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sayakxmi · 5 months

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[Magi reread] Night 25: Paimon

Magi used to be more classic shounen-y at the beginning. Then shit got serious.

Good quesiton.

Yep, that's what you are.

Good news, everybody, Seishun is alive!

Seishun looks kinda like Alibaba sans horn, and Hakuei looks like she's dying inside.

Touch

KA-BOOM (Yes, Rico, ka-boom)

Genshin fandom wishes that was their Paimon. But also I cut it, because I don't like her design.

Cool makeup tho. (wiggle wiggle wiggle)

Lmao.

Look at him

I can't with that goddamn flute.

LMAO

Hakuei's face's like "Paimon, tf are you talking about..."

I was wondering for some time if that was a translation error, and, yeah, it seems to be. Magi choose kings.

That's even bigger error. She's not selected to be a magi, she's selected BY a magi. Yeah, yeah, I know we all know that, but I still felt the need to point it out.

Oh, hi, yet another shitty father.

Bro be chillin

How can you eat it like that and not be bothered by all that juice, ugh.

Top 3 characters whose name the fandom cannot agree on how to spell. I go with Judar.

Lmao

I hate JuHaku, mostly because the fandom made me dislike it over time (not that I've ever been a fan, but used to be more neutral), but I can definitely imagine Judar having a one-sided crush on Hakuryuu for, like, half of his life. Shame Hakuryuu got married to Morgiana, and is now living his best life in Reim, owning a very popular restaurant. Because that's definitely what happened, and you won't tell me otherwise.

Hi, edgier Zuko Hakuryuu

You did. By accident. But you love him, so you don't mind. It was probably fate, anyway.

He's thinking about him ;;

A shitton of things have changed. But there's also so much that didn't.

Aladdin has two goals - find his bestie, and find who he is. You go, little magic boy, you go.

#magi #saya's magi reread #aladdin #ren hakuryuu #judar #ren hakuei

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sayakxmi · 10 days

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[Magi reread] Night 72: Wisdom of Solomon

Honestly, I just think it looks kinda funny.

Look at all the shits Aladdin doesn't give.

Sth about the way his smile falls.

OOF

Idk I just think it's a pretty cool pose

Honestly, he looks so cool this chapter.

You go, boy

Honestly, I'm only putting it here bc it's Judar saying that. I sometimes forget that he's pretty smart. When it comes to magic, at least.

I still love it so much that Ugo was teaching him this entire time, because he knew he wouldn't always be there to protect him;;;

And also Aladdin raising his hands like a conductor. Looks awesome.

Honestly, so far, pretty hype chapter, which Imma be honest with you, it was very needed. After all these chapters of misery and desperation, we finally have something that turns the tides, something that makes us breath a litte easier, because not all hope's lost.

It's totally random, but it made me think about a post of the screenshot from Twitter about somebody complaining that Dune has no humor in it - and, just for the record, the entire explanation of that person's point is very good and exactly what I'm referring to. That is, the humor lets you calm down a little so that whatever awful comes next fucks you up even harder. And I thought about it, bc it's kind of like that here? The tides are turning, as I've said, so we feel like things can still turn out ok.

But they won't. Cassim will have his heart-to-heart with Alibaba and die, people will see their dead loved ones and calm down, and Balbadd will still be lost. We're made believe things will be alright and that we'll win, but in the end we'll lose so much. I think looking at it like that is pretty neat.

I forgot Alibaba's still next to him.

Get wrecked bithc

Oh, right, you were still kinda impaled.

He's sending Sinbad & Morgiana somewhere else, but I'm kinda putting it here bc it reminds me abt one scene in the Magnostadt Arc?

"Gimme a sec," I say, as if it wasn't my post that I'm only gonna publish after writing the entire thing.

HA. KNEW IT.

Anyway, so this is Aladdin's gtfo pose.

Give it a few more arcs & you're not gonna be so happy.

First of all, I love that Aladdin's able to read the situation here & conclude that, nope, no can do. There's this humility to him, which in this moment is pretty horrifying - he came in & gave everybody hope, only to admit that he can't win against Judar as they are now. Scary as it is, though, it's much smarter than hoping they can just... power through. Sometimes you can't, and admitting that you can't is more likely to help than trying to force it. At least this way, they can begin to come up with other ideas.

The other thing is, Alibaba's reaction. I might be reading too much into this, which, fair, I tend to, but I'm thinking about Alibaba's tendency to just... trust others so much, so easily. Which is fascinating, considering he has every right to have severe trust issues, given how often he gets betrayed, but at the same time, it kinda connects. Alibaba is quick to trust and believe (given at least one reason), and he can be a bit naive in this. If he trusts somebody, he trusts them all the way. When Hakuryuu goes nuts, he still goes to him to try to talk, believing Hakuryuu isn't too far gone (which is proven very wrong), or in the Magnostadt Arc, the moment Sinbad & SSA arrive, he just. Fuckign faints like that. He's been keeping himself up with sheer willpower, and the moment somebody he believes in appeares, he just relaxes. He can let them handle that, right?

And it's kind of the same here. Aladdin, who'd bailed him out of pretty bad situations a few times, is here, so things are going to be alright, right? But no. Aladdin admits, he can't win. There's no easy way out, leaving it for others to handle. Alibaba needs to put in his work, too.

I wouldn't describe Alibaba as selfish, but when you really think about is, his self-confidence issues are making him selfish in situations like that. It's one thing to let somebody help you, but it's another to have somebody do all the heavy lifting, you know? It kinda makes me think about the contrast between Alibaba & Sinbad. Alibaba's belief in everybody but himself vs Sinbad's belief in himself only. Obviously, the right choice is in between. Early SnB!Sinbad wasn't so bad, but the seeds were there, and he just kept digging himself deeper and deeper into the extreme. Alibaba, on the other hand, started off on the extreme, and slowly learnt to believe in himself to eventually find himself in that healthy middle ground.

Man, I really dislike putting entire pages, but, honestly, this is so good. Aladdin reminding him why he fights, and showing him how people feel the same, how he was the one to push them forward.

"Everyone's hopes within their hearts." Small reminder that all Amon's spells have hope-related names. For example, from the wikii: "Amol Dherrsaiqa [...] is a corruption of the Arabic phrase صاعِقة ظِرّ الأَمَل Ṣā3iqa(t) Ẓirr Al-Amal, which means "Flint Lightning of Hope"."

I really love that. This is Alibaba's role in the story, after all. But if you think about it, it's all the King Vessels' role, Alibaba's just the one who ends up the most succesful.

It looks kinda funny

RIP Alibaba

All we know about that Wisdom of Solomon thing is the hype and that Al-Thamen freaks out. Neat.

Also, I really like what it turned out to be. It's not some deus-ex-machina trick to fix everything. Frankly, it's not all that useful on its own. But Aladdin is capable of making use of it, because he puts in the work to make use of it. I'm not feeling the right kind of wordy today, but basically, he isn't just given a power up, he actively works to turn it into a power up.

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja #aladdin

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sayakxmi · 1 month

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[Magi reread] Night 71: Alibaba

Alibaba looks so smol next to Sinbad, it's a serious situation but I'm just laughing

Welp, there goes the High King of the Seven Seas.

Judar's awkward teenage crush. I feel like he could've bonded about it with Alibaba if not for the fact that he'd rather choke on his stupid staff than admit there was a time he was into the guy.

Even though literally everybody knew.

I cannot explain this, but I really like this panel. Idk, might be because I'm a sucker for Judar & Alibaba, mostly platonic (but potentially one-sided on Judar's side, bc it's just hilarious). They just have the potential to be the funniest bitches alive (or somewhat alive), and I can respect that. Like, it's such a refreshing friendship in Magi, where they're just fucking assholes towards each other. I just love the idea of them being so fucking petty, and absolutely dragging out some old shit any chances they get, but also being super ride-or-die for each other, as long as Judar doesn't cross some lines, in which case Alibaba knocks him down.

But also you can always read it as Judar's way of flirting, and I think that a very funny idea, too.

Thank you, Morgiana

I love Alibaba. I know you know. There's no way to miss it, given how much I talk about him. But, just, the fact that this is such a horrible situation, and he's still willing to fight.

There's also something about him being so... calm. Well, maybe that's not the right word. It's more like he's not overthinking the way he usually it. It's a cool contrast, given how often he panics (for good reasons). But I think that it just manages to show how bad the situation is. It gives you the sense that at this point, it literally cannot get any worse, so panicking won't help.

But that doesn't mean he's alright with anything, actually. He's determined to keep others safe, and accepts that "at all costs" might be truly ALL costs.

There it is. No panic, just pure determination. Ugh, I love to see it.

And also Morgiana's reaction to everything, very understandable. I think it's kind of interesting when you look at it that way - they switch places. It's Alibaba who keeps his head clear, while it's Morgiana who is the horrified one. For the most of this arc it was the other way around. It was Morgiana who wanted to act, and even tried to convince Alibaba to act, while he was too overwhelmed to do anything. But here? It's Alibaba who pleads to her to help him do something.

Also bonus, even the guards are horrified.

And, obviously, for a good reason. Alibaba's putting his life on the line, fully aware that he's doing it, and even accepting that yeah, I might die here. But they have to do this, anyway.

Looks cool af

And theeeeere

goes the sword.

It's not over yet.

Honestly, the fact that he's literally shaking. That everybody can see it. Man, as if the situation wasn't deseprate enough.

Also, I just fucking love Aladdin's monologue here. Ya bet I'm adding all of it here.

It's one of the reasons why I fucking love him so much. Alibaba feels responsibility very strongly, very personally, even when things really have nothing to do with him. That's just how he is. No, it's not healthy, obviously, but there's something about the fact that in spite of all his insecurities, all the ways the world and even his loved ones made him doubt himself, he's still willing to take an action when there's a need for it. He might struggle, he might get overwhelmed, but he WILL do everything in his power to help.

Like, I hate to copy-paste entire pages, but damn, I just fucking love this chapter.

Oh my god

-SCREAMS-

#saya's magi reread

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sayakxmi · 1 month

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[Magi reread] Night 70: Bird

Yeaah, wasn't exactly feeling very Magi lately. Or anything. Kinda hard to go back to normal uni mode from a winter break, so I was busy trying to make sense of my sleeping schedule, which, frankly, is still shit, but, hey, I'm doing my best here XD

Also, damn, I really like that new blog theme. It's so readable. For me, at least. No regrets.

But anyway, the actual chapter.

RIP Alibaba's Weapon DE burnt arms, you will be missed by ME, because I thought they were super cool.

Tbh, I don't think it evolved? I've always read it as Alibaba not mastering it fully, actually. I mean, most DE's cover the body better, and later naturally transform into Full-Body DEs. So, basically, it wasn't until that moment that he actually reached Weapon Djinn Equip.

Low blow.

Well, fuck

Very good catch, Morgiana.

Tbh, I don't think they would've died... Or at least, I don't think Sinbad would've died, cuz I think Alibaba could've cushioned him a little, but it also probably would've really sucked for him, too. Like, from that hit, his spine could've broken, probably...

Actually, damn, the fact that Alibaba's didn't break. Or, damn, shouldn't he have some head trauma? By now he probably should've. Anyway, but also I checked the previous page, and from the way he hit the wall, he sort of avoided hitting his head, but god damn, the fact that his spine is fine after this is a goddamn miracle.

You know, I really think it's pretty cool. Just, these two working together. Idk, man, I'm always weak for Sinbad and Alibaba.

It took me an embarrassing moment to realize he was being pulled by Djinn!Cassim's gravity powers...

This entire part deserved to be here. I love how aware he is that he can't do it yet, and just braces himself for a hit... that never comes.

10/10. And the fact that SAHBMAD is commanding them.

When did you get back there.

Also, love how he's so concerned for them, but Sinbad calms him down.

-claps- You go, guys

I genuinely love how desperate the situation is, and how everybody's trying, anyway.

Lowkey made me think about Honkai Impact 3rd's "Everlasting Flames" animated short. There's that quote "We're connected by this sword. It will burn up the darkness to make way for light!". Feels quite fitting.

Like, it has nothing to do with each other, obviously, but I just thought it was fun.

JUDAR FUCKING JUMPSCARE

Like, I genuinely forgot he appears here.

Also, damn, Alibaba gets no breaks, does he?

I love that Sinbad's immediately next to him.

Alibaba, being the normalest guy around: Al-Thamen: Nope, we can't have that.

Jokes aside, yeah, dude's not wrong. Alibaba might be nothing special compared to behemots like Sinbad or Kouen, but he's got an ungodly amount of willpower when push comes to shove, and is smart enought to maneuver himself in difficult situations. Tho the fact that he seems so unremarkable is also to his benefit, since people tend to underestimate him.

But Al-Thamen doesn't. It makes sense for them - they've been running the world from the shadows for hundreds of years. They know that just because somebody might not look like they can amount to much, doesn't mean they aren't capable of it. And Alibaba's given them the proof of it. He went not only against fate they'd envisioned, but also against the one Sinbad had. He is a threat-in-making.

Well, yeah, the situation really fucking sucks. I've said it before & I'm saying it again, I like how Alibaba isn't fucking fooling himself into believing he can do this... but at the same time, he doesn't give up. He has to do this, somehow. He just doesn't know how yet. And it's well in line with his characterization, just like his talk with Cassim about avoiding bloodshed. He doesn't know yet, but he will figure something out. There's too much to lose if he doesn't.

I mean, yeah, somebody had to handle this.

"That's...?"

._.

.__.

Like, bro, what do I say. This fucking sucks.

HIT ITAAAAAAHHHHHHH

I NEED A HERO~!

You know I had to.

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja

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sayakxmi · 2 months

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[Magi reread] Night 69: The Will of Revolution

Hehe, nice.

You know I had to do it. Anyway.

Jesus fuck

Ohtaka sure know how to draw things horrifying

Things that make me think that maybe Ohtaka wasn't entirely sure about the Alma Torran stuff just yet. But, I mean, up until the AT Arc it kinda seemed like Sheba was both Aladdin's mother and the traitor, so.

Then again, sort of? I'd really have to get to the AT Arc to be sure of anything, cuz ngl, I don't remember the logistics of it all. Like, I know the leaders of these 72 races became djinns, but I don't remember the details. I kinda didn't get to that Arc during my previous reread attempt - I got to these goddamn boat chapters, and they killed all my enthusiasm.

Nice catch

You're right Morgiana, but also I can't blame him for just not processing the fuck he is seeing.

Princes: spotted

Oh, hey, she kicked him!

Yeah, but he's about to regenerate

It looked a little silly

See, it's one of the reasons why I don't think that Black Rukh=Fallen. Maybe people talked about it before, but I haven't seen it, so I will right now. The point is, with how often we see Black Rukh, you could assume that at least 1/3 of the population is fallen. I mean, you can't exactly convince me that all these people and later all these pirate kids were already on the verge of falling, not with how big and impactful falling has been depicted in the story. I'd say, you need to curse your fate to fall, rather than these two terms being used interchangeably. Like, it takes more anger and far more will to properly curse your fate and fall as a result. Without that? Your desperation will create some weird black birds, but only temporarily. If you want it to stuck, you need to make a conscious choice.

This is a very dramatic situation, but this is also kind of silly.

pffffff bye Morgiana

I love that he's trying to save his brother and also 23rd

Too slow!

THERE HE IS

...it sounds kinda silly when you know.

OUCH

I mean, it wouldn't be that much of a problem if SOMEONE didn't fall asleep drunk and didn't let himself get robbed.

...I sound like Ja'far.

Looking at it now, after SnB among other things, he sure seems to be speaking from personal experience.

Honestly I'm just sitting here : ( That's my face, I'm just sad about it all. Also, does Alibaba have tears in his eyes? I wouldn't be surprised. They've almost succeeded in a peaceful revolution, and now his people are killing each other. This needs to stop, he knows it, and Sinbad reminds him here why he's fighting anything in the first place. All the while coughing up blood, because he's risking his life to help. What is Alibaba doing, freaking out? He needs to take action, now! <- that's what is likely going on in his head.

#saya's magi reread #alibaba saluja

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sayakxmi · 2 months

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[Magi reread] Night 68: The Black Rukh's Djinn

No fucking shit

:(

(But at the same time, the right panel kinda makes me laugh, cuz it looks like an edit of Amon's sword with Cassim's head photoshoped)

Well, it'd be dumb if he just gave up, just because his life is in danger. When wasn't it, anyway? Nah, there are people who were in the Fog Troupe for profit, but Cassim? It's pretty much the meaning of his life by now.

Ugh

D:

OF-FUCKING-COURSE HE CAN'T. THAT'S HIS BEST FRIEND/BROTHER, HE CAN'T JUST FUCKING KILL HIM

: (

Also, they remember it so differently. From Cassim's perspective, he was watching Alibaba and Mariam, but Alibaba remembers being next to Cassim there;;;

;_;

God, Cassim really thought Alibaba was going to kill him for a moment there

He is and I love it about him, don't use it as an insult. It takes a lot of strength to be soft in this shitty world

MY HEART

But also, is he seriously saying he's going to surrender, or is it a mistranslation, or does he mean, like, he's done with Alibaba here

He might mean it, tbh, the rest of the Troupe are in mortal danger, so

: (

Ugh, but the fact that when Zainab calls for him, he smiles. Why is he smiling? Are you reassuring her? Is it like despair kind of smile? There's nothing left, I might as well smile or something?

don't

God damn it

Bro, you look horrifying, bleeding out like that. How about you shut the fuck up, and let yourself be treated or something

Also, it's a serious moment, and I'm sad, but also. Imagine if it didn't work & he just fell. He would've looked like a clown

Ouch and also god that looks kind of disgusting

My thoughts don't change

Something about the fact that the Fog Troupe, too, is freaked out

Fuck Al-Thamen

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja #cassim #kassim

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sayakxmi · 2 months

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[Magi reread] Night 67: Clash

I'm not ready.

"This is the entrance to an enormous collection of information." You know, we could've guessed it was omniscience.

Wait, seriously, who is talking to him? If he doesn't recognize the voice, it can't be Ugo. Is that Solomon?

Glad to see them get involved. Like, don't get me wrong, their job was important, but I appreciate that they aren't forgotten.

I mean, Ohtaka has a tendency of leaving characters behind

Oh, there you are, Morgiana!

Jokes aside, I kinda love how freaked out she looks here, like. She's 14-15, and you just kinda feel it here. She's a kid searching for guidance, because she has no idea what to do. Far too young to get involved in this kind of stuff, as strong as she physically is.

Honestly, I just wanted to point this thing out. Morgiana going to Sinbad for guidance.

God damn. Like, sometimes I just forget how bad things get in certain moments.

You sure look confident for somebody who will not, in fact, stop Cassim.

Damn.

Pretty

Love how unsurprised he looks

Gorgeous, and very sad

Yeah, I mean, you kinda started a civil war here

Ughhhh, he just looks away

I feel like this really captures a lot of Alibaba's experiences after meeting Aladdin

Lowkey screaming

It's like, we knew Cassim had his own agendas, but damn if that moment isn't satisfying. And the expressions? Alibaba looks sad/freaked out, while Cassim just looks so... vile

"Cassim, the fuck are you talking about right now?"

I do like two things, one, how completely unbothered he seems, and two, the fact that we're finally learning more about the way Cassim views things, the reason he's fighting so hard. Even if he looks unbothered, it's something he's been carrying for years

It genuinely looks like he's about to kill Alibaba

Also, it's interesting. He doesn't think that, but he feels that, and is fighting against it. Is he proving it to the world, or is he proving it to himself that he's more than a scum and a villain?

Damn he looks creepy af

HA

NOT SO CONFIDENT ANYMORE, HUH?

You go, boy.

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja #cassim #kassim

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sayakxmi · 2 months

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[Magi reread] Night 66: Holy Palace's Aladdin

It almost feels weird to return to Aladdin right now

Weird thingies

Idk, just that giant head is kinda silly

Also, damn, Aladdin's wobbly legs

Nvm, they aren't Schehe's clones. But it still confuses me a little, cuz I feel like it's sort of implied later on that they are? But I might be misremembering thing - I'll comment on it when I get to the Magnostadt Arc. For now it's just a bit ?? Like, it's a real possibility Ohtaka didn't plan that far ahead yet.

You look really sad about it for a guy who nearly murdered him in blind rage

Ok, to be fair, I can imagine him feeling bad about it after calming down. Still, weird choice to want to explain Alma Torran to Judar instead of, idk, Yunan for example. I feel like it would have made the whole dying-and-coming-back-over-and-over-again a little more bearable. To actually know the point of that. Bc when Aladdin and Yunan talk, Yunan admits that Ugo'd never explained anything, and in that form (the blob, probably) form he couldn't ask. So. That fucking sucked.

Anyway. Giving Solomon's Wisdom to Judar? Really? I think you're putting too much faith in that guy.

F

I... forgot that's what happened. I remembered they were the same guy, but that magic turning into one? Tbh, cool.

Pretty!

Hello there, characters nobody cares about, least of all Ohtaka

Don't worry, grls, I've got u.

Look at this annoyed Alibaba, lmao

F A T E

I mean, I jest, but it's pretty cool. Fate is one of Magi's main themes, that for sure, and to have it explained the way it is, I think it really works.

Black Sun

Honestly, I just love it being explained like that. Things becoming inverted, distorted.

Idk man, there's not much I think I can say about it. The explanation is solid on its own, and it's pretty damn cool.

Tho later Ohtaka will come and try to convince us that maybe falling isn't so bad after, yeah, sure, all these brainwashed people are a good proof of that...

That's... yeah. I was thinking about it lately, cuz I was thinking about the Kou Empire Arc.

Maybe that entire becoming more powerful god than the other guy then that guy becoming more powerful than you and then you becoming more powerful than him... etc didn't come out of nowhere here, bc Hakuryuu's falling feels kind of like that. Abra is fallen, so she works against fate, so she fucked up the fate for Hakuryuu, who then proceeded to, idk, +2 to that by also falling, and, since he's not returning things to the actual fate's course, he just makes even bigger of a mess... Which is ironic as fuck. He tried to destroy Al-Thamen by literally doing what they wanted to - sowing more chaos and disasters all around, which at worst could have led the world to an end (given Judar could cause Il Illah to descend, apparently). Idk man, put some make up on to the clown music, you fucking moron.

Like, don't get me wrong, I like Hakuryuu for the most part, but Jesus Fuck he's an idiot. This is why he's constantly painted as immature. Because he fucking is immature. He never thinks things through, has no patience to speak of once he snaps, and ends up just making everything worse for everybody and himself, and wakes up with a hand in the pot, because turns out he has no idea how to handle the aftermath of his stupidass choices, because he was too busy fucking up people's minds to consider what happens after the war.

Ok rant over.

Foreshadowing

(soon) RIP Alibaba

Honestly, that's such a cool moment.

It kind of looks cute

Idk man, awesome moment all around. The fact that all of these blobs are helping him up is really cute, too

That crying Aladdin : (

Also, not gonna lie, this feels like the theme of this arc, among other things. And I'll definitely talk about it more. It's about losing the people you love, but at the same time meeting new ones, too. Of course they won't replace them, but the point is simply you're not alone.

;;;

Honestly, it just looks aweosme

#saya's magi reread #magi #aladdin #ugo #ren hakuryuu #listen i add character tags usually when i talk about them more & i kinda went on a small rant in the middle

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sayakxmi · 2 months

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[Magi reread] Night 65: Cassim's Reply

They look so menacing

Ugh, that surprsied face

"What will you do?"

:')

I do think it's interesting regarding Cassim. That for all these harsh words, deep down he'd always seen Alibaba as somebody more than capable of pulling these sorts of things. He doesn't want him to be, and he sure tried to make him feel like he can't - and was nearly succesful in that. Except Aladdin and Morgiana came, and Alibaba bounced back. And he'd figured things out, just like he'd always had.

No wonder it stung, given all we soon find out about Cassim. The fact that the world let Alibaba remain so soft and warm, while Cassim's life was hell from the very beginning, and it killed all and any gentleness he'd ever had over the years. Why could that naive Alibaba achieve so much? Was he really that much better than Cassim?

Though it's also worth noting that Cassim extremely idealizes Alibaba. That's something that happens when you've spent your entire life considering himself a worthless trash, and kept comparing yourself to one of the few nice people around you. Alibaba looked too good, and it made Cassim see himself as even worse. But Alibaba isn't perfect. He wasn't actually allowed to remain soft and warm and naive, and Cassim definitely contributed to that. He'd learnt, and he'd also found people to fall back on when he needed it the most, and while he was willing to take some big risks, he was fully aware that they were there. He's no longer the same kid Cassim got drunk and had him spell out his secrets. It really must sting.

For a whole second, they really believed he'd be happy with that

: )

See, the thing is, he's kind of right. Maybe not about hvaing to kill everybody, but besides that, all taht he says. That's what makes him so powerful here. The people were desperate, and they were happy that there was a chance at a better life, but it was just a momentary respite. The situation is still bad. These past years were still bad. If Cassim didn't remind them about that, it was possible for things to work out, but it's no wonder his words were enough. These wounds are still fresh.

He even used Alibaba's entire "give country back to the people" against him. Like, I know Cassim's smart, but damn.

(insert trauma montage)

Kinda weird that he apologizes. I wonder if he does genuinely feel sorry that he's doing it now.

Jesus

RIP

Why u gotta look so menacing, Ugo

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja #cassim #kassim

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sayakxmi · 3 months

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[Magi reread] Night 64: The Republic of Balbadd

Precious, but thinking about the very wrong person.

I wonder who's that

Aww, Barkak wanted to thank them

Dad scolding his son for being reckless, but also proud and happy it turned out fine.

He's so fucking happy look at him, the happiest boy ever

Things are about to go so fucking wrong very soon, I'm genuinely sad.

People whenever a country's in a crisis, I swear

The fact that he fucking knows what he's talking about. This entire republic idea wasn't just some pipe dream of his - he made sure to know how to make it work.

I mean he absolutely deserves death penalty, but I understand that this is something you don't want to do.

And he actually finds a way to justify that.

-writes down Kashgan as a location in Magi-

We know so little abt the desert, tbh. We know of some oases, but also who tf is that big king who put people like Jamil in charge of various cities? Srsly, who that.

"Maybe I judged him a bit too quickly." essentially.

Why are you still here. Shoo shoo -waves hands-

There's something that makes me so happy about Alibaba not falling for what the Banker says. Sure, things might be difficult, but they've made their choice, and they won't be swayed. Tho to be fair, I can imagine him also seeing what the Banker says for the manipulation it is.

Boom

...who's "we"

This speech deserves to be here. Sinbad is the King that makes you believe in him, but Alibaba is the King that makes people believe in themselves.

Ughh. Think for yourself, but I will be there to help you if there's a need. I love him.

But also, damn, Alibaba telling them to have courage, and the next panel is Aladdin;;;

Proud

Imagine being allowed to fulfill that one promise, I swear the universe just won't let them

Bu moving from that panel of Alibaba to this of Aladdin where we still have no idea the fuck is up with him is pretty sad, ngl

"Fate, flow backwards!" Sounds pretty sick, ngl

He's coming.

Also, -waves vigorously- to the three-four people who read my notes here! I hope you're doing well! :D

By the way, if there's something you wish I'd mentioned or elaborated on, feel free to ask. Just saying.

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja

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sayakxmi · 3 months

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[Magi reread] Night 63: Alibaba's Sophism

For all of you, dumb bitches

It's me. I'm dumb bitches.

No, fr, I kept forgetting to finally fucking check what exactly that meant, and I've finally done it and Oh.

Well, that checks out.

She

I'm not sure if it looks more impressed, or more like some very slight annoyance. Tbh, I'm probably reading too much into it, but at the same time, Alibaba did kinda mess Mr Fate's Favorite Child's plans here. And Sinbad always saw Alibaba as the person meant to become the King of Balbadd, till the very end, really, so. Hm.

I'm not sure... this might be how we learn about SSA? But also, it might've been mentioned earlier & I just forgot.

Ok, but. What if I'm not reading too much into it. Gdi.

Oh, no. He very much does not look happy here. I mean, he looks relatively neutral, but I would say it's the fact that the previous panel he was in he had a slight smile, so his face closing the way it did definitely points you towards the "no a fan" direction. I don't think I was reading too much into it, after all. Thank you for being here for my little self-gaslighting session. We came out victorious in the end.

But the way he's looking at him... Yudja put it best, honestly: "Unimpressed by Alibaba's answer. In a way that distinctly go into condescending disdain. And it also looks like he's calculating how much of a threat Alibaba will prove to be" Also, I personally think there's also the fact that Alibaba said that Balbadd didn't need a king, which kinda goes against Sinbad's entire ideology.

It's always amazing to see these small moments, sprinkled throughout the entire Balbadd Arc, where for a moment Sinbad stops being that silly dude or an amazing, inspiring leader, and we catch a glimpse of something darker, somebody colder and more calculating.

The foreshadowing of this dude was so fucking good, man. And so many of us fell for it.

She has a point.

Menacing.

This page is amazing. I just. I don't even know what to say. No one know what to say. The fuck do you mean, yea, forget about it for a sec here.

Also, close up on this precious girl.

So. That sophism...

I think it's extremely important for everybody to understand: Alibaba knows he's bullshitting. He doesn't truly believe it, it's ridiculous. But if he plays his cards well, it might just work.

Can we just talk how everybody but Alibaba looks surprised at her answer.

I've said it before, and I'm saying it again - Alibaba is good at reading people.

I love this page. Dunno, you can't help but think that Alibaba does make some good points... even though obviously, he doesn't intend for Balbadd to actually be annexed.

Kougyoku: -is actually about to disagree-

Sinbad: Allow me to reintroduce myself

Good for Sinbad to jump in right now, but also the other three really are like, welp, let's roll with whatever he says, what's new.

Sinbad really was like, ok, I'll handle it from now on, only for Alibaba to jump back in.

RIP Ka Koubun

nod

Honestly, can't blame you.

Welp, I guess he is a little bit impressed, after all. Proud, even,

UH OH, AREN'T WE FORGETTING ABOUT SOMETHING

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja #sinbad #ren kougyoku

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sayakxmi · 3 months

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[Magi reread] Night 62: Alibaba's Answer

Weird magic shit

Weird fate shit

In the prev panel they were like "somebody inform the banker", and I didn't think much abt it originally, but knowing that Al-Thamen magicians communicate between each other it kinda made me wonder if he just noticed Rukh going wild, or maybe he'd just go a brain text or whatever.

Crossroads of history, indeed. Alibaba and Kougyoku finally meet each other properly.

Kougyoku upon seeing 23rd. Lmao.

True

Kougyoku looks pretty here, but I also wanted to include Alibaba :>

The Banker betrayed you. Literally no one saw that coming

Ngl, I kinda respect that.

Gorgeous and scary.

Lol

I like that Sahbmad takes responsibility for not doing anything to stop 23rd until now. He might not be the direct cause of Balbadd's decline, but he's inaction sure af contributed to it.

Beautiful

YOU GO, BOY

Emperor Consort tho

Ok, but Kougyoku keeping her expression in check.

You'd do good, tbh, but I get where you're coming from.

The enemies to friends to lovers ever

Insane how far they've gone through since that point.

I love it for how ridiculous it is & respect Alibaba for keeping his face straight, I would've been too stressed to say something like that.

Her

This entire exchange is hilarious

Tfw your maybe (almost) husband maybe brother-in-law it's still kinda undecided tells you there will be no king at all.

;;;

I just LOVE him losing fucking patience with 23rd. Like, bro, you were dethroned, you fucked up this entire country, stfu.

But also DAMN it's not the kind of expression you see on Alibaba's face often. He's usually pretty good at staying calm or gets righfully angry about something (eg. Hakuryuu's bs), but here? Nah, he's juts done with 23rd's bs.

I didn't realize how much I needed more annoyed Alibaba in my life.

The world will tell you no, sadly

I love him

Ok, but one thing I keep forgetting to comment on. It makes sense for Alibaba to come up with this sort of idea. Alibaba was ALWAYS an out-of-the-box thinker! That's what these tunnels were about. Instead of running the mountain like everybody else, he took a different approach - and succeeded!

I think it's one of the things that differ him from somebody like Sinbad, for example. Sinbad may be unorthodox in his approach, but it's not exactly the same. It's difficult for me to put in into words, but what happens here is a good example. The only way he thought Balbadd could've been helped was to make Alibaba a King, and support him as the Seven Seas Alliance. He doesn't consider any other possible ways of dealing with this crisis - it's that or a failure, the end. He sees the world in 0s and 1s, from the place of believing himself to always be the one who knows best, while Alibaba considers all the other perspectives as equally valuable, and finds a solution thanks to them all.

#saya's magi reread #alibaba saluja #sinbad

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sayakxmi · 3 months

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[Magi reread] Night 61: Rebellion

I'm really adding here all of these, bc I genuinely need you to understand that this is seriously all we've got of her fight in the manga. God damn, Ohtaka isn't that subtle about not really caring about Morgiana.

I love how Alibaba isn't surprised at all. He knows about Sahbmad's feelings. So he's just standing there and listening.

You go, boy

I love how Alibaba helps him out here. Where Sahbmad hesitates for a moment, Alibaba is quick to back him up, and, frankly, is completely right to point out that bigass elephant in the room: the slavery thing (which was previously mentioned by Sahbmad). And it makes EVERYBODY actually hesitate.

How many people even knew about it?

YEAH.

Bitch

Fuck that bitch fr. Seriously, why does he, of all people, get to live?

Sahbmad is one of the most relatable character in the series I fucking swear.

Also, srsly, fuck 23rd for doing something like that. To his own brother.

Fucker

I'm weak for Alibaba shielding people. But also GOD I love this moment so much

And he just fucking states it like that. Not just the fact that he does it without hesitation or awkwardness, it's also the fact that he's so calm as he says it. The impression is obvious - he's not influenced by strong emotions, he just says how things are. And DAMN if that's not satisfying to see. Both for Sahbmad AND Alibaba. Sahbmad, because it likely mattered the world to him that somebody was there to protect him in that moment and acknowledge him like that, and Alibaba, because he spent most of the arc freaking out and unsure, but here there's nothing left of that. He knows what he's doing, and no longer has any doubts here. He's in control of the situation. Finally.

All of this. Just. All of this.

He manages to handle this situation so well, and he does it by being genuine about it, about his feelings on it. He appreciates Sahbmad the way hardly anybody had ever done in his life, and he doesn't just say it like that. He explains to Sahbmad why what he'd done was great. So Sahbmad can also understand it.

And the thing is, I think Alibaba knows what to say, because this is something he also needs to hear. It's what Aladdin had told him, after all. He pointed out how amazing the things he'd done were from his perspective.

He told him he was brave.

FUcking well-earned. Also looked kinda sick with that sword-catching.

Gorgeous. Absolutely amazing. 10/10. I have no worder, I just fucking love it.

Alibaba, your future wife is here.

Tell her she's absolutely amazing, announce the republic, borrow a flying carpet, leave and live a happily ever after together?

Jk, jk. I keep telling you, I have little AliKou joys in my life, let me have this.

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja #sahbmad saluja

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sayakxmi · 3 months

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[Magi reread] Night 59: Assault

Not cool

Bro, I'm trying to comment the story & shit, but Alibaba's there being so pretty I end up going grandma mode.

That looks so cool, too

Honestly, what a chapter for my guy

He's so happy about Amon's sword :>

Uh oh

Magi ruined the term Monkey Boss for me. I end up thinking about Toto and Cassim...

Good MORning

Surprise surprise

Extremely rare Alibaba and Morgiana fighting together

Literally this entire moment. 10/10

Move that always causes target to flinch.

Fair

Yep

I love how he's like. I mean, I know you are. You kinda wrecked my shit in the Dungeon like it was nothing.

Lol

Asdfghjkl

Kinda cool that he used his sword to stop & teady himself here

You're about to get your shit wrecked

You go, girl

Menacing. 10/10

Sorry to send the entire page again, but I'm trying to be conscious of the photo limit. Like, not only he's wounded, he's also like "I'm sorry, Morgiana", as if he wasn't doing exactly what she wanted him to do. And also that leap. Bro be jumpy.

He's got no time for your bs, lol

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja #morgiana

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sayakxmi · 3 months

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[Magi reread] Night 58: Djinn Equip!

Honestly, I love that he doesn't immediately succeed. It would've been too convinient if he failed during practice, and managed to get it right immediately after jumping the gun here. Nah, you didn't practice enough. Mortal peril is not enough to make it work the second you try.

Good reflexes, tho

People out there doubting that Alibaba's smart, where here he literally considers going wild with his powers, and immediately reminds himself that he'll have more battles later, so he can't just waste his energy like that. He panics a lot, he can be a little naive, but he's not dumb.

Trying again

Not to mention, he keeps his focus and is still able to react to these attacks.

But damn if he doesn't get tired

And now he's starting to panic

Yea, not that simple, my boy

OOF

So many people hoping he'll do this

OOF

And the people who don't think he can do anything, and...

MY HEART

I've had a strange realization that he does something similar with Garda. Huh.

Also, damn, he's not, but he does look like he's bleeding from the eyes.

Ugh, I love it

YOU GO, BOY

A LITTLE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE, BUT HELL YEAH, YOU GO, BOY

HA

Ughhh, look at him. He's so happy he did it.

Also, unpopular(?) opinion - burned hands!Equip looks cooler than his actual DE.

#saya's magi reread #magi #alibaba saluja

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sayakxmi · 3 months

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[Magi reread] Night 57: Dowry

You know, I get what this page is about, but if you knew nothing about the show, you could also probably assume that these guys are Alibaba's people, and they're all about to wreck your shit, lol

Love that people are 100% ready to back Alibaba up, and how in control he seems? We don't see him go big-eyed and touched at that, even though he almost certainly is. Nope, this is Prince Alibaba Saluja.