Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic – 12

Uncategorized,
[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_03.15_[2012.12.24_12.44.40] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_12.13_[2012.12.24_12.54.47] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_15.27_[2012.12.24_12.58.02]

It’s getting close to decision-time with Magi.

[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_00.39_[2012.12.24_12.43.20]I don’t know if Magi is taking an inter-seasonal break like most series, but it certainly didn’t go out of it’s way to generate a logical stopping point for the close of its first cour.  We’re very much right in the middle of everything – every element of the story is in flux, and if anything the plot seems to be in a transition mode.  With the new season starting up and so many Fall shows carrying over, I have some hard blogging choices to make, and Magi is definitely one of them.

[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_04.46_[2012.12.24_12.46.12]
Make no mistake, I like this series.  It’s a good, solid shounen that reflects the somewhat edgier style of its magazine.  The production values are excellent, and I enjoy the focus on politics, which is a pretty rare thing as a main subject matter in this demographic.  I’m just not sure if I have enough to say about it to justify continuing, with my commitment to trimming my blogging schedule already under fierce pressure from the carryover shows.  And it’s not as if the series is hurting for exposure – it’s widely popular, and my voice is just one among many.  Ultimately, it may come to blogging it on a case-by-case basis – when something especially noteworthy happens, cover it.  It may also come down to whether any of the new series beyond the small circle I’m already committed to makes the cut.

[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_05.24_[2012.12.24_12.46.49]
That said, we got another pretty entertaining episode this week, though it lacked the headline moments of the last couple of episodes.  I don’t find Alibaba as involving as the other leads – Aladdin, Sinbad, Morgiana – though he’s perfectly fine (and probably Kaji’s best role of the year).  Alibaba is something of a generic shounen lead, and with Aladdin’s offbeat humor sidelined and Sinbad on his best behavior, things can get a bit plain yogurt.  The flavor could come from eye-dropping action sequences as featured in the last two episodes, or from a more intense dive into the politics of Balbadd – the latter of which we got a bit of this week.  It seems as if the story is focusing on Alibaba’s arc for the near future, so one way or another he’s going to have to carry the story.

[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_05.47_[2012.12.24_12.47.14]
To that end, Alibaba faced a classic choice this week – step up to the plate and take responsibility to govern Balbadd as King, or take the easy way out.  It’s clear that neither of his elder brothers is capable of leading the country competently, and Sinbad realizes this perfectly – he’s surely capable of managing the current crisis better than Alibaba (or anyone) but he also knows he needs Alibaba on-board to have any chance at a long-term solution.  Not helping matters is the fact that Kassim is back in the mix, planning an armed revolution from the streets under the cajoling of a masked arms dealer who sounds a lot like Shinichiro Mikki, who plays Markkio (which which makes a lot of sense if you think about it).  Whatever grey there was in Kassim’s character seems to be vanishing like Aladdin’s Magoi – at this point he seems to have a green car ticket to a villain’s role.

[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_06.02_[2012.12.24_12.47.28]
I confess a certain curiosity about Alibaba’s final decision, as it seems as if his role in the story would change drastically if he were actually to become Balbadd’s King.  I don’t find his personal arc as interesting as the politics that are driving it, and I rather hope that Aladdin springs back to life soon because I think Magi rather misses his energy when he’s completely lacking it himself, as he is now.  But it’s stories like Alibaba’s  that provides the backbone of most shounen, so the fact that the anime is leading with it is hardly a major surprise.

[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_06.53_[2012.12.24_12.48.45] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_09.35_[2012.12.24_12.52.10] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_10.56_[2012.12.24_12.53.31]
[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_11.45_[2012.12.24_12.54.20] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_11.58_[2012.12.24_12.54.33] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_13.21_[2012.12.24_12.55.56]
[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_13.35_[2012.12.24_12.56.10] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_13.49_[2012.12.24_12.56.24] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_15.56_[2012.12.24_12.58.31]
[gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_16.29_[2012.12.24_12.59.04] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_20.31_[2012.12.24_13.03.26] [gg]_Magi_-_12_[A8B936C2].mkv_snapshot_22.21_[2012.12.24_13.05.17]
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Guardian Enzo

Related posts

18 comments

  1. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 5:49 am
    Reply

    It is indeed going on break next week, to let you know.

  2. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 6:25 am
    Reply

    Dont blog this weekly, Its not worth it and has been very mediocre for 4 episodes now. This show is slowly going down hill and getting very boring. I want you to blog more of the new stuff next season like precure or sasami-san. just another opinion from another anon.

  3. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 7:05 am
    Reply

    I want him to blog JoJo and continue blogging this- we all have different opinions on what we want him to blog, but only he can decide at the end of the day. Also, for what it's worth, I've read the manga and I'd say Magi gets better and better as it goes on. There's still a lotta good stuff the anime hasn't gotten to.

  4. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 7:21 am
    Reply

    I'd rather him do new stuff. Jojo also inst as good as alot of people say and its too OTT to really blog seriously about it

  5. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 7:40 am
    Reply

    Don't state an opinion as a fact- JoJo is as good, to me, as I say it is. It's my favorite show of the season, and I'm definitely not the only one that feels that way.

  6. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 8:17 am
    Reply

    its your choice to take an opinion as an opinion or as fact. im not responsible for how you interpret things

  7. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 8:31 am
    Reply

    I disagree about the show beeing borin and going down hill. While I agreee with Enzo that Alibaba isn't as interesting as a character as some of the others, I still found the series overall highly enjoyable as far as the politic, the character interactions and the overall worldshapping goes. So I would like to see Enzo continue blogging it if possible.

  8. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 8:37 am
    Reply

    imo Morgianna and her episode was the only good thing that happened to that shitfestility

  9. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 10:26 am
    Reply

    Not true. Magi only gets more awesome.

  10. K
    Karmafan
    December 24, 2012 at 12:43 pm
    Reply

    I think Jojo is bloody awful. I dropped it after 2-3 episodes.

  11. A
    Anonymous
    December 26, 2012 at 4:03 am
    Reply

    That's the new generation for you.

  12. T
    Thatguy3331
    December 24, 2012 at 1:34 pm
    Reply

    If anything, I can agree to wanting Aladin to hurry up and come back, I've been curious as to WHEN exactly we would be getting to the adventure of capturing dungeons and such (if we're going that direction or not who knows)and for the most part it's felt like one giant prolouge, which I don't hate but I want to see what this series has over the horizon already.

    That said, I didn't particularly dislike this episode, fortunatly Alibaba's greiving over what to do didn't last as long as I feared it would and we even have him taking action which as far as I'm concerned is taking this into a more interesting and possibly conclusive direction

  13. A
    Anonymous
    December 24, 2012 at 1:44 pm
    Reply

    The Balbadd arc is just a prologue of what is yet to come ;)!And it gets good 😛

  14. N
    Nanami
    December 24, 2012 at 8:59 pm
    Reply

    I've read the manga and it's really good. This series is actually only going to get better, I'm really excited for the next episode. The pacing in the anime is surprisingly slow so I kinda already knew that nothing too note worthy was going to happen in this episode.

    Enzo, it's a good idea to just blog noteworthy episodes. It's def. worth blogging but the pacing seems to be slow. Btw Happy Holidays ^_^

  15. A
    Anonymous
    December 25, 2012 at 12:16 am
    Reply

    I've heard a lot of people complain that the pacing is too fast, though. Don't they generally do about five chapters an episode?

  16. n
    nanami
    December 27, 2012 at 6:01 pm
    Reply

    Actually, I think you're right they do seem to do about five chapters each episode. The last episode just didn't have a lot of action to it so maybe that's why I'm feeling like the anime is slow paced. I can't wait for episode 13, it's going to be action packed and amazing.

  17. N
    Noc
    December 25, 2012 at 6:24 am
    Reply

    The first few arcs in this series are like a fuse to a bomb- slowly burning closer and closer…and then KABOOM!!! Awesomeness everywhere.

    As for pacing, I'm liking it. Sometimes they have to cut a few things to fit more of the plot progression in, but it's never anything relevant- like the hilarious incident between Alibaba and Mor that occurs at this point in the manga- most people know which scene I'm talking about XP

  18. A
    Anonymous
    January 17, 2013 at 4:48 am
    Reply

    read the manga lol and yes i love this anime

Leave a Comment