THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
The shounen genre has always been a pleasure to get into again and again. Although there are clear differences in quality, i think if you look at the big shounen shows, you can see the consistent formula being used to top the popularity polls of every single season. Magi is another shounen that has been on my radar for a long time. So, what does this shounen do different than all of the others? What is it that makes Magi unique and interesting? Let´s get into it.
Story – 9/10
This is by far the best aspect of this series, and the reason ... i think more people should get into this show. First of, the worldbuilding. The setting is really interesting and diverse. The whole mythology is clearly inspired by the persian 1001 nights, centred around jinns, emirs, thief's and swordplay. Also, most of the first two arcs is also set in a middle-eastern type world, which is very rare for anime. But this is actually just one little country inside this vast world. The author clearly took inspiration from history because most of the different kingdoms and countries shown here are similar to actual empires in the history of earth. You have Sindria (Phoenicians), Kóu (Ming-Dynasty), Bal-Badd (Bagdad) and much more. This series spends a lot of time on politics and diplomacy, something rare for a shounen. The different storylines are cleverly set up and paid off throughout the show, there are multiple ongoing mysteries, rivalries and flashbacks. The pacing is great, it never feels like something is left out, which is a problem that a lot of modern shounen have. This has the vibe of an older shounen, something like Naruto or One Piece but it feels fast and fresh. The only few drawbacks are the fights themselves ,which is the reason why i can´t go higher with the score. The fights are cool to look at, but they lack the strategy and thought of something like „Hunter x Hunter“. Also, I think this season slows down a bit during the last arc. Everything before that is done wonderfully. The Bal-Badd arc has to be my favorite. It covers 2/3 of the season and sets up many characters, plotpoints and more. It also has the best fight in the entire series so far.
Art – 8/10
The middle-eastern aesthetic present for most of this season is certainly a unique one in anime. It feels so fresh and new. The costumes are stylish, the earrings are shiny and the hairstyles are as colourful as ever. The character designs are memorable and vibrant, both for the female, but especially for the male characters. Every kingdom has a different vibe to it, different clothes and different jewellery. The background arc is also great. I love the design of the different cities, Sindria being my absolute favourite. The fights themselves aren´t mindblowing, but at least they are consistent. This is A-1 Pictures we are talking about, so you can expect a certain standard of quality here.
Sound – 8/10
The openings are really well done. They weren´t exactly fitting for the series itself, but they are both great shounen OPs in my opinion. The BGM however knocks it out of the park with fantastic background songs that pull you into the world even more. The use of middle-eastern instruments gives the soundtrack it´s own identity similar to the use of classic Japanese music in something like „Naruto“.
Characters – 8/10
This show features A LOT of characters. What i found interesting is that this show does not really have a standout main character. We have Aladdin, who is of course the posterboy, but also Alibaba. He is my favourite character in the show. The Bal-Badd arc made him shine so much. His backstory was engaging and well structured, especially his relationship with Cassim. Morgiana is a cool female deuteragonist, but i think most of her story is held back until season two. Sindbad is of course a big factor in my enjoyment of the show. He is very similar to someone like Gojo Satoru from „Jujutsu Kaisen“ with his charming attitude and seemingly unlimited power. The only downside are the villains. Judar needs more build-up to be truly frightening and the organisation he belongs to hasn´t made an impact, at least not yet.
Enjoyment - 8/10
This was a very enjoyable show for most of it´s run. I´ll definitely watch season two when i find the time. If you are looking for a great shounen with fantastic pacing and worldbuilding, Magi is for you. This is a must-watch for every shounen fan.
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 8/10
Alternative Titles Synonyms: Magi Season 1 Japanese: マギ The labyrinth of magic Information Type: TV Episodes: 25 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Oct 7, 2012 to Mar 31, 2013 Premiered: Fall 2012 Broadcast: Sundays at 17:00 (JST) Producers: Aniplex, Dentsu, Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Movic, GYAO! Licensors: Aniplex of America Studios: A-1 Pictures Source: Manga Demographic: Shounen Duration: 24 min. per ep. Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older Statistics Score: 8.011 (scored by 553,757 users) 1 indicates a . Ranked: #6412 2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #146 Members: 1,046,772 Favorites: 9,283 Available AtResources |
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