Magi

[Splash!]

It has been scientifically studied and concluded that no matter how highly educated a person is, they still make a significant portion of their decisions based on a gut feeling, that is, instincts.

Yeah that's cool and all but it isn't about instincts vs. rational thought. It is about Hakuryuu making a self-satisfying decision. He didn't act on his gut feeling of it being the right thing to do, but rather on what he wanted to do at that moment for himself. The intent itself precedes the instinct.

And again, I am not saying executing Madaura was the wrong decision. However, it's like having a soldier who fights only to satisfy his bloodlust vs. another one who genuinely fights to protect something.

Now, I'm not saying Hakuryuu would be anything close to admirable, wise, or even intelligent, but at least he's got a goal.

I would take an unsure fool to a confident fool any day of the week. The latter is more dangerous whereas the former is willing to learn from his shortcomings.

[Kraco]

I would take an unsure fool to a confident fool any day of the week. The latter is more dangerous whereas the former is willing to learn from his shortcomings.

So, wanting to defeat the evil underground organization and other villains who act very similarly (like Madaura) is foolish now? Well, yeah, I suppose it it. It would be much easier and safer to just sit back and take care of your own business, letting others worry for themselves as well. Despite the fact this fool has superhuman powers, much higher education and wordly experience than the people of that age in general, and also good political connections if he manages to play his cards correctly. If this fool doesn't act, then who does?

Besides, if an unsure fool was willing to learn, they wouldn't be a fool in the first place... If I hadn't got anything better to do, I'd take the confident fool. A confident fool still could get something done, even if they ended up dead in the process, but an unsure fool would just sit on their hands. If I did have something better to do, I'd also take the unsure one, so that they wouldn't get in the way.

[Splash!]

So, wanting to defeat the evil underground organization and other villains who act very similarly (like Madaura) is foolish now? Well, yeah, I suppose it it. It would be much easier and safer to just sit back and take care of your own business, letting others worry for themselves as well. Despite the fact this fool has superhuman powers, much higher education and wordly experience than the people of that age in general, and also good political connections if he manages to play his cards correctly. If this fool doesn't act, then who does?

You yourself admitted that Hakuryuu wouldn't make a very intelligent or wise leader so I am not really getting into this further.

If I hadn't got anything better to do, I'd take the confident fool. A confident fool still could get something done, even if they ended up dead in the process, but an unsure fool would just sit on their hands. If I did have something better to do, I'd also take the unsure one, so that they wouldn't get in the way.

Maybe you think that way but I certainly don't. A confident fool as a leader of a nation to me is the worst thing imaginable because they will constantly make the wrong choices and delude themselves in to believing that the decisions they make are right without second guessing themselves.

Besides, if an unsure fool was willing to learn, they wouldn't be a fool in the first place...

Yeah that sounds nice but it really doesn't mean anything. Who is to say a person can't start out foolish and become wise with time and experience? Just because the person had the capacity to learn from their mistakes doesn't mean they couldn't have started out as a fool. I never realized one of the pre-requisites of being a fool were that you could never break out of that pattern.

[DarthEnderX]

Wow, lotta discussion about this.

I guess it just boils down to the fact that Hakuryuu isn't a big incompetent baby.

Yeah, he's not the most virtuous person. But it's fine. At least his character flaws aren't obnoxious.


Also, I'm not going to hold "abandoning the group" against him, because all of them went to that city specifically TO split up. He just didn't want any teary goodbyes.


Alibaba beating Haku doesn't bother me because I'm assuming Elemental Weakness. Fire beats Wood.

[shinta|hikari]

Alibaba was stronger than Hakuryuu from the start, so it would be much weirder if Hakuryuu managed to beat him all of a sudden.

[Kraco]

Alibaba was stronger than Hakuryuu from the start, so it would be much weirder if Hakuryuu managed to beat him all of a sudden.

Not unless the djinns have a huge power difference. After all, Alibaba can't djinn equip and doesn't possess knowledge of the magoi manipulation or whatever it was. The only ace Alibaba has is his longer experience and having fought a wider range of opponents. But I wouldn't overestimate his learning capabilities considering he seemed to learn little even in Sindria.

[shinta|hikari]

Wasn't it already mentioned that there was something weird with his magoi which keeps him from doing the full djinn equip? It has nothing to do with his learning ability or talent. Even Sinbad said so.

Oh, and I think the cutting power of Alibaba's djinn is just abnormal. He did mention it during the fight, that it cuts up even other vessels. That is why Hakuryuu coated his weapon with magoi. He should have stuck to long range attacks using his creatures and plants. Fencing with a sword breaker is suicide.

[Buffalobiian]

Oh, and I think the cutting power of Alibaba's djinn is just abnormal. He did mention it during the fight, that it cuts up even other vessels. That is why Hakuryuu coated his weapon with magoi. He should have stuck to long range attacks using his creatures and plants. Fencing with a sword breaker is suicide.

That is why I said it was weird. He never mentioned it in any previous training or fight. The other point to make about this is that if his blade cuts all others, how does he train with it? I'm sure he must have trained using the large sword against one of Sinbad's generals before.

As for the power difference between Alibaba and Hakuryuu "from the start", I think a lot of it had to do with Alibaba acquiring a vessel while Hakuryuu hadn't. I wouldn't be able to tell you who'd win in a strict martial arts fight, and since Hakuryuu got his Djinn he's been a lot more versatile and powerful than Alibaba. Had it not been for the "my sword beats all" aspect which popped up rather suddenly this episode, Hakuryuu's superiority would have been obvious.

I think Hakuryuu uses Magoi manipulation out of habit or whatever. It doesn't make much sense to fight a known sword breaker like that.

[shinta|hikari]

Well, he has been cutting up weapons and enemies using that sword since he got it. I have no idea how he trains with it though. It would not be a stretch if his master does the same thing Hakuryuu did.

[Buffalobiian]

I agree that he's been cutting up other weapons. It simply irked me when he goes all "There's nothing Amon can't cut" without foreshadowing, in a manner that suggests he came to that conclusion ages ago.

[Kraco]

I agree that he's been cutting up other weapons. It simply irked me when he goes all "There's nothing Amon can't cut" without foreshadowing, in a manner that suggests he came to that conclusion ages ago.

It's Alibaba we are talking about. After the first couple of cuts, he surely deemed his sword can cut through everything and anything.

[DarthEnderX]

In his defense, it is a HOT sword. Everyone knows hot swords cut through everything. Especially butter.

[Ryllharu]

Magi S2 - 07 [HorribleSubs]



---------------


Ren Kouha's retainers are such perverts, in a cute way. I suppose they are a perfect match for him, given how psychotic he is. I like that he inspires the same level of insane loyalty in his retainers that Sinbad does, just using a different method. From what the girls said, he finds and accepts outcasts, and fills them with love and attention, twisted though it may be.

I'm a big fan of size changing weapons being used in exactly the way Kouha uses them, where it is a matter of controlling when the size changes to use it to best advantage. He's not that Morgiana strong, so he uses the blade itself to give him height and power, making it enlarge and use momentum for a truly devastating strike.

Aside from being a psychopath filled with blood lust, he seems like a nice enough guy. He's as friendly as he is cruel, and he certainly seemed to care a great deal about his retainers, showering them with "attention."

I love the running gag with Alibaba always getting the ugliest (and somehow most popular) courtesans. Thankfully he made it up to Morgiana right as he left.

[Buffalobiian]

I love the running gag with Alibaba always getting the ugliest (and somehow most popular) courtesans. T

You know, I'm with Alibaba. I think he keeps getting the same one. xD The courtesan might forget, but Alibaba sure doesn't.

I also totally synced with Morg when she remembered Hakuryuu's confession. He wasn't completely in the right (forced kiss and all), but compared to Alibaba's good-natured wishy-washy.. you can understand why Hakuryuu's somewhat desirable. Morg herself was angry at why she turned down Hakuryuu for such a pervert.

[Kraco]

Morg herself was angry at why she turned down Hakuryuu for such a pervert.

Was she? Maybe watching Alibaba praise the courtesans and promise to make them queens made Morgiana think Hakuryuu's words were just similar empty blabber men use to seduce women. Still, forgetting Morgiana, it's pretty cool how good a team Alibaba and Aladdin make in that sort of situations. Alibaba immediately realised that's what they both need when he spied the place when they were walking past.

I wonder if Magnostadt has changed a lot since Yamuraiha left it. It didn't look like such an oppressive, evil place in these shots. Maybe only a portion of its upper echelons are militaristic expansionists.

[Ryllharu]

It didn't look like such an oppressive, evil place in these shots. Maybe only a portion of its upper echelons are militaristic expansionists.

They still drove Dunya (and her eventual lovely boobies) out of her homeland. Magnostadt as a country wouldn't exist if they didn't murder everyone in the Musta'sim kingdom to form their elitist Mages-Only territory in its place.

They've spent the entire time since they destabilizing the area around them.

While Yam left during the revolt, you can assume everyone still there is complicit in the coup. New students are just getting lured in, and probably leave indoctrinated with the idea that magic users are superior to all others.

[Buffalobiian]

Was she? Maybe watching Alibaba praise the courtesans and promise to make them queens made Morgiana think Hakuryuu's words were just similar empty blabber men use to seduce women.

Surely you don't believe that. And that would only be the case if Alibaba himself made such promises already to Morg, which he hasn't.

It didn't look like such an oppressive, evil place in these shots. Maybe only a portion of its upper echelons are militaristic expansionists.

Their entry exam was a giant hammer to your face. If you were a competent mage, you survived. If you were an incompetent mage or not even one at all, you... don't? That's a pretty aggressive way to select magical beings in my opinion.

It's like Spartans admitting entry to their city by making people race against wolves.

[DarthEnderX]

I know Ren has been mentioned before. What was the context? Was he the water princesses bother or something?

Surely you don't believe that.

It's what *I* thought she was thinking.

[Buffalobiian]

I know Ren has been mentioned before. What was the context? Was he the water princesses bother or something?

3rd prince of Kou. He's the brother of the water princess in that his father is also the current Emperor, as opposed to Hakuryuu's.

edit: Clarrifying since Ren is a surname. Ren Kouha is the 3rd prince

Regarding Morg, consider the following scenarios.

Morg was never confessed to, and secretly loves Alibaba who never replied. She sees Alibaba flirting with other girls and gets angry. That would be jealousy.

Morg was confessed to, but turned down Hakuryuu. She secretly loves Alibaba who never responded. She sees Alibaba flirting with other girls, thinks about Hakuryuu's confession and gets angry. She'd be angry at Alibaba for flirting with other girls and at herself for loving such perve. That makes sense since she got angry after remembering Hakuryuu's sincerity.

Morg was confessed to, but turned down Kakuryuu. She loves Alibaba, and Alibaba has also stated that he loves her. She sees Alibaba flirting with other girls, thinks about Hakuryuu's confession and gets angry. She'd be angry at Alibaba for flirting with other girls and at herself for loving such an insincere guy. She could also think that all guys make loose promises, but it'd seem strange to think of Hakuryuu when Alibaba's promise should be more directly linked.

Scenario 2 fits our own. In any case, being angry after remembering a turned-down confession vs a secret crush highly suggests anger at Alibaba and also at self for putting her chips/feelings into someone who doesn't devote themselves to her as much.

[Kraco]

Surely you don't believe that. And that would only be the case if Alibaba himself made such promises already to Morg, which he hasn't.

Hakuryuu's was the first confession she has ever got. She probably thought the world of it, even though she turned him down. But now she saw how men can say such words very easily even to women they don't know at all. To get some boobs time. I don't actually know why Morgiana doesn't go forward and tell Alibaba how she feels. I reckon during those ancient times a woman would rarely be the first to come out, but Morgiana is hardly an ordinary case in any way, plus she shows initiative very regularly in other matters. But I suppose simply the timing would have prevented that since they had decided to split up.