(L) UQ Holder (Ken Akamatsu's new series)

[Endscape]

Originally Posted by chaosprophet

Although I'm also familiarized with that concept, I understand ANB point as we never got any confirmation that vampires born as vampires existed in the Negima/UQ universe.

I suppose, I was thinking from a Tsukihime perspective there...

Originally Posted by AstroNerdBoy

Negi identified a shinso vampire as one being created by magic, not through the traditional methods.

Don't recall this, but I'll take your word for it.

I'm theorizing that Touta is in a phantasmagoria. Eva had that power, and if Dana is the one who trained her, then Dana likely has that power, considering how powerful Dana is.

I agree with the phantasmagoria part, but I don't think Dana trained Eva. Accoding to what that demon we just saw last chapter said in Negima, Eva's master is nicknamed 'Dark Tones', so unless Dana has another nickname...

Originally Posted by novalysis

What I'm particularly interested in, is the implication that Touta knows French.

There was no implication Touta understood what Eva said, just that he recognized it as French, which isn't odd at all.

[BigNobody]

Eye patch is gone now...finally. What training exactly is it that can make Touta stronger than Fate hmm...

[Ultragunner]

I've got to say that the lion-look-alike winged beast (a griffon?) looks really badass

[Random14]

I'm not happy at hearing Eva call herself a "fake" vampire too, but oh well, she's obviously outclassed against the new character. Its annoying, but at least it was sort of funny, even if it leads to more training for Touta. Too bad, wouldn't have mind seeing Touta and Yukihime hash their problems out, but probably too soon for that.

Touta may or may not know French (probably not, though him recognizing it as French doesn't seem too farfetched), but I wonder how fast he can pick up new languages. Touta's ability to copy other things is probably another part of him being a "cheap copy".

[DerGilga]

Fleshing out characters is always good. One way or another

Could it be that Kitty is Eva's normal nickname under vampires and Al just picked it up? Also vampire boy should appear in a couple of chapters. The team has to assemble at some point.

Wasn't it alluded somewhere in Negima that earth itself is the basis for an alternative plane, like the Mars is for the magic world. Could the vampire realm be such an alternative plane, or part of it?

Overall this is how a good UQ!Holder chapter should deal Negima elements. Instead of relying on them, new aspects of the world are introduced which further fleshes old ones out.

Touta's ability to copy other things is probably another part of him being a "cheap copy".

This maybe a bit off-topic, but on of the strongest abilities humans have is to copy others. Among apes humans are the best in aping others. I would say if Touta is a cheap copy his copying ability should actually be rather bad.

[Arabesque]

Originally Posted by BigNobody

Eye patch is gone now...finally. What training exactly is it that can make Touta stronger than Fate hmm...

I think Akamatsu finally gave up on trying to draw Tota with that eyepatch

I doubt Tota will actually become stronger than Fate, but rather it will be similar to how Negi managed to grow stronger as the tournament went on until he could stand on even ground with the more skilled and stronger fighters.

Originally Posted by Random14

Touta may or may not know French (probably not, though him recognizing it as French doesn't seem too farfetched), but I wonder how fast he can pick up new languages. Touta's ability to copy other things is probably another part of him being a "cheap copy".

Given that he is only 4 years old, Tota might have been pre programmed with many languages (since he wouldn't have had time to learn any, especially Japanese). I suppose the struggle for him at this point is him trying to figure out something worthwhile he needs to learn that wasn't installed into him already.

Originally Posted by DerGilga

Wasn't it alluded somewhere in Negima that earth itself is the basis for an alternative plane, like the Mars is for the magic world. Could the vampire realm be such an alternative plane, or part of it?

I think that was mentioned long ago in Negima or at least hinted at yeah. It would explain where all the other magical races that didn't migrate from Inverse Mars come from.

Originally Posted by DerGilga

Overall this is how a good UQ!Holder chapter should deal Negima elements. Instead of relying on them, new aspects of the world are introduced which further fleshes old ones out.

Pretty much.

Originally Posted by DerGilga

This maybe a bit off-topic, but on of the strongest abilities humans have is to copy others. Among apes humans are the best in aping others. I would say if Touta is a cheap copy his copying ability should actually be rather bad.

It's actually what irks me the most about referring to Tota as a cheap copy. They keep on harping on the fact everything he knows is directly taken from Negi while ignoring that the stuff Negi learned was thanks to him taking it from others and applying that knowledge. I suppose the revelation that Tota isn't actually a human might be shaking him inside still, but that shouldn't be an excuse for everyone else to knock him down for being a fast learner.

[dmaxzero]

I do not know why I am still reading this.
Stupid brain.

[zztop]

Does Akamatsu draw UQ Holder with a computer? I've noticed his backgrounds are very smoothly drawn, too smoothly to have been done in pencil or manual drawing tools.

[chaosprophet]

Originally Posted by zztop

Does Akamatsu draw UQ Holder with a computer? I've noticed his backgrounds are very smoothly drawn, too smoothly to have been done in pencil or manual drawing tools.

He went full digital with UQ Holder. Although iirc, on Negima the backgrounds already were done digitally. Maybe Hata can answer with certainty when he comes by the thread.

[Avrorrange]

Eva route is coming!

[Fwarlord]

I start to think the reason Eva had that much obsession with Nagi is because he reminded her of a boy she happened to meet and fall for in the past but suddenly vanished.

[imbuement]

Originally Posted by Random14

Not often we see someone able to tease Eva so much, as well as someone powerful enough to ridicule her (Al knew what buttons to push, but usually wasn't this physical). Though slightly annoyed at someone this powerful showing up, since before Eva was usually near the top of the power chart. Fate's calm expression while having a random train of thought was funny though.

From my account of other forum:

Kind of. All shinso aka true ancestor was borned too long ago by magic or supernatural power, that described as things against God. True Ancestor can make normal people become vampire. But suddenly 700 years ago, 'someone' turn Eva to a 'new' True Ancestor by magic, maybe youngest among them. As you saw her from Negima, the overwhelming power of Eve come from hundreds years of life for study, train, fight... Comparing Eva with ordinary mages, she super strong, but if it was with other Shinso, those being live much longer than her, she still are... yeah... a kid. (or as Dana call, a 'Kitty')

Fate didn't notice, but he was the best tsukkomi in Negima...

[AstroNerdBoy]

Originally Posted by BigNobody

Eye patch is gone now...finally. What training exactly is it that can make Touta stronger than Fate hmm...

Only because Touta is in this new place. If he's in a phantasmagoria, then his physical body still has an eye patch.

As to Touta knowing French, that wasn't indicated. I don't understand French, but if I hear it spoken, I know it is French. Touta may have that same level of knowledge -- he may not know French, but when he hears Eva speak, he thinks she is speaking in French.

[cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by Ultragunner

I've got to say that the lion-look-alike winged beast (a griffon?) looks really badass

It has the same markings as Magia Erebea. My guess is that it is somehow involved in it's creation

[ZeroForever]

Can't say i like the new character because as noted it introduces a huge power creep level that really came out of no where.

If negima canon is anything to go by Eva was considered weak until she developed Magia erebeawhich she used to kill the Lifemaker/Shinsou at the time. With everything and there left nut now having some form of magia erebea it just feels like a cop out.

[Dargor]

Well, obvious retcon is obvious. Good thing UQ Holder doesn't exist.

Man, this chapter isn't even horrible at its most base, but the information it conveys is all sorts of lame. Dimension where time is a non-factor? I can swallow it, hell, the idea by itself is pretty cool. The retcon that Eva somehow isn't a real vampire despite her being THE High Daylight Walker in Negima and actually referring to her as being "pure" just to go "no no no, these guys are the real vampires, hohoho." is all kinds of ew. That, and opposed to Eva actually striking out on her own and actually obtaining her powers by living out in the world, let's just throw her through a cliche shounen training convention, because reasons.

Overall this is how a good UQ!Holder chapter should deal Negima elements. Instead of relying on them, new aspects of the world are introduced which further fleshes old ones out.

That'd be alright if it wasn't clashing with previous exposition and actually conveying real information and depth as opposed to "And then there's these folks." Its like the Megalo Senate and Royal Magic bits. Sure, they exist, but nothing was ever done to give them any sort of depth, except taking away from Negi's own character with the latter and effectively stopped existing in the prior.

[Ultragunner]

Originally Posted by cyberdemon

It has the same markings as Magia Erebea. My guess is that it is somehow involved in it's creation

yeah, that kinda makes sense

Also, I have a feeling that the Mage of Beginning may be somewhat related to these True Ancestors, heck he might even be (or used to be) one of them
This can also explain why our new old lady can easily outclass Eva like that (granted we haven't seen them fight for real yet), because so far the MoB was THE most powerful being in both the human and magic world.

Or perhaps he belonged to another mythical race that is similar to True Ancestors, that is, you know... above human?

[cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by Ultragunner

yeah, that kinda makes sense

Also, I have a feeling that the Mage of Beginning may be somewhat related to these True Ancestors, heck he might even be (or used to be) one of them
This can also explain why our new old lady can easily outclass Eva like that (granted we haven't seen them fight for real yet), because so far the MoB was THE most powerful being in both the human and magic world.

Or perhaps he belonged to another mythical race that is similar to True Ancestors, that is, you know... above human?

Or perhaps MotB is the ancestor to these true ancestors/ Nobles. They are his progeny. The Lifemaker created them.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Dargor

Well, obvious retcon is obvious. Good thing UQ Holder doesn't exist.

Man, this chapter isn't even horrible at its most base, but the information it conveys is all sorts of lame. Dimension where time is a non-factor? I can swallow it, hell, the idea by itself is pretty cool. The retcon that Eva somehow isn't a real vampire despite her being THE High Daylight Walker in Negima and actually referring to her as being "pure" just to go "no no no, these guys are the real vampires, hohoho." is all kinds of ew. That, and opposed to Eva actually striking out on her own and actually obtaining her powers by living out in the world, let's just throw her through a cliche shounen training convention, because reasons.

i would characterize it as more of a Add-On then a Retcon.

the fact that the magic world had a title for vampires like Eva should be a clue that there are other Vampires like Eva. They weren't mention in negima because the story didn't concern them. UQ holder which has immortality as its main theme does concern them. As far as why Eva refers to herself as a fake. It probably has do with 1 . Age difference between the other TA and herself and 2. how they came about, Eva was created by a MoB, while these other TA were born naturally or turn themselves into a TA. Basically Eva has a inferiority complex in regard to the old TA.

[Dargor]

Are they even needed though? UQ Holder is already filled to the brim with "Super uber-immortals but don't do anything cause we're bored" as it is. Is adding a group that we're probably never going to see and actually do anything really bring anything interesting then just creeping the scale up further then it was already? Its a useless factoid with hardly an ounce of depth to it, and from a Doylist perspective lessens Eva's notoriety as a freak of nature within the verse when there's even bigger fish in the pond.

The Lifemaker, Nagi, and Eva are supposed to be outliers and in general, goddamn freaks. Adding in more and more of folks like this for giggles just drains their own infamy, because "when everyone is super, no one will be."