Magi
Magi: the adventures of Sinbad
I have always known of the character Sinbad, but do not know his story. This version is very interesting. A baby is born, and those who have a sense of magic and destiny know that this child could change the fate of the world. A war is raged throughout the region. Sinbad’s own father has been sent to the war and returned less a leg and recognized as a hero... at first. But Sinbad’s father does not support the war or believe in its cause... GREED. This begins to ostracize him. It is already apparent that Sinbad has some sort of power at only the age of five and he is a very kind and loving boy. He finds a stranger hurt and unconscious. So Sinbad’s family brings in the stranger and helps him out while he heals. But the stranger is not the innocent man he proclaimed. He is a spy from another country come to collect information about the war effort. The man is defeated by Sinbad’s father, who is not praised, but arrested for harboring a fugitive and aiding a spy. Thus he is again sent to the war effort where he undoubtedly perished.
One episode in and this show has already got a great grasp on your heartstrings, and all I wanted to do was to see what happened next. How does the war end up, will Sinbad and his mother continue to be ostracized for not supporting the war effort, will Sinbad come into his power, and how can he change fate? I picked this show out of complete boredom and something to just have on. Instead I found that I quite enjoyed it and that I may have an interest in continuing the adventure with Sinbad.
Nine years later, Sinbad is a strong, capable young man with just as big a heart as he did in childhood. His mother is ill, the town cares for and depends on Sinbad, and he is dodging the war effort. But he cannot dodge forever and is eventually swindled into joining the war to help conquer the Dungeon. Sinbad does go to the Dungeon but not to help the military, but to obtain the great power himself and help change the world. Though thousands of men have died trying to obtain this power, one lone child was able to return with the power. Now with a bounty on his head, and no longer a mother to return to, Sinbad is off to change the world with his new power. But it may not be as simple as he planned. Witty, familiar themes, and a touch (or more) of magic makes this quite an interesting story.
This anime is just as you would expect an anime to be; captivating, silly at times, action packed, and tells a great story. It left off with the opportunity for more to follow but for now there are no plans to continue this spinoff, unfortunately. A prequel to the series Magi: the Labyrinth of Magic I can’t decide if I watched this out of order, or pumped myself up for the original story. I was looking for something entertaining and cute to ease my boredom and I got just a bit more than I expected.
I would give this anime three stars. From the first moment I started this anime, I became hooked. I desperately wanted to binge this show to see what more would happen, what characters would be introduced, how Sinbad would grow, mature, and become stronger. I cannot say the story stuck with me a lot because I was fairly busy outside of watching this show but as soon as I got home I was ready to watch this entertaining show! I cannot say the story was completely original, firstly, it is a spin-off series so it is already not completely original, and the goal of gaining power and defeating dungeons is a common theme, especially throughout anime. The characters ranged in their personalities and showed growth both physically and in interactions on screen. Again, this is anime and you have to expect an anime theme. The characters are pretty typical but still entertaining and at times relatable. I would not say this is my favorite anime but it would definitely make it on my good anime to check out list.
Magi: the labyrinth of Magic
I may have watched these out of order of their release but I started with the prequel and followed the story chronologically. This both enhanced and hindered my experience as I already had knowledge of how the story flowed and how some of the towns worked. Following Sinbad’s adventures gave me a taste of the world we were introduced to, but just a beginning hint. So much more follows with our new friends, Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana. This show is immediately more mature than expected and though silly at times, it is a more serious adventure than we followed with Sinbad.
Alibaba is working hard to someday get his chance to be a dungeon capturer and gain power when suddenly he is hindered by a very hungry child that seems to get him in trouble with every interaction. Aladdin is a mysterious boy, he has no concept of how the current society runs, helps those that others consider worthless, and has such innocence. Aladdin casts himself and Alibaba in a desperate situation by trying to help a slave. The nobleman forces the boys along on a caravan to work off the debt they have caused. Along the way a monster appears, destroys the caravan, and captures a couple slave girls. Alibaba wrestles with his conscious weighing either to follow his orders to reach his goal of becoming a dungeon capturer or helping the girls who are moments from death. The hero in Alibaba emerges and he risks his own life to save the girls getting himself caught in a desperate situation. After seeing Alibaba’s good and honest side finally show through, Aladdin decides this boy is worthwhile and saves him. The boys become friends and decide that this is not their last adventure. Off they go to do so much more. Alibaba has to discover what he truly wants outside of power. Aladdin wants to find out who he really is. On many occasions Aladdin is called a magi but what is a magi? Is that truly what Aladdin is? What could the future hold?
Anime is, in itself, a very specific type of media. When it comes to characters, slowly but surely, they all become the same. In this specific anime, there are many cliched characters, including our three main characters. Aladdin: the oblivious, extremely powerful, innocent boy. Alibaba: the good, kind person who is known to make the wrong choice for the right reasons. Morgiana: the tough girl with the horrible and sad back story. Three lonely individuals who become friends full of trust and dependability. Magi: the Labyrinth of Magic, is a serious tale, of the struggle within oneself and with destiny. With silly moments throughout but a serious tale that easily pulls at the heartstrings, I became easily hooked; even moreso with the knowledge that Sinbad would reappear and be as wonderful a character as always. I am an avid binge watcher and having to wait a week in between binges really kept the story on my mind. I was often contemplating the more mystical sides of the characters when not watching the show, debating with myself and trying to define terms and characters. I quite enjoyed this show and would highly recommend it with another 3 star rating.
