(L) Magi the labyrinth of magic [anime]

[hawkeyesvn]

Originally Posted by ZGoten

I didn't say anything then. :X

Don't worry, back in the ancient times like Magi's world, 13yo is enough to marry legally

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

I'm with Kazu-kun. Morgiana was more than able to support an episode herself. Her internal voyage from slave to free has been interesting enough so far. Her quest for her homeland, and whether or not it goes ahead. Her true nature. Her relationships with her friends (two pairs). Her voicing by Tomatsu Haruka. And those massive legs...

Dem thighs

[Pacify]

Ahhh good old Mor. Even though i enjoyed the episode, I cant help feel it was extremely rushed. Or perhaps it was simply you can never have enough Morgiana

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Westlo

Dem thighs

Will Morgiana grow to be like Chun Li? te he he

[monir]

Originally Posted by ZGoten

I didn't say anything then. :X

Considering the time-line this story reflects, I say you are safe to "love" her as long as the love out-dates the Victorian Romance by a thousand years, give or take. At age 14, she is practically couple of years older than her marriage-age and missed out on a couple of babies (or miscarriages.)

Very good episode. The villains in this show makes me cringe. I know I would've lost it if anything happened to that adorable loli.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by ogon_bat

Will Morgiana grow to be like Chun Li? te he he

Regular Chun Li? Sure. This one? NOPE NOPE NOPE

[monir]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Regular Chun Li? Sure. This one? NOPE NOPE NOPE

lol...

The German subtitle cracked me up so much. I think THAT Chun Li should have spoken in German to stay in character with her muscle mass.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by monir

Considering the time-line this story reflects, I say you are safe to "love" her as long as the love out-dates the Victorian Romance by a thousand years, give or take. At age 14, she is practically couple of years older than her marriage-age and missed out on a couple of babies (or miscarriages.)

Very good episode. The villains in this show makes me cringe. I know I would've lost it if anything happened to that adorable loli.

I have to say the angle really sold the "holy crap" feeling for that scene. While rationally I knew that Morgiana would do something, they definitely had me in the moment there.

Some real jerks for villains in this series. Mr. "hey I'm going to stab the only people keeping me alive", Mr. "let's start a war for lols", and Mr. "feed them to whatever." Certainly makes the victories satisfying.

[monir]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

Some real jerks for villains in this series. Mr. "hey I'm going to stab the only people keeping me alive", Mr. "let's start a war for lols", and Mr. "feed them to whatever." Certainly makes the victories satisfying.

Very satisfying indeed. I know anything less than splat by a massive hand for episode 5 villain would have been outrageous. I cheered after gazing at his mangle body. That said, the certain kind of raw emotional build up toward villains were very typical in literature for that time period. This show reminds me how much I used to hate reading classic literature that was forced on me when I was young. Nonetheless, the portrayal in those literature was very effective at highlighting the evil a human being can inflict on another human being.

[Kirarakim]

I hate the villains of this series so far as in not love to hate but hate the writing.

But the female characters continue to impress. If I wasn't sold on Morgiana before, she completely won me over in this episode. I also liked those two other girls we met and hope to see them again. But props to Magi for the awesome ladies we've seen so far.

Now just to hope there will be some better villains.

Edit: Just read through this thread and saw I should expect better from the villains (okay you guys got my expectations up now )

And yeah those back stories would have helped a bit. I think I will take the advice and read the first two volumes of the manga. I will have a long flight to Japan so that will be the perfect time to read it.

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by aohige

You're entitled to your opinion, but I'm still going to call out the village with pitchforks, a woodden crucifix, and torches.

*BURN THIS HEATHEN ALIVE!*

You'll never take me!

*sharpens his sword*

Originally Posted by Westlo

I love Mor but I have to agree that she's more suited to a be a "Scottie Pippen" than a MJ. But still this was obviously needed for her character.

Yeah I mean I like her character, but since she isn't the most demonstrative character I feel it's a bit awkward when she's the main character. At least compared to Alibaba and Aladdin who seem to be quite the opposite, it felt like a weird change to me.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I disagree. Her internal conflict is interesting enough and coupled with her ass-kicking skills it makes for an extremely enjoyable episode imo.

Well for me it felt a bit like going through the motions. Probably the condensing of the manga (From what I hear) doesn't help here. Morgiana does kick ass and I have nothing against her internal conflict, but the events playing on screen were just not that interesting for me.

I mean if you compare Aladdin's arc to this episode, I felt like a lot more transpired there than here. We got a lot of world building, and more insight into Aladdin's situation. Here it was just an affirmation of the goal she already set out for herself, and some fights with generic fodder villains.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Reckoner

I mean if you compare Aladdin's arc to this episode, I felt like a lot more transpired there than here. We got a lot of world building, and more insight into Aladdin's situation. Here it was just an affirmation of the goal she already set out for herself, and some fights with generic fodder villains.

This episode was just meant to properly introduce Morgiana's character so it's pretty unreasonable to expect more than that from it. The first few episodes only introduced Aladdin and Alibaba and didn't hint to any larger plot either, right? This episode was like that.

Still, it did have some hints to a larger plot. Didn't they say in one of the first scenes that there's something going on in Balbad. Heck, The little girl that Morgiana saved said her family was fleeing from Balbad when they were captured by the slave traders. And the increase of thieves and other criminals was attributed to Balbad's situation too.

So, there's something seriously wrong going on in Balbad, so much so that some families are running away from the city and other cities in the area are being negatively affected by the situation. And we learned all that in this episode, so it did a little more than just "reaffirm Morgiana's goals".

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

I hate the villains of this series so far as in not love to hate but hate the writing.

Somehow whether writing a script from scratch or doing an adaptation Hiroyuki Yoshino always manages to portray the most mustache twirling black evil villains imaginable with pretty much nothing in the way of sympathetic traits whatsoever. It's something that might have worked better in the 70s, but in this day and age where people expect some substance from antagonists, even if it's just gray area moralizing for the villains actions it's something of a justifiable criticism. Probably the most noticeable shortcoming of anything he's involved in for me besides rampant sexualization of characters we're expected to take seriously.

Fortunately I'd say Magi is getting off easy compared to how it would be if he wrote the series from scratch if his track record is anything to go by at all.

[RainbowMagnet]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

Somehow whether writing a script from scratch or doing an adaptation Hiroyuki Yoshino always manages to portray the most mustache twirling black evil villains imaginable with pretty much nothing in the way of sympathetic traits whatsoever. It's something that might have worked better in the 70s, but in this day and age where people expect some substance from antagonists, even if it's just gray area moralizing for the villains actions it's something of a justifiable criticism. Probably the most noticeable shortcoming of anything he's involved in for me besides rampant sexualization of characters we're expected to take seriously.

Fortunately I'd say Magi is getting off easy compared to how it would be if he wrote the series from scratch if his track record is anything to go by at all.

They were already like that in the manga though. Early evil villains in Magi were a joke. Fortunately they get better, starting with the next one actually.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

This episode was just meant to properly introduce Morgiana's character so it's pretty unreasonable to expect more than that from it. The first few episodes only introduced Aladdin and Alibaba and didn't hint to any larger plot either, right? This episode was like that.

I don't think this was an introduction episode though. We already got properly introduced to Morgiana in episode two or three (sorry forgot which one). If anything it was more like a mini-arc of character development, so comparing it against the first episode would be stupid.

Comparing it with Alladin's arc is the more logical option. And this episode does pale a bit in comparison.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by RainbowMagnet

I don't think this was an introduction episode though. We already got properly introduced to Morgiana in episode two or three (sorry forgot which one). If anything it was more like a mini-arc of character development, so comparing it against the first episode would be stupid.

No, it was an introduction episode. Before this episode Morgiana was still just Jamil's slave. We didn't know anything about her character beyond her longing for freedom. We didn't know her mindset, what kind or person she is. Is she kindhearted? Is she cruel? What kind of things enrage her, etc... We learned all that in this episode, and it wasn't all that different than the first episode, when we learned similar things about Alibaba.

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by RainbowMagnet

They were already like that in the manga though. Early evil villains in Magi were a joke. Fortunately they get better, starting with the next one actually.

Also Yoshino didn't even write the last 3 episodes... But hes back next ep! Get hype!

But yeah even though the anime left some things out for 2 of the 3 shown so far they were nothing more than intro villains, real shit starts now.

[Kaioshin Sama]

I kind of get where Reckoners coming from about Morgianna cause I kind of suggested the same thing. Basically I think its a matter of the dialogue she and Aladdin have been given being a little more simplistic then Ali Babas who I think we both share as the favorite of the three so far. Then again he seems a little older and world wise compared to Al and Moe's childlike naive but goodhearted nature. Just made his bits a little more interesting by comparison is all.


Anyway while I enjoyed seeing Mor punch things in terms of the women in this show I'm much more interested in seeing more of Hakuei. Theres just something about an elegant warrior princess throwing down for justice that is an instant attention grabber for me.

[Kazu-kun]

Alibaba is my favorite character as well, and the anime hasn't even started properly with him yet. Still, I always enjoy whatever solo bit Morgiana can get. The simplicity of her characterization can be really compelling imo (and I don't mean her ass-kicking skills btw).

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Tempest35

I'm gonna call Morgiana 'Shadow Skill' if she keeps this up... The way her legs tense up before she blasts off reminds me of Elle Ragu's thing.

Morgiana really reminds me of Shadow Skill too, specially of the OVA epilogue when they reveal that the Shadow Skill fighting style was created by female slaves. I loved that OVA so much, and maybe that's part of the reason I like Mor as much as do.

[RainbowMagnet]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

No, it was an introduction episode. Before this episode Morgiana was still just Jamil's slave. We didn't know anything about her character beyond her longing for freedom. We didn't know her mindset, what kind or person she is. Is she kindhearted? Is she cruel? What kind of things enrage her, etc... We learned all that in this episode, and it wasn't all that different than the first episode, when we learned similar things about Alibaba.

Okay, let's say that it was an introduction episode. Even if it was, that doesn't mean that we can't expect more of it. Take Alladin's arc for ecample. Looking at it differently you could say that this was also an introduction episode, because we got introduced to one of the Kou princesses. We get to know her while still having room for a lot of other things. Just because it's an introduction episode, doesn't mean that nothing other than that can happen.

Originally Posted by Westlo

Also Yoshino didn't even write the last 3 episodes... But hes back next ep! Get hype!

Nooo..

Just in time for Baldadd too.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by RainbowMagnet

Just because it's an introduction episode, doesn't mean that nothing other than that can happen.

The main propose of the episode is to show what makes the character tick. Anything else might be a plus, but is not a necessity. What this episode was meant to do, it did it extremity well.