Manga Review: Magi: Labyrinth of Magic, Volume 26, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2017

Volumes: 37.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 25. 27.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An epic dungeon-busting adventure inspired by One Thousand and One Nights!

Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their riches, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

Gyokuen, the current Empress of Kou, continues to drive much of the turmoil that has upset the balance of power among nations. Alibaba and Aladdin head for the Kou Empire to try to speak to Hakuryu, but their friend has become one of the Fallen, consumed by his thirst for revenge. What now will become of the Kou Empire and of the world?

Review:

We get the end of Hakuryu's battle with Gyokuen, and it's rough. As it ends, we see that Hakuryu has fallen too far to come back. Aladdin and Alibaba have a hard time accepting this, though. Alibaba taps into a new level of power as he takes on Hakuryu, determined not to let him do this. It's interesting to see Aladdin on par with Judar during this.

It's a little hard to follow some of the fighting here, especially once they undergo the transformations. And it's a lot of fighting in this volume. I have an idea what the outcome will be, but who knows.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Magi: Labyrinth of Magic, Volume 25, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2017

Volumes: 37.

Spoilers?: Yes.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 24. 26.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An epic dungeon-busting adventure inspired by One Thousand and One Nights!

The three nations of Sindria, Leam and the Kou Empire now ponder the story of Alma Tran as told by Aladdin. The tragedy of that fallen world has lessons for all, but disagreements among these powerful countries could mean tragedy might happen all over again! Then, shocking news arrives from the east—a new power is rising in the Kou Empire!

Review:

While everyone was holed up in one spot getting a history lesson, they're still debating what side to take and what to do next, when they get the news that someone else was working to take control. Yep, Judar informs them that he's been working with Hakuryu, to overthrow the Kou empire. They've collected a following, and they're ready to kill the dictator-like queen, it seems.

I find it funny that all of this has been happening in the background, while everyone was getting a history lesson from Aladdin. It gives Alibaba a reason to make a quick decision on what side to take and what to do about it, though.

I'm only, like, kind of paying attention to this series. I'm very behind, and I keep forgetting I have it to read. I think it's too high-fantasy for me, when I originally thought I would enjoy it.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Volume 24, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: June 2017

Volumes: 37.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 23. 25.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An epic dungeon-busting adventure inspired by One Thousand and One Nights!

Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their secrets, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

The saga of the lost world of Alma Tran continues. Solomon readies for a final battle against his father David, but the fate of the world may already be set. Solomon and his comrades confront the ultimate power in this universe in a bid to prevent the apocalypse. And as everything begins to fall apart, Ugo puts a desperate plan in motion--if this world cannot be saved, perhaps there can be hope for the next...

Review: 

It appears that we've finally come to the conclusion of the history lesson. We see what the fight has led to, what Solomon was forced to do. It's rather controversial, what his decision is, and whether it was the right one. As with everything, some people agree and other loudly protest. It leads to more problems, sometimes, more pressure for the people who have to follow it.

And then we see how Aladdin comes into play, and where he's actually from. We learn that he's got a deeper background than he lets on, and that he probably knows a lot more than most would think.

I'm not really feeling this series most of the time, and this plot has been going for too long. But I guess I'm along for the ride, either way.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Volume 23, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2017

Volumes: 37.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 22. 24.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An epic dungeon-busting adventure inspired by One Thousand and One Nights!

Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their secrets, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

Aladdin tells the story of the fallen Alma Tran. In the distant past, in another world, humanity struggled to survive an onslaught of monsters, but once united against them, human sorcerers became as bad as the enemies they once fought. Solomon himself struggled to lead humanity up out of the darkness it had created, but with every victory comes sacrifice…

Review:

We continue the back story of the world in this volume. I'm actually quite surprised by how long this arc is lasting; it goes through this whole volume and ends in a cliffhanger.

There's a lot of fighting in this volume; there are a couple of small fights, then a big one starts between the resistance magicians and between the other species. They still can't seem to agree on being equal between species, but above that, they want a king to follow, and Soloman refuses to be that for a long time. Finally, he's forced to agree to being King Soloman, just before they go into the final battle between the church and the resistance. Though this all leads to the cliffhanger, where they are tricked into thinking they're safe. (Dun-dun-DUN!)

These volumes are actually kind of boring and long to me? I'm sorry, I'm just having a hard time getting into this series. I don't mind it, and I like some of the character development and humor, but a lot of it just doesn't hit me. It's just meh.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Volume 22, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: February 2017

Volumes: 35+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 21. 23.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An epic dungeon-busting adventure inspired by One Thousand and One Nights!

Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their secrets, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

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 their 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 the Alma Tran!

Review:

Alibaba is shown what Ren is really planning and what he intends to do. And Alibaba is forced to make a choice, on whether to follow Ren and help Balbadd or be on Sindria's side. Halfway through the volume, Aladdin shows up and gives a history lesson regarding a different world that started down the same path they're on. It seems dark and going in a bad direction, but we shall see.

I'm honestly surprised that I'm not more into this series. I didn't start from beginning, and I haven't been following it very well. But even just reading these solo volumes, I don't really care. It seemed like something I would like, but just meh, mostly.

I've got several more of this series to read, so we'll see. Maybe it'll grow on me.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Volume 21, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2016

Volumes: 35+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 19. 22.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Inspired by the stories of Sinbad and One Thousand and One Nights, Aladdin and Alibaba fight epic battles, journey to far-off lands, and search for the secrets of King Solomon and the mysterious dungeons.

Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their riches, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

Now that the battle for Magnoshutatt is over, Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgiana return to Sindria. Familiar faces welcome them, as well as a few surprising characters! As a larger conflict with the Kou Empire looms, the various sides agree to a world summit. But before that, Alibaba returns to Balbadd to find that things in his homeland have changed drastically.

Review:

The gang reunites for a short time in this volume, with some even older characters. There's much teasing, and even a little lying to appear more mature.

Then Alibaba and his younger gang of followers depart, and Morgiana tags along as well. There's some rather big misunderstandings between Alibaba and Morgiana, and it causes some self-esteem loss for Alibaba. And then they arrive in Alibaba's home town, and everything is different, which makes him uneasy. It's interesting to see how Alibaba handles it, and how he decides to do something about it.

I'm not all that into this series, and I'm only vaguely following along. Aside from the main plot, though, I don't mind the characters, and the humor is all right, and I think the art style fits the humor rather well.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Magi: The Labrynth of Magic, Volume 19, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 9, 2016

Volumes: 30+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 17. 20.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their riches, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

Magomett, the leader of Magnoshutatt, learns that the Kou Empire plans to attack while the city is weak from fighting against Leam. In desperation, he uses the Magoi Reactor to create a terrifying blackness in the sky. The very essence of the world is now threatened and Aladdin must summon his most powerful allies to try to stop it!

Review:

I've missed a few volumes, but it looks like we're still with the wizards, and their leader, only things have gotten more complicated and more dire. Now he's ruling over more than one group, has access to others, and needs to make a decision to save them. But he's very clearly biased heavily toward the wizards.

There's some backstory to what made him this way, as well as a few sweet moments between the main cast, and some truth reveals. Quite of bit of fighting and djinn stuff going on as well. And then we reach the end, with a group of members showing up, and clearly more is going to go down before this plot gets concluded.

If I were following this series more, I know this would be a lot more enjoyable. I'm having a hard time with this purely because I have no idea what's going on, and little idea of who any of the characters are. I should definitely read through the series, though.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Magi: The Labrynth of Magic, Volume 17, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 12, 2016

Volumes: 29+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 13. 18.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their riches, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

Aladdin continues his training in Magnoshutatt, but the situation there is difficult. Magomett’s goal is the creation of a country of magicians free of interference from normal humans. Aladdin and his friend Titus are against this, but there is little they can do. When war breaks out between Magnoshutatt and Leam, Aladdin and Titus must choose a side to fight on, and the choice won’t be an easy one.

Review:

I’m still sure that if I really followed this series, I would be a fan. It definitely seems like something I would love.

I missed a few volumes, so we jump into this one with Aladdin at a magician school, learning the history of magicians and humans from a very biased teacher. The teacher emphasizes that humans are the ones who seek power and control and overtake things, whereas magicians want knowledge. Soon we learn, though, that the teacher looks down on humans.

There are some interesting revelations about the school, as well as Aladdin’s friend Titus. And then war starts.

I was a little lost in this, but the storyline was interesting. I was hoping to see more of Morgiana and the other characters, but that’s okay. It looks like Alibaba will be showing up soon. It seems like Aladdin is a lot smarter than he looks for his age.

This is an intriguing series, and I do hope to catch up with it at some point.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Magi: The Labrynth of Magic, Volume 13, by Shinobu Ohtaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 11, 2015

Volumes: 26+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 12. 14.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Aladdin, Morgiana, Hakuryu and Kogyoku each leave Sindria on their own quests. For the first leg of their journey, they will all be aboard the same ship, and Alibaba can’t resist stowing away on it too. The high seas are dangerous though, and an encounter with pirates will lead them on a journey they never expected to take…

Review:

I’ve been wanting to read this series for a while, but just haven’t gotten around to picking it up. But now it’s definitely high on my list.

Admittedly, since I haven’t read any of the previous books nor seen the anime, there wasn’t very much of a synopsis for the characters or story. I was more or less just thrown into the story, but thankfully it was pretty easy to follow.

The characters are all in an in-between phase at the beginning, about to head off on their own. We see some new friendships forming, some closer bonds, as well as the characters having to say goodbye for now. Alibaba and the group make up with much teasing (though I don’t know what they were fighting about), Morgiana and Hakuryu have a bit of a shy flirtation going on (mostly from Hakuryu, though, who gets adorably embarrassed around her). Aladdin is a pretty happy kid, among all this.

In the second half of the book, the group gets attacked by pirates, and that ends with a cliffhanger that I’m actually quite interested to see where goes. They’re fighting a hypnotizing mother character, which is disconcerting. Through all that, though, I’m impressed by all of their fighting abilities and magic use (particularly Morgiana and Hakuryu). They also stay underwater during a fight much longer than I think is humanly possible, but maybe that’s just me.

Overall, this volume has me more excited to catch up with the series. The artwork is really pretty, the comedy is fitting and almost cartoon exaggerated, but in a good way. I like all the characters and am interested to get to know them fully.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, and Erik Jansen from MediaLab PR. Thank you so, so much!