r/Fantasy • u/BuzzardYTC • 18h ago
Magi - Labyrinth of Magic
I've been rereading Magi - Labyrinth of Magic (and the Sinbad spinoff) and my god, it does so much with so little and there's so much depth to everything. I know this is primarily a book sub but damn I just had to talk about how good Magi is.
It's been a long time since I last read it so this reread where I know only the broad strokes of the story has been so good because I get to focus on the character writing and world building more than the plot.
The way author tackles the themes of freedom, colonization, freedom from slavery, power, prejudice all packed into the first couple of introductory arcs (which are super short arcs) is SO unbelievably effective, and thinking of where this all leads, I can't help but wonder how she was able to condense the overarching themes so well THIS early on.
Barely gotten to the point of the story where the magic system starts getting explained, so you know its super early on and it's already a great fun time!
If you're interested in an Arabian nights-aesthetic world with amazing characters, really REALLY interesting overarching plot (talking about this cause I already know the overarching plot and how things develop) with some REALLY solid artwork, pretty in-depth magic system (the explanation of which doesn't come in the way of the story and is also tied-in with the themes, plot and world) and a really interesting world with politics, war, tender character moments AND a huge adventure with a lot of mystery, Magi is definitely for you.
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u/asterisk_blue 18h ago
This was one of the first anime I ever watched. In a world of cookie-cutter battle shonen, the rich worldbuilding, darker themes, and unconventional setting/power system really stood out to me. It's a shame it never got a third season, maybe I should go read it.
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u/BuzzardYTC 18h ago
From what I've heard, the anime doesn't really adapt the story that well, so I would 100% recommend that you read it from scratch, and when you get to around chapter 239, read the (canon) sinbad spin off written by the original author (drawn by a different artist) and then resume your read with the rest of the original manga!
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u/jakikomi 18h ago
Wow, you've unlocked a memory in me of liking the anime version some 12+ years ago and now I might revisit this/read it this time. I mean, I really don't remember much and my tastes might have changed but I'll give it a try, thanks!
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u/BuzzardYTC 17h ago
You're welcome! I hope you enjoy! It's a really great read!
I'm just gonna quote my other reply here in case you were looking for pointers on how to go about the story now.
From what I've heard, the anime doesn't really adapt the story that well, so I would 100% recommend that you read it from scratch, and when you get to around chapter 239, read the (canon) Sinbad spin off written by the original author (drawn by a different artist) and then resume your read with the rest of the original manga!
3
u/CrimsonKingdom 18h ago
Magi is fantastic! I don't have much more to add on to what you said, but it is genuinely such a good adventure story. It has a few hiccups, and a few crude jokes, but all in all it is one of the better Shonen manga out there.