Magi: The Kingdom of Magic – 02

Meet Sinbad, one of the sexiest characters in this show

Man, so many group projects that need to be turned in tomorrow. This is what happens when it’s a group project that’s not done 24 hours before the due date. Why do group projects need to exist anyway? Why does college ned to exist anyway? Whatever, it’s Magi time now.

Aladdin

It seems that everybody is taking one step further now. Pretty impressive of the characters to mature at such an early stage. Aladdin refuses Alibaba’s offer to go with him to Magnostadt, knowing that this is not Alibaba’s calling but his.Though Aladdin is just a small kid, he’s the bravest out of all three. He is able to step out of the comfort zone they have in Sindria, willing to risk his own life to a place that’s so foreign and rumored to be so dangerous. His will must be so strong that he’s willing to “abandon” everything just to go to Magnostadt.

Though it’s understandable why Aladdin wants to go to Magnostadt or not. Discrimination, no matter how small it is, is still something dangerous. And this is not even a small discrimination, since this is a discrimination between magicians and non-magicians. As a Magi, he feels obligated to stop the source of catastrophe before it happens. Aladdin is such a brave kid, he really is the true Magi *wipe tears with napkin*

However, Aladdin’s childish side still can be seen in this episode. Not really a childish side but the lonely part of himself, I guess? One of the people he can relate the most to, Dunya, is dead, and his surrounding (especially Sinbad) is slowly turning into a stranger to him. I also have a feeling that he’s deeply concerned with Magnostadt beyond his duty as a Magi, something more personal than that. Perhaps it has something to do with his world? Whatever it is, it was able to make him feeling at his loneliest as he threw the lily deep into the ocean. The only flower in the ocean, just like him being the only person that’s different from the rest in this current world.

Alibaba

If Aladdin is maturing, then Alibaba is always behind step by step. He’s not really going backward, but he’s in a phase where he’s currently stuck in his comfort zone, refusing to leave that place. Why leave when everything is so comfortable? Why do the three of them need to be separated when everything is fine they way they are? Why should he stop following Sinbad when Sinbad is such a “cool” guy? Everything is great!… Until Aladdin decided that he has to go on a journey to “find” himself. From Alibaba’s side, I can see why he refuse to step out from his comfort zone. He is having a great time, and his days are full of joy. Whoever wants to esccape from that happy life must be crazy!

Unfortunately, all these “fun” he’s having makes him forget his duties. He has a duty to restore the balance in this world and to revive his now-broken country of Balbadd. He needs to improvise on his Djinn equipment and while getting himself closer to Amon. Aladdin has so many things to do, and yet he’s forgetting all of them. This worries me, because this makes Alibaba an easy target for Sinbad’s manipulation. I hope the show given by Kougyoku will make him realize that he needs to get out from his comfort zone, or else everything will go as Al-Tharmen planned.

Morgiana & Hakuryuu

It’s spring time for Morgiana and Hakuryuu! Alibaba and Kougyoku are friends now, but it seems that Morgiana and Hakuryuu are taking it more than friends. At least, that’s how it looks like from Hakuryuu’s side. Whatever it is, it seems that the two of them are becoming more and more intimate, getting to know each other more than just their names and status. God, I am shipping them like mad now. I am preparing my ship for the two of them, but I’m also wondering whether the relationship between the two will work out or not. Hakuryuu and Morgiana are the same and different at the same time. They are the same because both of them have their tragic pasts, and they are able to stand up despite of the hardships they went through.

But here is the difference. Hakuryuu is stuck with his past, and he refuses to move on with it. This can be seen when he asked for Sinbad’s aid when he’s taking down Kou Empire – which means, a rebellion. This is for the revenge he has ever since the death of his father – the previous emperor – and his brothers (Hakuryuu not mentioning his mother is intriguing). Morgiana might be searching for her past, but she’s searching for it to get over it. She doesn’t want any revenge whatsoever against those who sold the Fanalis, no. She just wants to go back to her homeland to find peace. This is the exact opposite of Hakuryuu’s revenge that is reasonable but not good at the same time (there is a hint in the OP for Hakuryuu’s scene. The Rukh turns black when he thrusts his spear). Will it work between the two of them? One can only guess.

I’m stopping here because I will write a lot if I continue (I actually want to talk more about Kougyoku, Ja’afar, and Sinbad). The point is, I love this episode. It’s just the second episode, but the episode managed to cover every single important character of this show. I can see each of the character’s current condition, problem, conflict, and resolution. The great thing is, everything happened smoothly without any awkward moment whatsoever. Whoever directed the second episode made a great job at intertwining the characters’ stories to the main plot while exposing the characters at the same time. The manga did cover the characters better, but the anime still did a great job. At least, the gave us all the important information needed for the later arcs. Half an hour passed by and I didn’t even realized it. That’s how engrossing this episode and its content were. It was just fabulous.

The animation was also a surprise for me. The first episode was just… Meh. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. Decent. It was also the same for the first half of the episode… Until I see the fight between Sinbad and Kougyoku. Like WHOA, they actually did put more budget in this season. There were definitely more movements, and the movements aren’t that bad either. There was barely any glitch whatsoever, and they didn’t use still images! I wish that the colors are brighter though. At least, make it less dull so I know that they have more budget this season. Anyhow, episode two was great, and the preview of episode caught my interest. I hope the third episode is as good as this one.

Preview: It’s time for them to depart, and Alibaba’s nowhere to be seen. Booboo.

About anaaga

Have read 418 BL manga and continuing.