Spoiler Alert!
Magi was a breath of fresh air in the anime world when it first aired in October 2012. While the manga began running since 2009, it was very exciting to see such a rich story with action, magic and suspense come to life.
Now, if you’ve never read the manga or seen the anime show of Magi, you’re missing out. Why you ask? Because if you love the entire concept of magic and the fantasy genre, you’ll enjoy this story. The premise of the story tells a remixed tale of Aladdin and his adventures in the middle east. The characters face many trials along the way as they embark on quests that lead them further along their destinies and paths in life.
In the world of Magi, beings are made of Rukh, similar to how we see ourselves as having a soul and being made of energy. Once you die in this world, you’re returned to the Rukh. Now, there is light Rukh and dark Rukh.
If you ‘fall into depravity’ your Rukh turns dark and if you die that way, you will not be able to return to the stream of light and will suffer eternally – similar to our concept of heaven and hell, except the show also depicts the belief of reincarnation as well. Now, magicians in this world have the ability to manipulate this Rukh, both light and dark and this is known as Magoi.
The story itself does a great job of showcasing the divided nations and their quest for power or to maintain their current standing. In any given generation, there are usually three Magi, beings who are considered to be above the regular magicians with an infinite supply of Rukh. They are the wise and noble ones who are able to elect the next kings who will rule over nations. However, Aladdin is actually considered the fourth Magi.
In the story there exists dungeons where once cleared, the person will have the ability to obtain the powers of a powerful Djinn (a.k.a genie) and become a metal vessel user. This is an important perk for a king candidate to have.
In the series, Aladdin is a young boy (though his origins remain slightly a mystery) who is considered the reincarnation of Solomon and who also has his wisdom. Solomon was a great king of another world but due to dark magic, that world was destroyed. In Aladdin’s time it shows that he is a wanderer trying to find his place in the world.
During his journey he understands his existence a lot more and through Solomon’s wisdom, learns that he is a key factor in making sure the world does not ‘fall into depravity’ like how it did back in King Solomon’s time. Along his travels he ends up meeting Alibaba who eventually becomes his king candidate. They also meet other friends along the way such as Morgiana and gain refuge in the nation of Sindria run by the powerful King Sinbad.
While I’ve only touched the surface of this story, if you spend time really getting to learn the characters and their journeys you will love the complexity and deep undertones to this show.
Also, while the anime is over and ended at a great arc, the manga is still ongoing, so we haven’t actually made it to a conclusive end yet. I am very intrigued to see what becomes of the characters. Yes, this manga is so successful I don’t think it will end quite yet since there are a lot more stories to be told, but when it does come to an end, I hope it will be one that is fulfilling for the fans and characters alike. 😉
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Click here to watch the first episode on Crunchyroll
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Here’s the question of the moment: Would you want to live in a world like Magi? If yes why? If no, why not?
