Recap

Aladdin graduates as one of the top students in Magnostadt, but even he is outpaced by the mysterious Titus Alexius

Zigg’s Thoughts

I return! And I’m glad to say I return to a pretty great episode, as the show continues to find its feet in this middle segment and begin to lay some effective groundwork for what I hope will be more complex plots ahead. I’m glad to be back with Aladdin, because he’s a more interesting character than Alibaba and is in aa more interesting situation than Morgiana. Furthermore, this time we’re spared the training montages, instead indulging more in the Hogwarts-esque camaraderie that the magical academy setting naturally brings.

Of course, all that goes down the tubes pretty quickly once we meet Titus. I must admit, my first reaction to the character was pretty strongly negative. The preening pretty boy who’s better than everyone and yet also a huge bully is a pretty well worn character type, and while he’s extremely hateable, it’s not in a very engaging way. Furthermore, also making him an ultra-feminine bishounen is pretty lazy as well. However, the twist at the end of the episode completely overturns this, and it’s actually pretty good writing to make him seem so jerkish initially as it makes the reveal that much more dramatic.

I’d also like to commend the decision to leave his identity somewhat ambiguous for the few minutes until Scheherazade shows up. While you might only think he’s a Magi for a few minutes, it’s just a cool little way to string out the uncertainty a bit longer. With that said, I’m still think it’s pretty obevious he’s not all human either. Sure, Sphintus refers to the fact he’s from an illustrious bloodline, but Scheherazade mentions his mission ‘is the reason he was bought into this world’. Given the red herring of rukh surrounding him, I’d take a stab that he’s a creature of pure magical origin, which would also explain the need for power limiters. We’ll wait and see, but this looks to be a fruitful new story arc.

The other major reason I enjoyed this episode was the central fight, which might be the best battle in Magi. The series uncorks its Dragon Ball genes to give us all the coolest and goofiest stuff that you want – flying through the air, giant fireballs and ridiculous powerups. Granted, there’s probably a bit too much “Aha! This is what my attack is about to do to you!” dialogue, but the payoff is that the fight tells a story as the two magicians feel each other out.  like the idea that Aladdin wins because he’s smart enough to combine his magical and physical abilities too. It also establishes magicians can’t just stomp over pure physical fighters, which I suspect will be a useful get out when the inevitable battle royale takes place.

Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable episode, and perhaps the first time I feel season 2 has stepped up to the standard of the original series, combining fast, loose and funny character work with awesome battles and some decent below-the-surface plot work. It’s taken a little while but I’m back on board.

Random Observations

• It’s a super cheap gag but I’ll admit I laughed at Aladdin trying to grope Titus.
• The flashback to the time of Solomon is interesting but (deliberately) frustratingly vague. I’m not sure how good an idea it is to actually show that stuff – it’s often more powerful to leave it unseen.
• Aladdin’s explanation for how he can fly makes a surprising amount of sense.
• Titus looks way, way too much like Alibaba.