Out of anime material completely (I think)!
Creative Staff:
Story/Art: Shinobu Ohtaka
Translation & English Adaptation: John Werry
Touch-up Art & Lettering: Stephen Dutro
Editor: Mike Montesa
What They Say:
A summit involving the major powers of the world is about to begin in Sindria. Despite the looming threats to everyone, each country maneuvers and plots in its own self-interest. The burgeoning Kou Empire brings an unexpected ally to the table, and several Magi, including Aladdin, are also in attendance. Aladdin has an important story to tell—the tale of the lost people known as Alma Tran!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Magi is really good, but it’s also really weird. Inside of this complex story tackling race and politics and power structures also lies a kid who’s born to be a king and…has a complex about not sleeping with a woman yet. And the manga, of course, only enables this behavior and it’s always a little uncomfortable.
But enough about that.
This volume of Magi is the first volume that the anime didn’t adapt at all (to my recollection), and I’m excited to dig into new Magi content.
The volume begins with Alibaba face to face with the head of the Kou Empire’s army, Koen Ren. He proposes a deal to Alibaba: Become a Kou Empire general, sever all ties with Sindria, and Alibaba will eventually reclaim sovereignty over his former home and birthplace, Balbadd. This isn’t so much a suggestion or offer as it is an ultimatum. Koen has the power to destroy Balbadd, putting it solely under the Kou Empire’s rule, if Alibaba doesn’t comply.
His metal vessel users (Morgiana, Toto, and Olba because I almost forgot who the latter two were in their brief appearance this volume) don’t quite believe it, but they quickly realize the power play from the Kou Empire.
Sinbad shows his more ruthless side yet again in this sort of alliance, sort of cold war brewing between Sindria, Kou, and Leam. He reveals that one of his djinns, Zepar, has the ability for him to control up to three people by inserting its magoi into their brains, which doesn’t sound disgusting or very morally questionable at all. But this, as they say, is modern war.
It’s Kogyoku that’s the victim in it all, sort of spying on the Kou Empire—her own family—for the sake of Sinbad and Sindria. Someday, she’ll find out. And Sinbad’s toy of war will never forgive him. It’ll hurt only more that Alibaba, a now-former close ally of Sinbad, will likely be wed to Kogyoku, who was once in love with Sinbad, in what is only a political marriage.
The bulk of this volume of spent with Aladdin telling the story of Alma Tran, a parallel universe where the djinns and magis come from. It’s also where they parallel everything Ohtaka has been laying out with inherent discrimination (slaves to their masters, the Fanaris to humans, humans to magicians) in a much more explicit manner. No matter how much we try, we only have the point of view of our own race, social standing, income level, and so many other factors. But when we put it in some sort of “abstract,” like with manticores having human intelligence and with the ability to walk on two legs, it becomes much clearer.
There is no difference from humans taking intelligence away from manticores as there was with, say, never giving slaves education deserved of humans. The greatest gift is knowing what the fuck is being done unto you, and taking it away is the ultimate subjugation.
The Alma Tran story will, hopefully, serve as a cautionary tale for Sinbad, Koen, and Leam’s Mu Alexius. But human nature suggests thirst for power and their own hubris will be the deciding factor.
In Summary:
Magi weaves a tale not of rebellion anymore, but of war and treaties. There is a larger enemy to fight and everyone knows that, but there is also the matter of knowing how long this fragile treaty will last, if at all. It’s quite an interesting story to tell because of how politically inclined it can be, spending this whole volume without barely a mention of present day fighting (there is some in Aladdin’s story of Alma Tran, I guess). The balance Ohtaka creates, as well as the escalating scale of the involved parties without ever feeling overwhelming, is what keeps this manga constantly interesting.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: February 14, 2017
MSRP: $9.99
