Magi The Labyrinth of Magic
I started reading Magi-The Labyrinth of Magic because of an incredibly sexy fanart I randomly found of it floating around on Pixiv by way of *cough* 4chan. I was like, whats this? Who are these incredibly appealing character designs? What is this "Sinbad uke" tag referring to? Holy crap. I did some massive google digging and found out the name of the manga. I think sans-fanart by description alone I would never have picked this one up as the idea of a Japanese reworking of Aladdin doesn't immediately appeal, but I'm glad that I managed to find my way to this one.
I didn't really have much expectations, especially after reading the first chapter which I felt was pretty predictable in its ending - it was the second chapter in which Ali Baba was introduced that got me hooked. While at first it felt kind of cloying, I'm delighted with the main character Aladdin's cheerful disposition and strength. Even with his innocence, the readers are on a journey to learn more about the world along with Aladdin - we're all along for the ride as Aladdin gets to show more of his very sensible and clever side underneath the mask of sunny confusion. Ali Baba himself serves as a straight man foil to Aladdin's clueless comedy, until he gets to move beyond this role in the dungeons and really shine as an action packed honorable leading man. I'm enjoying the author's themes of struggle against an overwhelming, powerful opposition, from the dungeons themselves to the slavers, thieves, and kings that the characters encounter. A stark contrast to the plebian-hating tone in Black Butler - can we say that Magi is the manga for the 99% whereas Black Butler is all about worshipping the 1%? hahah
Well, what about that sexy fanart character? Of course, it takes about until volume 4 before that gorgeous bishounen Sinbad shows up, but when he does, the glorious entrance is an EPIC fangirl turn. The entrance gaga aside, his incredibly wacky bold characterization is a treat as well. But I found that along the way, it wasn't even about me finding that character anymore but just enjoying the story as it unfolded.
Extra bonus: Everyone is a hidden badass, from the women to the little children, magic powers or no. Equal opportunity!
I read all five volumes available on Mangafox in one sitting and was devastated when I caught up to chapter 42 with no new chapters in sight. *sigh* WAITING is a killer.
I didn't really have much expectations, especially after reading the first chapter which I felt was pretty predictable in its ending - it was the second chapter in which Ali Baba was introduced that got me hooked. While at first it felt kind of cloying, I'm delighted with the main character Aladdin's cheerful disposition and strength. Even with his innocence, the readers are on a journey to learn more about the world along with Aladdin - we're all along for the ride as Aladdin gets to show more of his very sensible and clever side underneath the mask of sunny confusion. Ali Baba himself serves as a straight man foil to Aladdin's clueless comedy, until he gets to move beyond this role in the dungeons and really shine as an action packed honorable leading man. I'm enjoying the author's themes of struggle against an overwhelming, powerful opposition, from the dungeons themselves to the slavers, thieves, and kings that the characters encounter. A stark contrast to the plebian-hating tone in Black Butler - can we say that Magi is the manga for the 99% whereas Black Butler is all about worshipping the 1%? hahah
Well, what about that sexy fanart character? Of course, it takes about until volume 4 before that gorgeous bishounen Sinbad shows up, but when he does, the glorious entrance is an EPIC fangirl turn. The entrance gaga aside, his incredibly wacky bold characterization is a treat as well. But I found that along the way, it wasn't even about me finding that character anymore but just enjoying the story as it unfolded.
Extra bonus: Everyone is a hidden badass, from the women to the little children, magic powers or no. Equal opportunity!
I read all five volumes available on Mangafox in one sitting and was devastated when I caught up to chapter 42 with no new chapters in sight. *sigh* WAITING is a killer.