Weekly Digest: 11/20/12 – Btooom!, Magi

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[HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_03.52_[2012.11.19_22.14.52] [HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_11.42_[2012.11.19_22.28.59] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_06.25_[2012.11.19_23.17.55] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_03.15_[2012.11.19_23.14.45]

I’m beginning to see a kind of sick wish-fulfillment at the center of Btooom!.

Btooom! – 07

[HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_00.29_[2012.11.19_22.01.36] [HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_03.16_[2012.11.19_22.14.17] [HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_07.27_[2012.11.19_22.24.45]
[HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_08.59_[2012.11.19_22.26.16] [HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_09.35_[2012.11.19_22.26.52] [HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_10.56_[2012.11.19_22.28.13]
[HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_11.49_[2012.11.19_22.29.06] [HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_14.30_[2012.11.19_22.31.57] [HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_19.19_[2012.11.19_22.36.46]
[HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_21.20_[2012.11.19_22.38.47] [HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_22.20_[2012.11.19_22.39.47] [HorribleSubs]_BTOOOM!_-_07_[720p].mkv_snapshot_22.28_[2012.11.19_22.39.56]

I really wish I had time to keep up with JoJo, because in a way it would be a natural show to blog alongside this one.  Both are marvels of excess and bombast, not remotely realistic and silly to the point of gleefulness.  I can’t say I really like Btooom in the truest sense of the word, but in spite of myself I can’t stop watching it.

I’m beginning to suspect that in addition to its obviously dismal view of mankind as a whole, this show has a kind of right-wing survivalist mentality to it – no one comes off looking especially good, but the worst of all are the soft, slothful otaku and the bleeding-heart lawyer who should have let the kid fry.  Seeing Natsume effectively devolve into Gollum this week before Sakamoto put him out of his misery was particularly unpleasant, and we had our requisite unsettling fixation on Himiko’s nether regions (Tied to the bed, huh?  Let he who is without sin cast the first stone at the otaku).  At least the savage mercenary Miyamoto (the always distinctive Kuroda Takaya) was allowed to die in GAR fashion, with his face being melted off by poison gas.

As distasteful as I find Btooom at times, it’s a pretty riveting watch.  The pacing is relentless, the action scenes are really beautifully done and there’s a certain timeless quality to the premise that draws you in.  The odd little SAO element of Sakamoto and Himiko having gotten virtually married – and then not realizing who the other was – certainly adds a bizarre twist to things.  It’s hard to believe this is going to end well for anyone in the cast, which in a way is sort of the point, but Sakamoto and Himiko are certainly being set up to be the survivors and take their revenge on Tyrannos for their little enterprise – which appears with each new hint to be a larger and larger conspiracy.

Magi – 07

[gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_02.40_[2012.11.19_23.14.05] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_03.01_[2012.11.19_23.14.30] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_03.44_[2012.11.19_23.15.14]
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[gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_12.29_[2012.11.19_23.24.59] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_12.53_[2012.11.19_23.25.23] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_15.13_[2012.11.19_23.27.42]
[gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_15.13_[2012.11.19_23.27.43] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_20.01_[2012.11.19_23.32.38] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_21.04_[2012.11.19_23.33.40]
[gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_21.55_[2012.11.19_23.34.32] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_22.09_[2012.11.19_23.34.46] [gg]_Magi_-_07_[194B3667].mkv_snapshot_22.35_[2012.11.19_23.35.11]

It hasn’t been an uninterrupted climb, but I’d definitely say the general trend for Magi is upwards.  This has all the makings of a good fantasy shounen, with enough darkness around the edges to give it a little bite.

We may be close to a record for big-name seiyuu introduced in a single episode that wasn’t a premiere.  I may be overlooking someone in the avalanche, but I counted Ono Daisuke (Sinbad), Sakurai Takahiro (Ja’far), Fukuyama Jun (Kassim), Hosoya Yoshimasa (Masrur – and this one is especially ironic as I immediately thought “Why is Kagami in Balabadd and not on a basketball court?” when I saw him), and Miyama Kouki (Abhmad Saluja).  And there’s more to come too.  But Magi is definitely more than just a star-studded cast and big budget – it’s a pretty good show, too.  I especially liked the pacing this week, and Sinbad and his team made a positive first impression – I especially liked it when he provided his own introduction, right out of the storybooks.  It’s easy to see his goodball persona is a cover for a highly formidable leader.

Even before the big reveal that Alibaba was the leader of the Fog Troupe (which wasn’t really a surprise in the least) Magi was already doing a pretty solid job of creating a situation where right and wrong weren’t so easy to discern.  The trend towards Scooby-Doo villainy does continue, this time with Abhmad and his brother Sabhmad (Nojima Hirofumi) and the general trend of the wealthy class being heartless pigs, but the notion of whether what the Robin Hood-esque Fog Troupe was justified in their actions was at least put on the table for Aladdin and Morgiana to consider.  We’re clearly still at very early stages of the story yet, and all of the battle lines have yet to be drawn, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Aladdin and Alibaba aren’t going to wind up on opposing sides for very long.

In addition to the subtly dark undertone, another element of Magi I like is that the show is rather more quirky than most shows of it’s ilk.  Aladdin has given me two or three pretty big laughs every episode, and I think it’s an interesting twist that probably the two most powerful characters in the cast though I might be giving Morgiana too much credit there) are adorable youngsters, and they’re both capable of killing for their cause.  That and the slightly bent sense of humor will go a long way to make what might be derivative distinctive, and give Magi a chance to stand out in a very crowded field of shounen adaptations.

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11 comments

  1. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 12:39 am
    Reply

    I'm not sure I liked the choice of seiyuu for Kassim, but otherwise the episode was great.

  2. h
    hadoken
    November 20, 2012 at 12:41 am
    Reply

    If I may add to "Natsume effectively devolve into Gollum this week" comment, the anime's "censorship" decided to skip "the drug" part, so naturally he seems suddenly out of whack comically within 2 episodes. The Japanese anime's relent censorship on drugs is equally galling as their never-ending fascination on girls' underwear.

    In manga, he seemed to hook onto some hardcore drug at this point to cope with his reality and were seen begging for more from Miyamoto…not that it matters a whole lotta sense either way, but at least it's something.

  3. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 7:03 am
    Reply

    The drug part was actually shown subtly, rather than being omitted outright. Natsume was shown popping some pills while Masashi was talking about disposing of Sakamoto, after they had discovered his presence.

    I'm actually curious about why Masashi teamed up with Natsume in the first place. Given how brutal the former is, I can't quite see how teaming up with a lawyer who has no combat experience can benefit him…

  4. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 2:40 am
    Reply

    I can't stand Jojo. Watched 2 episodes and it was so awful I gave up on it. Everything about it screams real old school anime (and not in a good way).

  5. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 7:12 am
    Reply

    It is based off an 80s manga so I think the problem is with you.

  6. D
    Derek
    November 20, 2012 at 7:15 am
    Reply

    I don't understand why you have "time" to blog a bunch of shows you don't even really like but don't for JoJo which, from what I can tell, you do enjoy.

  7. admin
    November 20, 2012 at 11:10 am
    Reply

    I'm not blogging any shows I don't like, never mind a bunch. Btooom does creep me out in a bad way sometimes, but it's much more conducive to writing about than Jojo, at least for me.

  8. K
    KoroshiyaKi
    November 20, 2012 at 9:41 am
    Reply

    "I might be giving Morgiana too much credit there"

    You kinda are. They introduced Masrur as a part of the fanalis warrior clan already, that should already be a dead giveaway of what he can do.

  9. A
    Altritter
    November 20, 2012 at 3:56 pm
    Reply

    I wish you had time to blog JoJo too (Especially as of ep 7, what a great ep), but I can certainly understand why. It's not that easy to write a whole post about. Regarding Btooom, you pretty much feel the exact same way about it that I did when I read the manga, which is interesting.

  10. A
    Athos
    November 21, 2012 at 2:06 am
    Reply

    I can't speak for Btoom! since I didn't watch past episode 1, but even I can tell it would make more sense to blog about it than JoJo. It doesn't bother me, hough. Jojo's time to shine is still far off, but its heart is on the right place. I'm pleased.

  11. T
    Thatguy3331
    November 21, 2012 at 3:16 am
    Reply

    JoJo is just weird for wierdness sake, and I like it. Its hardly a series that requires massive brain power to pick up on some deep complex themes with so you're literally left with "yeah I thought it was good" or "meh I didn't really care."

    Magi is still fun and I really did like the episode, even though it was obvious alibaba was the leader (they seriously told us) I am curious as to WHY he's doing this, and is thier leader above all other things. I also loved the humor in this ep, the fig leaf always promises a good laugh and I loved the way Mor 'convinced' sinbad that she would fight.

    The anime is just blazing through the manga which is arguably more slow paced, even leaving out a few things, so I'm a bit concerned since I have no real Idea where in the manga the anime will stop off at.

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