Impression
A double episode certainly wasn’t necessary, but it’s not unwelcome either! Was it due to some sort of calculated production decision, or just because… why not? I’m assuming this will be a two-cour show, although the unconfirmed total number of episodes on sites like MAL makes me hesitate.
Anyway, Titus’ situation is finally revealed, and damn was it heartbreaking. Magi doesn’t usually make me tear up or react with much surprise (mostly because I’m familiar with the source material) but that scene was intense, featuring an incredible rendition by Matsuoka Yoshitsugu. Titus isn’t actually human, nor is he a proper subordinate of Scheherazade – he technically functions as one, but in reality he’s a direct clone of her, a puppet created using her magic. Leave it to a Magi to create an autonomous living clone over a period of 14 years. The knowledge, experience and magical ability passed down to him by Scheherazade would also explain the vast power Titus displayed during his fight with Aladdin. Now that he’s tasted the fruit, he can’t bear parting from it in less than a month – I think that’s a natural reaction, to be honest. He didn’t really need to beat himself up over it (to the point of nearly falling into depravity) although admittedly, at this point it looks like things are pretty bleak for him. Both Titus and Scheherazade made it sound like his lifespan was set in stone (it probably is) and that no-one can do anything to solve it (they probably can’t), yet Mogamett is still willing to antagonize Reim to keep custody over him! I’m torn between admiring his heavy positive discrimination towards magicians and disapproving of his recklessness. You’d think it’d be the Kou Empire or something who’d declare war on Magnostadt, and yet we have Magnostadt taking on an expansionary, aggressive world power, one that poses a very real threat.
That threat doesn’t just stop at Scheherazade and her three metal vessel users, it extends to the Fanalis Corps too! They’re likely to be really, really dangerous – and if Mu Alexius is a King Candidate with a metal vessel, I wouldn’t be surprised if one or more of the Fanalis Corps were part of his household, like the scary guy with the Glasgow smile or his hot sister (I hope that’s how Morgiana turns out when she gets older). Also, they have Alibaba – who may or may not decide to fight alongside them once he realizes that Aladdin’s involved in the war. In comparison, Magnostadt seem to be underestimating the goi, relying on their first-class magicians and their dark djinns to dish out damage to Reim, which will almost certainly involve some human cost. It’s not looking too good for them – if anything this war’ll be influenced by our wildcard Aladdin, who now has to contend with an unnecessary conflict on top of his investigation into Magnostadt’s abnormalities.