she/her, an aroace mess of a human, 30s (oh god, I'm around Sinbad's age. wtf am I doing with my life) On hiatus this year unless inescapable muse strikes. Will try to clear my backlog of posts. *Except my fan art and shipping on my main blog @starmahgalaxies. lol. I will keep a ship-free blog till the end of days.
I wrote this out and it became too long and unwieldy. So, this is my second attempt to try and summarize it XD. A while ago I posted an hiatus for the summer 2023 and this is about the same vibes but different at the same time. Before it was because moving and tumblr being addicting. This time is because tumblr is getting too addicting again but also I simply need a fuller wholesale break from social media. Here is the gist of it:
World has gone to shit. My security net is only my family. I need to form a better IRL and local community to have something more to fall back on if needed. Needed or not it will be nice either way.
If I cannot manage that before I can move (yay more moving >:( ) to a less conservative area then at least get my head in a better mental state. I'm not in a bad place, but I'm not in a good place either. If something doesn't go right this year then I can easily see things getting worse quickly.
tumblr is it's same addictive self I bemoaned before. The problem before was getting too caught up on the dopamine rush of seeing notes and working on things taking up too much of my free time. This time it's trying to put myself in a good mood and staying on until I find something that puts me in a better mood. If I don't I just waste over an hour and am in a worse mood at the failure. Not tumblr's fault, it is where my headspace is at currently though.
This is how I am planning to work through this hiatus. Tumblr is good for me in small doses. I may have to rip off the Band-Aid and not come on at all if this does not work out.
Give myself weekends only to whatever I want to work on or browse at the time. For this blog, work on drafts and analysis that have sat in there for months (a couple I think for over a year, eek). Post them when they are ready.
This is what I try to do already, but it is hard. I need to commit more so I am thinking limiting to my computer only and giving myself a timer. I only tried mobile for a grand total of a day or two before knowing that constantly in my face was a bad thing.
Asks have been off here for a while. They will remain such, and I will turn off most other ways to reach out. Replying to my posts and everything on the post side will be the same. I won't be able to consistently respond, so everything else is off.
It's very easy that there won't be a noticeable difference at first since I have been slow on posting here (maybe every few weeks), yet I have no idea if I will disappear online and if that will be best for me. Maybe I will have new gifs done if inspiration really hits me, but after the about half dozen posts I have drafted are done I do not see me coming up with more for a while. I have thoughts on Magi, I always do, but concentrating on them has been difficult for my favorite show </3.
This will be until late summer, maybe early fall. That is a long time. I hope I can manage it because social media (so for me, tumblr) has become a time sink and mood regulator. I adore you all, but I can do better for myself until I can properly manage my tumblr time again.
To everyone, take care of yourselves. You are amazing.
My Alma Toran Demo Recap (Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream)
You guys voted yes so here it is. I bought my used Switch, managed to pay for the game (somehow), and I have already done my 30 counting down to the cheerful apocalypse until I booted all the Miis out. All I am posting about today is what I got for the demo of the game, not counted in those 30 days. I want to come up with a narrative and figure a way to organize posting everything in an entertaining matter. I have probably a few... thousand screenshots and a lot of them are kind of pointless fluff that mean nothing without the proper context.
For those who did not see or care about my original post asking about doing this idea: I decided to get Tomodachi Life: LtD and create a bunch of characters from the Alma Toran arc in Magi: the Labyrinth of magic. I ran the island for 30 days and on the 31st I deleted the Miis (in the games case made them move) because hyperfixations are fickle, and I did not want to get bored. This way I can see if it was a good way to go about playing the game to make it interesting and fun. It was, for the most part.
Without further ado...
For the demo, the 3 characters I made were Sheba, Solomon, and Ugo.
The first Mii I made was Sheba <3. She's the first I ever did unless you count the very basic Mii avatar I made in Wii Sports over a decade ago, and she's still one of the ones I'm most happy about.
My headcanons do go into the designs, as well as the limitations of the Maker. I did not get a compatible stylus in time making the face paint I did limited. I included the cowlicks (?? never know what to call them, I know there is a proper name) and the 3rd eye that is covered by bangs. That's about it. The hair was always going to be a pain, with her hair partially pulled back into a long braid while the rest is free. To best represent that, I used the hairstyle with the two braids on the side.
Birthday is spring on the 23rd, as 23 is where she's on the cover of the manga. Age bumped up to 19 because why Ohtaka?? SoloShe is so cute without that awkward age gap. It's still there, but 3 years between adults is not the worst. Personality felt right on the first pass through, which was nice. Sheba is someone who would want to keep everyone happy. It's basically her whole character and what causes her breaking down, and one of her last thoughts is wishing they could have all stayed together and happy, and sorry that she failed in that </3.
Solomon is the second one I made. While Sheba also has long hair, I really felt it not being long enough for Solomon. The braid is much too thick as well. The bangs are perfect though, doesn't have the braid along side his head, but the silhouette is right.
Birthday is 1/1 because I don't know how Alma Toran's calendar would work in comparison to ours, but David feels like the kind of guy that would make the day his kid was born mark the beginning of the year. If he cared enough about him, which I don't think he does XD. That was my lazy reasoning. The majority of birthdays I ended up on is pure vibes. Sheba and Solomon are the two I put the most thought into as far as bdays are concerned.
Personality felt right again. I did mark Solomon to wear either masc or femme outfits (as you'll see at the end of this post), I thought I took an updated screenshot but I guess not.
Ugo was my final character for the demo. Hair was an ass to decide on. He also has it in a braid, but it's very messy? So instead of a braided hairstyle, I decided on a loose ponytail held in the back.
Not too much to say for Ugo, the rest is pretty self-explanatory. He is one of the tallest characters I made; that is a bit hard to tell from the screenshot if you're not familiar with the heights in the games. (Sheba is a short queen to almost everyone by comparison).
Personality I went back and forth with. I made him related, no specific relation, to Solomon mostly to not deal with the romance options between the two and it felt right. I don't think it was necessary because I don't think Miis can fall in love with someone who is not compatible, and I made Solomon straight. *shrug*
Bi nerd Ugo is my truth. Well, bi ace, but there's no split attraction in the game, and it's non-sexual due to the rating anyway. I base the "overall" scale on how gay and/or nd they are, because what is normal-quirky even supposed to mean?? judging on a scale of normal feels wrong, so as I see Ugo as both he has a lot of quirk.
Miis created, what do they call me? That is the question. I'm not particularly attached to religion, but being addressed in any direct way to a deity makes me feel weird, so I disliked the majority of options. However, there is one that seemed obvious, giving what I was basing this island around.
(the game actually is better at pronouncing it. It felt weird after listening to the anime for so long pronouncing it as it is in Japanese)
I don't have much more comments going through the demo. The vast majority was spent on getting the Miis created. Here are a couple more thoughts and screenshots to wrap up:
I knew about how animated they get talking to each other- waving their hips makes me huff out a laugh sometimes though. At this point, I wasn't used to it and kept on going "Solomon, stop coming onto her!" especially with that specific caption, lol. Maybe I'm just too ace.
Solomon's face on the coin doesn't look bad. I think as a character his face on currency is something he would despise. He's very "I'm only ruler because you want me to be" and this game is letting me give him a normal life where he's just a guy. But then his face is the first one on currency, so I lol'ed.
I admit; I pushed him. I waited a bit to see the different things he said first. Confession #2: I didn't know you could not for a long time. I thought you had to do it eventually. It took me painfully long to realize the B in the corner.
I was going to make a gif out of it, but it would have been long and dizzying. It's a bit disorienting watching the scene and did not want to focus on it for a gif.
The revolution conversation... I failed to clock in that the prompt was for an object. So they talk about a "revolution" as an object/some sort of item for the duration of my playthrough. It leads to a few interesting conversations in the future. This one is apt and makes sense at least.
Relatable.
I will explain how I picked out different outfits as I get to them. I did not make the magicians' outfits, and just threw together what I felt fit their characters. Here, I went with a basic white dress to represent the two-piece outfit and skirt, and the scarf to represent the sash. Pink was the color I had available at the time.
I'm not posting this for the two compatible ships the game could make for the preview being SoloShe, but rather that Solomon looks amazing in the dress. I'm glad I gave him the option to wear both for event cut scenes.
I made gifs, but I didn't resize them and thought it would be fine but tumblr says otherwise. I really want to get this post out, so they will wait another time.
That is the brief story of the demo. It will be a while again until I post about the actual journey itself. I have a few ideas on how to organize everything to something coherent; I cannot promise a timeline though. I'm done with this experiment, the 30 days of living for these Miis are up, I only need to know the best way to do it.
Should I do Magi (Specifically Alma Toran) Tomodachi Life: LtD?
Hiii again. I am alive. I feel like I'm neglecting tumblr, but I won't lie I am doing well. My hyperfixations are very fickle as they go, but every time I look at the my Magi set (they're finally unpacked after YEARS lmao 😭😂), I feel like there's something still tugging me to indulge the fandom that's been closest to my heart for so long. I'm burnt out still trying to will myself into the typical stuff I do (gifs, short analysis, etc.). I need something light and fluffy that won't take too much of my energy but let me enjoy the series in an indulgent way.
THEN I HAD AN IDEA.
One of my comfy background stuff I've had is scrolling through Tomodachi Life streams and clips, and I think Nintendo has finally hooked me on an idea after so long of being shaky with them as a company. It helps that they took off the reigns and let it be very queer. Including the option of no dating preferences at all, my aroace heart is crying in happiness.
My brain going in overdrive below! But also note that I do not own a Switch or the game itself yet. That's why this is a big decision for me.
Alma Toran Tomodachi Life?
yea yea
nah, no good
idc
Voting ended onMay 8
I want to do a cheerful apocalypse scenerio. That is I make a bunch of characters and after 30 days I nuke it and only plan to continue with the characters who entertain me enough. And it'll be in theme! I want to do this for months with different hyperfixations so I don't get bored, but right now this is just a discussion for Magi. Doing Alma Toran because lowkey one of my favorite, if messy arcs in the manga and needs more love.
Plus, I really want to make a Sheba Mii. She, Morgiana and Kougyoku are my badass girls. I love them so much. Morg and Kougs could wait until I maybe I do an overall Magi hyperfixations island (or they'll just get a free pass to once I finalize once my gauntlet of who's entertaining enough to go to my perma island).
IDK if anyone else has done something like this; I haven't lurked into fandom spaces for a while. I literally have been stuck with this thought in my head for weeks and caved after a long shower of debating to posting the idea on tumblr.
If yes, I will post random updates on on how things are going. This means likely being subjected to my most random headcanons as I implement them. That's why if one of you awesome people of someone else is doing it, I will too regardless. For an idea, my LGBTQ+ headcanons have a whole section on Alma Toran of which none have really changed for the bare basics. Also really niche headcanons for the magicians and djinn.
If no, I may still cave and get it unless overwhelmingly no. This is really a poll of if anyone wants to subjugated to my thoughts.
I enjoy shipping, and I will be doing that on my time, but I still am relatively committed to make this a ship-free blog. Unless super relevant (idk, SoloShe successfully somehow having Aladdin in 30 days or out of nowhere rarepair that's funny to smile at in passing as they do what they will), most of my ship posting will be super light as I focus on other stuff, and shipping will be private between me and the Miis.
What is my trepidation if I'm this excited for the idea? Money, mostly. I don't have strong feelings against Nintendo, boycott levels at least, but I've sworn off buying anything directly from for years because of some of their policies (mostly dealing with fan content). If I get a Switch it'll be a used one at a local store, and I would prefer to buy a used copy but the game is new and most likely looking around most seem to be from scalpers which I despise, especially in gaming, more than my distaste for Nintendo. Saying this too that it will be a while until I post about it because saving up. If you have advice to just 🏴☠️, yeah, I know. I only trust the best, and unfortunately that's the real deal most of the time.
Vote and let me know if you think I'm mad for this idea or that it's my first thing in months again. Either way, I may pop up from the ether in the future with the most random Tomodachi stuff, fyi.
I'm alive! The world is on fire. I don't know how often I will finish fandom stuff. Hiatus still feels accurate. But I'm not here for that I'm here for a random fun Magi story I have no one else to share too :).
So, for the New Year I was watching a bunch of live action fandom edits on YouTube. I eventually got bored of them, as you do, so I quickly found my way to watching animated/mixed media ones. As soon as I switched to animated ones, my recommendation immediately turned into half Magi edits and AMVs. That's not a big deal, right? There's basically no algorithmic history with the show on the platform, just not what I use YT for usually, and a lot of other browsing history elsewhere I clear frequently.
How did the recommendations know "this is her favorite show." It took a shot in the dark I guess with nothing to go on besides a few videos I watched years ago. Algorithm is dumb, but once in a while it will pull off an amusing miracle.
All that to say, I spent the first hour or so of the New Year watching Magi stuff and that's as good as anything I can ask for.
HELP THIS IS MONTH OLD NEWS! I spent almost a month trying to remember my tumblr password, despite it being one of a handful I've used for years? I eventually caved and reset it, which also required me to reset my tumblr email password again. It is the email I only have for this account and basically nothing else. *head desk*
Life is hectic right now, I need to find stable work, and I'm not sure when I can post Magi stuff again. I do have a few new ideas, but I'll mostly try to finish up the remainder of my drafts the next couple months.
*sees a character who is a charismatic leader, has done so much good in the world, has devoted followers, but ultimately is a manipulative absolute piece of shit*
so from what i've seen, there hasn't been an alma torran week done on tumblr. i've seen it as a prompt in broader magi week events but nothing specifically for that arc, so i'm seriously thinking of hosting one this summer!!
i'm super obsessed with alma torran and all the characters and lore, but there's so much MORE i want to see. for other characters in magi, i can turn to fan media if i want to see more of them, but because of the lack of alma torran related media (ESPECIALLY fanfiction), i can't really do that...
here's an interest check google form, please fill it out if you see this! hopefully this post gains enough traction for me to make a follow up regarding this event :3
i'm sure there's lots of other people who love this arc as much as me and want to see more fan work of it, so, please share this post with any other magi fans you know! i know this is spoiler territory for a lot of people in the fandom but i mean, you can block tags on tumblr 🤷🏽♂️ plus the arc has been published for 10+ years in the manga sooo...
thanks so much for reading, and like i said, PLS SHARE!!!! once again, thank you~~ ♡♡
(look at this. national treasure of an arc. okay now i'm done for real.)
I finished the mother related posts I wanted for this year, and I didn't have much time to do something bigger, so instead I did something silly and quick. I messed around with filters and had some fun with it. I tried to capture how Titus and Hakuryuu view their mothers. So, Scheherazade is distorted and distanced and Gyokuen is fuck no.
I hope everyone has a Happy Mother's Day. And if your mother is shit... I hope you have a happy, mother-free day!
I'll be with my mom giving her a silly card. Whatever the plans (as a mother or not), treat yourself!
Magoi, Physical Strength and its Relation to Women in Magi
I'm happy Ohtaka offers us women who are physically strong in Magi. I'm not even talking about Morgiana being physically the strongest out of the main trio. That's largely due to being Fanalis and having a race deemed physically stronger while also making them be the enslaved race is another can of worms entirely. I've spent too much time in school reading racist documents from slave owners. By which I mean not enough because familiarizing with racist language is a good thing. Before getting into the meat of this topic, a tangent rundown: Black slaves would be referred to as stronger, with durable bodies in a fetishizing way that promoted the idea that they could withstand more abuse and hard labor. I am not the best person to talk about it, and that is not the topic I'm tackling today, but it should be noted still anyway.
I do love Morgiana being the brawn, but it's not a flawless writing decision.
No, what I mean is out of the magicians -- the class of characters who reasonably focus their skill set on magic over beating someone in a fist or weapon fight -- the most notable exceptions to that are women, with Myers and Arba.
As explained (yay school arcs giving free natural exposition dumps), the Rukh and magoi produced is being suppressed to not put extra strain on the physical body if it cannot take it. This does make sense and stays consistent throughout. Aladdin relies on the outward Rukh from his powers as a magi and is surprised his actual output comes up with little. Judar, on the Dark Continent, and Al-Thamen (minus Arba), face the same realization.
I think it works to show the athletic magicians, who recognize they can get more power and utility outside their magical prowess, are two women. Even if Arba lost her powers as magi, she'll likely still be one of the strongest because she's shown repeatedly throughout the Alma Tran arc to care and keep up with her prime swordsmanship skills. That would in turn help her as a strong magician. But, putting a brief hold on Arba to talk about Myers.
She, with a military background, is the one to show her students relying on magical strength when it puts strain on the body isn't the most well rounded routine. This is not something she is only doing for herself, but also for the students who are deemed the most in need to catch up. (Honestly, her drills sound like an ableist gym class nightmare but it fits with the military background.) And I'll like to think if a disabled magician enrolled she'll be more willing and kind to think of an appropriate solution than the average drill sergeant or Physical Ed teacher.
She is proud of her students that do succeed. When talking in the stands during the Titus and Aladdin fight, she is a little smug (/affectionate) when confirming she taught her students beyond magic and into martial skills. I ultimately like that she is a teacher where most of that pride is in her students. Compared to our other case study in Arba.
Point is, she can very likely kick several people's asses, and she doesn't need to electrocute someone to do it.
Then there is Arba. The strongest swordsman from Alma Tran according to a lot of people. This includes herself because she's a bad bitch and she knows it. She takes great pride in her physical strength more so than her nothing to laugh at powers as a magician and magi. Arba specifically uses her way to stay immortal and strong (possessing her children... whyy?) in order to maintain the physical strength she's used to.
People greatly underestimate her due to her being a magician. By people, I mean Hakuryuu and Judar. The poor, poor fools. They think nerfing her magic and already nerfing the rest of Al-Thamen before hand will make her an easy target. An helpless old lady that's easy to take care of.
Hahahahaha.
YOU THINK?
Arba's biggest pride, in comparison to Myers, is for herself, and she takes a lot of joy from catching the boys off guard with it. Her methods of preservation (again, possession, whyyy?), are also aided by the fact that Hakuei, and Hakuryuu if she succeeded with him, are Metal Vessel users and would be in athletic shape. She raised her children so fucked up, but they would suit her needs. Bleck.
Something else I find interesting, but doesn't quite fit with this theme, is that it's the spirit and Rukh in a person that makes them a magician or not. Though neither of her kids are magicians, when she takes over their body she retains her status as a magi. (I will note that both Hakuryuu and Hakuei are mentioned to have a high amount of magoi that may come from Gyokuen. It's brought up with Hakuryuu a few times for being able to have two djinn, and Hakuei has a massive household and imagined it's true for her too.)
On top of that, the one that beats Arba in a physical fight is Morgiana. Hakuryuu does a good job showing her up and proving he has started to move on from the trauma she caused; Yunan would have won if Arba's strength as an immortal wasn't overpowering, and Aladdin draws her to a magic stalemate while also giving her a headache of reminding her of Solomon.
Morgiana is the one to make her reconsider her pride on physical strength and melee skills. I love that for her. There is still emphasis on it being because she's a Fanalis along with her training, which eh. But she wouldn't have been able to do it without her training either.
A sidenote and briefly touching on the Fanalis. I do like the on average lower magoi levels don't have a clear bias based on gender. Morgiana can easily overextend herself with her household vessel, but so can Masrur and he only uses it in short bursts. Mu's djinn equip is the same way. Myron is the one who is shown to not have it be such a toll on her. You'd think the "obvious" character where it won't be a problem will be the King's Candidate. No, it's his sister.
There's a little sketch in the inside cover of one of the Magi volumes (it is in packing hell and I cannot check where exactly but that sounds right) that show the contrast. It's the trio (Aladdin, Morgiana, and Alibaba), with standard RPG stat bars. Aladdin's MP is maxed out, with low physical attack -- I don't remember what the stat was called -- and Morgiana was basically the inverse of that. (Alibaba had an average spread.) It was adorable, and I wanted to end this on a cute note. So, there you go ^^.
Lady magicians can kick your ass. And so can the other women in Magi too.
Hi folks! I've been thinking how my Magi manga collection is once more waiting in a lonely box. I'll be moving again soon so that's fine. I can find scans online, there's a few places I know. I also have the main series on my computer. I want my hard copies of the manga though!
A part of the reason is because it is easier to search manga panels for my post edits with a physical copy even if I end up using a screencap I find online. It makes post I want to make even slower. That leads me to the actual reason I am making this post! Pick a topic from my drafts you would like to see before late this summer! I can't promise my brain will cooperate and that I will be able to finish the one people pick first. I will do my best though! My problem rn is I keep dawdling with my drafts and I think picking one to focus on will help.
Powerful women. Pretty straight forward, mostly about the balance of physical strength and magoi with talking about the ladies. Will be short and sweet (shorter comparatively for me at least).
Ugo and his Glasses. The one with the most hang up in concerns to the 'I need to find the specific manga panels I want' mentioned above. It has been mostly complete for almost two years. If you squint it can be an essay on disability representation but it is much more accurate to say it is the rambles of myself as someone who also wears glasses than a bigger thesis. I promise it will be interesting though!
My religious trauma/indoctrination essay for Alma Tran. See this post. The one that I've hardly started on, and the one that I may not finish this summer if it wins because it will be HEFTY. I wrote an introduction to it already, which I will probably rewrite, and it's a few large paragraphs already. The benefit on this one in terms of time is that because the original post is a photoset I feel no need to edit more pictures and I can focus on writing.
Topic
Powerful Women
Ugo and his Glasses
Alma Tran & Religious Trauma/Indoctrination
Voting ended onApr 20, 2025
I want to try to get one of my analysis posts like this done before I move, which a tentative date on that is mid-summer/July. But that is something I have much less control over and will be one of the bigger moves I've ever done (mostly how far away I'm moving but also stuff simply out of my control like house selling and moving with my family to make it easier). I can make no guarantees but I will try my best.
Would you believe I have more thoughts on motherhood in Magi? I could wait for Mother's Day to come around again but where's the fun in that? This is the other idea I had along with the Scheherazade one.
This is a bit different lens. I want to talk about how Aladdin, Morgiana, Alibaba, and Hakuryuu react to Aum Madura trying to bewitch them and how that speaks to how they've processed not having a (good) mother.
First is Aladdin, who is the one to break out fastest. The kid never met met his mother. Don't get me wrong, I love Sheba to bits, but you can't really miss someone you never really had. He's like an adopted kid that was taken in early on and grew up in a decent environment. There is no empty void to be filled because it was filled up again since before he could remember. Ugo was avoidant and anxious to be close to Aladdin, but he was ultimately good at being there for his friends' kid.
However! Aladdin does have memories of Sheba through the rukh and Solomon's Wisdom. This is the second reason the magic ends up failing with Aladdin. He may not have met either of his parents, but he knows unquestionably that he was loved. He knows that Sheba gave everything up for him. On top of that, he is well aware that what she would have wanted for him is to live his best life, in his own way. Seeing an incarnation of her that tries to tempt him to give it all up and be a shielded little boy is the opposite of how Aladdin has come to understand his parents.
Next up is Morgiana. She's taken pretty hard at first through no fault of her own. Similar to Aladdin, she has no memories biological mother. When we see Morgiana's vision, there is no real discernable features to make out. The difference for the rest of the comparisons between them is stark. Morgiana grew up in a highly abusive environment as a slave and has no memories of what her mother was like. She could have been a wonderful mother... that Morgiana never got to meet to determine if that was the case.
She has a deep longing for a mother she never got to experience. Something to help the pain she felt all those years. The journey she is currently on is one searching for closure with going to the Dark Continent. Maybe there is a chance to find something she lost, so she could close the book and gain solace while moving forward. Morgiana is, unfortunately, one of the most vulnerable to Aum Madura. Someone seeking guidance in her life, someone who was abused and looking for comfort and answers. That active searching, and doing, is what gets Morgiana out of it. When Aladdin tells her to think of someone who passed on their wishes, she thinks of Goltas. The promise to return to her homeland and gain her closure, from her own actions and not a passing fleeting dream in a web of lies.
Alibaba gets hit pretty hard too. He's one of the two that has memories of his mother, and unlike with Hakuryuu, they are good memories. He lost her when he was young. He, Cassim, and Mariam were left on the streets alone fending for themselves at a too young age. He then met his father, and despite being the most powerful man in the land, he was the one that left them in that shit scenario. Alibaba has a hole in his heart different from Aladdin and Morgiana. He knows what he has lost. Not the idea or memory of his mother. His mother. He remembers the warm hugs, the care she gave him and her adopted children. Similar to Aladdin, he knows that what she would have wanted was for him to live to his best ability and that he is strong.
Then there is Hakuryuu. Every time I rewatch or read the story again, I wonder how obvious the Gyokuen reveal is. It does a good job on focusing Hakuryuu's grief on his brothers. Up until this point, he has avoided bringing her up at all. Morgiana, as someone who is good at reading the boy's reactions, at first thinks that his mother must have died too, and Hakuryuu has just avoided the subject. Looking back at it, I cannot go in blind. It just is so painfully obvious to me because I already know that Gyokuen is a piece of shit. I do not remember my first reaction to the episode, so I cannot say if it is only easy in hindsight.
Right, back on track. Hakuryuu, unlike anyone else, knows his mother and also despises her with a burning passion. He has dedicated his life to taking her down. He is a traumatized child ready to lash out. Because of all of this, Aum Madura's ploy backfires in the worst way. The problem with Hakuryuu is that he does not understand that people have different responses to an abusive authority figure. He knows his response is to defend himself and strike back. That is his reality. If someone hurts you then the answer is to refuse to work with them and fight back, obviously.
Hakuryuu is taken aback and a little ashamed when Morgiana tells him that she took orders under duress and for her own security. Sometimes people listen to others they may not trust or else are are forced to listen to. He does know this; Morgiana did tell him about his past as a slave. The kid needs the reality check though. His problem is Hakuryuu started to process his trauma but he's only at the point where he can acknowledge his circumstances and judges everyone else accordingly based what he would do. The pirate children who are causing a ruckus and risking their lives to protect an obvious abuser? Who would fall to that ploy? Morgiana and Alibaba remind him that sometimes kids are conditioned to listen to authority figures. (Alibaba because he loved his mother and will trust her judgment when doing stuff she asked. Morgiana from being forced to as a slave.) He's not immune from victim blaming the kids. It does not really go away when Orba confronts him later.
I don't really have a good conclusion to this. I do like my interpretation of it showing how their different maternal-related trauma manifests (either orphans or abuse). Magi comments (or at least Aum Madura does) that it's a sign the others have grown up and don't need a mother. I don't like that as much? Kids aren't suddenly adults because they've learned to be self-sufficient. It means they are tough and self-sufficient children and that's it. Hakuryuu being more caught up in his trauma, and thus does not meet that qualifications doesn't sit right with me even more. There are fucked up adults that still are dealing with their built up shit and his name is Sinbad. Needing parents or wanting to be dependent on them isn't immaturity. It doesn't really annoy me as much as this final note makes it seem, yet I might as well comment on the statement made within the story itself.
The first ending for Magi is Yubi Bouenkyou or "Finger Telescope." When I hear the phrase I've always think of a closed hand with all the fingers down, like forming a tube. The art I've seen for Magi characters have it represented by an okay sign with only the thumb and pointer finger touching. (One I think of from the top of my head is the chapter cover for David, but I am not in the mood to hunt that down).
I think it is probably a regional thing if I had to guess. I've also just been really curious.
Let the poll run for a week. Why not lol. Thank you for the participation.
The last time I checked Crunchyroll (idk sometime last year) they had Adventures of Sinbad. Now, going through a free trial and giving myself a month to catch up with my anime watch list -- at least a bit -- you are telling me it is no longer there???
That's like, 30% of the reason I went through with this. It's been ages </3.
I don't have it like I do for the main series. I was looking forward to not jump through hoops. I looked it up and apparently streaming rights belong to Netflix now? Last time I checked there (it's been forever, I've only used my family's account) it was taken down months ago.
I am sad. I want to beat a Sinbad doll to cool off. I don't have one. I do have a Judar doll though.
Happy New Year, Magi fandom! The last year was a bit slow for me, but I'm still happy with what I managed to get out. Some of the longer drafts I had got done! *shoves the rest of them under the rug*
I'm not here about that though. I'm here to celebrate Kougyoku being the empress of my blog. Her djinn equip gifset had the most notes. A few from after the new year because I am late but she had a decent lead.
Yay for magical girl Kougyoku~
Happy New Year and take care of yourselves out there.
