“Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic” vol. 9 is an entertaining and humorous volume that takes a break from any dungeon hunting, major drama or action for now. But it’s also an important volume as the primary three characters receive major training that will benefit them from her on out. But also, the introduction of a a character who will be joining Alibaba, Aladdin and Morgiana on a mission.
Image courtesy of © 2009 Shinobu Ohtaka. All Rights Reserved.
MANGA TITLE: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic Vol. 10
STORY AND ART BY: Shinobu Ohtaka
FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Shogakukan
PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC/Shonen Sunday
RATED: T for Teen
RELEASE DATE: February 10, 2015
Sent to explore the dungeon known as Zagan, Aladdin and his friends have arrived on Tran Island. The mysterious Tran people are reluctant to help Aladdin defeat the dungeon, and it’s no wonder why – the ancient labyrinth seems to have a mind of its own! Overcoming Zagan will bring Aladdin face-to-face with old adversaries and some powerful and dangerous new foes.
As Alibaba, Aladdin and Morgiana ead to Sindria, they find out that the former king and viceroy of Balbadd have been exiled to Sindria.
They are accompanied by Hakuryuu Ken, the fourth prince in the Kou Empire and as they go to conquer their latest dungeon, they run into Zagan, the 61st Djinn who is intent of putting the four through ruthless tests.
But as Zagan singles out Hakuryuu Ken as the group’s weak link, Hakuryuu wants to prove his worth to the group and fight and prove he deserves to be alongside with them.
Will he pass Zagan’s test? Find out in volume 10 of “Magi: The Labyrinth”!
What is “Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic”?
When it comes to opportunities of becoming a manga writer/artist (mangaka), Shinobu Ohtaka’s story.
She has written about her story of how she became a manga artist, as a person who was the person who would sit quietly in the corner of class and was not really great at anything and often playing a supporting role. But if there was one thing that she was confident in, it was drawing pictures.
Her first year in high school, she was submitting manga manuscripts because it was her dream to become a manga author. And like many writers, her submissions were denied and this continued through high school and college. And when she was about to call it quits, she was given the opportunity to do a one-shot and it led to the creation of the series “Sumomo Momomo” in 2004 which would eventually become 22 volume manga series and also a 22-episode anime series.
After completing “Sumomo Momomo”, Shinobu then created “Magi” which would be serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday in 2009 and to this day, the series is till ongoing (currently, at 17 volumes) and an anime adaptation which was aired in Japan in Oct. 2012 – March 2013 and a new second season which has aired in Japan.
In volume 10 of “Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic”, the storyline shifts to a new adventure and a new person joining Aladdin, Alibagba and Morgania, with Hakuryuu Ken, the fourth prince of the Kou Empire.
But unlike the other three, Hakuryuu Ken is not the strongest, nor does he have any major fighting or magic skills. But yet, as the others lend him their help, his pride will not allow any of them to help.
But as they try to conquer the 61st Dungeon ruled by the Djinn named Zagan, Hakuryuu Ken must work as a team player or else he will not make it through.
The main characters of “Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic†are:
- Aladdin – A young magi who doesn’t know too much about himself or the outside world. But he’s kind and goodhearted and wants to protect the people he cares about. When he blows into a flute, a headless blue giant named Ugo comes out.
- Alibaba – A thief who appears to have a mysterious background that befriends Aladdin.
- Morgania – A slave who comes from a country of people known for their superior leg strength and speed. She is the slave of the tyrant, Lord Jamil.
- Amon – A djinn with fire elemental powers contained in Alibaba’s training sword.
- Sinbad – The King of Sindria and leader of the Alliance of the Seven Seas. He has sailed the seven seas and captured seven dungeons and is a master of seven djinn.
- Masrur – A Fanalis who works for Sinbad and trains Morgiana in hand to hand combat.
- Ja’far – A former assassin who becomes loyal to Sinbad.
- Hakuryuu Ren – The fourth prince in the Kou Empire who becomes an ally of Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgianna.
- Judar – An evil Magi working for Al-Thamen. Raised by Al-Thamen after the organization killed his parents
With volume 10, it’s time for Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgianna to beat another dungeon. But this time, they must team up with Hakuryuu Ken, the fourth prince of the Kou Empire, and the brother of Princess Kogyoku Ren.
But as soon as the four enter the dungeon, they are greeted with animals that want to eat them and a coldhearted Djinn named Zagan, who is intent of killing all four but picking on the weakest link, Hakuryuu Ken.
Because of his pride and not having any special abilities, his pride is preventing him from receiving help from his new friends, as he feels he needs to prove himself in battle.
But with Zagan putting the four through the deadliest tests they have ever took part in, will Hakuryuu Ken survive this dungeon? Or will he become a team player?
As with each volume, the story and artwork by Shinobu Ohtaka is enjoyable to read and see. He has his own art style and while backgrounds are not as prominent in Ohtaka’s work, it’s the close-ups and the ability to capture emotion that he does quite effectively but most importantly, it’s the storyline that he features that makes “Magi: The Labyrinth” so entertaining and addictive.
Overall, “Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic” vol. 10 is an entertaining and humorous volume but gets back to the action as the group are now in another dungeon hunting adventure, but their most difficult dungeon tests yet!
Will they survive Zagan’s tests? If you have been following the series for this long, “Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic” vol. 10 is another action-packed manga series that is recommended!