Magi as the New Madoka?

Today I watched the first three episodes of Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, a new series from A-1 Pictures. Coincidentally (or maybe not) Aniplex was responsible for the innovative Madoka Magica series as well. Now, the obvious connection these series share is their focus on children with magical powers. In and of itself, this isn't unique, but we're talking about A-1 Pictures here, a studio that continually churns out mega-hits (Madoka; Sword Art Online.) Does Magi have what it takes to become a mega-hit as well?

 

 I almost laughed when hearing this series was a take on the Aladdin stories, which most Americans in my demographic know from the ages old Disney animated film. While that film faded from my memory long ago, this latest Aniplex version will stick with me for some time. The Labyrinth of Magic is, aside from being fantastical and wacky like an adventure should be, a show about a magical boy. When's the last time those two words were mashed together? As I whimsically tweeted Crunchyroll earlier this evening, "Look out Madoka, magical boys are taking over!"


Lest I get ahead of myself here, let us remember that Puella Magi Madoka Magica was an original work by Aniplex, whereas The Labyrinth of Magic is based on a manga. As such, there's already a direction the story is going to take us, following in line with some of the mythos around the Arabian Nights tales. The potential is, to a large degree, already determined, assuming A-1 has chosen a good manga to adapt and faithfully does so. Since they apparently screwed up Sword Art Online and permanently crippled the narrative with abysmal pacing, it is not unreasonable to fear for Magi.

Do I think Magi can do for anime what Madoka did? I'm not sure. I still find the idea of magical boys an intriguing topic, though. Do they exist in anime? Taking into account the idea of mahou shojo as being "extremely girly," perhaps the equivalent can be found in a genre that is "extremely boyish," like giant robot anime. It sounds a bit abstract at first, but many giant robots transform the same way magical girls do, giving their users newly found power while wearing new suits to symbolize this strength (or possibly even deriving strength from these new costumes.) Shonen anime is the more obvious counter to mahou shojo, but I'm trying to think outside the box here. I'll keep working on my giant robot theory.

I'll be sure to tune in to Magi weekly. As revolutionary as Madoka can claim to be, there's one thing I appreciate about Magi even more: I enjoy it. Madoka deserves respect and appreciation, but I can't say that it is among my favorite anime, probably not even close. It's like comparing an art-house film to a feel-good Hollywood production. One is more high concept while the other is focused on more mainstream, less provocative entertainment; the simpler one is often easier to enjoy. We certainly need anime like Madoka in order to push creators towards greater ambitions, but Magi isn't any worse for being a tad more accessible. Let's see where our blue-haired Aladdin and blonde Alibaba take us.