STORY:
This series has a very fun concept and setting. It has a middle-eastern style setting in a fantasy world of magic. It is an adventure series for the most part, not only geographically but also ventures in ideology and politics. The characters travel to different countries and are either involved in the land's political situation or partake in some sort of quest. The adventure aspect is definatly the most appealing aspect of this series, however, 2/3rds the way in, it dives deeper into politics and ideology, which is much more text heavy and differs from the "fun" - which may not be to everyone's taste. Although, personally I think the actual ending was satisfying.

ART:
The down fall of the series for me would be the art. The actual character and background designs are actually quite stunning, however the actual drawing is inconsistent, with some pages looking beautiful, and some pages looking off model, especially towards the end. I must say, the characters in their 30s look way too young, particularly Simbad, who looks younger and younger as the series progresses. Despite good designs, their actual faces lack variety, with some characters looking almost identical without their most distinctive characteristics. For someone who puts art high about anything else, it was excruciating to read. Unlike other mangaka, Ohkata Shinobu seems to be getting worse.

CHARACTER:
As I said, the actual character designs are okay, it's just the drawing skill that isn't as good. The characters are well developed, even the supporting cast. You can really understand their motivation behind their actions, making them more real and believable. You can see who the characters develop in time, it's not just a sudden change, but gradual. This is one of the few shounen that actual spans across several years with an actual sense of time, and we get to see how everyone grows.

ENJOYMENT:
Overall, I did enjoy this series. It is different from the classic shounen but is still very enjoyable. However, at times, it was really difficult to read, but other times, I just couldn't stop. I feel that it's a bit inconsistent, starting off excellently and wavering towards the final third it's run. I still recommend it as a series that actually ends properly and has a plot right from the start.