“The image is a work in progress.
Crocell is depictded in the grimoires as a demon in the form of an angel with the ability to reveal valuable resources and hidden talents. We are having a djinn equip battle for the first time in a while, I hope you enjoy it!”
“The image is the cover of volume 31 that’s scheduled to be out in November. I hope it gives a feel of the years that passed since the reveal of the cover of volume 1.
In this week’s Magi we’re continung with the battle that Sinbad is fighting while in djinn equip mode. Regarding the design of the djinn equips, they are not devised according to the metal vessel users themselves, but they embody and reflect how each djinn is thinking of their master.“
“The picture is a portion of the volume 31 omake. There will be two one-shots. I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week.
We are continuing with the events in the Sacred Palace. The art is a bit messy, but please, join us for a little longer. Next week is a break, let’s meet again when the next backstage is posted in the week after the next!“
“The image is this week’s frontispiece.
Magi was on a break last week. In this week’s issue is the last of the battle at the sacred palace. A lot characters I haven’t drawn in years are going to appear, and working on them was tough, but the scene turned out quite lively. Look forward to it and brace yourself for the development that follows.”
“The image is a work in progress.
I hope you enjoy this week’s Magi. It took me some time drawing Alibaba in the last few pages.
There was a development that took place in another dimension where the situation turned chaotic, but starting from the previous issue, we set foot again in the human world. Please, read while trying to detect the subtle changes in every character!”
“The image is a portion of the paper for volume 31 that will be out on the 18th. I’ll be happy if you end up liking it!
This week, we are continuing from where we left off and restarting from Alibaba’s descent. Last week and this week as well I’m pleased that I drew the first lighthearted (?) scene in a while. I hope you enjoy Magi where the scene shifted to the human world(??). Please, observe th changes in the world along with the main characters.“
“The image is a portion for this year’s Shonen Sunday New Year’s cards. It looks like 2017 will be the Year of the Rooster. There will be two varieties: Aladdin+Alibaba and Hakuryuu+Judar.
We’re continuing from where we left off last week and a lot of characters are going to make an appearance. Watch out for the changes in them.“
“The image is a work in progress.
We are continuing with the three-way deadlock. When the hearts of the characters change, their relationships with those around them can change as well. It’s fun drawing facial expressions that we haven’t seen on them before.
Volume 31 is out. Regarding Nanaumi of the kingdom of Kina, I forgot to color her teeth black. It was corrected in the volume release. Volume 32 is going to come out in January and I’m in the middle of working on it. Please, look forward to it!”
“The image is a work in progress.
The developments have gotten chaotic and there are more of them in this week as well. I’m taking a break next week to work on volume 32 and I apologize for it! Let’s meet again in the next backstage.”
“This is the cover of volume 32 that will be out next month. I tried to color it in a way that’s normally difficult for me and make it appear as though it was luminescent. In the end I was able to pull it off.
In this week’s Magi is the culmination of the relationship between those two, or at least that’s what I wanted to portray. Please, look forward to the upcoming transformations!”
“The image is a portion of the paper for volume 32 that will be out in January. Please, look forward to it while comparing things to the early parts of the manga.
In this week’s issue is the last chapter of Magi for this year, and it’s a good time for a proper development. I thank you for your support in this year as well! The final arc is also entering its best part, please, accompany us to the end!”
“The image is a portion of the volume 32 omake. It’s a story about Yunan that matches the cover that he appears on. Sinbad also makes an appearance.
Happy New Year. In this week’s issue is the prelude to the final battle. An unexpected character also makes an appearance.”
“This week Magi is on the cover of Shounen Sunday. The image is an alternate version of the cover. A bit of color was added to the current one.
Last week Nerva made his entrance, which relieved some of the tension. The story is continuing to head towards the final battle. I urge you to read this week’s chapter while recalling the events from volume 26 and 27. Volume 32 is also out today, please, check it out!”
“The infiltration of the sacred palace is starting from this issue. Please, read it!
Aladdin, Alibaba, Hakuryuu and Judar. It’s still too early to know whether each of them as a group balance each other out. While working on this chapter, I thought how difficult it must be for Alibaba as the main straight man. There could be endless possibilities to the kind of role one is filling as the people around them change, and I think this is an interesting aspect to humans.”
“The image is a work in progress. On the left is the final version, while on the right is the discarded one.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. Since the arrival at the sacred palace a lot of djinns and djinn equips showed up and working on the manga has become chaotic. I’m doing my best to make things exciting, please, read it!
Currently, I’m working on the stuff for volume 33 and it’s scheduled to be out in April.”
“The image is a work in progress. I think I lack experience when it comes to drawing people who are losing weight.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. It’s a chapter centered around Judar and Sinbad. Sinbad when he was young looked similar to Judar, and it’s extra tough when drawing them. You can tell them apart by the width of their eyebrows.”
“The image is the cover of volume 33 that will be out in April. The coloring makes it look like Alibaba, but it’s actually Sinbad.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. It’s a chapter that continues with Judar and Sinbad. Judar is someone who doesn’t seriously speak of his inner conflicts to others no matter how close he is to them. He might spit it out to a corpse or an illusion, but basically, he always ponders over them and deals with them himself. He doesn’t sound like someone who consults others or argues about them. It makes one wonders how he ended up that way. He contrasts with Hakuryuu who demands the naked truth from others or the rational Aladdin.”
“It’s something that I thought of while looking at Judar and Morgiana: people don’t know exactly what they really want while being uncertain of who they really are. Even though both of them look like the sort that do things their own way, if it weren’t for others, they wouldn’t be inspired to act or have their own dreams of the future (in the past that is)
I hope you enjoy attacking and defending the Sacred Palace in Magi this week.”
“The image is a portion of a work in progress. I drew Judar with a good villain face.
Magi was on break last week. This week we continue with Hakuryuu and Sinbad. When I draw Belial!Hakuryuu and Valefore!Sinbad next to each other, I can feel the limits of my ability to draw distinguishable faces. I apologize for any confusion. I draw them while thinking Hakuryuu’s face has good features and Sinbad’s face is gaudy.”
“I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week! I’m glad to have the privilege to draw Zepar djinn equip again.
The image roughly illustrates the results of this year’s Valentine’s day for each character. I thank everyone who sent letters and gifts to them! I read all of them. Even though it has been a long serialization that reached its final stages, I will forever be grateful that it has become a very loved work and that you followed it this far. Since it was the last Valentine, I made preparations to reply to them. However, since I’ve received more than I imagined, they might not be delivered by White Day. Please, forgive me. I bought extra art supplies and will send them once I finish them.
The contents are done by hand, so the quality may vary. I’m going to reply to everything I received until Feb 22nd. Only those who didn’t write the sender’s address, the sender’s address got smudged by water, or it was written ‘no reply is needed’ in the letter will be excluded.”
“I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week. It’s a chapter that continues with Aladdin and Sinbad.
I contributed an illustration for the illustration collection to commemorate Rumiko Takahashi’s mangas selling over 200 million copies. The image is a portion of it. There will be a lot of gorgeous artwork in this issue, so please, check it out!”
“The image is the volume 33 omake that will be out in April. Please look forward to the atmosphere of ‘My Friend’s friend makes me feel uneasy’. It’s when you got a lot of things to say to your partner, but when the two of you are left alone you become unsure where to start.
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week! We are continuing with Aladdin and Sinbad. There will be characters who haven’t spoken for the past two years or so.”
“The image is the store-exclusive Magi volume 33 paper. It’s a drawing psychological test based on the world of Magi. Please, look forward to it!
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week. Please, accompany us for a little while during the episode centering around the world where Alibaba ended up in after death. The backgrounds are all white, and I’m drawing them while fighting against my kenophobia.”
“The image is a work in progress. For various circumstances, it was decided that Aladdin and Alibaba get their hands on a smartphone, though it still feels a bit off to me. I wonder what’s the best swipe sounds to go with.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. It will be the second half of Alibaba in the afterlife.”
“The image is a portion of a work in progress. Volume 33 came out yesterday, and I hope you get to read it!
This week’s Magi comes with a center color and it’s a chapter centered around Alibaba and Sinbad (and Arba). There isn’t any deep meaning behind it, but Arba and how she appeared in Alma Toran looks similar to Alibaba, and it becomes chaotic when drawing them next to each other. If Alibaba were a woman, I think he will have a face similar to that.”
“There will be another center color with this week’s chapter of Magi. We are continuing with Alibaba and Sinbad. In this week’s issue of Sunday I contributed a picture to celebrate Gosho Aoyama selling over 200 million copies. The image is a portion of it and there will be a lot of gorgeous illustration. Please, check them out! Also, it will be a double issue before Golden Week, don’t miss it. Let’s meet again in the week after the next!”
“The image is the cover of volume 34 that will be out in June. I tried to paing Zaga’s dragon scales as best as I could.
I wonder how everyone spent their Golden Week? This week we are continuing with Alibaba and Sinbad.”
“The image is the volume 34 omake. I’m also working hard so volume 35 will be out soon as well. Please, look forward to them!
I hope you enjoy this week’s Magi. It’s a continuation of the talk between Sinbad and Alibaba.”
“Drafts of Judar from the cover of volume 34: the rough, discarded and the final version. I didn’t have to repaint it while working on the colored version, but had to redraw the draft, wondering what pattern to go with.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. It’s the climax of attacking/defending the sacred palace.”
“The image is a work in progress. It’s a draft for a color illustration. The height difference between Morgiana, Alibaba and Aladdin has decreased, and it’s troublesome to depict.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. Watch out for the changes that will not be limited to the scared palace, but also the outside world.”
“The image is the store-exclusive volume 34 paper that will be out on the 16th of this month. It has turned into a text-heavy paper due to the amount of content. It’s of a lighter theme compared to the main story, and I’ll be glad if you enjoy it.
I hope you enjoy Magi. The artwork is getting flashy from this week.”
“Magi volume 34 will be released this week in Friday. Please, buy it. As for the four on the cover and the composition, before this ended up becoming the cover, the two who crashed the party were placed in the front row.
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week. The scene is entirely shifting.”
“The image is from the storyboard of the previous chapter. They are two panels that I like.
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week. The scene shifted to outside the sacred palace. A lot of character got caught up in all that happened and the protagonists are in action, look forward to it.
Volume 34 is on sale and and I’m doing the best I can so volume 35 will be out in August.”
“When Alibaba is in djinn equip mode, his hair changes to a color that’s close to red. I’m not confident when it comes to coloring my illustrations and worry if I can convey that to the readers.
I hope you enjoy reading Magi this week! I drew the Sunday cover for this week to commemorate the release of volume 34. The image is a portion of it. Please, look forward to Aladdin and Alibaba’s struggle!”
“The image is the volume 35 cover. It’s Alibaba and Sinbad and of all the volume cover, it’s unexpectedly something I haven’t tried before.
From now on, I’ll be thinking about the concepts for the volume omake and the paper at the family restaurant.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. It’s the second half of the student-teacher showdown between Alibaba and Sharrkan in Heliohapt.”
“The image is the volume 35 omake. It’s lighthearted that you can read casually, please, look forward to it and the main story as well.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. Last week was the showdown between Alibaba and Sharrkan. There will be another sudden development. Look forward to it!”
“The image is the volume 35 store-exclusive paper. It’s a character self-assessment and comments from other characters on it. It’s text-heavy to the and the letters are small, but I’ll be glad if you enjoy it.
I was busy moving and couldn’t update the backstage blog. I apologize for it. I hope you enjoy Magi this week.”
“Here is info about Enshou, who appeared suddenly last week and only spoke twice until then.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. This week’s Sunday is a double issue to celebrate Obon. Let’s meet again on this backstage in the week after the next!”
“The image is the cover of volume 36 that will be out in October. I ran out of characters to use as subject for the cover, and so I ended up going with David. It hasn’t been long since volume 35 came out, and I apologize for this sudden release announcement!
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. The final battle is also nearing its most interesting part.”
Note: Ohtaka used ‘佳境’, bwhich also means ‘climax’, but when consulting a Japanese-Japanese dictionary, nit just means that the story is entering an interesting part, not that it’s ending very soon.
“The image is something that I’m thinking of using for the volume 36 credit page.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. In addition to the several characters currently in djinn equip mode, my workload increased and Night 363 turned into a hard chapter fo work on. There are also characters we haven’t seen in a while. Please, look forward to ot!”
“This is my apology for Takeruhiko’s djinn equip, Caim, that only appeared briefly. Caim is the 53rd demon in the grimoire and is depicted as a bird swordsman who can sense earthquakes and changes in the seas.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. While Alibaba’s fight on the surface is progressing, Sinbad’s fight in the sacred palace is also nearing its conclusion.”
“The story is nearing its final stages and a lot of people forced their way into the scene. I’m doing everything I can to make them distinguishable from one another.
the blue area contains character with features that are easy to draw, while as the red group’s are difficult to draw for me. The facial features of characters in the yellow group are too expressive to the point it’s hard to keep them in balance.
In this week’s issue, things are getting lively and I hope you enjoy it!”
Note: I went with the dictionary translation for 薄い顔 (thin face). You can look up the Japanese/Japanese definition in here. From what I understood, I don’t think this chart reflects beauty/looks of the characters, since there are some in other groups that were referred to as beautiful/ikemen by the author. I think it describes the type of the face (if that makes any sense lol!)
"The image is a work in progress. I always enjoy coloring Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgiana.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. It’s starting from the Aladdin and David scene. The story is also ending soon, please accompany us until then!”
The image a volume 36 omake page. I’m aiming for a research and study theme. Volume 36 will be out in October, and I’m working diligently so that volume 37 (the final volume) will be out in November. Please, look forward to them!
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. I put extra effort into the rukh pages.
“The image is the volume 36 paper. It’s been a long time since I’ve done something based on the season. It’s a Halloween costume party.
I hope you enjoy Magi this week. For many weeks, I was filled with worry while working on the storyboards and the chapters themselves, but it was fun. Please, read it!”
The image is the volume 37 cover illustration.
Magi is ending in this week’s issue. I had a lot of fun writing about the Magi world during those long eight years. There were times that I felt I was incompetent, but I’ll be glad if you enjoyed it, even a little. I think Shounen mangas are the kind of things that those who read them forget about with time as they become adults. However, during those busy days, I remembered them all of a sudden and they fill me with courage. I wish if Magi becomes something like that for you and that from now on, the Magi characters are going to be by your side!
I thank everyone who sent me letters and messages as we were nearing the final chapter. I read them while thinking ‘I’m glad that I became a manga author’. I’m going to treasure them.
This is also the last backstage update, but I hope we meet again!
10/11/2017 Shinobu Ohtaka