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

[chaosprophet]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

Setsuna is a Youkai not a demon, Youkai in Eastern mytholoy are similar to Trolls, Faries, elves, goblins of western mythologies.

Non-human, Long live but not immortal.

A Crow-Demon or Youkai is a Tengu.

Some Youkais are immortal on the sense that they don't die of old age, but that depend on the story.

Also while there is some similarities, Setsuna was a half-Uzoku, and not Tengu.

Here some info from the volumes and Negima bible as translated by Vetus on this matter:

Spoiler for big:

Youkai
妖怪
Phantoms. A general classification for various preternatural creatures, frequently part-human and part-animal. While this specific category seems to be limited to Japan, Zecht has been described in passing as a youkai – whether this has any significance is unknown.

Uzoku
烏族 uzoku

Crow race. Human-like beings but with the heads and wings of crows.

Setsuna is a half-blood uzoku and a particularly special case, having been born white.


White Crow

白烏 byakuu

Beyond the region of our common and familiar things lies another one, filled with unknown powers and unknown dangers. A thing belonging to this field is marked off but (…) it may be taboo by its superiority or inferiority, by its virtue or vice, by its excellence or depravity. (…) To be seen by a tabooed person, by a priest or king, is as dangerous as to look at him.

- Ernst Cassirer, An Essay on Man

Japan, since ancient times, has held white beasts as good omens; in discussing the matter of good fortune, the Nihon Shoki gives “the phoenix, the kirin, the white pheasant, and the white crow” as examples of lucky signs. However, according to the Engi-shiki, the white crow was not simply a good omen, but a “spirit of the Sun”, a spiritually powerful being.

These spiritually powerful beings were feared and kept at a distance – in anthropology, they are referred to as ‘taboo’, and for better or for worse, they were avoided. The Japanese terms imiji (いみじ, abominable) and yuyushi (ゆゆし, grave), as well as the proverb sawaranu kami ni tatarinashi (触らぬ神に祟り無し, essentially “let sleeping dogs lie”) illustrate this concept well.

Setsuna had no choice but to leave her tribe because she was marked as taboo, a “white crow”, a sign of unrivaled spiritual strength – an indication of the strength Setsuna possesses.

Note that the byakuu is considered a good omen of the same level as the souu (blue-feathered bird), while the shouu (green-feathered bird), shakuu (red-feathered bird), and the mitsuashi no karasu (three-legged crow) are believed to have even greater strength.

While I'm not much on the theory of they being Uzoku, revisiting volume 6 and the uzoku design on the end, the mask do look like their beaks.

[Ken Sanders]

Whew! That fight scared me to death. Good thing they were immortals but you don't usually see a fight where you got your head sever in an instant then pop it back in an instant!

It usually flies off or the other way around.

Although, if Koroumaru really is a guy, you don't normally think that Touta demands perverted things; It is more plausible if he is a "woman".

Over all, it was a good fight! Two-thumbs up with a bell.

[TnAdct1]

Two things that I have to say after reading this chapter:

1. Is that a Pactio card I see in the bottom-leftmost panel of page 12? If so, looks like that other sword (i.e. the one that Kuroumaru allowed Touta to use for the fight, but he refused) could have some sort of power to it.

2. So, how long until we get some UQ Holder/Skullgirls crossover fanart (as the first thing that came to mind when it came to Touta's trick is Miss Fortune)?

[Sakuratsuki]

Kuroumaru a boy or a girl? mmmmm ...............

Ken Akamtsu please don't tease us.

[chaosprophet]

Originally Posted by TnAdct1

1. Is that a Pactio card I see in the bottom-leftmost panel of page 12? If so, looks like that other sword (i.e. the one that Kuroumaru allowed Touta to use for the fight, but he refused) could have some sort of power to it.

Do you mean bottom rightmost panel? In that panel it seems to me it's just part of thw sword as it's starting to come through some portal.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Originally Posted by Dargor

Her demeanor. She probably doesn't have the drive to be a over the top mistress of evil anymore, and most people would probably take that as a sign of weakness. I'd be surprised if she actually lost any of her powers. That, most if not all of 3-A passing away affected her more then what she lets on...well, for a time at least.

Spot on! Eva hasn't lost a step at all as best as I can tell.

Spoiler for CH 4:

And I kinda doubt there's serious thought that Eva has weakened. Kuroumaru was just told that. I figured the clan knew the truth all along. If Kuroumaru killed Eva, then that's a win. If Kuroumaru dies, then that's a win. Whatever it took to get alleviate Kuromaru's potential fears.

[Ruki0089]

after reading chapter 4...
now i`m pretty sure that Kuroumaru was a girl
her reaction and her attidute made me realize!

[ReddyRedWolf]

Now that Kuromaru is established as an immortal this certainly increase the possibility those four unnamed male characters are Touta's friends all grown up.

The bob head Mahora school girl could be Shinobu as few years later. As Shinobu looks like a elementary school kid with those kids.

[Nvis]

Originally Posted by AstroNerdBoy

Spot on! Eva hasn't lost a step at all as best as I can tell.

Spoiler for CH 4:

And I kinda doubt there's serious thought that Eva has weakened. Kuroumaru was just told that. I figured the clan knew the truth all along. If Kuroumaru killed Eva, then that's a win. If Kuroumaru dies, then that's a win. Whatever it took to get alleviate Kuromaru's potential fears.

I had an impression that Kuroumaru is the clan's next successor and the typical scenario:

1. Kill Eva, gain the respect and authority of the clan or other clans, eliminating any gender issues.

2. Clan leader can't be female so if "she" dies, then it's still a win for the clan.

If Kuroumaru is really a girl, this may be a reason why she dress like a boy.

[Team Rocket Elite]

At the start of the chapter some of the clan members refer to Kuroumaru as "he". Was it like that in Japanese? I've heard people say that in the previous chapters the translators sometimes used gender specific pronouns when they weren't supposed to.

[Tranhieu]

Originally Posted by Team Rocket Elite

At the start of the chapter some of the clan members refer to Kuroumaru as "he". Was it like that in Japanese? I've heard people say that in the previous chapters the translators sometimes used gender specific pronouns when they weren't supposed to.

I have yet seen the raw but in most cases they use gender neutral pronouns.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by Nvis

I had an impression that Kuroumaru is the clan's next successor and the typical scenario:

1. Kill Eva, gain the respect and authority of the clan or other clans, eliminating any gender issues.

2. Clan leader can't be female so if "she" dies, then it's still a win for the clan.

If Kuroumaru is really a girl, this may be a reason why she dress like a boy.

No, it was pretty clear that Kuromaru was a disposable pawn. Whether (s)he kills Eva or not, the clan's intentions were clear that they would never respect an immortal monster.

[Tiresias]

I sincerely hope Kuro is a male who just happen to have a really feminime manner

[ChronoReverse]

Originally Posted by Endscape

Not quite, Motoko was using Ni no Tachi as well in Love Hina and that was hardly superpowered, compared to Negima at least. I'm sure Setsuna could have done Ni no Tachi from the get go, if not for her issues. We're still a far way from the sort of swordsmanship we saw in Setsuna vs Tsukiyomi, for example.

Ni no Tachi wasn't about raw power though. It's simply such a pure technique that it's absolute against demonic entities to the point where it can damage even RT2 Negi. Swordsmanship is something else of course, but in terms of powerful techniques, Zanmaken Ninotachi is one of the most effective techniques (when it hits).

I particularly like that you can't even use a hostage to hide against it =)

[mangatron]

I prefer adult Evangeline so much more than the illegal one I hope she'd stay that way, it would be a nice way for this series to distinguish itself from Negima.

[mechdra]

I do hope we get a teenage Eva to match up with Touta. That is the gap that needs to be filled.

[ReddyRedWolf]

Originally Posted by mechdra

I do hope we get a teenage Eva to match up with Touta. That is the gap that needs to be filled.

Touta isn't even a teen he is 12.

I have a feeling that Kuromaru is girl as the last two girls are tomboys that went dere for the protagonist as time goes on.

[Ridwan]

Originally Posted by mangatron

I prefer adult Evangeline so much more than the illegal one I hope she'd stay that way, it would be a nice way for this series to distinguish itself from Negima.

Great minds think alike.

[mechdra]

I do hope Kurou is like Subaru from Mayoi Chiki. He might need to kill off Touta once he finds out the truth.

Yukihime stepping on Touta look interesting. I guess Touta is a M for some reason.

[Tenzen12]

More chapters I read, I getting more conviced Kuromaru is girly guy.

In other hands I don't think Eva would be binded by that anti-magic from chapter one if she was in full power. So I do belive she is weaker.