This week for Manga Monday I’m covering the excellent series Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic by Shinobu Ohtaka.

Plot Synopsis: After being secluded for his entire life, a boy called Aladdin travels the world until he meets Alibaba Saluja, a young man aiming to one day explore the nearby dungeon Amon and claim its treasures.

Plot: First off this series has nothing to do with Disney, and thank god because this series would be terrible if it was. I really enjoy this series, and while it seems to devolve into a battle series about halfway through the series, it actually doesn’t. It’s a story about a world racked with war and how a few people are trying to make it a better place. I can’t go any further without spoiling anything, but I really enjoy this series. Expect lots of familiar names from mythology to appear.

Characters: Of all the characters, Aladdin is probably my favorite, though that might be because he motorboats a really fat dude in the first few chapters.  I was laughing so hard I woke up my roommates at the time. The rest of the cast is interesting and well developed as well. Everyone has flaws, even if they aren’t apparent immediately. For example Aladdin’s flaws, or rather his backstory, wasn’t explained until very recently. That doesn’t make this series bad though as we were covering other character’s backstories before his. Other than Aladdin, Morgianna is probably my favorite character.

Art: The artwork for this series is amazing, going from comical gags, to very well drawn scenes for the rest of the series.

Overall: If you haven’t given this series a try yet, you really ought to. It’s definitely one of the better Shonen series out there.

For those who like: Myths, Excellent characters, Amazing plot, Fantastic artwork.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.