Negima! (Mahou Sensei Negima)

[RazorZKnight]

... Also known as Magister Magi Negi. Too many freaking names, if you ask me.

I only started reading this thing a week ago, but I've already caught up with the current episodes. And DOG DAMN IT, it is good. No, just 'good' isn't enough of a description.

It can't even be put under either shoujo or shonen, really, because it's got a balance of both sides. There's romance, love polyhedrons (triangles are soooo old news,) stuff blowing up, people getting the s**t punched out of (mostly Negi himself,) tons of ecchi moments (lucky brat,) and comedy everywhere. And hey, it's got robots, magical girls, stuff blowing up, tentacle monsters, ninjas, snipers, valkiryes, mind-reading books, a panty-stealing ermine... Did I mention stuff blowing up already? razz

Also, the main character, for once, isn't some self-congratulating moron with a big sword/big ego. And even though at first I thought of Negi as a dork, past the hundredth or so issue my opinion of him changed. He's one hell of a fighter, and he keeps on acquiring new powers (and girlfriends) that would make Ichigo and Naruto run for their mommies (... Oh wait, they can't.) To use a phrase by my girlfriend, who is a big Harry Potter fan, Negi is "what Harry Potter wants to be when he grows up."

My favorite characters, in order, from most favorite to least: (WARNING: Spoilers abound past this line. Don't whine about it if you read'em.)

- Evangeline/"Kitty." The closet good girl/super vampire mage. To my lolicon self, she's kinda the perfect girl in that show.

- Asuna. She's got a big sword. She can shrug off magic. She can use ki and magic at the same time to further enhance her already impossible skills. And she's got a nice pair of boo--Erm... Well, she rocks.

- Negi. I already mentioned it up there. This kid makes Harry Potter look like a whiny b***h. And Harry's one of my favorite book characters. (Negi vs. Voldemort? Poor Lard Of Darkness.)

- Kamo. I wish I had a pet like him, damn it. I'd send him on panty raids nightly. ninja

- Nodoka. Ah, the shy cute girl one just can't not like. And her artifact is awesome (specially with her new 'combo.')

- Yue. I thought she was quite useless at first, but heck... She's a freaking valkirye knight now? And the love triangle mini-arc was one of the best played romance bits of the manga.

- Chisame. Specially in her Chibi-Chiu form (for obvious reasons,) the outsider that ends up being quite a valuable ally in the end.

- Konoka and Setsuna. Can't have one without the other. The strong swordswoman and her princess. I just wish Setsuna got out of the closet already, because Konoka's being teasing her for well over a hundred episodes (and they're the cutest couple in the series, too...)

Special mention to Fate for being the 'a*****e who could just stare at you emotionlessly for hours and still piss you off' kind of villain ever show needs (and he's not blurting out stupid little speeches of grandeur like other "albino bastards" in manga/anime. *Cough*screwyouMarikandBakura*cough.*)

But meh... I kinda saw it coming, that most of the class would find out about Negi eventually (and he's still not an ermine. w00t.) Kinda sad about "Iincho" though, I wish they would tell her already.

And another thing I'd wish is that Asuna stopped being such a closet shotacon. ^_^  

[Kirei_chan]

I thought it was okay imo. I mean I probably don't see the appeal that guys do (the whole "31 teenage girls going after their 10-year-old teacher" doesn't really appeal to me for some reason) but I think it's only for that reason that I didn't really care for it. I liked the other parts of it though, and it's not just about the relationships between Negi and his students (though that's how he makes the pacts). It's a fairly original take on magic.
I do like Negi though. I think I might re-read it if the library got all of their missing volumes back.  

[RazorZKnight]

If everything else fails, check onemanga.com. They have all the issues there (though I personally only read the first 20 there.)

And I actually am more interested in the whole "stuff blowing up" than the 31 girls*. I mean, Love Hina had that and it was a big bad fail for me. This time, tho, it's good that they turned around the age problem the other series had (I think it actually works better this way, the only one that doesn't look like a pervert there is the guy.)

My favorite fight so far was between Chao and Negi. Fighting and time travelling mixed up: Win.

*Or actually 29 girls total in the class now (one gone, the other's a ghost,) of which only around 15 go after the guy. (And two go after the guy and after each other. Uhm... Love square?)  

[Kirei_chan]

Yeah I was kind of exaggerating when I said all 31 xP
I'm also glad you aren't a pervert. Knowing one in rl is enough, thank you >.<  

[RazorZKnight]

When did I say I wasn't one? razz I like the fighting and the plot more than the ecchi, but that doesn't mean I completely ignore the fanservice.

Specially in the recent arcs where everything seems to end with one or more girls getting their clothing blasted/ripped apart.  

[Kirei_chan]

Let me rephrase that: you aren't open about it like some people I know*shudders*  

[wesukoi]

I kinda like the girl who has purple hair who likes Negi but doesent say  

[RazorZKnight]

... That describes like four girls. You mean Yue the bookworm? Because if it's Nodoka (the girl with purple hair with bangs over her face) then she's told him a good hundred issues ago.  

[RazorZKnight]

Also: It's good that they take breaks out of the serious action now and then. Like the lattest issue, "Advent of the Chichigami." (Yes, that means "goddess of breasts."

Nothing like a perverted female bounty hunter who loves groping anything female to create the perfect opportunity for comedy. (Also: How can something that cute be such a perv?)  

[wesukoi]

yea nodoka was one of my fave chars razz  

[tinyfruit]

I agree that this is really different from other stories but I don't like the love much. I think Negi is too popular among the girls. I like nodoka and setsuna  

[animefreak120]

I like both Love Hina and Negima.

Not as much as other Anime, mind you...

And I've only read a couple of the Manga volumes of both, but the first volume of Negima made me laugh so hard. xD  

[RazorZKnight]

Lately it's like three of the manga I follow are trying to out-WTF each other.

Negima? Well, as if Negi having a Pactio that lets him use all of his 'warriors' artifacts (I see a chance of combo in this one, really,) wasn't weird enough, he turned into lightning (albeit not literally, but still...) and beat the s**t out of who I considered the strongest fighter ever showing up in that series.

And they better not tell me that is still not enough to take on Fate.  

[abrown2470]

haven't read the whole manga but i'm watching the anime and it's pretty good  

[RazorZKnight]

Negi's one tough cookie. I think I'd love to see a battle between Naruto (current arc of the manga,) Ichigo (Hollow form, aka "The Lust,") and Negi (as seen in his battle against Rakan.)

I mean, taking a blow from someone who can destroy a battle cruiser with his bare hands? Wow. Being able to stand up after that? Wow. Being able to fight on and be apparently about to do something that will send Rakan flying out of the stadium Team Rocket-style? WOW.

Tho I'm still waiting for his Pactio with Iinchou (err... I only remember her by that name, the class rep girl.) And I'm surprised Setsuna doesn't have two Pactios by now, too.

But all in all? Harry can keep his Patronus... I'd rather have 30 girls after me, enough physical strength to topple a building, and enough magic power to cancel a Genki Dama. biggrin