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

[Endscape]

Originally Posted by NapoleonDeCheese

"Don't like don't read" is a terrible refutal to criticism because it does nothing to address the problems pointed at themselves.

No one is refuting criticism, but when the same people come here every month repeating the same things ad nauseum, that's not any kind of constructive criticism.

Also, a double spread of a landscape is STILL a terrible way to waste pages when you've still only 80 pages left to address a major final battle, tons of character arcs from two series left unfinished, the salvation of the world, and so many questions still unanswered.
Seriously, would that be supposed to make anything better at all?

If you have such a huge issue with how the series is being handled, do you REALLY think 4 more pages would actually make a difference?

[NapoleonDeCheese]

Constructive criticism focuses on providing constructive feedback, supported by specific examples, to help you improve in some area.

adjective
helping to improve; promoting further development or advancement (opposed to destructive):

There can't be any sort of actual constructive criticism here. Real constructive criticism implies something that may make the author improve and Akamatsu isn't ever even going to be reading any of this. For him, none of us here even exists.

'Constructive criticism' and 'destructive criticism' both imply some sort of feedback that impacts the work, positive or negatively. In this case there's neither since nor praising nor savaging the work will change anything in the slightest.

If you have such a huge issue with how the series is being handled, do you REALLY think 4 more pages would actually make a difference?

Still better than zero pages.

Originally Posted by XFire

I'm not attempting to refute criticism, I'm expressing concern over the fact that several people here appear to passionately despise the series and yet continue to subject themselves to it.

I'm not trying to make this a "gotcha" moment or anything, it just seems like reading this series genuinely makes your day worse and there's really no reason to do so. Speaking from experience, when a show consistently heads down a direction you don't like the best thing is to shrug and jump ship.

Not knowing what happens to the characters whom I've grown attached to over the years would make me feel even worse out of that vague gnawing uncertainty so there's that, if you are actually concerned about us instead of just wanting to stop reading critics already. If that is the case, I sincerely thank you, but that wouldn't help.

Keep in mind that any posting experience is just something that takes a very minor part of anyone's day, Jesus, so it's not like my whole day is spent brooding about UQ Holder. That's just the very narrow window our very limited interaction in an Internet forum in a thread devoted to the single topic of this series would provide anyone. Of course I have much better things to worry about the rest of the day.

In truth I've dropped pretty much all manga I ever followed. Sometimes I check on Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest and Eden's Zero out of lingering youth attachement to Mashima, and the only manga I still follow devotely nowadays is 100 Kanojo, because it actually makes me feel good and it's very comfortable. So it's not like I HAVE TO follow any manga I ever followed, or that I can't drop them. I've done so many times. As I grow older, I've grown very disappointed with current manga and most entertainment and stories in general.

But for better or worse, I feel I want to follow the Negima cast to the bitter end.

Regardless. This is not a thread about any of us personally and I would rather talk about the manga than about myself or any of you. If it's any consolation in two months all interaction between us on the subject will stop permanently, so hang on there!

[Endscape]

Originally Posted by NapoleonDeCheese

There can't be any sort of actual constructive criticism here. Real constructive criticism implies something that may make the author improve and Akamatsu isn't ever even going to be reading any of this.

'Constructive criticism' and 'destructive criticism' both imply some sort of feedback that impacts the work, positive or negatively. In this case there's neither since nor praising nor savaging the work will change anything in the slightest.

Yes obviously Akamatsu will never read any of this.

The operative part here is how it will improve you, the critic. Is critiquing this series fun for you? Does it give you any good ideas or lead you to learn about something you hadn't already known about or think about something else in a new way?

Still better than zero pages.

Well, if my opinion of this series was as low as yours yet I still forced myself to read it for some reason, I'd personally rather a nice background I could at least maybe enjoy later over more pages I would hate, but that's just me.

[TnAdct1]

Originally Posted by NapoleonDeCheese

4 pages without characters.

4 PAGES WITHOUT CHARACTERS!

Oh my God, this, this, I just have no words.

4 pages in blank, surely with some dialogue over nothingness or something like that? I assume there's some big vague explosion or something and the universe ends briefly over some fauxlosophical rumination so Akamatsu has less pages to draw before retiring to political mediocrity?

There could be a character having an inner monologue over the nothingness.

I do remember Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid having one page of just blackness and text during a chapter about Tohru's back story.

[NapoleonDeCheese]

Originally Posted by Endscape

Yes obviously Akamatsu will never read any of this.

The operative part here is how it will improve you, the critic. Is critiquing this series fun for you? Does it give you any good ideas or lead you to learn about something you hadn't already known about or think about something else in a new way?

This isn't the Licensed NapoleonDeCheese (Ken Akamatsu's new series)* thread, and I've already said why I still read this series and I see no point on explaining it all over again. Sorry.

Well, if my opinion of this series was as low as yours yet I still forced myself to read it for some reason, I'd personally rather a nice background I could at least maybe enjoy later over more pages I would hate, but that's just me.

Well, if you were me and I were you then I guess that we'd still be at opposite sides of this conversations, just with traded places, and if dogs were birds and birds were dogs then birds would bark and dogs would fly, but I frankly fail to see any point to such exercises of thought.

Originally Posted by TnAdct1

There could be a character having an inner monologue over the nothingness.

I do remember Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid having one page of just blackness and text during a chapter about Tohru's back story.

I'm pretty sure Dragon Maid isn't doing this just two chapters away from the endgame where every page of the story should matter.

---

*Complete with copious fanservice scenes, but sorry, I don't do nipple shots either.

[Dargor]

Originally Posted by NapoleonDeCheese

I'm pretty sure Dragon Maid isn't doing this just two chapters away from the endgame where every page of the story should matter.

I feel like hoping the remaining pages we get being utilized well flew out the window when Game Man and My Dumb Isekai Life showed up in the middle of a climatic final battle that basically got shuffled off unceremoniously afterward.

[XFire]

Originally Posted by NapoleonDeCheese

There can't be any sort of actual constructive criticism here. Real constructive criticism implies something that may make the author improve and Akamatsu isn't ever even going to be reading any of this. For him, none of us here even exists.

'Constructive criticism' and 'destructive criticism' both imply some sort of feedback that impacts the work, positive or negatively. In this case there's neither since nor praising nor savaging the work will change anything in the slightest.

So you're just venting, then? If your criticism is completely pointless why does it matter if or how someone refutes it like you initially thought I was? Hell if you don't enjoy the series and also don't see any point in critiquing it then this is doubly pointless.

Originally Posted by NapoleonDeCheese

Not knowing what happens to the characters whom I've grown attached to over the years would make me feel even worse out of that vague gnawing uncertainty so there's that, if you are actually concerned about us instead of just wanting to stop reading critics already. If that is the case, I sincerely thank you, but that wouldn't help.

I mean, you could just read a summary of the chapters or wait till the last one is out to take a look at the ending and spare yourself the trouble.

Originally Posted by NapoleonDeCheese

Keep in mind that any posting experience is just something that takes a very minor part of anyone's day, Jesus, so it's not like my whole day is spent brooding about UQ Holder. That's just the very narrow window our very limited interaction in an Internet forum in a thread devoted to the single topic of this series would provide anyone. Of course I have much better things to worry about the rest of the day.

In truth I've dropped pretty much all manga I ever followed. Sometimes I check on Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest and Eden's Zero out of lingering youth attachement to Mashima, and the only manga I still follow devotely nowadays is 100 Kanojo, because it actually makes me feel good and it's very comfortable. So it's not like I HAVE TO follow any manga I ever followed, or that I can't drop them. I've done so many times. As I grow older, I've grown very disappointed with current manga and most entertainment and stories in general.

But for better or worse, I feel I want to follow the Negima cast to the bitter end.

Regardless. This is not a thread about any of us personally and I would rather talk about the manga than about myself or any of you. If it's any consolation in two months all interaction between us on the subject will stop permanently, so hang on there!

My friend, the only question asked of you was "why keep reading the series you don't like". This is a weirdly defensive and emotionally loaded response to a casual question on the internet.

You need to chill

[NapoleonDeCheese]

If your criticism is completely pointless why does it matter if or how someone refutes it like you initially thought I was? Hell if you don't enjoy the series and also don't see any point in critiquing it then this is doubly pointless.

This has literally turned into a "No, U" contest by now. I see no point on continuing it. Please let us agree to disagree. I'm asking this in all sincerity and with no intent to offend.

Have a good day.

[XFire]

Originally Posted by NapoleonDeCheese

This has literally turned into a "No, U" contest by now. I see no point on continuing it. Please let us agree to disagree. I'm asking this in all sincerity and with no intent to offend.

Have a good day.

This is something of an ironic statement considering the beginning of it was me asking what point there was in what you were doing

[mark1246]

Spoiler for 191 that came out

Spoiler for 191:

REALLY GLAD NODOKA isn't dead after her , yui , & Negi been though, i do hope those 3 get there happy ending.


PS: you think those 3 are dead or will have some happy ending for the final chapter

[Shippuu]

What a clusterfuck this was.

• How polite of Ialda to wait until they're done strategizing in front of her.
• How did Karin, Santa, Kuroumaru, Light Dudette and the clones suddenly end up on Earth? How did they teleport back to the final battle? What the fuck is going on?
• Looks like Shinobu and Mizore really just died off-screen during the timeskip.
• Karin literally preaching to Ialda about Jesus was utterly revolting.
• I know Negi is supposed to be a genius but I find him figuring out a way to undo Ialda's mind control while being under Ialda's mind control rather hard to swallow.
• How do they know when Rakan and company have been reduced to one fourth of their maximum energy? Should have taken Gengorou with them. He could probably see their stamina bars.
• Why did Ialda not use Chisame or Fate's girls from the beginning when she had them in her database? Are these the real people or will they just vanish after the final battle? Is Nagi suddenly saved? I'm so confused.
• Where did all these other people who previously couldn't be bothered to show up suddenly come from? Well, all of them except Fate. I guess he doesn't give a shit about his girls and would rather watch the battle.
• More panels of people striking poses as the world around them explodes. Such exciting battles.

It's almost funny how the real final battle is just as bad as the flashback one despite having more chapters. Hell, I'd argue it's actually even worse. Can't wait for the upcoming ass pull in the form of Negi's mystery person. I'm assuming it's Chao but who knows. When did they have time to arrange a meetup? How does she know to show up at this exact point in time? The way the chapter ended was a bit strange, too. The remnants of Ialda's shattered spell remind me of the sakura petals (?) that appeared when Asuna restored the Magic World. I wouldn't be surprised if the next chapter starts in the middle of the epilogue and only shows the conclusion of the battle in a small flashback. Or not at all. Wouldn't be the first time.

Just one more and it will finally be over. Will Akamatsu retcon even Negima's ending as a final fuck you? Or will it turn out that UQ Holder takes place in a completely unrelated timeline, thus making it an even more pointless story than it already was? Tune in next time and find out!

[Dargor]

Spoiler for Final Battle:

Oh man, they're having an Avengers mome- aaaaaaand the big fight off panel. Again.

The chorography is pretty lackluster, which is a shame because if I can say anything about UQ Holder is that some of its fights were fun, even if the actual meat of the story isn't worth much. Like, this is the note you're going out on? The blows kind of softened, the characters I actually like are there, and I get he has one chapter left, but you're just going to leave these big important fights left to languish? Like for the third time? Dude.

I dunno, this whole thing just seems obligatory rather then an actually well thought out finale to close of the series you've spent a little less then twenty years with.

Just one more and it will finally be over. Will Akamatsu retcon even Negima's ending as a final fuck you? Or will it turn out that UQ Holder takes place in a completely unrelated timeline, thus making it an even more pointless story than it already was? Tune in next time and find out!

Negi-Supreme contains this reality in a little crystal sphere so that it can't infect the rest of the multiverse is probably the best ending to hope for. :P

[Endscape]

Originally Posted by Shippuu

How did Karin, Santa, Kuroumaru, Light Dudette and the clones suddenly end up on Earth? How did they teleport back to the final battle? What the fuck is going on?

"Light Dudette" teleported them

Karin literally preaching to Ialda about Jesus was utterly revolting.

OK, I'll bite, why is this, exactly?

I know Negi is supposed to be a genius but I find him figuring out a way to undo Ialda's mind control while being under Ialda's mind control rather hard to swallow.

I mean, we know that it takes a while for the mind control to settle in, and that the possessed can move around on their own until then.

How do they know when Rakan and company have been reduced to one fourth of their maximum energy? Should have taken Gengorou with them. He could probably see their stamina bars.

It's an arbitrary number, but when they look sufficiently tired, I suppose.

Why did Ialda not use Chisame or Fate's girls from the beginning when she had them in her database?

Why would she? None of them are combat powerhouses.

Are these the real people or will they just vanish after the final battle? Is Nagi suddenly saved? I'm so confused.

I'm kinda confused by that myself. I'm wondering if Ialda kept them in stasis or something.

Well, all of them except Fate. I guess he doesn't give a shit about his girls and would rather watch the battle.

Fate is sorta busy co-ordinating the defense of the Earth from Baal's monsters.

When did they have time to arrange a meetup? How does she know to show up at this exact point in time?

Hmm, it's almost as if she's a time traveler or something.

[Dargor]

"I'm kinda confused by that myself. I'm wondering if Ialda kept them in stasis or something."

To be fair to the Lifemaker, they did create a world where, if said people are able to manifest in the "real" world, they're able to produce viable offspring with "real" people. Them getting magicked back to life isn't the weirdest thing to happen.

They can just as easily poof away though, but given this is supposed to be the big finale of the whole series, I'd honestly would be surprised if he commits' to that route.

[Shippuu]

Originally Posted by Endscape

Hmm, it's almost as if she's a time traveler or something.

Having a time machine does not make you omniscient.

[Hata]

UQ Holder!: 2013~2022
Last chapter: 192
Script due date: 01/26/22
Magazine publish: 02/09/22
Last volume (28): 03/09/22

Images

final

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Endscape]

Originally Posted by Shippuu

Having a time machine does not make you omniscient.

But it does give you the opportunity to learn a lot more than the average person. She could easily pick the right time to meet with Negi and know the right time to show up,

[Hata]

Let’s see when do I lost my zeal for UQ? Probably when it change from a weekly to a monthly, the time lag is long enough I no longer waiting with anticipation for each chapter, it became a title I continue to read because I want to see it finish, and frankly I think it is pointless to discuss each chapter when Ken kept killing off his own storyline setup in the name of surprising readers, (then what is the point of anticipate for next chapter?). I also think the decision to run for election means he rushes and terminates the story earlier than it could end properly.

Some people might not realize this, Ken changed his writing style away from romance comedy after the high point of Negima’s magic world tournament arc with Rakan, because from the READER’S SURVEY that is exactly those people participated in the survey want, they want more of those, so he changed it to ~80% fighting and the rest romance comedy, this is in his old blog before he went full twitter in 2010 If you don’t believe me.

In a way my biggest regret with Ken’s work, is he no longer write what he is good at, but what he think his reader want to read, you can’t argue sale records with titles like One Piece and Fairy Tail, and when that is not satisfactory, he insert back those old Negima elements here and there, but it seems forced and out of place. In the end he please neither factions.

and there is the matter of the final chapter

Spoiler for ch 192:

after 12,000 years, Eva in color page with a kiss for the end

[TnAdct1]

Originally Posted by Hata

Some people might not realize this, Ken changed his writing style away from romance comedy after the high point of Negima’s magic world tournament arc with Rakan, because from the READER’S SURVEY that is exactly those people participated in the survey want, they want more of those, so he changed it to ~80% fighting and the rest romance comedy, this is in his old blog before he went full twitter in 2010 If you don’t believe me.

In a way my biggest regret with Ken’s work, is he no longer write what he is good at, but what he think his reader want to read, you can’t argue sale records with titles like One Piece and Fairy Tail, and when that is not satisfactory, he insert back those old Negima elements here and there, but it seems forced and out of place. In the end he please neither factions.

To me, the fighting aspect of Negima works when it is done right. Unfortunately, the magic world tournament is not one of those examples. Between keeping the tournament to just the male characters and my belief that the arc was pointless (the main reason this happened was due to Ako, with her basically playing the role of the damsel in distress in the arc without any significant character development), I found it to be one of the weaker parts of the Magic World saga.

[Endscape]

Originally Posted by Hata

Let’s see when do I lost my zeal for UQ? Probably when it change from a weekly to a monthly, the time lag is long enough I no longer waiting with anticipation for each chapter, it became a title I continue to read because I want to see it finish, and frankly I think it is pointless to discuss each chapter when Ken kept killing off his own storyline setup in the name of surprising readers, (then what is the point of anticipate for next chapter?). I also think the decision to run for election means he rushes and terminates the story earlier than it could end properly.

Some people might not realize this, Ken changed his writing style away from romance comedy after the high point of Negima’s magic world tournament arc with Rakan, because from the READER’S SURVEY that is exactly those people participated in the survey want, they want more of those, so he changed it to ~80% fighting and the rest romance comedy, this is in his old blog before he went full twitter in 2010 If you don’t believe me.

In a way my biggest regret with Ken’s work, is he no longer write what he is good at, but what he think his reader want to read, you can’t argue sale records with titles like One Piece and Fairy Tail, and when that is not satisfactory, he insert back those old Negima elements here and there, but it seems forced and out of place. In the end he please neither factions.

and there is the matter of the final chapter

Spoiler for ch 192:

after 12,000 years, Eva in color page with a kiss for the end

I always anticipated that UQ Holder was going to deal with aspects of Negima, after all, it was advertised having Negi's grandson as the MC.

Still, there came a point where as you say the series sort of stopped doing anything of it's own and went full Negima which was to it's detriment.