Negima Q & A

[Vexx]

You'll probably enjoy the anime more and then you'll enjoy the manga for providing more depth in some of the sidestories, even though the two have fairly different feel to them.

[JaoJao]

mm i see, but the subbing for negima!? is so friggen slow, im waiting on mahora subs and they r really slow X_X im getting pwned here T___T

[NoSanninWa]

Slow? They are barely 2 episodes behind. If that's slow, you need to stick to shows that are being speedsubbed because Mahora isn't at all slow for fansubbers. They just aren't streamlined for speed.

[Vexx]

Good lord.. I've waited six months for episodes in other series. This is Mahora's first time out and they're doing fairly well. Reality check: this is a HOBBY for those people, they don't work for you.

...argh. Calming down... rule 1 about fansubs is do not ask why fansubs are "late". The answer is usually "real life intervened".
I will say the *better* fansubbers are good about keeping people posted on their home websites about what is going on.
However, outside of a couple of amazingly efficient groups, most groups take a week to a month to get an episode out, sometimes longer if someone drops off the team unexpectedly.

[JaoJao]

oh in that case then ill prolly start with the manga, ive alrdy went on a site and theres ALOT of volumes o.O i think i better get started >.<

[Vexx]

Be aware there is the original manga series (if in English, published by Del Rey and up to volume 11) and then there's a new manga series being published in Japan spun off the new series by SHAFT (of which there are two?? volumes so far). I think there are scanlations of the latter but I haven't paid attention.

Heh, this may get as bad as the multiverse of Tenchi if it gets popular enough.

[JaoJao]

is there a certain name for the original manga series?im probably going to start with that, but i want to kno the difference of the new shaft manga compared to the original

[Vexx]

If you're in the US/Canada or some place similar and want the English edition manga --- look for the Del Rey published version of "Negima!"
volume 12 is releasing at the end of this month (here's an Amazon link):
http://www.amazon.com/Negima-12-Magi...e=UTF8&s=books

If you want the original Japanese edition manga, you'll have to browse around (I couldn't find a link in the time I had). The new revised version is called "Negima!?" (the "!?" is the difference) but it is only available in Japanese as well -- I think they've only got a volume or two out of that (anyone know?)

The first season animation from the other year (produced by Xebec) is now available through Funimation in the R1 region code areas (US/Canada/etc).
(www.dvdpacific.com or www.funimation.com are good starting points)

The revisioned season in progress now isn't yet available on DVD in Japan as far as I know (and it may be months before someone licenses it for here though I suspect it may get licensed before the series even completes).

This'd be easier if we at least knew what continent you were on and what languages you prefer to read in

[JaoJao]

so the original japanese manga and negima!? manga, why did they remake it, and wuts the difference and the point of remaking the manga?
lol im in the US and i prefer 2 read japanese manga that r translated. sometimes the english version of a manga leaves things out and the translations arent umm how do u say....not right o.O

i just finished volume 3 of mahou sensei negima! and im gonna go do my hw now

[Vexx]

The shortest answer to "why did they remake the manga" is that they think they can make money at it. Seriously.

That said, I think a manga based on the anime remake of Negima!? is pretty lame conceptually but apparently the otaku consumer base in Japan is well-trained to buy what they're fed.

The original manga is entertaining and does a fair job of developing and evolving the characters and their relationships. The new anime kind of assumes the viewer knows the characters to some extent and knows how they connect so it seems lacking in that respect.

Unless someone reviews the new manga and it rocks, I'm going to pass on it and stick to the original manga series.

I read manga either in translated english (if someone has licensed it for the US) and in the original japanese (though much more slowly) if it hasn't been translated. I'm currently reading Mahoraba: Heartful Days and Yotsuba& in japanese because one hasn't been licensed in the US and the other has been left in translated limbo by ADV's manga company.

I assume some fangroup is translating the new Negima!? manga and we'll be able to take a preview of it soon.

Okies.. back to my translating of Mahoraba so I can figure out what the hell they're saying at one point.

[JaoJao]

haha thanks vexx so i guess ill stick 2 the original manga for abit, then ill watch negima!? and then ill check out the new manga then, thanks again every 1 for answering my questions and putting up with my stupidity and n00biness -.o

also i want to ask, the original manga is still on-going right? its not done yet is it?

[Vexx]

yeah... its up to volume 11 and volume 12 is due out at the end of the month. Just search for Negima at www.bn.com or www.amazon.com and you get all the listings.
Publisher is Del Rey.

[Shikimori Kazuki]

Question: Is there even a romance thingie between Asuna and Negi? I read in some articles such as wiki and it doesnt tell much about their relationships. They only relationship I can see between them is brother-sister.

Question2 : since Negi is 10 years old. how old are Asuna and class mates. Darn I forgot their GRADE, are they in grade er...7? (ack baka me) ><.

Thanks in advance

[Klashikari]

1) this is really hard.
in the manga, there are several hints that it is possibly more than "brother-sister" relationship... (some strange blush moments from both of them, the "love cookies" side story, etc)
again, i guess akamatsu-sensei did it on purpose.

IMO, it is "CURRENTLY" a brother-sister relationship, but i wouldn't be surprised if it goes beyond that (though it would require a lot of time)


2) most of them are 14 years old at the beginning (they are in second year of middle school, chuugakkou)
japanese scolarity works like this :
shougakkou (Elementary School) : 6 years (6-12)
chuugakkou (Middle School) : 3 years (12-15)
koutougakkou (High School) : 3 years (15-18)

so, most of them are 15 years old at the 3A. (correct me if i'm wrong, i'm not quite sure about the spelling XD)

[rooboy]

Originally Posted by Shikimori Kazuki

Question: Is there even a romance thingie between Asuna and Negi? I read in some articles such as wiki and it doesnt tell much about their relationships. They only relationship I can see between them is brother-sister.

There isn't really a "romance" per se between Negi and any of his classmates (I guess maybe you could stretch the term to cover Nodoka) - he's a kid, their teacher, and an English gentleman (as he often reminds us ). There are a lot of hints that several of the girls might find him romantically interesting (classic harem 'shipping material), and there is material that supports that viewpoint as far as Asuna is concerned ... and Setsuna, Konoka, Ayaka (obviously), Makie, one of the cheerleaders (I think Shiino), Evangeline, Chachamaru, Chiu, one and/or both of the twins, Ako, Yue, and one or two others that I'm possibly forgetting.
I usually look at the Asuna relationship as sort of a brother-sister thing. Actually, if you've read the Eye of the World series, she treats him remarkably similar to how most Warders treat their Aes Sedai which also seems to be basically the same as the pactio system.

Originally Posted by Shikimori Kazuki

Question2 : since Negi is 10 years old. how old are Asuna and class mates. Darn I forgot their GRADE, are they in grade er...7? (ack baka me) ><.
Thanks in advance

They start in grade 8, but that only lasts for the first two volumes of the manga, for the bulk of the series they are in grade 9.

[Shikimori Kazuki]

ahh thanks for the help =). Though yea..it seems too far for a young kid to have any relationships other than brother-sister or teacher-students =P. But it have humors in seeing those kinds of relationships taking effect. ^__^. but imo, if Negi is to be abit older i'd pair him up with Asuna.

[Vexx]

Aye... most of the romance, such as it is, in the manga is platonic. People develop very deep affections for each other but purely in the handholding or hugs sense. I won't say who or what for spoiler reasons and because the latest anime may go in directions unrelated to the manga. The girls who find Neg emotionally attractive are mainly just positioning themselves (though they themselves may not realize it) for a few years down the road when Negi *is* physically grown up.

[JaoJao]

i got some questions and i hope u guys can help me out:

1) about asuna's past, wut is her relationship with nagi's group and all that?and how come at times she gets flash backs or w.e?

2) is albireo a dead guy that comes out only abt every 22 years wen the tree is at max power?

3) wuts evageline's relationship with nagi?

[Ptolemi]

So because of his age/appereance/job there won't be an actual relationship. This is more centered on comedy i am guessing?

[rooboy]

Originally Posted by JaoJao

i got some questions and i hope u guys can help me out:

1) about asuna's past, wut is her relationship with nagi's group and all that?and how come at times she gets flash backs or w.e?

2) is albireo a dead guy that comes out only abt every 22 years wen the tree is at max power?

3) wuts evageline's relationship with nagi?

Well, these are all actual manga spoilers, so I guess I'd better ...

Spoiler for Asuna's past:

She was being raised by one of Nagi's companions - the same one who was teaching Takahata. I think his name is Vandenburg - he's the one who looks like an older Takahata in the picture of Nagi's companions. Somehow they erased her memory of her time with them, but why she's getting flashbacks about it hasn't been revealed. Actually, the way that chapter is constructed, I think she may not actually have been having a flashback, it may have just been showing us (the readers) part of her past.

Spoiler for Albireo's Deal:

Umm, no, I think he's supposed to be stuck below Mahora Academy, the only time he can send a projection of himself out is when the World Tree glows (during the Mahora-fest). It's the projection that the other contestants fight - not Albireo himself. His pactio card lists him as a librarian - so I've always assumed he's under the library somewhere.

Spoiler for Evangeline:

We're never really given a "straight" answer on what Evangeline's relationship with Nagi was. But they strongly hint that Evangeline was in love with Nagi, but wouldn't reform. We're left to assume that Nagi wasn't in love with Evangeline (as indicated by the recording of him that Colonel Sanders has that wouldn't give her a hug), but we're unsure if he never loved her or if he couldn't deal with the fact that she was E-V-I-L ... mwa ha ha!

I think that's more or less accurate, though obviously you could put a different spin on most of what I said (in particular the Evangeline part).

Originally Posted by Vexx

Aye... most of the romance, such as it is, in the manga is platonic. People develop very deep affections for each other but purely in the handholding or hugs sense. I won't say who or what for spoiler reasons and because the latest anime may go in directions unrelated to the manga. The girls who find Neg emotionally attractive are mainly just positioning themselves (though they themselves may not realize it) for a few years down the road when Negi *is* physically grown up.

This isn't really what I was trying to say.

Spoiler for Guess I should spoiler this too:

Nodoka and Yue, in particular, have been shown to have deep feelings of romantic love for the current Negi - at least as far as the "adult kiss" . Ayaka and Chachamaru (that I can think of off the top of my head) have also been indicated to have "those" feelings towards the current Negi. The only ones I can think of who would fit the "grooming" profile are Makie and the cheerleader (who is rapidly becoming my second favorite of the "Negi-lovers"), though I guess that would be a viable interpretation of Evangeline as well. There basically seem to be two camps amongst the Negi-lovers, those who would like him if he was older and those who like him now. Eventually most people who would like him if he were older seem to migrate to the other camp over time (Makie is an example of this). The only possible exception might be Ako, but I don't think she realizes yet that the date she had with Negi was actually Negi (I believe she still thinks it was his "cousin").
Sorry to stick on this point, but I find the notion that Negi "can't" have a relationship because of his age curious. He's only three years younger then they are. I lost my virginity at 10 to a girl who was two years older than I was, so it's hardly impossible for there to be feelings that span such a short distance. I've always assumed the "English gentleman" bit has more to do with it - from his perspective he's their teacher and it wouldn't be proper. Part of it also that he has built up this impossibly perfect image of his father which he's trying to live up to. Well, that and the fact that Negi has obviously spent most of his time a) alone and b) studying magic so I doubt he has much in the way of human interaction experience.
All I was trying to say is that the actual "romance" in the series is missing (except for a couple of dates with Nodoka, and now one with Ako as well). Romantic feelings do form parts of the motivations of characters, but actual romance moments in the series are somewhat rare. In that sense, it's really not that different from most Toriyama-style manga/animes, romance is there in the background, but it's not really the main part of the plot.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Ptolemi

So because of his age/appereance/job there won't be an actual relationship. This is more centered on comedy i am guessing?

My guess is that the series might end with him in a relationship, but it'll be the end of the series before it happens. It's just not what the series is about. It's about Negi and his relationship with his dad (in particular his search for his dad), his individual relationships with students comes next (and, of those, his relationship with Asuna is paramount - despite the lack of romance involved). And, of course, because it's Akamatsu-sensei, most things that could have been done seriously are instead usually played for laughs. I would say it's more of an adventure than a comedy, though it does have a lot of comedy as well.