Magi: Sinbad no Bouken – 01

OP Sequence

OP: 「スポットライト」 (Spotlight) by PENGUIN RESEARCH

「運命の子」 (Unmei no Ko)
“Child of Destiny”

Here’s one last intro for the spring season.

Where Sinbad Comes From

This first episode isn’t so much the story of Sinbad (Ono Daisuke)—though for now, he’s a bit younger—as the story of his father Badr (Konishi Katsuyuki). (And his mother Esra (Hikasa Yoko), but mostly his father, since she gets to live a while longer.) Fitting for a prequel series about Sinbad’s past, this first episode shows us where Sinbad’s personality springs from.

I won’t say that this episode’s tale was the most artfully told, with its reliance on narration . Yet when the crucial moment came, it was gripping. The lesson in Badr’s demise is one that we modern people will take too easily, but remember, the mob is made up of uneducated rural peasants who have seen the benefits of war, but nothing beneficial from peace. You can’t eat morals, and perhaps it’s only from our place of relative plenty that we can look down on people who scrape and kill for their survival. But I digress.

I would be lying if I didn’t say I’d prefer more of the main Magi series to a Sinbad prequel, source material issues aside (we’re talking fantasies here, where there’s enough source—I don’t want anyone making up more anime original endings). But if if a prequel is to be made, Sinbad’s past is undoubtedly the most interesting one to mine. He was always one of the more enigmatic characters in the main series, oscillating between helpful and menacing, so seeing what makes him tick could shed light on the puzzle. Part of that is undoubtedly his father’s fate. Badr taught his son to do what’s right, to not care what others think, and not to fight out of greed or hatred. Sinbad might be too idealistic a hero to truly connect with, but as far as heroic motivations go, a peerless father’s unjust death is a good one. What remains to be seen is where he goes from here, even if we know where he’ll end up.

Looking Ahead

Since the schedule is already up and I’m not looking for any new shows, this won’t be receiving weekly coverage. As someone who didn’t watch the OVAs, I’m interested to see where this goes from here—though, for those who have, apparently episodes two through six are the OVAs but renamed, so you might want to skip out until the narrative picks up with new material from episode seven onwards.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Sinbad’s father Badr teaches his son a powerful lesson, even if it costs him his life #magi sinbad 01

Random thoughts:

• I’m sure I’m not the only one who, when Badr rejected all that money, cringed. Money doesn’t solve all problems, and it can create many, but damn if it doesn’t give you more options. He could have lived to see his son grow.
• He was getting low for the lunge. He was hoping the plea would work, perhaps, but he was planning for the attack.
• No one hates war like the veteran. Not all of them, granted—no large group is a monolith—but they who know the price are often unwilling to send others off to pay it needlessly.

My first novel, Wage Slave Rebellion, is available now. (More info—now in paperback!) Sign up for my email list for a FREE sequel novella. Over at stephenwgee.com, the last four posts: Dying idols, Frictionless routines, Even if you see it coming, it can still work, and Batman does not kill. Superman does not kill.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「ポラリス」 (Polaris) by Fujifabric

Preview