magic, dungeons, and class systems. The setting is both fantastical and realistic. The former with its ideas about "Rukh" and Djinn, while the latter in its environments, people, and locations. This was something I really enjoyed, because not a lot of shows take place in such a strange time-period. It gave off an Egyptian vibe that worked quite well with the magical nature of the show.

M:L is essentially split up into four arcs: character introduction arc, Aladdin's and Morgiana's arc, Cassim arc, and Sindria arc. Within each one, the show strikes a really nice balance between comedy and action. I often found myself laughing at Morg's rare cuteness and Aladdin's affinity for breasts. The action, likewise, was always pleasing to see. Watching two Metal Vessel users duke it out always provided for crazy acrobatics and smart strategy.

However, the show falters when it comes to the drama it instills. The majority of the time, the drama either lasts too long or is not properly executed in relation to the rest of the show. This becomes extremely noticeable during the Cassim arc. Personally, I found this portion of the show to be the weakest. It felt three or four episodes too long and detracted away from what the show does so well, namely the world building and action sequences. I wouldn't say it was melodramatic, because it does relate to what occurs later on and is important for certain characters growth-wise, but part of me feels that the drama itself was stretched out a bit too much.

ANIMATION

Taking place mostly across desert regions, you would think that M:L wouldn't have much leeway in terms of its visuals. Thankfully, this wasn't the case.

The show uses a pretty expansive color palate, not only with the characters' hair but also with their designs and the actual environments. The show mostly takes place within city-states in Egyptian landscapes, so it mostly sticks to beige, brown, and clay-red for its buildings and roads. At the same time though, the show looks to always inject color in all the right places.

When it comes to actual animation, I found it to be above average. While the show does incur quite a bit of dialogue, when it comes to the action pieces, it really doesn't hold back. From Alibaba's self-engulfing flames to Morg's crazy parkour fighting style, there is always something moving about on-screen.

The character designs are also pretty unique. There are a lot of minor characters, but even they look vastly different when compared to one another. With such a large cast, it can be difficult sometimes to remember every single name, so their appearances matter greatly. In this case, M:L does a fantastic job in making every single one, from the good guys to the bad guys, look and feel different.

One final note is the way in which some of the characters smile. The animators chose to draw some characters' upper teeth when they smile. I actually liked this little addition because it seemed more natural for a wide-grin. Nothing amazing, but a nice little touch!

CHARACTERS

Arguably M:L's weakest part is its characters.

Let's start off with the bad. Surprisingly, my least favorite character in the show is Alibaba. What's interesting is that the show takes considerable time in developing his background and who he actually is as a person. But the trouble comes in what they actually do with it. Many of the issues that the characters' face during their journey are a result of Alibaba's decision making. My issue is that, despite the things he's heard and learned alongside Aladdin and the others, he constantly is making poor choices. Meaning, he never truly grows as a character and instead regresses before he can progress. It gets rather annoying to see this, and as such, I found his character to be rather unlikable.

Sinbad is another character I actually didn't like, or perhaps it's better to say that the show prevented me from liking or even disliking him. It's clear when we first see him that he is quite the strong and persuasive person. But that's it. While he sticks around for the entire second half of the season, we never really learn anything about him. Sure, they show off some of his skills, but we don't know what his goals are, who he is deep down, and why we should care for him at all. I felt that M:L dropped the ball when it came to his character because he was constantly put on such a high pedestal.

Switching gears, one of my favorite characters in the show is easily Aladdin. Bright, optimistic, and full of life, he is always looking out for and cheering on others, especially Alibaba. His origin still remains a mystery, but the show gives us nice insight as to who Aladdin really is and the purpose he serves in the overall narrative. He's a fun character not only to watch and listen to, but also to learn from, because the viewer is always learning right along with him.

My favorite character from the show is hands-down Morgiana. Loyal, loving, and wicked-strong, she is one of the most interesting simply due to her original predicament. While she adores working together with Alibaba and Aladdin, her personal struggles are her true defining features. While it takes time for her to acclimate to the differing situations that she is thrust into, you can always expect to see her making you smile, saving her friends, and otherwise presenting you with a really good time.

SOUND

The first OP for M:L is pretty darn good. The tempo and especially the singer create a nice mix of "sweeping" sounds that fits the tone of the show perfectly. The second OP doesn't come close to how good the first is. It tries to be more grand in both the singing and instruments, but it just doesn't fit well with the way in which the show presents itself.

The first ED is actually interesting. As a standalone song it is pretty good, but honestly speaking, it doesn't really have a place in the show. It's almost too upbeat in relation to the show. M:L is definitely happy and carefree during certain segments, but never on this level. The second ED suffers the same fate as the second OP, in that it is just not good. It's too generic and guitar-filled and doesn't mesh well with the rest of the show.

At this point, I just want to point out that the first OP's and first ED's visuals are the most misleading visuals for an opening and ending song that I have ever seen. I don't know if the studio should be commended or not for this, but it is kind of strange how irrelevant a lot of what they show in both of them really are.

The rest of the soundtrack is pretty darn good as well. Sticking with the Egyptian vibe, the show sticks heavily to that type of music, with flutes and drums galore.

In terms of voice acting, the show does an average job in this regard. No character's were extremely standout, but there were no issues in each of their respective roles.

ENJOYMENT

Anime gives us the opportunity to see things that we normally can't. This is especially true when it comes to the worlds that they present. In this case, M:L did a wonderful job in making me not only aware of the world but also really care for it. Its unique setting (relative to anime) makes it very fun to watch because nothing else is really like it.

The show's comedy mostly sticks to the way in which characters act in a certain situation, and for the most part, I always found these bits pretty funny. The hints of romance were also duly noted and appreciated. And as far as the fights go, I actually quite liked them. Some were large in scale, some were one on one, but they all had nice detail and varied move-sets that made each one a pleasure to watch.

I found myself really wanting to see what was going to happen next. But if there is one gripe that I had, it was the overuse of "convenient" plot points. Not wanting to spoil anything, I will say at the minimum that certain things happen rather conveniently during the story's progression. So many times, in fact, that you start to anticipate the next time it is going to happen.

Overall, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic is a show that does many things right with a few missteps along the way. Hopefully the second season can improve upon its weaknesses and truly stand among the best of the best.

SUMMARY

Story: Good, unique world, cool action, but elongated drama

Animation: Great, nice visuals, interesting settings, and well done actual animation

Characters: Fine, Alibaba is bad yet offset by the good that is Morgiana and Aladdin

Sound: Good, first OP and ED are leagues better than the seconds, nice soundtrack, average VAs

Enjoyment: Good, interesting and fun with only minor issues to complain about

Final Score: 7/10

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This is the script for my video-review of the show over on youtube, so if you don't wanna read it, listen to me talk about it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn7Wk9_TudM

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Magi is a shounen fantasy adventure, but this time, it's one borrowing not only themes from the arabian one-thousand and one nights, but many other countries as well!
It is based on an ongoing manga by author Ohtaka Shinobu and was adapted as 2 TV series spanning 25 episodes each.

The adaptation by A1-Pictures contains the first 110 chapters of the manga, staying mostly true to the source material, was directed by Masunari Koji and aired in Fall 2012.

In Magi's world, several so-called dungeons appeared throughout the lands years ago.
Filled with tons of treasures and magic items, the strongest being "djinn vessels", many young adventurers tried to conquer them, with only a handful of the strongest ever returning alive.
In the desert city of Quichan, our protagonist Alibaba works hard earning enough money to one day conquer the local dungeon "Amon", fulfilling his wish of becoming rich.
Here, he meets the young and mysterious boy Aladdin, who doesn't understand how the world works and therefore gets Alibaba in all kinds of trouble with his boss, all while having to swallow his pride.
When an accident happens while transporting wine to another city and a big desert monster threatens to eat a child alive, Aladdin gets impressed by Alibaba, who can't just stand by and watch.
The two of them then decide to venture into the unknown, as they are responsible for the loss of the wine and in big debt, and go to conquer Amon!

From the beginning on, the series shows us that Alibaba isn't your usual shounen protagonist who's just brawns and no brains, as he knows what he has to do and seems knowledgable in a few uncommon territories, recognizing the monster in the desert or being able to decypher a foreign language.
The anime's third arc, which focuses more on his background, makes perfect sense of all this and places Alibaba somewhere far up near the top when talking about good shounen characters.

Aladdin on the other hand stays mysterious for a long time, and while he isn't a well-rounded character from the beginning, he gets to learn quite a lot from the people he meets and has pretty good reasoning, even though many of his actions only motivation is "For my friend Alibaba!"

Then there's Morgiana, a red-haired slave girl from the very strong, southern tribe called "Fanalis", designwise seemingly inspired by the egyptians. She is hands-down the best thing in existence.
While the show is generally missing a few good female characters, Morgiana would take the place of best girl no matter how perfect the others could be! JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE!
In the beginning, she follows our male protagonists only out of thankfulness for freeing her, but soon, she evolves into their friend, making these 3 characters a really good team.

As for other important characters, there's Sinbad, also called "Sinworst", which is true.
He's introduced as a pretty laid-back, but powerful man, having conquered not one, but seven dungeons in his life-time.
He's not having that much of a formed character during this season, but he is more important for the future of the franchise.

Similarily, Judar, a black-haired mage working for Kou, a big empire in the east inspired by chinese history, seems like a normal "bad guy", but does have some signs of there being a reason for why he is how he is.

Hakuryuu, a prince of that Kou empire, is important for the future of the series as well, but already has relevance in the second half of the first season, where he's getting a decent character, not on the level of Alibaba and Aladdin, but by far enough to impress me.

The secondary characters sadly go nowhere out of the ordinary, with the only ones worth mentioning for me being the grandmother of the Kouga tribe and Hakuryuu's sister, Hakuei.
The first serving as a mentor for Aladdin, teaching him what life means and how you have to deal with putting your life on the line in a fight.
The later mostly introducing the Kou empire and showing that it isn't full of bad people and that their goal isn't just to conquer the world, but to actually unify it and create one peaceful country.
The several antagonists introduced in each arc have some reasoning behind their actions, but are generally more mid-tier, but the important ones are really not bad characters.

The animation is really the thing that makes me completely disappointed of the adaptation.
The quality drops so hard that the second half wasn't really enjoyable anymore, and after having read the manga, I wanted to watch the show just to see Morgiana dance.
Yes, I am salty because it didn't look like shown in the second opening, but still, the animation has no positive points, and except for a few scenes, the first half doesn't stand out either.
The actual artstyle though is kinda interesting, as the different influences are really fun to see and observe.
It ranges from the already mentioned "1001 nights" and imperial chinese over to the mongolian plains, where the Kouga clan lives.
And Sindria is apparently based on India.

Regarding the character designs, I can just say that -quote- "all the characters are cute" -quote end-.
No seriously, like the world, the characters with their different nationalities are all interesting enough to make me want to see more.
And Morgiana is cute.
No objection accepted!

The soundtrack centers mostly around the thematic of "1001 nights", with most songs straying a bit in different directions, which is interesting, and there are definetly a few in there I listen to outside of the show.
If I had to mention my favorites, they'd be #1 - "Enfin Apparu", #6 - "Faut il Saver" and #13 - "Valse Hot".

Then there's the voice acting, in which my second big problem with the show lies, even though it is heavily influenced by my knowledge of the manga.
It makes perfect sense to let a woman voice the 10 year old Aladdin, but it just quickly doesn't feel right anymore, with him soon stopping to act like a kid and his appearance remaining the only childish feature he has.
The other characters fit their voices pretty well, so I won't complain about any of them.

I've been saying "For the future" a lot in this review, so I'll need to get this out of the way.
The show is not finished, but the manga just entered its final arc not too long ago and I predict the announcement of a third season towards its final stretch.
This may take a few more years, I'll just unknowingly throw "Summer 2017" in the room, but keep in mind, I don't know any more about this than the next person.

Now, that's it, but is „Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic“ worth the watch?

The thing is: You should give the franchise a chance!
If you like manga, I'd actually prefer to recommend you giving that one a read.
If you don't want to read the manga, try watching the anime.
I can't say the show is good, especially because of the problems in animation, but I dare say the story and characters are on par with something like Fullmetal Alchemist, which is commonly reffered to as a masterpiece.

So to sum it up with one simple question:
Would you watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, if the animation sucked?
If your answer is yes, then go watch Magi, if the answer is no, give the manga a read!
If you don't want to read the manga, definetly go for the anime, you'll just have to sit through the enjoyment-killing parts.

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I just finished this anime and I'm breathless. It is amazing.

Story 9/10
Magi has unique Arabian setting, with on characters from 1001 Nights. In short, it is about a young magi Aladdin and his chosen king's candidate Alibaba along with a former slave Morgiana developing their power while traveling to different places. A lot of things comes their way but they make a lot of friends and allies as well.
The concept of magic (magoi) here is interesting. It comes from the nature, and goes back to the nature when we dies. I can accept the logic. The dungeon and djinn are well thought and had never been brought up before in other anime, I find it makes this anime unique.

While it brings typical issues like bad guys vs good guys, they address it in such a way that makes us wonder about what we think is right. People have their own goals, but the way they achieve it may be harmful to others or helpful. Magi reminds me of this.

Art 9/10
Regarding Art, I'm not just talking about character design. The character designs are very colorful, stands out and memorable. The characters from Balbadd and Sindria have clothing suitable with the Arabian theme while the characters from Kou Empire have touches of oriental / East Asian feel, making it easier to recognize who is who.

The background and sceneries are fantastically done with eye-pleasing color palettes and amazing details, I feel is one of the best works from A-1 Pictures. The animation and visual effects is also considered fluid for that year, especially the magoi, battle scenes and facial expression.

Character 10/10
We will meet with names we are familiar with like Aladdin, Alibaba, Morgiana, and Sinbad. However, the characters are different from their original Arabian story. In my opinion, Magi has very well developed character. Each of them has interesting back stories (even the bad guys like Judar and Cassim) that make you understand why they do things and their reasons make you sympathize with them. In addition, the seiyuus who voice them are top notch and did great job!

Sound 7/10
I am not really a fan of the openings and endings except The Bravery, but it is memorable. Some of the rock BGM by Shiro Sagisu did increase the tension during fights but I caught the same song being played again and again.

Enjoyment 9/10
Although I have watched a lot of anime with shounen genre, I bet this is one of those I will remember. I enjoyed a lot of fun and squealed a lot too (yeap, to Aladdin's cuteness, Alibaba's resolve, Morgiana badass moments and of course Hakuryu)

Some people who read the manga complains that it is too short, yeah although I didn't read the manga I feel the last few episodes indeed feel rushed. Aside from that, the pacing in Magi is nice, relaxing and funny, then tense and exciting during battles and wars.

Overall, I like Magi and recommend this to you who like fantasy anime with magic and battles which is not too long, while still maintaining good story and characters with depth.

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Magi: the labyrinth of Magic's first few episodes were pretty good; it was cute, funny, charming and awesome. Sadly, it didn't stayed like that for the whole series. For the first half of the series, 1-13 was at pretty watchable. The second half was the main weak point of the anime; all those cute and funny moments disappeared on the second half (14-25), and the ending wasn't that great. Though, it was a happy ending, but still, it was a crappy happy ending.

Story? Story is pretty good, Aladdin, a Magi meets a young boy, Ali Baba an Aladdin helps him fulfils one of his dreams; completing a dungeon. Then comes my favourite character in the anime, Morgiana. After completing the dungeon, she was set free from slavery with the help of Aladdin and Ali Baba. After all that dungeon-exploring in the first few episodes, Aladdin soon goes alone into different territories and the main topic of discussion was, War. War always sprouted from hatred. War is main topic of the entire series. Though, most of the excitement starts fading away when it was in the Balbadd arc; it's not bad, but it's at least, watchable.

Main focus in the Balbadd arc was Ali Baba and his friend Kassim. Flashbacks start appearing in the series, Ali Baba's and Kassim's past begins to unravel. These flashbacks weren't too bad, I found it pretty interesting to watch. The action scenes in this arc becomes a pretty boring. Surprisingly, there was a filler episode about Sinbad and one of the Princesses of Kou somewhere later in the series; and yes, it was pretty boring, and most importantly, pointless. I think, the whole story of the anime strayed far off from the manga's point of view somewhere in episode 20, or probably even earlier than that.

A-1 Pictures is starting to make a name for itself(or they already had) for making terrible original endings. First anime I've watched from the same studio (as far as I can remember), was Ao no Exorcist, and yes it had a lot of potential to become a great anime, though its biggest flaw is its ending. The studio's biggest mistake has always been the same: starts off good in the first half, terrible second half, then accompanied with a terrible original anime ending. What happened to Ao no Exorcist, also happened to Magi - Labyrinth of Magic. I guess, history really does repeat itself.

Characters? Magi uses characters from the Arabian nights, making them look more awesome than the actual person from the stories. For example, take a look at Ali Baba in the original Ali Baba and the forty thieves tale. and try comparing it to the Ali Baba in the anime. Look how they awesome they become. My favourite character is Morgiana, a tough chick. First 20 episodes, I watched Magi because of the plot. Then after that, I felt that the plot became somewhat rushed and strayed off from the Manga. So in the later episodes, I watched Magi mainly just because of Morgiana. Also, Aladdin and Ali Baba are both likeable main characters.

Sound? The opening and Ending theme were so-so, and the voice-acting were pretty awesome. But the background music was very epic, especially during the fighting scenes.

Visual? Though, its visuals are pretty good, but not always. The quality of visuals sometimes end up looking pretty bad, where characters faces look somewhat different. But overall visuals are decent.

Conclusion? Though, I find Magi to be very awesome in the earlier episodes but somewhat boring in the later episodes, so I find it a little difficult for who recommend it to. obviously enough, if you like prefer the shounen/action genre, Magi is definitely a good choice. Though, it's definitely not recommended for everyone.

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When i think Magi, i think action and comedy perfectly blended in together into one beautifully presented adventure. Not only did magi has stunning visuals and amazing choreography in fights, but the voice acting also seemed perfect, requiring no time to "get used to their voices" like some dubs and subs have. Now to preface i did watch magi in sub (don't even know if there is a dub) and let me tell you i could close my eyes and fall asleep to those damn voices man. Casting was near perfect with only a few moments where i thought (his voice doesn't really fit that characters look). Now if you want to know my absolute opinion feel free to check the conclusion down at the bottom.

Story: 9/10
The story in Magi is on par with those that are claimed to be the greats. It's essentially about a kid who is called the Magi, Magi are "Magicians that shape the world". By using Magoi (the power created from harnessing Rukh), they are able to control these Rukhs that come naturally from the earth. Magi have the power to summon Dungeons, and to lead people in there. Magi bestow the magical items found in Dungeons to the people he leads. This essentially means that Aladdin is the center character with "side kicks" however don't go into this anime expecting the show to be completely centered around Aladdin with no character development for the others. All the characters in the story are fully fleshed out and are not in anyway neglected. As far as the story's fluency goes it proceeds from event to event in such a way that if feels normal, nothing feels too rushed and nothing feels like its being dragged on for way too long and each event feels like it has a purpose and develops each character thoroughly.

Art: 10/10
What is there to say? The visuals are absolutely stunning, the art design was very Egyptian style. There are two predominate styles of art here in Magi, the first style is the usual art where the characters are shaped normally and everything is fabulous. Then there's the art style that's normally shown in times of comedy where all the characters bodies are 2d and have an extreme amount of emphasis on how their feeling for example if Aladdin is happy he will turn into a squishy ball as he rubs up against the boobs of a random citizen. The lighting and clarity are an amazing selling point for magi as well. Everything seems to be where it should be, flickering fire torches reflect on their clothing in real time. The background in Magi is also extensively done, there was no lack of effort when it came to putting in detail into the background.

Sound: 9/10
My god did Shirō Sagisu NAIL THE MUSIC. To give you some context Sagisu is the composer for Magi, you may know some of his work as he was the composer for most noticeably Neon Genesis Evangelion, Bleach and more recently Black Bullet. Now i will say this now if you want a soundtrack that includes music that displays the characters emotions you may not be too satisfied with this OST. This soundtrack targets the scenes and emotions of the overall context, this means no slow and sombre music unless the scene calls for it, not the character. This by no means is to hammer on Sagisu's music. He captures the feeling of battle perfect with such tracks as "Enfin Apparu", "Valse hot" and for a more situational feel of "Notre empire". Sagisu nails the music and i tell you right now when i was done with Magi i instantly downloaded the OST onto my computer and still listen to it this day.

Characters: 9/10
As i previously discussed in the story section all the characters in this show are fully fleshed out and on top of that no one feels like they have been ripped out of your typical shounen genre and made into a strict character archetype. Now this means that your not gonna be sitting there thinking "This character's only purpose is so the show can have that specific archetype" instead you'll be thinking about that characters reason for being in the show (and trust me they flesh out everyone's reasoning as to why they are in the show). Each character has their specific morals and emotions that clearly separates them from each other and also clearly shows why they act the way they do. The design of each character is perfectly don't as well as the symbolism in each character such as their hair. All in all i thoroughly enjoyed the ways the characters interacted with each other and easily got emotionally attached to each character to the point where i would be on the edge of my seat every time they were exposed to danger.

Enjoyment: 10/10
Ok so lets make this clear, if i could be bias and list things off my personal enjoyment i would give everything in this anime a 10. Unfortunately this would be a crappy review if all i said was "THIS ANIME IS F@#KING LEGENDARY". But when i really think about it, i can't really be specific about my personal enjoyment. Absolutely everything about this anime made me when to go on google and look at everything i could, go on youtube and listen to everything i could, talk to friends to debate about everything i could. This anime sparked so much enjoyment out of me from the perfectly crafted action scenes and the perfectly placed humor that made me thoroughly enjoy everything this anime had to offer.

Overall: 9.5/10
Ok so maybe i tend to over rate anime based on my emotions but so what! If your like me and have emotions that outweigh logic than you'll look past all the flaws of this anime and be absorbed by its brilliance. I fully recommend watching this anime as it will pull you away from all the slice of life and romance and really give you something to watch and be in awe of.

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Initial Review for Newcomers: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic is loosely based on One Thousand and One Nights (more commonly known as Arabian Nights). A boy named Aladdin has been bestowed with great power and with his friends, he will help save/protect the world. Over the course of their adventure, they encounter treasures, magic, women and... social and political injustices. Over the course of this anime, dark themes of slavery, poverty, corruption and war occur. This anime expresses these themes in a similar fashion to another well known show (Yes, I'm referring to Avatar: The Last Airbender; although Avatar's dark themes are lightly touched and more war oriented).

Dub or Sub?: Either one, though I would recommend the sub. The dub is watchable (not bad but not good either) but I didn't find Aladdin's voice to be childlike enough. Alibaba's voice sounded a bit effeminate the first time I heard it. Morgiana's voice was good. Sinbad's voice matched up pretty well. There was also one character whose voice didn't match up at all but I forgot his name. All things considered, the dub is watchable, with minor problems. The sub was superb, I found very little problems with the Japanese cast.

Story (8/10): The story of Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic focuses on Aladdin and his friends Alibaba and Morgiana. The show starts off simple enough, Aladdin and his (future) friends go on a perilous quest to seek their fortune. Eventually, they will face dark challenges on the their journey. An interesting aspect of the story is the addition of war and politics. This becomes more apparent as the story progresses with the introduction of Sinbad, the country of Balbadd and the ongoings of the Kou Empire.

Characters (8/10): The show borrows several character elements from its source material. The three protagonists, Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgiana each retain several traits in common with their original counterparts. The same goes for other characters like Sinbad, Cassim and Scheherazade (we'll see her later in the second season).

Aladdin is an innocent child. His interactions with others shows his naiveté. His personality is wise and he always tries to find non-violent solutions problematic situations. For the most part, he tries to see the best in people and adds a lot of emotion to the story.
Side note: I think the creators of the show should have toned down his perverted behavior.

Alibaba is a naïve idealist. His reasons are there but the execution of said reasons prove to be difficult (without help from others). This is very apparent when his backstory and life choices are shown in the Fog Troupe Arc.

Morgiana is a strong, independent woman. Like Alibaba, she is portrayed as naïve (primarily due to her enslavement) but she is also strong willed. Her personality develops very well throughout the show.

Supporting Characters: There is a lot of supporting characters. Each one of them have unique personalities and perspectives that really help move the story. Most of them have enough backstory/development to become a main character (FYI, they made a spin-off starring Sinbad).

Art/Animation (10/10): The art/animation is modern. The backgrounds are very detailed and colored brightly. The same goes for any battle scenes that take place; the animation is very fluid.

Sound/Music (9.5/10): The sound/music was good. The opening theme music was Middle Eastern-esque and was exciting and upbeat. The soundtrack over the adventure and battles were really enjoyable too. My only concern was the ending theme. It just doesn't seem to go with the show as an ending theme.

Enjoyment (8/10): I enjoyed it. By the end of the first season, I wanted to see more.

Summary/Overall (8/10): The story was good and exciting. The character development is excellent. The music is also very good. The amount of satisfaction after watching this is high.

Review #11

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Magi is certainly not the best shonen anime ever made, but it is certainly enjoyable.

The primary selling point, especially in the first half of the show, is definitely the setting and cultural aesthetic. Magi showcases lands inspired by various middle eastern and asian cultures, primarily those of historical Islam and China. The show establishes itself as separate fantasy world, so keep in mind that it is not trying to be historically accurate despite the inspiration from "1001 Nights."

The animation is bright and colorful which compliments the fantastical settings, powers, and more outwardly cute art style. In addition, most of the character designs are neat and memorable; standouts include Hakuryuu, Judal, Sinbad, and his eight generals. The only aspect about the style that was irksome was that the characters' faces tended to be homogenous, with both male and female characters based on the same model. Voice alone seems to determine gender, and hair style and eye color determine identity. Of course, these trends are nothing new in anime, but the frequency of their occurrence makes it jarring, nontheless. (Notable exceptions include Sinbad and a couple members of his posse, but that's about it).

The actual story was decent enough, but nothing groundbreaking. It seemed to meander, but I suppose it's composed of arcs, however small and loosely defined. Magi doesn't really pick up until the last fourth of the show, which is problematic from a plot and pacing standpoint. However, the world, powers, and characters are good enough to carry the show on its own. Even when the show attempts a large-scale plot, it is ultimately the characters that make it worth watching.

Speaking of which, Alibaba is adorable and a protagonist worth rooting for, and Aladdin's draw is how he is often wise beyond his years. However, the perverted boob jokes involving Aladdin definitely detract from the integrity of the character. Honestly, most of the chibi comic relief in Magi just seems strange and out of place. The third protagonist is Morgiana, a former slave girl and definitely the weakest of the main trio (in regard to personality and character; she is definitely physically stronger than the other two). She is just simply uninteresting. Now, the show does go to great lengths to flesh out her development, but it means nothing if the character is uninteresting to watch. Unfortunately, it just makes the development seem contrived.

Sinbad is by far the most charismatic and appealing character, and all of his generals are equally so. It's a pity that we didn't see more from them, as small bits of information about their backstories and personalities caught my attention. Sinbad definitely delivered from a character standpoint, but we didn't see enough of him fighting with his djinn equip powers, which is just odd considering that his dungeon capturing adventures and resulting numerous amount of djinn vessels are kind of his claim to fame. Also, there was a startling reveal about him in the last episode, but of course there was no time for the show to go into that. I hope that the second season explores Sinbad and his generals' developments more.

All of the conflicts in Magi are sorted into black and white, often literally! This is certainly the show's biggest, most glaring problem . The rukh (essentially glowing spirit butterflies) are labelled as a force of good while the reverse "black" rukh are only seen as evil. Which is strange, as the black rukh only make people fall into "depravity." It is natural for a person to have moments of moral lapse, pining for revenge, feeling angry, greedy, etc., so it seems odd to just rule these feelings off as evil, especially to the point where feeling any of these in a small amount essentially leads to magical self destruction.

In summary, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic is colorfully animated with rich and diverse settings, characters, and powers. However, don't expect anything too groundbreaking in terms of story and quell any hopes for moral ambiguity.

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First off, this anime is AMAZING, you will not regret watching this...

If you’re interested in the world of magic, political struggles, and wild life-changing adventure , as well as visually stunning artwork, then Magi: Labyrinth of Magic is the anime for you. Despite, its cutesie like appearance, Magi actually takes the show on a slightly darker path than expected, thus leaving the watcher surprised and wanting more. Magi follows the journey of young Aladdin, and his friends Alibaba and Morgiana, as he tries to figure out who and what he is, all the while making new friends and stumbling into magical battles. You can’t help but fall in love with the story line and the characters (even the one on the opposing side). It’s imagery, character development, and fight sequences have your jaw dropping and heart squealing in happiness as your favorite characters save the day and transform into total bad asses. Magi also has a way of forcing the viewers to fall in love with every single character and understand the meaning behind every single action, even if that action is to destroy the world and kill innocent people. The way each character’s background is presented have you wishing for their redemption instead of their demise. It’s one of those anime’s that doesn’t believe in things such as “bad” and “good” rather it focuses on telling everyone’s struggle and strife to the point where you can’t help but relate to them and agree/not agree with their methods but still hope for their success. So if you’re looking for something cute, dangerous, new, and exciting then Magi is definitely the anime for you

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