Manga / Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic

aka: Magi Labyrinth Of Magic

"My king... O great magician... I will grant your wish... Whether it be vast wealth, rule over millions of stars, or eternal life. Tell me then... What is your wish?"

— Opening Lines

An Arabian Nights-themed manga by Shinobu Ohtaka, the author of Sumomo Mo Momo Mo. The manga ran in Weekly Shonen Sunday from 2009 to 2017, for a total of 369 chapters that were compiled into 37 volumes.

Aladdin is a traveler in a new world. He has a magic flute that summons a huge, muscular Djinn named Ugo. Ugo tosses aside any threats to Aladdin and whomever Aladdin is trying to protect. In Aladdin’s travels, he meets a young man named Alibaba Saluja, who dreams of getting filthy rich by dungeon diving. In the world of Magi, dungeons periodically appear out of nowhere; mysterious, seemingly extra-dimensional spaces, full of monsters, traps, and fabulous treasures. Alibaba sees Ugo in action, and realizing that Ugo would mitigate a lot of the dangers, Alibaba quickly decides to befriend Aladdin and persuades him to go dungeon diving and capture the dungeon together. Aladdin tells Alibaba that he wants to learn about himself, the world, metal vessels, djinns, and much more. Alibaba promises Aladdin that they would go on an adventure after capturing the dungeon. Thus, the journey of Aladdin and Alibaba begins!

As they charge into unknown peril, encountering allies and powerful foes, Aladdin and Alibaba learn from their encounters from other djinn and people.

An anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures written by Hiroyuki Yoshino, with music by Shiro Sagisu and directed by Koji Masunari aired as a part of the Fall 2012 season, with a second season airing in Fall 2013. American viewers may watch this at Crunchyroll. The English dub of the first season is being broadcast on Neon Alley. A spin off series based around Sinbad written by Ohtaka and drawn by Yoshifumi Ohtera, titled Magi: Adventure of Sinbad, was published from 2013-2018 on the Shogakukan ONE manga app and had its own anime adaptation aired in Spring 2016. Both series stream worldwide on Netflix.

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This series provides examples of:

A-F

• Actually Pretty Funny: Morgiana pays no attention to Aladdin's childish antics, but gives a small laugh when he makes a particularly dopey imitation of her horrid master.
• A-Cup Angst: Pisti. Even Aladdin doesn't believe she's actually 18 from the size of her boobs.
• The Alliance: Sinbad's Alliance of the Seven Seas and all of his other unofficial allies, including our heroes. At this point the Alliance is the major force of good in the Magi world, by opposing Al-Thamen.
• All Issues Are Political Issues: Social and political issues are treated with surprising realism. The Good Prince getting an audience with his selfish brother the king amounts to nothing since he has no authority the brother can't override and is simply thrown out of the chamber. But at the same time, said brother having some of his guards killed as a test of some new bodyguards turns the rest of them against him when the chips are down. If he's willing to casually murder their coworkers and friends, they have no reason to believe they won't be next if he stays in power.
• All-Loving Hero:
  • Aladdin is a kind Kid Hero who believes in the inherent goodness of everyone he meets until proven otherwise. When he does get mad though, look out.
  • Sinbad is shown to be similarly idealistic and accepting, judging from the glimpses we get of his past. For example, he befriended Ja'far, who had been an assassin sent to kill him. Hell, his entire country is evidence of his magnanimous and magnetic nature. Now that he's king, however, he has seen the darker side of humanity too many times to realistically believe that everyone can be turned good. He shows no mercy to Al-Thamen.
  • Alibaba grows up to be one of the best examples in the series.
• All Your Powers Combined: Courtesy of Koumei, a Finishing Move made by using all the Extreme Magics of every existing Metal Vessel against the Medium. That means Alibaba, the Kou Royal Family, Muu, Ignatius Alexius, the members of the Seven Seas Alliance and Sinbad. It. Is. Awesome.
• And the Adventure Continues: The last chapter ends with Alibaba, Aladdin, and company setting off for new adventures now that the world has changed.
• Anguished Declaration of Love: In Chapter 132, properly called "Confession". And just 2 pages into the next chapter it became a proposal!
• Apocalypse How: Al-Thamen's goal is to summon their "father", the god Ill Ilah, so he can create a Class X. Alma Torran may have suffered a Class X-4.
• "Arabian Nights" Days
• Armor-Piercing Question: Titus gets one from Mogamett, who asks if his desire to save Marga comes from altruism, or if he just wants to feel better about himself.
• Arranged Marriage: Very usual on the setting, while so far it has happened to or been brought up only between royals and nobles, it's quite possible that common people also have arranged marriages.
• Art Shift: To a more sketchy, much less defined style when something particularly surprising has happened, usually of the absolutely hilarious variety.
• Assimilation Plot:
  • Kouen and Koumei's plan for the world — to eliminate any kind of ideology different to theirs and avoid the vicious circle of starting wars to stop wars.
  • Sinbad has a similar goal of making everyone his ally, even if he has to use underhanded schemes.
• Asskicking Leads to Leadership: This is invoked with all the nobodies who become great through dungeon diving.
• Authority Equals Asskicking: Royalty who conquer dungeons.
• Backstory: The Adventures of Sinbad is this for Sinbad, his generals, and Yunan to some extent.
• Badass Crew: Sinbad and his Eight Generals. Also, Reim's Fanalis Corps.
• Badass Family: The Kou Royal Family. Also to a lesser extent the royal families of Imuchakk, Sasan, Heliohapt and Artemyra.
• Balcony Speech: Sinbad's Rousing Speech to Balbadd.
• Barbie Doll Anatomy: Averted in Chapter 25. Our Genies Are Different alright... they have nipple rings.
• Barefoot Captives: The reason Morgiana Prefers Going Barefoot is because she got used to being barefoot during her time as Jamil's slave.
• The Beautiful Elite: The Kou Royal Family. Sindria's Eight Generals count as well, though not all of them are royal-born.
• Beauty Equals Goodness:
  • For the most part, the heroes of the conflicts and some of the morally ambiguous, potential Heel Face Turners are really good looking while most of the bad guys are Gonks, which only gets worse with more heinous deeds.
  • Averted with Gyokuen Ren, Jamil, Judar, Umm Madaura, and even members of Al-Thamen, like Dunya and Ithnan.
• Berserk Button:
  • Don't ever try to badmouth Sinbad in front of Ja'far.
  • Don't refuse help from Morgiana. Or tell her that she should Stay in the Kitchen. Every time this happens, she stomps her foot, breaks the floor, and does something outrageous.
  • Never, never, hurt someone loved by a member of the Ren Family...
  • Don't threaten to kill Aladdin. Ugo will go above and beyond to end you before that happens. Judar learns this the hard way.
• Big Bad: Ren Gyokuen/Arba, who leads Al Thamen in order to bring Il Ilah to the world and end it. Later completely twisted around: Il Ilah is not a malevolent entity per se, Arba is forced to perform a Hazy-Feel Turn and actually resort to arguing like the protagonists, and the final opponent ends up being David Jeohahaz Abraham, who has assimilated Il Ilah since long ago.
• BFS: Muu summons one to destroy Magnostadt just to be stopped by Alibaba.
• Big Brother Instinct: Kouen's best trait is that he respects and cares for his siblings above everything else. He was the one who trained Kougyoku and it's implied he helped Kouha conquer his dungeon. And when Kouha was injured by the Dark Djinn, he did a Big Damn Heroes and the first thing he did upon seeing Kouha was heal his arm.
• Big Damn Heroes: Often and usually very awesome.
• Big Good: Ostensibly Sinbad, although there are instances when it's implied that he might be manipulating people like Alibaba and Kougyoku; as he's a Knight Templar if it comes down to stopping Al-Thamen. Also, King Solomon was the Big Good within Alma Torran; and Al-Thamen remembers him as such, even calling the White Rukh "Solomon's Rukh".
• Bit Part Bad Guys: The Nando brothers just pop up here and there causing trouble for our protagonists.
• The Blank: Symbolic example. When Alibaba meets his father, the King of Balbadd, his face (and hands) are shown as blank darkness. Later, on his deathbed, Alibaba finally asks the King if he ever really loved Alibaba's mother; when he confirms that he did, his face is suddenly revealed.
• Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: The three main characters until Hakuryuu came into the picture.
• Bodyguarding a Badass: Households for dungeon conquerors. The most extreme examples would be the Eight Generals for Sinbad and Hakuei's Kouga Cavalry.
• Bodyguard Crush: Muu towards Scheherazade, especially since he had known her since he was a young child.
• Body Horror: Dear sweet goodness, what in the hell happened to that man?
• Both Sides Have a Point: The final arc presents a dilemma between Aladdin and Sinbad, one concerning the free will of the Rukh. Sinbad postures that the Rukh will never truly be free as long as there are higher beings, and wishes to use the rest of his world in order to beat them. Aladdin knows that, but his problem is that the Rukh is separated thanks to Solomon's old system; his goal is to break down the distinctions between the white Rukh and black Rukh. Alibaba, on his part because he experienced both dimensions, agrees with both points.
• Bread and Circuses: Somehow. The Reim Empire got a Circus, Magnostadt people got Bread.
• Brick Joke: In a deleted extra from Volume 9, the somewhat geeky Yamraiha admits that she doesn't know how to talk to men, so Pisti recommends she just date another wizard. Over 100 chapters later, Yam is (literally) drooling over Yunan because of his magical abilities.
• Breaking the Fellowship: Happens a lot, the first time is by force, the next time was so Aladdin and Alibaba could go train and Morgiana could visit her home, though her journey turned into a training trip as well.
• Butterfly of Death and Rebirth: The Rukh are actually supposed to be small, glowing birds, but they look an awful lot like butterflies.
• Cain and Abel: Though not related by blood, Alibaba and Cassim can be seen as this. And also, Balbadd's two princes Abhmad and Sabhmad Saluja.
• Card-Carrying Villain: Al-Thamen.
• Cast from Hit Points: Trying to wield too much Magoi is dangerous, as it starts eating away at your life force. This includes maintaining a Djinn outside its artefact, so they can't just punch their way through every problem for you. This isn't really a problem for Magi since they can tap directly into the Rukh to use their magic. In the time of Alma Torran all mages could do the same until Solomon replaced Ill Illah's Rukh with his White Rukh to free everyone from Ill Illah's "destiny". The only mages who could still tap into the Rukh for power were the three companions (Sheba, Ugo, and Arba) who visited Ill Illah with him, and they became the first Magi. The mages' resentment over being reduced to relying on their own magoi to cast spells was a major reason many of them joined Al-Thamen, as magicians fallen into depravity can use black rukh for magoi the same way magi can use white rukh and create life which was how they were ultimately successful in destroying Alma Torran.
• The Cavalry: The Fanalis Army Corps and the Kouga Cavalry, in an awesome Big Damn Heroes way.
• Cerebus Syndrome: The series started light and cheerful, with some moments of darkness that get resolved by the end of the arc with a smile. The Balbadd arc changed that: Alibaba starts to use his power for good, Al-Thamen is introduced alongside with Sindria; whilst the Kou Empire is portrayed in a dark and antagonistic light, the city of Balbadd is almost destroyed, and then many people die.
• Chaos Is Evil: A big part of why Al-Thamen is established as evil, at least at first. In the Zagan Dungeon Arc this trope gets inverted when we learn that falling to darkness isn't about defying the natural order; the White Rukh wants humans to defy fate, because overcoming adversity is the only way to grow as a person. Falling is actually about giving up and letting a greater power take control of your life for you. This is why Dark Metal Vessel Users have to activate their power through suicide, while regular Metal Vessel Users unlock it through willpower.
• Chekhov's Gun: Early on in the series, Hakuryuu told Sinbad that he planned to lead a rebellion against the Kou Empire, and requested his assistance. Almost a full year later, when Hakuryuu declares himself Emperor and fights his siblings, Sinbad shows up to help.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Remember that guy with different coloured eyes from the Kou Empire? The one Judar encouraged to capture a dungeon? Hakuei's little bro? We'll see more of him later.
• Chinese People: The Kou Empire and Kouga Clan. The Kouga are more accurately Mongolian, although this may be lost on those who believe in Interchangeable Asian Cultures.
• The Chooser of the One: What a Magi is.
• The Chosen One: There are hints of Aladdin being this. Due to a prophecy of the land, mentioning that the Magi will choose and guide one who is worthy enough through the city's local dungeon. This turns out to be Alibaba; who Aladdin (said Magi), willingly helps in his quest, as he shows he's an honest and caring person worthy of reward, despite how he initially seems. At the end of the first arc, he even (unknowingly) gets his own djinn. Jamil thinks he should be this just because his position in the city, but Aladdin quickly shuts him down. As it turns out, Aladdin isn't the only magi, and there are far more "King Candidates" than just Alibaba.
  • Although, according to Judar, Aladdin might still be this. There are only supposed to ever be three magi in existence at once. There were already three magi by the time Aladdin came into the world, making him the first ever fourth magi.
• City of Adventure: The Sindria Kingdom. It's been described as the City of Dreams.
  • In addition, most towns built around dungeons are like this as well, given the nature of dungeons.
• Cliffhanger: Like the source material every night ends on one
• Collapsing Lair: The fate of dungeons after they have been successfully completed.
• Comes Great Responsibility: Alibaba learned this the hard way when he thought that life would be sweet and breezy after he makes it big by conquering a dungeon. After gaining power, he shouldered responsibility for Balbadd again and was self-obligated to use Amon for good.
• Court Mage: Scheherazade for the Reim Empire and Judar for the Kou Empire.
• Creative Sterility: The Kou Empire after the time skip is revealed to suffer from this, as dedicating their armies to fighting and slaves to menial tasks left them stagnant. The one exception is their magic research, which ends up being turned from war based to trading.
• Crucified Hero Shot: Sinbad gets one when Judar pins him to the wall with his ice spears.
• Cue the Sun: Hakuryuu is stunned by the beauty.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Sinbad attempts to infiltrate the Sacred Palace in Chapters 321-323. Ugo destroys him before he can even set a foot inside. And this is with all of Sinbad's Djinn equips, too.
• Custom Uniform of Sexy: All of the Eight Generals wear the same white robe with green trim when not fighting, but they have their variations. Take Yamraiha for example.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Pretty much everyone.
• Darkest Africa: What the Fanalis' ancestral home is based on, and yet they are incredibly pale-skinned. Needless to say, this has created a lot of suspicions about whitewashing.
• Darkest Hour: There's one in the Kouga story arc when Hakuei has used up her magoi and, along with Seishun, can no longer fight. Her army has deserted her and the Kouga Clan is going to be mercilessly defeated. Ryosai has delivered a "The Reason You Suck" Speech and Hakuei's bracing herself for her end. Then, Aladdin comes.
• Dark Is Evil: The Black Rukh, as opposed to the White Rukh, is very powerful, but it ultimately destroys the people who accept it. The Black Rukh is the will of Ill Illah, a "god" that trapped the people of Alma-Torran in a destiny rife with suffering.
• Deadly Upgrade: Dark Metal Vessels.
• Death Glare: See Let's Get Dangerous!.
• Defeat Means Friendship: Remember the giant ape that nearly chews and kills Alibaba? Now it looks at him with worshipping awe.
  • The ape is not the only one. Remember Umm Madaura's pirates? They practically worship him now!!
• Defector from Decadence: Alibaba returned to the low rungs of society after the Balbadd Revolution even though he had the chance to be king.
  • Hakuryuu finds his empire's actions despicable and his goal is to overthrow the despotism.
• Deflector Shield: Magi and Magicians can create a 'Borg' to protect themselves from physical attack and magical attack to a degree. Now, against a Djinn's strength, though...
• Department of Redundancy Department: The "Al" in "Al-Thamen" basically translates to "The" in Arabic, so when the characters mention "The Al Thamen", it becomes redundant.
• Despair Event Horizon: "Falling into depravity"; a person who chose to curse their own destiny after a traumatizing event on their life from which they're not able to move on from and fell into The Dark Side for the sake of, normally, Revenge.
• Dirty Coward: Jamil.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: Judar's first on-screen interaction with Sinbad and Aladdin looks awfully like an abusive ex-boyfriend coming back to see his ex-girlfriend with a new acquaintance and getting jealous...
  • In the little bonus part of Chapter 165, we get a sneak peek at Sinbad's past, specifically, the circumstances of his birth. The symbolism here is incredible. First we have his parents, who look rather raggedy and are apparently inside some kind of barn. Then, when Sinbad is born, everyone who is able to sense Rukh is shocked at the disturbance in The Lifestream that results, including three of the Magi. No points for guessing what this resembles.
• Drama-Preserving Handicap: Sinbad getting his metal vessels stolen before arriving in Balbadd.
• Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: Ja'far and Masrur had them before meeting Sinbad. Also Hakuryuu and Judar, as they both fall deeper into depravity.
• Dungeon Crawling: The main point of the series. Aladdin's quest begins with trying to find more information on Ugo and restore his head. This gets debunked after the fight with Judar and Ugo is officially Killed Off for Real. Now the main point of the series is the war against Al-Thamen.
• Earn Your Happy Gainax Ending: The ending is so utterly weird that whatever sadistic god who was balancing the scales of karma has decided to take a vacation to process the sheer weirdness that is the new world of Magi.
• Eldritch Abomination: The Medium, a being created entirely from black Rukh.
• Elemental Powers: What Djinn, trained Magi, and certain magical items use. In Magnostadt, magic is classified into 8 distinct types:
  • Fire Magic (1st type): Red
  • Water Magic (2nd type): Blue
  • Light Magic (3rd type)
  • Lightning Magic (4th type): Yellow
  • Wind Magic (5th type): White
  • Sound Magic (6th type)
  • Power Magic (7th type)
  • Life Magic (8th type): Purple
  • Some of them try to incorporate Black Magic into the mix.
• Empathic Weapon: Metal vessels perform differently depending on the master's state. On a more extreme level, The Eight Generals' household vessels can't function at all unless Sinbad's metal vessels are nearby. This may or may not be true for all such vessels.
  • Regular magic tools discovered in dungeons, such as the Fog Troupe's weapons and Umm Madaura's pirates, don't function as Empathic Weapons and can be freely distributed usually by Al-Thamen to anyone.
  • Magnostadt has also made many magical weapons for profit.
• The Empire: There are two major ones as of the moment: the Rome-like Reim and the China-like Kou. The Mongol-esque Kouga Empire was also a huge one in the past, as was the Persia-esque Parthevia Empire.
• Empowered Badass Normal: Household vessel users are likely to be strong even before getting a household vessel. Also, a Djinn's familiar gives their power only to those physically strong and with enough loyalty to give that strength to the Djinn's master in willing servitude.
• End of an Era: In defeating David, the Magi system, metal vessels, and the dungeons come to an end. The barrier between the main world and Alma Toran was lifted after eons, and the old world as they knew it was changed.
• Ensemble Cast: Arguably, as this manga focuses a lot more on teamwork and giving the spotlight to many characters as opposed to just following Aladdin around all the time. This is fitting because of the nature of the plot; all of the good guys function as individual units battling in their own spheres against Al-Thamen.
• The Epic
• Everyone Has Standards: Ka Koubun should have been wiser in choosing his collaborators.
• Evil Sorcerer: Many members of Al-Thamen qualify as this, but the most notable example is Judar.
• Evil Tower of Ominousness: Baal's dungeon, aptly the first of its kind.
• Evolving Weapon: The Vessels.
• Expy: Ren Hakuryuu. Let's see, he's the prince of an Asian-themed evil empire, with a burn scar over his left eye, who befriends the heroes in hopes of defeating his nation's plans for world domination. (Does this remind you of anything?) More likely he is an Expy of Nezha the Taoist defender of the weak from Chinese mythology because like Nezha, he is the third prince of a kingdom, uses a magic spear, went though a metaphorical rebirth that involving plants, tries to kill one of his parents, had a traumatic event happen to him in a palace and a temple or dungeon in his case and is from a civilisation based on ancient china.]
  • Kouha's sword looks an AWFUL lot like Ichigo's Zanpaktou Zangetsu in its Shikai form.
• Extremity Extremist: Morgiana and Masrur, perhaps it's a Fanalis thing in general.
• Face–Heel Turn: It turns out that the leader of Al Saramen, Arba, betrayed Solomon because she didn't take witnessing Solomon kill GOD (it was a false god) very well. Some of her followers were former heroes who lost their minds after losing their families to David's insanity, and watching their "fellow metahumans" innocently take over the world through peace.
• Failure Is the Only Option: The Balbadd slavery issue. Ahbmad Saluja's failure to prevent it forces the civilians to become slaves; because of the widespread, festering, structural economic problems that he caused. Succeeding didn't make much difference when the Kou Empire took control of Balbadd, and the civilians then became slaves anyway.
  • The people of Balbadd are now "second class" citizens. The slaves are mentioned to be from another country. Not that this is any better.
  • On a metaphysical level, you could say that this is the current status of the whole story; since there is a Balance Between Good and Evil in play, for every happy-idealistic-everyone-works-together-brighter-future event that Aladdin and company forge, an ensuing dark-days-prophecy-fulfilled event abysmally slaughters whole cities. This may be due to the nature of the Rukh, which were derived from an Eldritch Abomination.
    • During the one time that Solomon created a utopia for all species, he ended up sacrificing a false god (said Eldritch Abomination) to Screw Destiny. Unfortunately, this caused one of Solomon's allies, a devout follower, to go completely insane. She proceeded to kill almost everyone. Since then, there's been a balance of good and evil between the two, with corruption and torture of the innocent for the paradise of a few being the middle point.
• False Friend: Alibaba started out as one to Aladdin, because he wanted Ugo's help in dungeon diving. Later, they become Fire-Forged Friends for real.
• Family Eye Resemblance: All Fanalis have the same distinct red eye colour and eye markings, which do not go unnoticed in-story.
  • Similarly all the people of Heliohapt have the same shape of eyes and the same colour, green.
• Fanservice: The anime's second opening in Season 1 expends quite a bit of of time and high-quality animation on Morgiana's dancing scene, which in the manga isn't that important to the story at all.
• Fantastic Racism: There are elements of this in the way the Fanalis are treated.
  • This is a main problem inside Magnostadt with the treatment of the Goi. Some of it is justified, others not so much.
• Fat Bastard: Budel the wine merchant. He would rather let a little girl die than sacrifice his profitable wine to save her.
  • The former king Ahbmad Saluja also falls into this trope.
• Fate Worse than Death: The civilians under Zagan's control.
  • Anyone who dies while still influenced by the Black Rukh, they can never return to the "Great White Flow" and be reunited with their loved ones.
• Fighting Your Friend: The final arc has Alibaba end up fighting some of the Sindria Alliance, particularly Sharrkan, as a result of the large Rukh change making them oppose our heroes' prevention of their upcoming deaths.
• Find the Cure!: In the anime, the mission to Zagan is to capture the Djinn to use his Life Magic to remove Alibaba and Sinbad's curse; in the manga it was more about teaching Hakuryuu his own limits and test the development of Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgiana's training.
• Fire, Ice, Lightning: The three main faction leaders can be said to have this.
  • Aladdin and Alibaba like Playing with Fire.
  • Judar is An Ice Person.
  • Sinbad's main dijnn causes Shock and Awe.
• Flipping the Bird: Judar to the Empress after turning her clones on her.
• Foe-Tossing Charge: Masrur pulls one off against the Fog Troupe.
• Foil: Reim's Fanalis Corps and Magnostadt's Magicians. The Fanalis have low quantities of Magoi which leaves them unable to perform magic there are exceptions, like Muu and arguably Myron but have Super-Strength and Super-Toughness; Magicians have more than normal quantities of Magoi but normally they're weak of body, with exceptions like Professor Myers or Aladdin himself. Each of them are the symbol of the strength of their country: The Fanalis represent "the power of the people" while magicians represent "the power of magic".
• Foot Focus: A few of the main characters regularly go barefoot, allowing for several close-ups of Morgiana's feet.
• The Force Is Strong with This One: All Magi and some regular magicians seem to have an ability to sense unusual Magoi-using capabilities within other people.
• Foregone Conclusion: Since we know that Sinbad obviously became really successful, the end to Sinbad's Adventures is largely this. We're just in it for the juicy bits in between.
• Foreshadowing: As Mattal Moghmaet is dying, he realizes there is someone there on the other side of Il Ilah portal who is absorbing Black Rukh to himself. Way after that we learn that person is David, who is inside Il Ilah possessing it with his will and needed the Rukh to materialize from Sinbad.
• For Great Justice: At his level, Sinbad's goal is to rid the world of abnormalities caused by Al-Thamen for the sake of a higher truth. Later we see that nearly all of the leaders of major nations or organizations have justifiable goals and motives.
• Formerly Fit: After a six month Time Skip, Sinbad visits Aladdin and Alibaba to see how their training is going. They've both been pigging out instead and developed double-chins (and man-boobs in the case of tiny little Aladdin). Sinbad has a Heroic BSoD, then spends a few panels chasing them around the palace until they run it off.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: The four main protagonists. Aladdin started as a Sanguine but evolved to Phlegmatic, Alibaba is Sanguine, Morgiana is Melancholic and Hakuryuu is Choleric.
• Freudian Excuse: The series seems to constantly drive home the point that suffering and strife in the world are caused by a multitude of understandable causes, including childhood trauma, pursuit of noble goals through unsavory means, choosing duty over ethics and vicious cycle of revenge. Just about every antagonist in the story seems to have a tragic background, and while Aladdin and co. are quick to remind them that despite this, the choice to commit acts of evil was theirs to make, in the end, most villains are bound to receive redemption one way or another.
• A Friend in Need: Aladdin's modus operandi. He doesn't care much about higher justice or fundamental truth, he just wants to help his friends when they're in trouble. This may or may not change, as he gets wiser to the ways of the outside world.

G-L

• Genie in a Flute: Or any inanimate object, really, as long as its made of metal.
• Getting Smilies Painted on Your Soul: The final arc has Sinbad, as the new Top God, readjusting the Rukh of the world to make everyone want to return to the great flow. So even as angels destroy the world and kill everyone, they're nothing but grateful and hopeful for wanting to essentially commit mass suicide.
• Gladiator Games: Masrur used to be a gladiator until Sinbad freed him.
• Gonk: Most of the lesser villains, such as Budel.
  • Elizabeth, the most beautiful hostess.
    • Did you forget about Margaret?
    • The anime give us their distant cousin, Ekaterina.
• Good Eyes, Evil Eyes: The more idealistic and innocent types like Aladdin and Alibaba have wide, expressive eyes compared to characters who are shadier or more in the grey morality area. Similarly, Hakuei and Hakuryuu have larger eyes than their brethren from the second Kou Emperor, which reflects their more idealistically righteous personalities (at least at first).
• Good Princess, Evil Queen: The series has the evil empress regnant Gyokuen Ren, who started out as a Hot Consort, married her dead husband's brother after claiming responsibility for his death and the deaths of their older sons, and later usurped the throne. She is the leader of Al-Thamen to boot. By contrast, the country's two most plot-important princesses^note Kougyoku also has seven older sisters who don't figure into the story lean towards being the White Sheeps of the court. Her daughter Princess Hakuei is a wise and idealistic general, and her niece/stepdaughter Princess Kougyoku is a sweet warrior. Played With, however — Gyokuen used to be a good person before Demonic Possession via Arba, who later possesses Hakuei...
• Gorgeous Period Dress: We get pimped-out versions of dresses from the Cultural Golden Age in the Middle East and Far East.
• Gorn: Some action scenes can get quite brutal.
• Gratuitous Foreign Language: Lots of Arabic.
• Gratuitous French: The tracknames on the official anime soundtrack, serving as a nod to Antoine Galland's translation of the original Arabian Nights which also added Sinbad, Alibaba, and Aladdin to the tales.
• Grey-and-Gray Morality: The conflict between the Reim Empire, Magnostadt and the Kou Empire is this. Reim portrays itself as champions of humanity, but they employ slaves. Magnostadt claims to be a nation where mages can live in peace, but the mages who rule it see non-mages as inferior beings who exist only to serve them, and they use their life-force to power the magic artifacts they use. The Kou Empire claims to want a peaceful world, but in their vision of peace, the world has to be united under their rule, and they will do anything to bring their vision to life.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Alibaba. Not only do his personality and appearance fit, he is the only person in Balbadd who has blond hair.
• Hegemonic Empire: The Kou Empire. All the nations conquered by it are literally assimilated; their former culture, clothes, everything is changed. But the citizens don't complain, since they're granted equality of money, food and security. Sadly, there's still slavery and a very prominent difference of classes.
• Heroic Build: All of the reasonably mature and fit male characters have bodybuilder physiques.
• Heroic RRoD: Some techniques can cause Tears of Blood, Blood from the Mouth and they may even shorten your life, if you manage to overuse your given quantity of magoi; as such bordering on Dangerous Forbidden Technique.
• A Hero Is Born: The manga promo for Sinbad's Adventures begins with Sinbad's birth. Everyone who's in tune with the Rukh notices that the world has changed after he comes into the picture.
• High Fantasy: A fantastic, magic-filled otherworldly setting? Check. A global-scale conflict against a fundamentally evil force? Check. Political intricacies and the might of the pen over that of the sword? Check. Get ready for an epic adventure guys...
• Holding Hands:
  • An adorable example where in a flashback, a young Muu was holding hands with Scheherazade.
  • The physical connection when Aladdin jumpstarts a Journey to the Center of the Mind.
• Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Alibaba's mother, and not just to him: she saved his friends from being beaten by their drunken father, then adopted them when he either died or just disappeared.
• Hope Spot: Combined with Retirony, Baba is fatally wounded right after her clan has both saved its people from slavery and prevented war (by not killing the slavers) and thinking that she must live on with her family.
  • Also when Alibaba was getting out of a dungeon alone after clearing it, he was sure he'd see the faces of the people he and his friends had just saved. What he found? An ambush by three of Al-Thamen's dark Metal Vessel holders, just when everyone was exhausted and/or had just avoided death.
• Humanity Ensues: The reason most of the non-human races of Alma Torran are not seen in the present is because they were turned into humans when they were transported to the new world. Most of the present day humans are their descendants.
• Humans Are Special:
  • Scheherazade's belief. She knows humans, with hard work and faith in themselves, can do incredible things; they make mistakes and sometimes lose their way, but if they're brave enough, can learn from them and together can continue living. That's why, even though she's a Magi, never uses her magic in Reim's wars; as she just supports, motivates and has faith in her people, since she knows that Reim must stand on its own feet.
  • Humans are also special; because they were granted magic by a higher power to make them the dominant race of Alma Torran.
• Human Resources: Magnostadt's magical tools are powered by the life force of 200,000 muggles hidden deep underground. They get all the food and clothes they need and don't have to work but when their life force runs out they're tossed into a pit even if they're still alive. High-ranking students are given a history lesson by Magnostadt's leader on why they ought to accept it (magicians are superior wisdom-seekers while humans—ignorant, abusive tyrants in his memories—are no better than animals).
• Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Nth Night, following the Arabian Nights theme.
• Ignored Epiphany: After Sinbad starts preparing for the infiltration of the Sacred Palace, Ja'far comes in and asks him to try and reestablish control over the new alliance and Kou. When Sinbad says it's pointless because war will happen anyway, and that he has a more reckless but self-sacrificial goal in mind for the future, Ja'far goes on an epic rant about them only doing what they can to establish peace in the present, and that more importantly, they're only human. Sinbad at the very least acknowledges what Ja'far says and even agrees with it..and in the very next panel after that goes to do it anyway, regardless of future consequences.
• I Am Not Left-Handed: In Chapter 171, Aladdin takes out his Power Limiter, but it was at the end of Chapter 173 when he completely returns as the fourth Magi.
• Impossibly Cool Clothes: The Djinn equips. If they can even be called clothes.
• Improbable Age: Surprisingly averted in many cases. Although the main protagonists are teenagers, they are portrayed as severely lacking in experience, while the most powerful and influential characters are all in their late twenties at the very least.
  • Played straight with Sinbad single-handedly conquering a dungeon at 14. However, he is The Chosen One.
• Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Cassim's view of Alibaba.
  • Aladdin usually behaves like this, until he spots a girl with a large bosom.
• Informed Attractiveness: Elizabeth, the most beautiful hostess of all.
• Innocent Prodigy: Aladdin is quite naive about many things in his world, with one notable aversion.
• Insane Equals Violent: Especially if they have metal vessels.
• Instant Awesome: Just Add Mecha!: Magnostadt uses one against the Reim Empire.
• In the Back: How Ugo was finally struck down.
• I Owe You My Life: Morgiana's feelings toward Alibaba and Aladdin.
  • Kouha's aides feel this towards him. Particularly the three witches, as he picked them up when they were thrown away and left to die.
• Ironic Echo: After David emerges from Sinbad's charred body, Ugo effortlessly catches him and demonstrates his status as the Top God. Chapters later, and the shoe is on the other foot, with David gaining massive power and control and catching Ugo in the same way, in the same pose.
• It Was a Gift: Another huge Ship Tease-y moment is when Alibaba gives a beautiful necklace to Morgiana. On the surface, he was thinking in the practical move of a replacement vessel in the case Morgiana's bracelets get broken.
• I Work Alone: Alibaba in the Balbadd arc and Hakuryuu. Deconstructed in that doing this seems noble, but also alienates you from a potential ally, which makes you unable to move forward or just plain gets you killed.
• Karma Houdini: The Nando brothers. Not only did they not receive any punishment from Sinbad for stealing his stuff, they didn't even feel sorry for it.
• Kid Hero All Grown-Up: The prequel version. Sinbad was introduced as a well-known king and adventurer. He later got his own Spin-Off, The Adventure of Sinbad, which chronicles his adventures in his teenage days.
• Killed Off for Real: Baba, Cassim, Markkio, Dunya, Isaac, etc. The silver lining for the good guys is that people become part of the Rukh again after they pass away.
• Knight Templar: Sinbad. He does good deeds with good intentions; but he also does un-Messianic deeds, like killing off members of Al-Thamen without question.
• Leg Focus: Morgiana's legs get a good amount of focus, as part of being a Kick Chick. However, hers are a little more toned and muscular than the usual examples.
• La Résistance: Alibaba eventually takes over from Cassim to lead the "Fog Troupe" against King Ahbmad.
• Let's Get Dangerous!:
  • Aladdin looks cute and harmless. You'd probably think he wouldn't be much without Ugo by his side. But get him riled up enough and he becomes a VERY different person.
  • Alibaba vs. Jamil. At first we think that Alibaba is screwed, but then he pulls out his knife.
  • Princess Hakuei lets herself get injured to convince an angry mob that she means it when she offers peace. You couldn't think about Relena Peacecraft or even Marina Ismail. Then Ryosai is ready to betray her.... and her trump card is revealed. Yes, it didn't stick, but it shows that Hakuei is Badass Princess, no doubt about it.
• Light Is Good: The White Rukh. It is the will of Solomon, a man who wanted people to be free to choose their own path.
• Like Father, Like Son: Aladdin and his parents Solomon and Sheba. Not only did he inherit his mother's abilities as a Magi, he also has his father's curiosity to learn about magic, cultures and people and his ability to bring out the best in others.
• Love Triangle:
  • Ren Hakuryuu falls in love with the Fanalis Morgiana, who in turn is interested in her friend Alibaba.

M-R

• Made a Slave:
  • The origin of many of the slaves in Magi. Morgiana and Goltas are the first encountered.
  • Alibaba is threatened with this, when his actions in one chapter rack up a large debt.
  • In Chapter 207, Alibaba is horrified when he learns that the Kou Empire has brought slavery to Balbadd. Even worse, Balbadd's original inhabitants are as of now too cowed to fight against this system. Still worse, one of Alibaba's old friends embraced the system and thus now owns several slaves.
• Malevolent Architecture: The Dungeons embody this trope, along with having malevolent living things inside too. Everything about dungeons wants to kill anyone who dares to enter them.
• Marshmallow Hell: Completely averted with Aladdin. He dives right in.
• Magic Carpet: Aladdin's turban doubles as a flying carpet.
• Magical Floating Shawl: Humans who conquer a dungeon and make a contract with a Djinn can channel its powers through a Djinn Equip. Most characters have a floating stole circling their bodies when wearing Djinn Equip.
• Magical Flutist: How Aladdin summons Ugo.
  • This is also how Pisti can become friend with animals.
• Magic A Is Magic A: All of the different magics have specific, complex rules for their use. So many that a lot of readers get fazed by the Info Dump during the Expositions.
• Magic Versus Science: Magnostadt's forces rely exclusively on magic, leaving their own army depending on the magicians who soon or later will exhaust themselves; Reim uses science and chemistry to improve their forces that, used well and with strategy, can reach the level of magic.
  • However, Magnostadt's mages craft magic weapons that even the average soldier can use so that the country is not relying only on the magicians power.
• Magnetic Hero: All of the dungeon conquerors are this to some extent, but special mention goes to Sinbad, who attracts followers everywhere he goes with his strong vision and generous kindness, so much that he stole Alibaba's thunder in Balbadd by getting his revolutionaries on his side.
• Make a Wish: Ugo's offer to Aladdin. He just wishes for a friend.
• Mama Bear: Kougyoku of all people went crazy on the Medium when the latter injured her beloved brother Kouen and her close friend Alibaba. She managed to inflict damage on the latter when Kouen and Alibaba couldn't.
• Manly Tears: Many, because the series is so emotional. A particularly heartwrenching example is Alibaba's crying face as he cradles Cassim's remains.
• Meaningful Echo: Ja'far tells Sinbad to ease up on planning for the future and focus on what they could do at present, as they're only human. "You're only human" gets spit back at Sinbad again much more definitely (and a good deal more sympathetically) when Ugo completely demolishes his offensive as he tries to infiltrate the Sacred Palace.
• Memento MacGuffin: Djinn Metal Vessels and Household Vessels are like this; they are usually pre-existing objects that hold some kind of important memory or meaning for their owners.
• The Mentor: Sinbad to Alibaba and Alibaba's dad to Sinbad back in the day.
• Mind-Control Eyes: Hey! Are you doing well?
• Modest Royalty: While many royal characters show humility, Alibaba is the best example, as he never unduly flaunts his status at all.
• Mood Whiplash: Hakuryuu feels so bad when Zagan calls him The Load right to his face that he bursts into tears!. Next scene, Hakuryuu tells Zagan to shut the hell up...and does the same to his friends (who were trying to cheer him up).
• More Dakka: Magnostadt gave magic weapons to it's army after seeing magicians couldn't handle the war on their own, including an Humongous Mecha, for God's sake.
• Mr. Fanservice: Sinbad. Tall, Dark, and Handsome? Check. Prince Charming? Check. Naked First Impression? Let me just get out of the way of the Estrogen Brigade here...
  • While Sinbad might be the best example he's not the only one. There's Judar who is basically the physical incarnation of a sexy Alibaba and Ren Hakuryuu are pretty cute too. The series would almost border on being a Cast Full of Pretty Boys if it weren't for the fact that the girls are just as fanservicey.
• Mukokuseki:
  • Most characters in the series are all pale-skinned, with a variety of hair colours. Especially sticks out with the heavy use of Fantasy Counterpart Culture and those races with distinct features, like the consistently dark-skinned people of Heliohapt.
  • Even more so with the Fanalis—a hunting tribe from a land that is the fantasy counterpart of Sub-Saharan Africa, yet they're white as snow and have red hair. By the time of the series they have largely all been enslaved and carted off to other lands for their superior physical abilities. Concept art for the Fanalis reveals that they were originally going to be dark-skinned and displayed Sub-Saharan African features.
  • Later manga color illustrations tone this trope down slightly with some characters like Sinbad and Alibaba, with the former frequently shown to have a darker tone to his skin than a number of characters similarly not given screentone in the manga proper, and the latter in comparison to his main group of friends, most noticeably in the volume 10 back cover illustration, though his tone often varies at the artist's whim.
• Multiple Demographic Appeal: This is supposed to be a Shounen title, but its abnormal quota of Bishounen has earned it quite a number of female fans.
• Mundane Afterlife: The final arc reveals what happens to certain people when they die— they go to an almost white void with no magoi or rukh to their names, and just pass the time until they fade away. After the battle at Magnostadt, debris fell into the void at some point, and currently they just spend their time stacking rocks.
• Mutually Exclusive Magic: Magicians aren't capable of using Household Vessels because they are already versed with normal magic, and that uses the same process of magoi manipulation that allows Household Vessels to function.
• My Sensors Indicate You Want to Tap That: Aladdin's ability to see the Rukh counts. Pink Rukh means way too cheerful.
• My Sister Is Off-Limits: Hakuryuu really disapproves of the friendly relationship between Hakuei and Kouen.
• Mysterious Past: Aladdin's. Also, anything about the Torran tribe and Alma Torran. However, as of Chapter 215, things are now slowly being revealed.
• Naked First Impression: Sinbad first meets Aladdin and Morgiana in nothing but a fig leaf.
• Nebulous Evil Organisation: Al-Thamen, which the Banker is part of.
• Non-Elemental/ Soul Power: Every Magi who is loved by the Rukh can directly use magoi to attack, instead of converting it into Elemental Powers first. It doesn't work as well against fellow Magi, though.
• Not So Invincible After All: Sinbad and his crew get Brought Down to Badass when he loses his metal vessels. Judar even points this out when Sinbad is trying to get him to stop fighting Aladdin.
• Obvious Rule Patch: After Sinbad conquered his seventh dungeon, its Djinn basically told him, "You're not allowed to collect any more Djinn after this for balance reasons."
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Leila, when she sees bandits who recognize her and know of her dark and troubled past.
  • Alibaba gives one after Aladdin, in typical ignorant shonen hero fashion, simply breaks a slave's chains in the middle of a market without understanding the consequences.
  • Cassim gets a whole series of them when his Fog Troupe is outclassed by Sinbad's group, Aladdin, and Morgiana.
  • Sinbad upon seeing Judar.
  • The Banker upon seeing Sinbad in full Djinn Equip. This was changed to Ithnan in the anime.
• Old Magic: Most of the magic in the world is performed by magicians and Djinns by using the Rukh composing the elements of nature, combining them with formulae to achieve their effects. However, after the magic-intensive Magnostadt arc, other types of older, far more rare magics have shown up, including Alchemy (shown by the Magi Yunan) and Solomon's magic, which allows him to pretty much manipulate and twist the laws of physics itself. Aladdin later masters both magics.
• Old-School Chivalry: Naturally. All of the more honorable male characters show some kind of chivalry to women at first, believing that they're delicate flowers to be protected and fawned upon. Then they meet Morgiana.
• One Cast Member per Cover: Most volume covers feature one character, sometimes in their normal state and others in their Djinn Equip. There's still several covers including mutiple characters.
• One-Steve Limit: Played with. Aladdin asks someone in Balbadd if she knows his friend Alibaba. She momentarily freaks out, since that is the name of a notorious criminal, before reminding herself that it's a common name. Turns out it really was the same person.
• Only One Name: Many characters, considering the source material. Examples include Aladdin, Morgiana, Sinbad, Ja'far, Judar, etc...
• Only the Chosen May Wield: Most vessels acquired through traditional means only let their chosen owners wield them, as they're Empathic Weapons.
• Our Genies Are Different: They don't grant wishes; instead they're Olympus Mons, Bond Creatures and Guardian Entities.
  • Ugo says he's capable of granting a wish to Aladdin very early in the story. Aladdin's wish, however, wasn't something that needed magic to grant.
• Our Werewolves Are Different: The Fanalis tribe, also known as the "Red Lions", from Alma Torran. They look human as long as they are not in their homeland.
• Overshadowed by Awesome: The general feeling of anyone who spends time with Sinbad.
• Panicky Expectant Father: Sinbad's dad.
• Papa Wolf: Don't threaten Aladdin or Ugo will destroy you, as Judar found out the hard way.
• People of Hair Color: The Fanalis seem to be exclusively redheads, along with their distinctive red eyes.
  • People of the Imuchakk tribe all have blue hair and golden eyes.
  • Likewise if you have white hair, dark skin, and green eyes; then you're clearly from Heliohapt.
• Person of Mass Destruction: Pretty much anyone who's mastered his/her metal vessel(s). The most glaring example would be Sinbad.
  • The original form of the Fanalis are savage wolf-like beast people.
• Plot Tailored to the Party: When Masrur, Sharrkan, and Yamraiha come to the kids' rescue after they capture Zagan, they face Dark Metal Vessel users who have abilities similar to theirs. Masrur defeats the guy with super strength, Sharrkan faces a fellow swordsman, and Yamraiha dukes it out with elemental magic.
• Power at a Price: Everyone who has used full Dark Djinn Equip has died within days.
  • Using magic takes a lot from the magician's body. In those of weak body, the Rukh inside them minimizes the magoi they use for magic; because of that, 6th kudor's classes are mostly to strengthen the body.
• Power Copying: The Ants in the first dungeon, actually Slimes, are capable of this, changing their form after analyzing the strengths of their opponents.
• Power Dyes Your Hair:
  • Vinea's full Djinn Equip turns Kougyoku's red hair turquoise.
  • Baal's full Djinn Equip turns Sinbad's purple hair blue, while Focalor's Djinn Equip turns it black.
  • Leraje's full Djinn Equip turns Kouha's red/magenta hair a lighter shade of pink.
  • Barbatos' full Djinn Equip turns Muu's red hair snowy white.
  • Likewise, Paimon's full Djinn Equip turns Hakuei's black hair white.
  • Amon's full Djinn Equip turns Alibaba's blond hair flame red.
• Power Glows: Rukh tends to glow whenever it's used.
• The Power of Friendship: Aladdin's personality tends to center around this. When a misunderstanding causes him to think that Alibaba doesn't really think of him as a friend, he goes into a serious Heroic BSoD.
  • Aladdin says this trope word for word after deciding to go dungeon diving with Alibaba, but it's subverted as Alibaba isn't in as friendly a mood.
  • This is evidently how Sinbad got most of his household.
  • This and The Power of Love is what ultimately gives Aladdin enough power to finish off David.
• Pragmatic Adaptation: To deal with time/budget/pacing issues, some parts of the plot were simplified (like Hakuryuu's lost hand), omitted (like fat Alibaba/Aladdin), or altered almost beyond recognition (like Alibaba's temporary corruption) in the first season. Some fans of the original material did not like it.
• Prefers Going Barefoot: Not wearing shoes is common throughout the entire world with its mostly tropical setting. For most people, though, it's because of either tribal tradition or poverty. Other cases include the Magi (Aladdin and Judar seem to have this on the account of their asceticism and disdain for display of status), and the Fanalis with their superhuman strength (Morgiana and Masrur's stomps can put a dent in stone without them really trying, which means their bodies are tougher than any shoes they would try to wear, anyway.)
• Pregnant Badass: Sheba goes into the final battle of Alma Torran pregnant with Solomon's child Aladdin.
• Puny Humans: In Alma Torran, humans used to be at the bottom of the food chain. That all changed once the higher power of Alma Torran gave them magic.
• Rags to Riches/Riches to Rags: Alibaba really plays around with this trope. He started out as a street urchin. Then the old King of Balbadd, his father, invites him to his palace and feeds, clothes, educates, and trains him to become his successor. When Cassim crashed the palace and the king died, he fled back to rags and, years later, met Aladdin. Then they conquered a dungeon together, bringing him back to the riches category. Then he met Cassim again and joined with him in the Fog Troupe to free Balbadd of the new king, his tyrannical brother Ahbmad.
  • In the same vein, Sinbad started at the bottom of the social ladder with nothing but the clothes on his back and a sickly mother to take care of in Parthevia. He then succeeded when no one else had in Baal's dungeon and became sort of a career dungeon diver and even built his own country. He's been much more successful in keeping his riches.
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Pretty much the reason why the Sindria Kingdom exists. Sinbad has stated that giving a home to people who have none was why he established Sindria in the first place. Kouha's army also fits the trope to a T, it being composed of outcasts, former criminals and rejects of all kind, to whom he offered a chance when no one else would dare and earned their unyielding gratitude and devotion in return.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Sinbad. Whenever he has a conflict with anyone, he usually listens to others' arguments and justifications before acting. It creates tension for Aladdin and Yunan, since they are both wary of Sinbad but can't point to anything actually wrong with what he does. Hakuei and Hakuryuu of the Kou Empire count as well, at least at first. Hakuryuu eventually loses it and begins brainwashing his men into fanatic loyalty, though he recovers after a time. Hakuei on the other hand gets possessed by Gyokuen, making her even worse than he was.
• Redemption in the Rain: The whole city of Balbadd after the black Rukh was dissipated for a blast of white Rukh coming from all the dark Djinn's Rukh that Cassim's own redemption turned white.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Judar gets bright crimson eyes in the anime adaptation.
  • Do not mess with a Fanalis.
• Relationship Upgrade: As of Chapter 314, Alibaba and Morgiana are engaged.
• The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: The Fog Troupe were pretty nasty even before Alibaba showed up in Balbadd... and they become nasty again at the end of the Balbadd story arc.
• Rousing Speech: Sinbad, to Balbadd's poor citizens, after Alibaba fails to have a proper conference with Ahbmad. He manages to get everyone's' spirits up; hurting Alibaba's own self-esteem a bit with his charisma in the process.
• Rousseau Was Right: Pretty much all of the more evil characters have some reason for acting they way they do.
• Royally Screwed Up: The Kou Royal Family is such a soap opera... Though actually only two members are "really screwed up".
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: These royals lead armies, fight wars, quell rebellions, and build countries. The dungeon system is intended to enforce this, as those that are chosen by djinn are considered potential kings, meaning the people in charge of their respective territories are usually the most capable people in those regions.
• RPG Mechanics 'Verse: The dungeons, anyway. Each dungeon's djinn is its Dungeon Master and tends to design it very much like a table-top module or Video Game RPG.
• Rule of Sexy: The djinn equips are very impractical-looking, but who cares?
• Rule of Symbolism: Sinbad announces that he wants to join the Fog Troupe while his head crowned by the full moon.
  • The moon is used quite a lot in the Balbadd arc; Sahbmad and Judar get halo moments in important scenes too.
• Rule of Three: There's always three Magi on earth at once. Aladdin is the first fourth Magi ever... Until it's revealed that Ren Gyokuen was, and still is, one of Solomon's Magi.
• Running Gag: Alibaba getting serviced by Elizabeth (or an Elizabeth-lookalike) whenever he goes to a club hoping for some action.
  • Aladdin and boobs.
  • Ja'far's face whenever Sinbad does anything particularly absurd.
  • Aladdin (and sometimes Alibaba) getting really fat after binge eating.
  • Morgiana breaking the floor and pouting whenever people try to coddle her.
    • Or when she sees Alibaba flirting with other girls.

S-Y

• Sadistic Choice: Judar gives Kougyoku one. Accept his help in order to return home without shame and lose the trust of the man she loves, or support said man and be marked as a traitor?
• Screaming Birth: Sinbad's.
• Screw Destiny: Strangely, cursing your fate causes your Rukh to turn black, which can have bad consequences in the future. Not to mention having the Black Djinn use your black Rukh as fuel. The main goal of Al-Thamen is to invoke this and create Anarchy and Mass Chaos. Chapter 232 reveals that cursing fate is pointless and counterproductive since Solomon's sacrifice had already freed people from "fate". Blaming fate for your problems is essentially surrendering your ability to decide your own path in life.
  • Ultimately, while Arba and David are trying to do this, late-game revelations show that they can't, since Ugo is usually one step ahead of them anyway and can rewrite the laws of the universe to his liking, since he was the one who created the current one in the first place. He even refers to Sinbad's efforts as "the protagonist of a story trying to fight back against its creator".
• Sealed Inside a Person-Shaped Can: Chapter 211 reveals that all Fanalis are not only not human, their real shape isn't even humanoid. It also reveals that this is the reason none of them have very much Magoi. Chapter 222 reveals that they are a sentient race from Alma Torran known as the Red Lions; they were among the strongest species in existence second only to dragons, and immune to the mind control magic used by the Magician Orthodox.
• A Shared Suffering: One reason why Morgiana and Masrur immediately get along. They are both remnants of the powerful Fanalis tribe who have a long history of suffering in slavery. It helps that both of them are The Stoic too.
• Ship Sinking:
  • Chapter 200 sank Alibaba/Toto. And Chapter 202 made sure that Alibaba/Toto ended up in the depths of the ocean.
  • The Arba/Solomon ship was sunk not only when it was shown that Arba supported Sheba's crush on him and encouraged them to be together, but also when it was revealed that the reason for their closeness is because they're "technically" siblings. And then Arba turns out to be Solomon's arch-enemy, Gyokuen.
  • Morgiana/Hakuryuu took a nasty hit when Chapter 244 came around due to the latter falling into depravity.
• Ship Tease: The author gives to the relationship between Kouen and Hakuei some undeniable shipping vibes. Even people in universe lampshaded it! There is no tease when you read the omake. Exhibit A: Hakuei knitting Kouen a stomach warmer... while imagining him wearing it [1].
  • Kouen finally wears the stomach warmer at this omake. [2]◊
  • After the Time Skip, Aladdin and Kougyoku got teased when they shared panel time together. Kougyoku suddenly tells him not to get too cocky when Aladdin asks her if she likes him more than Alibaba, leaving him confused, and in the volume 34 omake he asks for love advice after having been interested in a girl. And given that he doesn't have many other girls to talk to, this line in particular became rather suspicious.
• Shout-Out: To Arabian Nights, natch. Many of the main characters share names from the 1001 tales. Many character relationships reflect the originals as well.
  • A partial list of the parallels between some the characters in the original 1001 Nights and their Magi counterparts can be found here. It's obvious Ohtaka really did her research for the series.
  • The Slimes in the first dungeon are a shout out to Dragon Quest, complete with "a Slime appeared" narration.
• Shown Their Work: Most of the cultural details show an uncommon attention to detail with respect to their real world counterparts. The Kouga clan as the Mongols don't merely ride horses and live on wide plains, but serve horse milk, wear a similar clothing style, and live in accurately depicted yurt style tents. The detail goes right down to the distinctive lattice skeleton inside.
  • The amount of work it takes for Alibaba and Aladdin to get Morgiana to believe in her own freedom again actually shows the deeper psychological implications of a childhood of slavery.
  • Another chapter goes into economic theory in surprising detail. The manga's also pretty astute about the political complications of overthrowing a ruler, even if he is a tyrant. The overall level of socio-economic thought put into the story is quite remarkable for a shonen manga.
• Significant White Hair, Dark Skin: People from the country Heliophant have darker skin than the rest of the characters and exclusively white or silver-ish hair. The country seems to be based loosely off of Egypt, and the characters' skin tones link their backstories together even when it wouldn't otherwise be apparent and mark them as "exotic" everywhere else in the world.
• Silence, You Fool!: Done splendidly by Hakuryuu in his breakdown inside Zagan's dungeon.
• Simple-Minded Wisdom: Aladdin at the beginning, regarding slavery.
  Aladdin: (after breaking Morgiana's chains) "Why, now that she can move her legs freely, can't she go?...Why is bad to free her?"
• Slave Race: The Fanalis, at this point. And then we're introduced to the Fanalis Corps...
• Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: A persistent theme.
• Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism: Everyone else tends to think Aladdin is hopelessly naive... until they realise Ugo can simply Megaton Punch aside any evidence that the world is a cold, cruel place.
  • Hakuei seems like a naive idealist pacifist at first. Then it is revealed that this is actually her pragmatic view, as her own father had been killed by a conspiracy grown from a defeated kingdom in the past.
    • Actually, Hakuei didn't know the truth of that history until recently and still she wants to unite the world with peace and understanding since she knows the consequences of doing it via fear and hate. But Hakuryuu is another story...
• Small Name, Big Ego: Played with in Sinbad's introduction. Truth was, Aladdin just didn't know anything about the outside world.
• Smoking Is Cool: Invoked by Alibaba. Though he still can't do it without messing up somehow. This was completely omitted during the first season of the anime, however.
• Spanner in the Works: The reason why the Balbadd arc lasted so long was really because the Nando brothers had jacked Sinbad's stuff.
  • Aladdin also plays this role a lot in whatever new crisis he lands in. A prime example would be his role in Kouga-Kou relations in the East. Had he not been there, Hakuei would've been killed, the Kouga women would've been enslaved, the Kouga Clan would've been subjugated and forced into the Kou Empire, and new hatred and suffering would be borne between the two nations.
• Spoiler Opening: If you have not caught up with the manga, the openings will spoil a lot.
• Squishy Wizard: Largely subverted, as a strong body is needed to be able to perform strong magic. At the same time, there is somewhat of a trade-off between physical strength and magoi capacity, as seen with the Fanalis. To cement the case even more, Muu, who is not a full-blood Fanalis, is the only one who has a metal vessel.
• Starter Villain: Head, leader of a bandit gang raiding caravans. He basically exists to establish Aladdin and Ugo's dynamic before being crushed to death in the first chapter.
• Stay in the Kitchen:
  • Sinbad tries this with Morgiana. She's quite past the "I hear and obey" stage at that point, though.
  • Alibaba also tries this on Morgiana, saying his business is nothing for a woman to worry about. Again, it's... not quite effective.
• Stripperiffic: All of the Djinn equips, with some exceptions (Alloces and Forneus' ones, for example, cover the user into a full suit of armor).
• Stock Wushu Weapons: Downplayed with the Kou Empire, which is a Fantasy Counterpart Culture of ancient China: while the rank-and-file soldiers are armed with spears, swords, ge and tower shields, elites such as the generals and princes of the imperial family have shown to have more prowess with martial arts and use wushu weapons: Hakuei uses both a jian and a hybrid of feather fan and fangtianji as her Djinn Weapon, Kouen has a jian, Kouha has a size-shifting giant dao and Hakuryuu uses a guandao, while the two royal generals Seiryuu and Kokuhyo wield a giant guandao and a yue. The downplay comes from the fact that they usually employ their Djinn Equips to fight seriously.
• Strong Family Resemblance:
  • Sinbad looks exactly like his dad, except for his mother's eyebrows.
  • Hakuryuu and, especially, Hakuei look remarkably similar to their mother. As did their older brothers, Hakuyuu and Hakuren, when they were alive. They even have a mole in the exact same place as her.
• Suave Sabre: Sharrkan wields a curved blade that he uses as his weapon of choice. He serves as Alibaba's sword trainer and is one of the strongest swordsmasters in the series. The Crawling Sword is the name of his kingdom's fighting style and is regarded as snake-like and hard to predict.
• Subordinate Excuse: It's hinted that Morgiana has feelings for Alibaba, and that's the real reason why she sticks with him even though she's not necessarily obligated to.
• Succession Crisis: First in Balbadd, Alibaba wants Ahbmad to step down from the throne and Sahbmad professes that he is too weak to rule at all, then Alibaba refuses the crown as well. Everyone else is at a loss until Alibaba declares that Balbadd shall become a republic.
  • After the second Kou Emperor bites it, everyone expected Kouen to become the next emperor. Then Gyokuen takes the helm instead. Everyone is furious with the unexpected change, so the Kou situation is a powder keg right now.
• Sufficiently Analyzed Magic: Kou has secretly analyzed magic research to the extent that Koumei thinks they rival, if not surpass Magnostadt. They are even working on raising the dead.
• Summon Magic: Unique to Magi, who can summon dungeons.
• Super Mode: Djinn Equip and Household Vessel assimilation.
• Superpowered Evil Side: Dark Djinn Equip. It comes at the price of the user's life.
• Suspiciously Specific Denial: The Banker assures Ahbmad that the Kou Empire isn't "a brutal and strategic country", when Ahbmad hadn't asked about anything of the sort.
• Take a Third Option: Alibaba decides to make Balbadd a republic instead of A) taking the throne for himself or B) giving the throne to someone else.
• Teen Pregnancy: Considering the setting, one can assume this isn't all that unusual, but the examples so far are...
  • Mira Dianus Artemina blows everyone else out of the water. She was about 18 when she had her youngest child, Pisti, and has six older daughters besides. Unless there's more than one set of twins involved, she would have had to start childbearing when she was 12 or 13.
  • Ren Gyokuen, who was 16 when she had her first child, Hakuyuu, and 19 when she had her second, Hakuren. Assuming she has been living as a genuine human for the last 48 years.
  • A lesser example, but Zaynab was 18 or 19 when she and Hassan had their first baby, and got pregnant again soon after.
• Telephone Polearm: Masrur uproots a tree and swings it to clear the fog.
• Tension-Cutting Laughter: Chapter 210 will be forever remembered as Kouen's first laugh, at the expense of Alibaba. Koumei then suggests that Alibaba takes this unique opportunity (his brother's good mood) to go and think about Kouen's offer of becoming his right hand man.
• Terrifying Rescuer: Ugo, thanks mainly to the missing head. And maybe the huge, blue body too.
• Theme Naming: Obviously, all the people who are named after characters in the Arabian Nights.
  • In the Kou Family, we also have Colourful Theme Naming; The children of the first emperor have "white" in their names and the children of the second have "red" in their names.
• There Is Only One Bed: Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgiana sleep in the same bed when they're in Sindria. They don't see anything wrong with it, but Hakuryuu was very pissed when Alibaba told him about it, especially when he said they had to "force Morgiana to do it" (because she felt she didn't deserve to sleep on the same bed as them).
• This Is Unforgivable!:
  • Everyone's reaction to Ahbmad using his people as collateral for more money.
  • In Chapter 212, this is how Alibaba reacts when he finds out Sinbad is using Mind Control on Princess Kougyoku to make her a Manchurian Agent.
• Time Skip: Several, any time the gang splits up, 6 months will have passed before they get back together, 6 months also passes after any major arc.
• Training Montage: Aladdin's first month of training is compressed in one of this.
• Trash Talk: Mostly just done by the bad guys.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Played for Laughs with Aladdin, who jumps on the chests of any beautiful woman he meets. Yamraiha is not amused.
• True Companions: Any king candidate and his household.
• Tsundere: Princess Ren Kougyoku.
  "I-It's not like because you said it I'm returning now!"
• Two Guys To A Girl: Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana. Subverted when Hakuryuu joined the group.
• Übermensch: Al-Thamen. The organization rejects the current, rather benign state of affairs in favour of opposing "destiny", which, in the context of the story, is pretty bad for everyone else.
• Utopia Justifies the Means: Sinbad's goal is to rid the world of abnormalities caused by black Rukh. He will use anyone to any extent to get there.
• Vestigial Empire: The Kou Empire after the Time Skip. Because of the reformations banning slavery and armies, two things that they boasted the most, the empire collapsed on itself despite Hakuryuu's efforts.
• Vocal Dissonance: In the anime, Elizabeth has a very classically beautiful, ladylike voice.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: No Djinn, male or female, has ever been depicted wearing a shirt.
• War Is Hell: Aladdin and Alibaba have both learned this through past experience.
  • The Country of Magnostadt vs. The Reim Empire. Mogamett used a Humongous Mecha to blast to death thousands of Reim's soldiers. Let be noticed that Reim's forces injured Magnostadt's magicians and army but they avoided killing them as all were shown in the tend being treated, but Mogamett practically used Frickin' Laser Beams on an army of normal people. Even Aladdin noticed how this stopped being a defensive war and has turned into a genocide.
  • Then the Fanalis Corps join the fight and start slaughtering Magnostadt's soldiers left and right and ''enjoy' the death they are causing, with Lo'lo even getting turned on by it. (Meanwhile, Muu gives Titus a Breaking Speech about how he's a abomination who should never have existed to begin with.) In fact, it's implied Reim was only holding back until they could bring in the Fanalis, who would then kill all of Magnostadt's soldiers and magicians.
• Warrior Prince: Many, which is fitting because being able to conquer a dungeon means the ability to become king.
• Wedding Finale: The epilogue chapter also features Alibaba and Morgiana's wedding among other things.
• We Do the Impossible: In his meeting with Ahbmad and Sahbmad, Sinbad declares that he, Ja'far, and Masrur alone will go destroy the Fog Troupe for Balbadd.
• We Have Reserves: One of Ahbmad's many Kick the Dog moments. He isn't upset at all when his soldiers get killed by the superpowered warriors from Kou, and he's willing to subject his people to slavery just to continue his decadent lifestyle. Eventually deconstructed, repeatedly demonstrating he places no value on the lives of his men leaves them with no loyalty towards him and they defect during a coup d'etat.
• We Help the Helpless: Aladdin does this to some extent, as he usually just follows his heart wherever he goes and ends up solving conflicts and saving princesses.
  • Sinbad began like this as well after his first dungeon capture. We see this nature come out again when he decides to side with the Fog Troupe to save Balbadd.
• Well, Excuse Me, Princess!: The initial reaction to Kougyoku. She takes a level in characterisation though.
• Wham Episode: Chapter 232: The Black Rukh is the Will of Ill Ilah, and the White Rukh is infused with Solomon's Will.
  • Chapter 276: Solomon and his Magi didn't succeed in stopping David's plans, and David actually realized his goal of joining with and assimilating Ill Ilah. Not only that, but David is well on his way to conquering Solomon's world through the use of his vessel - Sinbad.
  • Chapter 284: The world just bypassed in three years by Sinbad's guiding several ages of technogical process by the use of magitek to a futuristic era, surpassing Alma Torran's prime. Alibaba is but utterly perplexed. Just look for it yourself.
  • Chapter 329: Sinbad has taken over the world by rewriting the laws of physics to brainwash humanity, and is planning to destroy the world to fuel his ascent to godhood (sound familiar?) unless the few champions with enough willpower (and/or insanity) to resist him can overcome his seven trials and surpass his philosophy! Also, he made an AI-clone of Ren from before she went insane. Sheesh.
• Wham Line:
  • One of Solomon's Three Wise Magi—Gyokuen Ren.
  • Chapter 211: "Hey! Are you doing well?" Uttered by Sinbad through the mind controlled Kougyoku.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: The djinn are all artificially created from Rukh and have enormous powers, but they also show a wide range of emotion that lets them relate to humans.
• Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?: Sinbad has a lot of stuff from his adventures. It's nice that he shares.
• Will Not Be a Victim: Cassim refuses to bow down to anyone and continues to fight his own way against the current despotic Balbadd Kingdom. This ends rather tragically for him. On the other side of the conflict, Sahbmad tries his best to not be a victim either, as he goes out of his way to try to get Alibaba to help him against Ahbmad.
• Will They or Won't They?:
  • For a more blatant, and plot related example: Morgiana and Alibaba. At least these two do, and they're engaged by the final arc.
• With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Any person who succumbs to the temptation of the Black Rukh.
• The World Is Not Ready: The general reaction to the power Sinbad came back with after the first dungeon. It's revealed that the whole world shook when Sinbad was born.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: After Sinbad taught Alibaba more about Djinn Equip and how he could obtain it, Alibaba tried to equip but failed. Even so, Alibaba went to the royal palace to make his point to Ahbmad again hoping that his sword would come to his aid in his time of need. It doesn't. In order to survive Alibaba has to rely on his own skills and ends up being saved by Morgiana.
• Yamato Nadeshiko: Princesses Hakuei and Kougyoku; the latter of which for when she is in her "dere" mode. Their mother, Gyokuen, also qualifies.Though the empress only keeps up the facade of being one.
• Yin-Yang Bomb: Sinbad is capable of using this attack because he has both white and black Rukh inside his body.
• You Are Not Alone: Sinbad to Ja'far and Masrur in the past. He may have won over some of his other True Companions this way too, as hinted at in the tantalizing flashback panels on this page.
• You Shall Not Pass!: Morgiana pulls one off against the monkey mooks to let Alibaba go ahead to deal with Ahbmad.

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