The characters of Magi are USELESS: A discussion (Spoilers)

Jul 19, 2015 8:41 AM

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Jan 2011

229

Characters are supposed to drive a plot forward. So what happens when the characters of your show are not actually able to do that?

Here, both Alibaba and Aladdin stay their hands at key possible moments, leaving one-dimensional characters no longer useful to the plot alive. It's just rinse and repeat. Go some place, meet an evil enemy, beat him then not kill him, and leave. In the world Alibaba and Aladdin wanted to create, there's sure a lot of evil people not being dealt with…and that indeed rears its ugly head.

I am not really a fan of Judal and Kassim, but I have to respect their judgment of characters. Both Judal and Kassim sensed the utter shit the two main leads are. When Judal sees Aladdin he says "someone like him, a magi?" and cannot believe the rukh would make such a terrible choice. In addition, he is amazed when he senses Aladdin's equally terrible King's Candidate. When Aladdin sees Judal and says "He is someone I must defeat", Aladdin lacks the strength and resolve to do so on his own, so Ugo must come out and fight for him. Even then, Aladdin most likely would not allow Ugo to finish the job, leaving Judal alive and most likely ready to rise up again to kill him.

Like the saying "A fool and his money soon go separate ways", Kassim repeatedly uses of Alibaba and his status, coming into his family, using the tunnels to kill his father, installing him as the figurehead of the Fog Troupe not as his friend but because of his status. He then takes advantage of Alibaba's recent democracy to effect his own change. In all of these situations, it was as if Kassim was inviting Alibaba to kill him and seeing how far he could push the envelope. Whenever he wryly smiles, I imagine him saying, "I can't believe you let me get away with this you idiot". Indeed, we see in episode 15, where Kassim learns that Alibaba dethroned the king, he is at first surprised that a bumbling fool could achieve such a feat, and secondly is happy that his job has just become a lot easier. Wouldn't you want to fight an enemy who wouldn't kill you no matter what?

It is as Sinbad says: Alibaba is a useless twat without who lacks the confidence and resolve to do what needs to be done. Alibaba has a dream but is unable to achieve it and both he and Aladdin operate on borrowed power.

That said, I find it nearly impossible to root for the 2 main male leads and want to ask you guys what you think?

Feb 12, 2019 3:09 AM

Sargis

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Feb 2018

118

I really like this anime, but I agree with a lot of what you say.

I'm only on episode 17, and while I don't think Aladdin has ever been useless or hesitated to act when needed, Alibaba is guilty of this with literally EVERY fucking decision he makes, and half the time he doesn't even make the right decision or any decision at all. He slows the pacing of this show so much it's like the arc that never fucking ends. That's not to say it's bad, but I mean dam. So much airtime is given to Alibaba's drawn-out and repetitive internal struggles for every choice he makes, and each time is supposed to feel like he has grown as a character while simultaneously having an epic redeemed payoff scene. The 'epicness' they are aiming for with Alibaba is getting completely undermined by the 10 minutes of hesitation he goes through every time something occurs.

Feb 15, 2019 3:12 AM

Sargis

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Feb 2018

118

Ok so it kinda reversed in season 2.

Aladdin could do waay more than he chooses to. In a lot of arcs he is pretty useless, and waits so long before doing literally anything, especially during times when it's needed the most. Alibaba has definitely grown on me this season, and although he can still be pathetic at times, he does a lot more in fights now and his character isn't nearly as annoying as last season. In terms of character, he is probably more considerate and compassionate than Aladdin. I actually felt bad for him that episode he stowed away on the boat and they all talked shit about him, even though that episode was funny as hell. Seems like his boo Aladdin isn't as committed to him as Alibaba is for him. Poor Alibaba. He only glares like that because he's jealous all your attention goes to the girls and not him.

Feb 15, 2019 12:47 PM

Blu_Usagi

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Aug 2011

Ali baba is a terrible character, he is so hesitant, yet aladinn feels weird, he is strong as hell but nerfed the entre time.
In general the season feels incomplete. They don't fight a lot, must of the time they do a democrátic speech and that's all. Also every single episode a bunch of characters are introduced for NO apparent reason, must of them don't have a purpose.
They're just there. Don't bring up anything to the main plot or a secondary plot.
I watched Sinbad first and it has the same incomplete feeling. But with less characters, somehow it works because sinbad wants to be a king and make a country, it's something I can get, he needs to be peaceful as a king, but Ali baba seems lost in a sea full of genéric characters without a real purpose, idea or dream. Sinbad is the most interesting character of the seried with 7 unknown genies he never use, and it's just an example of every character, introduced as powerful forces but none of them moves a finger.
It's a shame to watch characters from 1001 nighs are taken and made fun of them, would prefer a real adaptation to the original story rather than this poor unoriginal and free version.
DreamWorks sinbad was beyond epic compared to this series.and it is just an old movie

Feb 16, 2019 12:56 AM

Sargis

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Feb 2018

118

Season 2 started off real strong, but got dull after about halfway through. Aladdin is seriously useless, and the fight scenes in the last episodes were kind of horrible. Way too much dialogue within the fights.. One move at a time, and then commentary during or after said move while everyone stands there and watches... The plot became very generic and I found myself dozing off during the last couple episodes.

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The characters of Magi are USELESS: A discussion (Spoilers)

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