opinions on Magi's depiction of Arabian culture?

Oct 30, 2016 11:46 AM

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Oct 2016

I dropped Magi a while ago, but I'm still pretty curious on something: is nobody else bothered by how badly Magi depicts Arabian culture??

I'm Arab and frankly I find it really insulting how magi shows everything...
I think I completely lost it when they actually used 'Solomon' instead of the Arabic version of the name: Suleiman.

Is anybody else irritated? especially when people praise Magi specifically for how it shows the culture? I mean you can praise it for the story and characters (I really like some of the charas, too), but when they go off and say 'they did such a good job on showing how arabs are' it really annoys me

Oct 30, 2016 1:52 PM

removed-user

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Jul 2018

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laaare said:
I dropped Magi a while ago, but I'm still pretty curious on something: is nobody else bothered by how badly Magi depicts Arabian culture??

I'm Arab and frankly I find it really insulting how magi shows everything...
I think I completely lost it when they actually used 'Solomon' instead of the Arabic version of the name: Suleiman.

Is anybody else irritated? especially when people praise Magi specifically for how it shows the culture? I mean you can praise it for the story and characters (I really like some of the charas, too), but when they go off and say 'they did such a good job on showing how arabs are' it really annoys me

I don't think they were really trying to depict "Arabian culture"...

Oct 30, 2016 1:54 PM

Livira

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Oct 2007

3704

Senpaoi said:

I don't think they were really trying to depict "Arabian culture"...

This. The mangaka based Magi and some of the characters on the piece of fiction One Thousand and One Nights, not actual modern day Arabian culture.

Oct 30, 2016 2:21 PM

laaare

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Oct 2016

@kuromii @senpaoi but even if depicting the culture was not a key point, you cant just mess stuff up like that. If you're making a story which clearly tries to imitate arabian traditions and culture, do a *little* bit of research regarding it.

And of course I know it's not 'modern day'.The stuff they show in there is 10000000% unreal for the general time period they are in.

Oct 30, 2016 2:41 PM

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laaare said:
@kuromii @senpaoi but even if depicting the culture was not a key point, you cant just mess stuff up like that. If you're making a story which clearly tries to imitate arabian traditions and culture, do a *little* bit of research regarding it.

And of course I know it's not 'modern day'.The stuff they show in there is 10000000% unreal for the general time period they are in.

I think you're reading into it too much. It's an entertaining story. Going by your logic, there's many anime that have far worse problems. For you information, Japanese schools aren't actually like how they are depicted in anime.

Oct 30, 2016 3:01 PM

laaare

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Oct 2016

Senpaoi said:

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the story, I'm just saying that it doesn't deserve the praise that it gets regarding setting and their idea of the culture. Even Disney's Aladin showed the culture better than Magi does.

And the thing about Japanese schools may be a problem too, but that wasn't my issue. My issue is that Ohtaka is incorrect in how she's using Arabia as her setting, and is insulting Arabians as she does. You cant just say she's not trying to depict their culture when the story is taking place there and the characters are all a part of the culture themselves.

Oct 30, 2016 3:38 PM

ToG25thBaam

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Jun 2011

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laaare said:
I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the story, I'm just saying that it doesn't deserve the praise that it gets regarding setting and their idea of the culture. Even Disney's Aladin showed the culture better than Magi does.

And the thing about Japanese schools may be a problem too, but that wasn't my issue. My issue is that Ohtaka is incorrect in how she's using Arabia as her setting, and is insulting Arabians as she does. You cant just say she's not trying to depict their culture when the story is taking place there and the characters are all a part of the culture themselves.

I don't get the bold part. This is a fictional story taking place in a fictional setting while taking ideas and inspiration from real life. I don't get how it is "insulting" to your culture and race just because it's depicted incorrectly. I repeat, IT IS JUST A FICTION, no one is trying to portray it realistically. I myself love Magi's setting, because it takes place in a medieval era in a fantasy setting, and it has some Arabian theme that I haven't touched on since I was a kid watching/reading Aladdin and the magic lamp. (nostalgia)

I would advice you to not think too much into it. If you take offense to everything fictional, your life won't be better, it just mean that you're that close minded.

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Oct 30, 2016 4:48 PM

-Anokata

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Mar 2014

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Its more her own interpretation of the world of 1001 Nights. I'm arab myself and I don't find this insulting at all since it wasn't her intention to depict Magi as the manga-format of history or a book.
Just sit back and enjoy the story as it is. I don't recall any manga or anime with culture depiction that were historically correct. Even Vagabond for example is not exactly the adaptation of the novels.

Oct 31, 2016 12:15 AM

Kitsu-nee

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May 2010

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People like Magi because it's a colorful, fun and exotic series, not because it's a good depiction of Arab culture :v Most fans don't give a shit about that. I've never heard or seen anyone saying "they did such a good job on showing how arabs are" about this manga. And I sure as hell don't find anything insulting about that.

Oct 31, 2016 1:49 AM

#10

MJSpice

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Jul 2008

I haven't seen anyone saying it depicted "Arab culture" correctly. & if you think about it, they haven't even shown Chinese, Japanese, Roman or any other culture/time period as we really know them. It's a fictional piece based on legends so I don't think it's anything to get mad over tbqh.

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Oct 31, 2016 1:50 AM

#11

MJSpice

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Jul 2008

-Anokata said:
Its more her own interpretation of the world of 1001 Nights. I'm arab myself and I don't find this insulting at all since it wasn't her intention to depict Magi as the manga-format of history or a book.
Just sit back and enjoy the story as it is. I don't recall any manga or anime with culture depiction that were historically correct. Even Vagabond for example is not exactly the adaptation of the novels.

My thoughts exactly. Even Disney movies like Aladdin, Pocahontas etc aren't historically accurate either.

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Oct 31, 2016 1:51 AM

#12

Gator

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Apr 2013

38743

So wait, your only complaint in this thread is that she used Solomon instead of Suleiman?

Nov 1, 2016 6:40 AM

#13

dera_300

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Oct 2016

Gator said:
So wait, your only complaint in this thread is that she used Solomon instead of Suleiman?

Um she/he just said that was the breaking point?? Did you even read the initial question? @Gator

Nov 1, 2016 7:00 AM

#14

Gator

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Apr 2013

38743

dera_300 said:

Gator said:
So wait, your only complaint in this thread is that she used Solomon instead of Suleiman?

Um she/he just said that was the breaking point?? Did you even read the initial question? @Gator

Yes I read the initial question. But since you seem to know better, show me which other complaints the OP has about the show.

Sep 2, 2023 11:03 AM

#15

Battlepikapowe4

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Sep 2023

Yeah, I'm also Arabic and their depiction just doesn't sit well with me. I would go as far as to say it's insulting, but it's definitely cringe worthy. And for any none Arabs reading this. Imagine a manga that uses the stereotypical Americans from anime, but tries to take itself seriously. And now imagine that as a whole series instead of a one or few volume gag manga. That's basically how Magi is. It's not insulting in my opinion, but definitely cringe if you're from that culture.

Oct 31, 2023 9:34 PM

#16

KursedArcana

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Nov 2017

405

I'm a quarter Arab and couldn't care less. It's not depicting Arabian culture. It's an original story in an original world inspired by 1000 nights. Tons of writers are influenced by their favorite stories and craft worlds based on the.pandora hearts is one of my favorite series and is inspired by Alice in wonderland. It creates a fictional world based on England and wonderland, and use names much like magi does with the Arabian nights story. It adds a unique layer to the world and an engaging activity to try and spot various influences in the works

Dec 17, 2023 6:14 PM

#17

1stburneracct

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Dec 2017

why would even arabs watch chinese cartoons in the first place?

Apr 30, 2024 4:22 AM

#18

Afan_123

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Apr 2024

Reply to 1stburneracct

why would even arabs watch chinese cartoons in the first place?

@1stburneracct fyi anime has been aired worldwide and has many dubs in different language, anime fans are worldwide
and this anime is about another culture so of course the people from the culture want to watch it
Arabs and japanese has been working together in making anime, they even made a movie about the middle east story

Mar 2, 2025 7:13 AM

#19

removed-user

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Jul 2018

559028

Solomon is more iconic name, suleiman could be anyone, theres a couple historical people with that name but when we talk about solomon there is only one main reference, same for Abraham and ibrahim, the former is more iconic, although either way these are still the english translation of the hebrew names

removed-userMar 2, 2025 7:17 AM

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