Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic is an anime that loosely adapts several tales from Antoine Galland's translation of One Thousand and One Nights, following the exploits of Aladdin, Alibaba and their friends as they find themselves journeying the world to conquer treasure-holding dungeons and rise empires.
It's been eight years since the anime ended and while a good portion of the manga remains to be adapted, there's still plenty to read and watch for anyone on the hunt for a series that's rife with adventure and treasure-hunts. Here's how to get started with the fantasy adventure series known as Magi.
The Plot of Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Magi is set in an extensive, alternate reimagining of the ancient world, with fictionalized locations that parallel the ancient Middle-East, Imperial China, and other world powers of ancient times. After the appearance of mysterious towers called Dungeons began appearing across the world, many would try their hands at conquering them and the Djinns that guard them, with the hopes of attaining wealth and power through magic.
The story begins 14 years later, when Alibaba Saluja joins forces with the mysterious young magi Aladdin to take on the remaining Dungeons together and change the world. The pair find themselves exploring new lands, battling Djinns, collecting friends along the way, all as their hunt for treasure and greatness becomes a mission to maintain the balance of the world.
Where to Read the Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic Manga
Magi was created in 2009 by Shinobu Ohtaka, with the manga running in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine until the series' completion in 2017. The manga has since been bundled into 37 volumes and received the 59th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shonen category.
Digital editions of the manga are available through the Viz Media website, with each volume set at $6.99. The Viz website also offers free previews for every volume, ranging from 2o-55 pages each. Other retailers that carry the digital manga include the Google Play store with volumes priced at $6.99, iBooks at $6.99, Kindle/Comixology at $6.29, and Barnes & Noble at $6.49.
Fans looking to add physical volumes of Magi to their collection also have a variety of shops to choose from. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million have volumes starting at $9.99. Bookshop has the manga starting at $9.19. Currently, there don't appear to be any special collector's sets or editions of the manga available for purchase.
Where to Watch the Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic Anime
Magi's anime adaptation spans across two seasons, each comprising 25 episodes. Season 1 is titled Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, with Season 2 called Magi: The Kingdom of Magic. Fans looking to watch the anime have a few different options at their disposal.
Both seasons of the anime are available to stream on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Netflix. Fans looking to add the series to their anime collection have two complete Blu-ray box sets to choose from, one for each season.
The Magi the Labyrinth of Magic Complete Box Set Blu-Ray is available for $119.98 at Right Stuf, though as of this writing the listing is out of stock. Right Stuf also has the Magi The Kingdom of Magic Complete Box Set Blu-ray available for the same price. Amazon has the first box set available for $199, and the second is available starting at $139.51.
Though there hasn't been any news about the rest of the manga being adapted into additional seasons, Magi did lead to a spinoff prequel, Magi: Adventure of Sinbad. The spinoff follows the swashbuckling eponymous character, taking place thirty years before the events of Magi as Sinbad ventures on the high seas and builds his renowned reputation. Unfortunately, the series hasn't been released to Western audiences for stream or purchase.
The OVA premiered in Japan in 2014, with each of its five episodes bundled with the release of different manga volumes. The 13-episode anime followed in 2016 and was streaming on Netflix until it was pulled last year, following the expiration of distribution rights. Hopefully it will return, or find a new home on a different streaming service for western fans to enjoy.
