Magi - Labyrinth of Magic by Ohtaka Shinobu
Magi is easily one of the best manga I've ever read. There's humor (oh, the humor), drama, and even romance, though the romance is almost unnoticeable since it takes a backseat to plot development.
Aladdin is an unusual boy who carries around a flute. A flute with a djinn in it. As it happens, Aladdin is one of the few Magi in the world, who govern the life-force of all living things whether towards an auspicious flow or an inauspicious one. Around the world, there are several "dungeons" that randomly pop up (a creation of another Magi) full of treasures and deadly monsters, including a djinn in each one that you can take for your own. Ergo, you beat the dungeon, you gain a djinn. And why is a djinn worth all that trouble? Because the djinn basically sets you for life as a potential king or king candidate.
Aladdin meets Ali Baba, who is rather less innocent and trusting than Aladdin, but less prone to grabbing random boobies. Together, along with Morgiana (a superwoman kind of girl they grab along the way), they traverse the world in their awesome adventures.
Despite referencing several tales in the Arabian Nights, this manga has a very original plot and storyline. Each character is highly individualized and has their own special story, their own reasons for acting as they do, and none of them are idealized without a firm slap in the face by reality. Ali Baba may be very compassionate, but that doesn't mean he isn't taken advantage of. Though this series is still ongoing, I don't see the potential dropping at all yet; rather, as the series continues, I find myself more and more intrigued by the increasing complexities in this special world created by the mangaka. I give this series a firm 10/10, for holding onto the integrity of the plot without heading the way of Inuyasha or Naruto or even Bleach with its endless power-ups.
Aladdin is an unusual boy who carries around a flute. A flute with a djinn in it. As it happens, Aladdin is one of the few Magi in the world, who govern the life-force of all living things whether towards an auspicious flow or an inauspicious one. Around the world, there are several "dungeons" that randomly pop up (a creation of another Magi) full of treasures and deadly monsters, including a djinn in each one that you can take for your own. Ergo, you beat the dungeon, you gain a djinn. And why is a djinn worth all that trouble? Because the djinn basically sets you for life as a potential king or king candidate.
Aladdin meets Ali Baba, who is rather less innocent and trusting than Aladdin, but less prone to grabbing random boobies. Together, along with Morgiana (a superwoman kind of girl they grab along the way), they traverse the world in their awesome adventures.
Despite referencing several tales in the Arabian Nights, this manga has a very original plot and storyline. Each character is highly individualized and has their own special story, their own reasons for acting as they do, and none of them are idealized without a firm slap in the face by reality. Ali Baba may be very compassionate, but that doesn't mean he isn't taken advantage of. Though this series is still ongoing, I don't see the potential dropping at all yet; rather, as the series continues, I find myself more and more intrigued by the increasing complexities in this special world created by the mangaka. I give this series a firm 10/10, for holding onto the integrity of the plot without heading the way of Inuyasha or Naruto or even Bleach with its endless power-ups.