Fate be a cruel mistress.

Creative Staff:
Story/Art: Shinobu Ohtaka
Translation/Adaptation: John Werry

What They Say:
Balbadd is in the throes of upheaval as Alibaba and the Fog Troop confront the corrupt ruler, Ahbmad. With agents of the Kou Empire waiting to pounce, Alibaba Aladdin and Sinbad form an alliance to take on the powerful enemies arrayed against them. With Alibaba’s newfound Djinn Equip ability and the Sword of Amon, he has the strength, but does he have the will? And will an old friend become his worst enemy?

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The Rukh are fate itself. They control the direction that fate will go and it can only be changed by the Black Rukh.

There are two conflicting characters: Alibaba and Cassim. On one hand, there’s the third prince of Balbadd that had a loving mother to raise him. On the other, there’s the slum child with an abusive father. Both of their fates decided, only one wants to change its direction, not knowing that it can only go in a bad direction.

Characters in Magi seek only to change the course of fate and of the Rukh for seemingly no reason other than to be evil. It’s the kind of villain that’s lazy and doesn’t work in most things. It works in Magi. They control the figureheads (the villains that make the story interesting, like Abhmad, Judar, the Kou Empire) that have their own individual motivations and plotlines that often run parallel to that of the hero’s own, like with Alibaba and Cassim or Aladdin and Judar.

They also often work as metaphor for our own lives. I’ve already talked at length about the themes of slavery that are all over Magi. But there’s something more going on now. There’s political strife within Balbadd that’s being explored deeper and deeper. It’s so easy to point out how similar this is to real life. Even in the US, there are people that have so many bills (taxes) that put them so deep in debt and poverty (the slums of Balbadd) that they can’t get out.

A miracle is needed for the citizens of Balbadd. Someone that’ll stand up to the oppression and Alibaba is that guy. He should be the beacon of hope for Balbadd, but the red fog and the Black Rukh ruin it all. That’s how strong magic is.

In Summary:
At seven volumes, we’re just about at the halfway point of the anime’s first season, if you were wondering. The volume hits straight at the main conflict between Alibaba and Cassim—fate and fighting against it—and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s hitting all the same shonen notes (Alibaba has to learn a new technique, soundly doesn’t, then charges into battle and uses said technique), but it’s got a good metaphor behind it. Sometimes I can’t believe how thought provoking Magi can be. It’s definitely well above average for a shonen manga.

Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B
Text/Translation Grade: A-

Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: August 12, 2014
MSRP: $9.99