Type: TV

Episodes: 13

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Apr 16, 2016 to Jul 2, 2016

Premiered: Spring 2016

Broadcast: Saturdays at 02:25 (JST)

Producers: Aniplex, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Shogakukan

Licensors: None found, add some

Studios: Lay-duce

Source: Manga

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Demographic: Shounen

Duration: 24 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Plot: In the small, impoverished Tison Village of the Parthevia Empire, a boy, Sinbad, is born to the jaded ex-soldier Badr and his kind-hearted wife Esra. His birth creates a radiant surge throughout the rukh, a declaration of a singularity to those who stand at the pinnacle of magical might: the "Child of Destiny" is here. Despite his country being plagued by economic instability and the repercussions of war, Sinbad leads a cheerful life—until a stranger's arrival shatters his peaceful world, and tragedy soon befalls him years later, mysterious edifices called "dungeons" have been erected all over the world. Rumored to contain great power and treasures, these dungeons piqued the interest of adventurers and armies alike; though to this day, none have returned therefrom. Sinbad, now 14, has grown into a charming and talented young boy. Inspired by the shocking events of his childhood and by his father's words, he yearns to begin exploring the world beyond his village. As though orchestrated by fate, Sinbad meets an enigmatic traveler named Yunan. Stirred by Sinbad's story and ambitions, Yunan directs him to a dungeon which he claims holds the power Sinbad needs to achieve his goals—the "power of a king."

Magi: Sinbad no Bouken tells the epic saga of Sinbad's early life as he travels the world, honing his skill and influence, while gathering allies and power to become the High King of the Seven Seas.

User Review: Every Magi fan's favorite OP character Sinbad gets his own series. Being a big fan of Magi myself I was very excited about this.

Fair warning, if you haven't watched Magi, you really won't get the same satisfaction from watching this. I suggest watching the Magi series first before watching this.

It begins with Sinbad's birth. Showing the background story of how Sinbad ends up becoming the swashbuckling man he is in the Magi series. These episodes drew me in right away. If you're a fan of the Magi series you will really enjoy this part. I loved being able to see a baby Sinbad interact with his family and grow into this heroic, lovable teenager. You get to see him conquer his first dungeon and decide that he wants to create his own country and change the world. It leaves you feeling satisfied.

However after the first few episodes it becomes less about Sinbad's character and more about the characters that will end up joining him on his journey.

Don't get me wrong I love the nostalgic feeling of seeing the characters from the Magi series pop up in this series. However, it cuts the character development of Sinbad short. It becomes more focused on the character development of his comrades and how each of them has come to make their decision to join him in his efforts to change the world. The most touching story was Ja'far's. His story and character development really provides those with prior knowledge about his character in the Magi series some interesting insight to when and how his unwavering loyalty began to blossom.

As for the development of Sinbad's character, it continues to stay the same after the beginning episodes for the most part. I understand maybe the creators wanted to keep the image of Sinbad as this all powerful character untarnished, but we didn't even get to see how he discovers the true power of his Djinn.

All we see after the first few episodes is how great Sinbad is and how wonderful he is at everything. I'm ready for his world to be shaken a little. To see him transform into the complex character that he is in the Magi series. Riding the waves between good and evil. Taking the path less travelled on.

Only in the very last episode do we see a small glimpse at an obsessive but mostly motivated look on the face of Sinbad as he contemplates his future. His curiosity about Magis grows intensely in this episode, and you can see in his face he is hungry for more knowledge. It foreshadows a possible adventure where he goes in search of a magi. This leaves a pretty good set up for the next season, which I expect to be a much more exciting season for Sinbad. I foresee some actual character changes and I'll remain hopeful for that.

Even if the focus wasn't really on Sinbad so much as the people joining him on his journey I still enjoyed watching this. Seeing more of the unique world that Magi is set in, and getting to see the origin stories of Sinbad's party has been really great. It's an upbeat adventure and at times you'll find yourself smiling at the silly comedy. All that it is lacking is a bit of depth.