“The image is the storyboard used for Night 203 that was published last week. I drew it on an A6 paper that covered two pages. I used the pen a lot while working on the gag panels.
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week. Last time, things ended a bit messily, but, this week, you can read without worry for the ship is going to drop anchor without anything disastrous happening. I really enjoyed drawing that certain character who hasn’t appeared in a long while.”
“Last week’s chapter was centered on the conversation between Aladdin and Yunan.
A character who hides a lot of things like Yunan is difficult to write. Every word he utters reflects his entire body’s exhaustion, and his voice and the way he speaks is akin to humming. When I read his lines and try to mimic what he sounds like, it’s quite painful.”
"The image is an idea for volume 20 message paper that ended up getting scrapped. Even though I was about to finish it, there were too many characters and the image didn’t fit. I’ll go with another idea for the paper.
Everyone, which dream do you see normally? As for me, it’s ‘I did it! The manuscript is done!!!’, though, when I wake up, it’s still unfinished.
I hope you enjoy the last issue of Sunday for this year (2013). In this week’s chapter is the first meeting between Alibaba and Kouen since they fought together in Magnostadt. There will be a lot of new information to be revealed in this issue and in the next one, please read it attentively.
Thank you for keeping up with Magi this year. I owe it to you all being blessed with so many opportunities and it was a very happy year for me. I’ll do my best in this year as well and I hope it will be a great year for you.”
“This is the original design for Myron that I came up with. I planned for her to be a man at first, but she ended up looking like nothing but a prettier version of Koubun Ka, and so I changed her to a woman. I think the current Myron and Koubun Ka wouldn’t be able to get along with one another.
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week. Alibaba is doing his best even though he’s dealing with one painful situation after another. This week’s chapter centers around Morgiana and Muu Alexius. The conversation they are going to have will touch upon a problem that’s of a completely different nature and scope than the Balbadd matter, watch out for it.”
“The image is a work in progress. It’s intended for the limited edition of the fourth DVD. I like the creature that looks like a mouse but really isn’t one that turned out not so cute.
At the end of last week’s chapter, Sinbad made an appearance in voice only. This week’s chapter will be centered around Sinbad, Alibaba and Kouen. In the manuscript that I’m working on some characters that we haven’t seen in a long time are going to appear. It’s difficult drawing them while relying on my memories of them, but I’m trying my best. Please, take a look at it.”
“The image is a work in progress.
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week. Yesterday, Magi won the Shogakukan award (boy’s category). I owe it all to your encouragement. Thank you so much.
This week’s issue of Sunday will be one to celebrate this occasion and will feature a scowling Alibaba on the cover. I drew it while not being aware of the results.”
Note: in the magazine version, the following editorial comments were written on and below the illustration:
「かしずく紅炎と受け入れる白瑛。今とは立場が違うあの二人の出会い。。。」
‘The serving Kouen and the accepting Hakuei. The first meeting of these two who had different positions compared to now.“
「今号は大高先生扉絵サービス。知りたいあの二人の出会い描いてくれました。」
‘Ms. Ohtaka’s frontispiece gift. She drew these two’s first meeting that people wanted to know about.’
“The image is a portion of a message paper. Like usual, I drew it to be distributed along with the upcoming volume, which is volume 21 this time. But it might have been better if it was made available much earlier. Now only volume readers will have no idea this is Olba. Please, forgive me!
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week. Starting from this week, we’ll be telling the Alma Toran story. It’s the hidden, mysterious world in the Magi story that will explain its origins. While imagining how to tell this story that’s on the heavy side, I began to categorize the characters who are attending to those who would be interested in it and those who would not. Distinguishing that while drawing it was fun, please, watch out for it.”
“The picture is the cover of volume 21 that will be out on April.
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week. This week from the latter half of the chapter we’ll be briefly entering the Alma Toran story for real. Just as planned, Magi will be reaching a turning point and before long, I must start preparing for how the story is going to end. As the story progresses, some of the existing characters are probably going to die and it will pain me to draw that. Until the end, I’ll do my best.”
This illustration was used on an obi* for the series “Moukin-chan”, which released its first volume March 18th. For the duration of Magi volumes 8~14, Akui-Sensei** assisted me.
Thank you for reading this week’s Magi as well. It may have given off the image that it’s becoming a new series, but it’s not. Please read while feeling the connections that exist here and there with Aladdin and Alibaba’s world.
*The little half cover you often see over the full dust jacket of Japanese books.
**Akui Makoto, author of Moukin-chan
This picture is part of the bonus from the 5th volume of the DVDs. Kouen and Koumei are on the side. It’s a casual and light illustration, but Koumei (compared to Kouen) has no tact, and because Kouha has comparatively more discretion than his two older brothers, I consciously drew his character behaving somewhat modestly.
Thank you for reading this week’s issue. It’s the second chapter of Alma Toran!
This week’s chapter of Magi was released with a color cover. Thank you for reading it!
In the current arc about Alma Toran, I’m drawing the origins of the Room of Fortitude, rukh, falling into depravity, djinn, metal vessels, and fate, which up until now in the world of Magi had been a mystery. I think that the series would have been unable to continue any longer without drawing these chapters. Based on these, Aladdin and Alibaba’s story will also develop further from now on.
In my opinion, if you were watching the explanation at the “Summit”, you might end up just thinking about things like tomorrow’s dinner and the people around you, and wondering when this tiresome story is going to be over, but since this is a time when even Kouen and Sinbad are both listening hungrily, please stay tuned until the end.
This illustration is part of the bonus material for the 6th DVD volume. There are two more people on the side.
Thank you for reading this week’s issue. It is the continuation of the story of Alma Toran. At this point, the flashback arc is about one-third finished.
The final episode of the second season of the anime has been released. Thank you so much to everyone for your support. I will continue to try my best with the story, so thank you for your continued readership!
This image is part of the message paper for Vol.21, which is being released next Friday. It’s the carefully drawn Exciting Depravity Game’s (temporary name) cartoon advertisement. This game is the special supplement for Vol.22, which is planned to release in July. Furthermore, because a detailed description is planned for the paper’s reverse side, please by all means check it out.
Thank you for reading this week’s chapter. 5 years have passed in the story since the last chapter. Incidentally, there was a typo in the chapter. It should have been:
× (wrong) Solomon 17 Years Old
○ (right) Sheba 17 Years Old
My apologies.
This illustration is a progress picture.
Thank you for reading this week’s Magi chapter. In this chapter we experienced part of the core of the Magi world, which is also important to the story. Next week we’ll get to see the reactions of Alibaba and everyone who has been listening.
This Friday the new manga volume also goes on sale. Thank you very much!
Last weekend volume 21 was released. It was fun drawing Judal and Hakuryuu’s appearance in this volume, but that’s only natural because until then it was a struggle to include them in the omake comic. I think that Judal is a Magi more so because because he is fixated on himself than for other people.
This week Magi was on a break. To make up for it, an extra 6 page short comic was included. In the last Backstage I announced by accident that the publication the week after next would have Alibaba and the other characters, but it was actually in this publication. Please allow me to correct that.
This illustration is part of the extras from the Vol. 7 DVD. By the way, the person selected for the illustration each time is drawn according to the standard of “the Character from the DVD Jacket ＋α”*.
I’m satisfied because I got to make Kouha wear a very fashionable straw hat, but more so than that, Alibaba wearing swim trunks exceeded my expectations. It was a lot of fun!
Thank you for reading this week’s chapter of Magi. I was able to take a nice break and relax during Golden Week, and I’ll continue to try my best starting from this week’s chapter.
*＋α meaning plus something extra that is unknown.
This picture of Judal and Aladdin is pixel art from a while ago that I did as a hobby. What can I say……I guess I had some free time. Or I was just escaping from doing my manuscript.
Thank you for reading this week’s chapter of Magi! There was some development from Ugo’s point of view. I digress, but when I was presenting to the editor in charge of Solomon’s character design, they said, “That face, is it Hakuryuu?”. I didn’t think they resembled each other that much, but if you look at them, lots of boys’ features resemble people from their family lines when growing up.
My drawing style, especially characters’ faces, is inconsistent. Every day when I’m drawing the manuscripts, I notice it here and there and feel bad about it. But somehow for each character there is a scene so that they can have a change of heart within themselves. I realized that for Judal, having a serious face is more true to his nature than when he’s laughing. And I liked that when he appeared in the 15th volume, Hakuryuu’s face had large pupils, which made him very human looking.
This illustration is a progress picture. I drew them in sailor uniforms a long time ago.
Thank you for reading this week’s Magi chapter. This chapter was also about Alma Toran, but each character is clearly starting to gradually get older.
At the moment I’m working on Vol. 22. It should be released in July. I want to draw as many new works as possible, so please enjoy them!
This illustration is a progress picture. This isn’t related to the picture, but personally I’m interested in Mu Alexius. Even though he’s considerably well-off, I think he seems to be surprisingly unhappy. He has many friends and family members, but there’s not even one person who understands and sympathizes with his way of life. So I wonder if that’s the reason.
But then in Ren Kouen’s case, even though no one understands him, he still enjoys life in his own way, so it seems to simply be a difference in their personalities.
Thank you for reading this week’s Magi chapter! Time to go into the final battle.
Thank you so much to everyone who came to Magi Fest the other day. I was really happy to meet you all. When I got to the venue, I got lost in the crowd at the merchandise area, and thought I would be late to the afternoon event, but somehow I made it on time. This illustration is a flip card that was used during the evening event.
I drew a color illustration live at the event. It was the same image as on the pamplet, Alibaba and Sinbad wearing suits. It’s going to be on the cover of next month’s volume of “Sunday”, so please look forward to it!
Thank you for reading this week’s Magi chapter. I think that this week’s and next week’s chapters will be the major turning point for the Alma Toran arc.
This image is an unused manuscript for the cover of Vol. 22. It’s 17-year-old Solomon, but for some reason I wasn’t able to draw it any closer to the image I wanted than the color illustration I did before. So, I’m unhappy about it, but the Vol. 22 cover is going to be the picture of Solomon that I drew before for the cover of “Sunday”, with a few minor adjustments.
In the span of two months of drawing the older version of Solomon, I’m afraid that I’ve already forgotten how to draw the original version…I hope I can still remember how to draw Alibaba and the main cast. But since I’ve been drawing them frequently for events, DVD extras, and so on, I’m not really worried about it.
I am still drawing the last bit of the origin of Alma Toran’s name, so please stick with me a little longer. Thank you for reading this week’s “Sunday”.
This image is a bonus illustration from DVD Vol. 8. I kind of wanted to see a super buff Morgiana, but instead the one in front is just Mu Alexius. In the back is Alibaba.
Thank you for reading this week’s Magi chapter. My apologies to those who read last week’s chapter in the morning. While I was making the storyboard, in reality my stomach started hurting, and at one point I stopped so I could draw a short destruction scene which I dreamed about. Pretty soon, I’m planning to release a happy manga that’s totally unrelated to the main story in “Sunday”, so please look forward to it.
This week’s chapter is the battle with King David. Thanks for reading!
“I apologize for it, but in the next issue of Sunday it won’t be a new chapter of Magi, but a special (the image above). It’s a one-shot to publicize the item bundled with the volume 22 limited edition. It will be centered around The Kou Empire and Alibaba. One thing worth noting is Kouen. Card games don’t seem like his thing, do they?
This special one-shot might not be included in the volume release, and if you’re interested you might want to get the next issue of Sunday. Please, read it!”
This picture is one of the bonus illustrations for DVD Vol.9. There are 4 more people to the side.
Thank you for reading this week’s Magi. I guarantee that I’m finishing off something that has a very light impression to be included in Sunday. I would say that recently I’m returning to drawing Aladdin and the others more, but because the Alma Toran arc was long it’s hard to get back my sense for them. Please take a look at the next chapter of Magi too.
“The image is an illustration for the DVD 10 limited edition.
Back when I first drew the outfit Sinbad wore when he was younger, I thought: ‘doesn’t it look like the traditional clothes bridegrooms wear in the Middle East’?
We’re nearing the end of Alma Toran arc and it will link back to the scene that Aladdin saw back in volume 12 and 16.”
“Looks like Alibaba likes swimming, while as Hakuryuu for some reason hates swimming and the sea.”
A summer-themed old entry. Thought about posting it before summer ends.
The image is an illustration in progress. It was hard to balance the number of colors because they are too many. The image is finished in the illustrations and is very painful eyes (TN: due to them being colorful I suppose. And I believe she’s saying that there’s no background yet so the illustration is in WIP but the resistance team as a whole is done)
Thank you in this week’s issue of the Magi. Let us enjoy while Alma Toran enters its end.
This image is a cover illustration of vol 23 to be released next month. Sheba was drawn as an ordinary person while being of service as a magi for better or for worst. She was influenced by the people and by the environment around her. I think that her personality changed because of the power of strength.
Thank you for this week’s issue of magi. Alma Toran arc ended in this week’s issue. If there is a chance I’d like to draw Focalor somewhere *winks*
"Sheba is, for better or worse, the most ‘ordinary person’ that I’ve written in Magi. Even though she’s upfront and gung-ho, she’s easily influenced by the people and the environment around her. Her personality isn’t the type that can remain constant. If the people around her were to change, I think her personality will change as well.
The Alma Toran arc will end this week (the first week of September 2014). A pity, since I wanted to draw more of good-looking djinns like Focalor. I hope I’ll get the chance to do so at some point in the future.”
This image is for a bonus manga in volume 23 to be released next month. This is from 9 years ago in Kou Empire but with David’s memorandum it’s 18 years ago, the number of pages weren’t enough for this week’s manga. Now, I’m drawing a bonus page instead. Please read it!
In this week’s chapter, the story returns back to where everyone is at the summit. Thank you very much for this week’s issue of magi. It’s been a long time since we last saw Alibaba and Aladdin.
Last week the story went back to Aladdin and everyone else. For this week’s Magi as well, please treat me well!
A long time ago, various characters became jumbled together through circumstances. Please attentively watch all the self-assertions with Aladdin.
“The image depicts last week’s highlight.
In last week’s issue, a character that we haven’t seen in a while made his appearance. Due to his entrance, the manuscript became blackened, which was troublesome (note: she could mean due to the use of black ink in the panels where Judar appearaed).
Maybe if we toned it down and made it less cliche, or didn’t go overboard with all the black things that appeared (along with him?), maybe it couldn’t have been avoided after all.
There will be a sudden development in this week’s issue. Look forward to it.”