December 24th, 2014 
AstroNerdBoy ユーキューホルダー! Manga Review
UQ Holder Chapter 62
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Kirie reaches the male side of the bath house and declares Ikkuu an enemy of maidens for appearing to flirt with Kuroumaru, thus making him Kirie’s enemy. When Santa fails to catch her, allowing her to phase through him, she becomes irritated with him. She gives chase, revealing herself to be a practiced mage which allows her to catch Santa and attack Ikkuu. Karin enters the fray to put an end to the ruckus.
Meanwhile, Kuroumaru and Touta have a chat, where Touta confesses that seeing so much death and not being able to do anything about it really affected him. Since Kuroumaru has been in similar spots before, Touta figures he has much to learn from Kuroumaru. To that end, he chastises Kuroumaru for going easy on him during their training since Kuroumaru was so tough while possessed. Since everyone on the team had their failures, Touta calls Kuroumaru his partner and wants to make sure they never make those mistakes again.
After the bath, the UQ Holder group walk back where the three punk bullies bump into Santa, who takes in in stride, figuring it is OK that those three are alive and not acting cool because things are going bad.
Sometime later, Touta is training with Gravity Blade under the World Tree when he’s joined by Ikkuu. Touta says he understands how weak he is which is what has driven his desire to train. Touta is about to ask Ikkuu for advice when a foreign woman comes up, identifying herself as a friend of Touta’s grandfather.
Thoughts/Review:
Yay, Mana! ^_^ But before that, other business.
As expected, Akamatsu-sensei continued the fairly lighthearted romp to make it through this one week before Weekly Shounen Magazine goes on break again.
Kirie gets set up with additional skills in the form of being a mage. That moves her from the purely worthless to having some sort of ability for the next time she’s out and about. Not that her spell casting was of any use during the last arc as she was clearly just there to allow Akamatsu-sensei to do a reset after the zombie apocalypse that never was.
For the first time in the series, Touta actually does seem affected by things he’s seen and experienced. There’s the horrors of the zombies and the slaughter all around. There’s the further fact that despite Touta seeing Karin and the other UQ Holder senpai as being awesome, he also sees that they have weaknesses as well. I just hope this new attitude continues beyond seeing Touta doing some legitimate training at the end of this chapter.
As for Touta and Kuroumaru, well, Kuroumaru should just become a girl already and then become Touta’s partner and girlfriend.
I wonder what Touta was going to ask Ikkuu.
Finally, there’s Mana. Her arrival at the campus while Touta is still there suggests that the next story arc may also take place on the campus. If so, that would surprise me. I hadn’t expected for Akamatsu-sensei to continue on the school grounds, but I suppose he has a lot of school artwork on the computer that would make his life easier.
Regardless, Mana being introduced here gives Akamatsu-sensei a topic of conversation to get through next week’s break. With her appearing to get a new arc kicked off, I can’t imagine Eva not coming back into the picture to chat with her old school classmate and comrade in arms.
Well, it will be interesting to see how Mana is used and to what extent. Nothing to do but wait two weeks to get the answers…maybe.
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Damn! Mana is looking fine as hell!!
Doesn’t look like she’s aged.
If you compare it to how she looks towards the end of Negima, she looks slightly more adult in my opinion.
Yeah, your right. Of course if you compare her to the beginning of Negima, she does look as if she’s aged.
Well even when compared to how she looked towards the ending of Negima, she looks a bit older in comparison.
Now that I am looking at her at the end of Negima, I do see what you mean.
Regarding Mana, I won’t be surprised if her appearance now is short. She may have a more important role later on if we get to a mars independence war arc and maybe a demon realm arc. Maybe even when they fight Fate. The reason she is introduced now may even be so that when she appears later she can join the fry already.
Considering she and fate appeared, I’m wondering if we will see the rest of the team who fought the LM 20 years ago (Chachamaru, Zazie and Albiero). At least Zazie should appear later if we get to the demon realm. It would be interesting to see Touta meeting the creator of his very powerful sword. And Chachamaru’s tech may have been the base for the technology that saved Ikkuu’s life.
Btw, Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays.
If this is even the same timeline, isn’t the Mars independence war still a ways off?
Although large time jumps like that would be a nice way to put extra emphasis on the whole immortal thing.
Remember back in chapter two when Touta was talking with Shinobu? They talked about the Neo Olympics, which were held every 8 years, and both of them had watched it, meaning it had taken place within the last couple of years. I’m willing to bet enough time will pass in the series for the event to take place, and I suspect that’s when we’ll meet Shinobu again.
That’s certainly possible.
Yeah, Mars war should be about 15 years in the future if it happens. I do think we will get some bigger time jumps later for the immortal thing, yes. While he is aware of it, how it would feel for Touta to see his friends growing up and going on with their lives, and even ding of old age later.
I couldn’t remember when the war was supposed to happen, or if it had already happened. It would be interesting to see UQ Holder be involved in that.
According to Negima it happens in the beginning of the 22th century. So in at least 15 years and before the year Asuna awakes (2135).
Thanks for the info. I have a hard time keeping some of this stuff straight.
Hmmmm, interesting. I would have expected that her showing up would have a specific reason that would have her around a bit. I still want Mana and Eva to have a reunion.
I’d like to see them as well.
I agree, but I’m wondering if Al is on Mundus Magicus, assuming he’s still alive.
Same to you. ^_^
Mmm. Mana Tatsumiya. Still looking good for a 98-year-old. Six feet of feminine badassery. Tall. Strong. Likes guns. Impeccable fashion sense. And dat pose on the last page. What’s not to like?
Okay. That’s enough fanboy gushing from me. So, it seems that we’re moving along to the next arc already. I guess development of Touta and Kuro’s relationship is going to be a slowly-progressing thing, but it’s clear at this point that if Akamatsu is going to have any romantic stuff, Touta and Kuro are already the official couple. I just hope it doesn’t take years for it to finally happen.
Oh, and it looks like Santa has lost his shark teeth. I wonder if that was a result of Sayoko’s influence, or just something to make him look a bit creepy in the last arc.
Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, ANB!
Same to you. ^_^
Akamatsu-sensei isn’t great with romance stuff, in my opinion. So I’m not expecting much.
I suspect it is the latter, but we’ll see how Santa shows up in future.
Astro you can not know how I found your review invigorating! I knew early development Tota would please you. I myself was VERY pleasantly surprised by the discounts in question expressed by Tota. I never hated Tota but I’ve never liked not more. NOW I’ll maybe start to love it.
Nevertheless Astro, it is perhaps trains to pass what I predicted from the beginning. If I have always defended Tota (and UQ Holder in full, in the case of only two true hater of the manga of this blog, we present not all the world to know here I think lol ^^) face criticism this is not because I liked his character but because I knew that such developments would eventually happen. I never doubted Sensei, not a single second.
Now this beginning of development could also be a damp squib in the end, is true. If it was the case, so Tota receive again my indifference and I will focus on other characters that I like (Fate, Eva, kuromaru Santa …) until his next attempt of development.
BUT I honestly think it will NOT be a damp squib. The development of Tota’s probably finally launched. He knew his limitations and seek help from Kuro and Ikku, his future mentor Juuzo the Mazoku we will soon be presented and Mana, a former camarade of his “grandfather” Negi appears, which announced BIG revelations about what happened between Negima and UQ Holder. This should also mark Tota.
Ultimately, as stated by my friends on my french forum, the main group is may be finally formed (it is no coincidence that we were reminded numbers of Touta, Ikku, kari, kuromaru, kirie and Santa). If they are really the prncipal group. so the story can FINALLY start !
The missing characters will appear during the story.
Ultimately I think (in all case in my opinion), it announces good things for the future!
I’m hoping that Touta will continue to be more reflective on missions and will grow as a character. I’m just not sure I trust Akamatsu-sensei at this point since his writing hasn’t been geared toward proper character/story development (save for Santa, who’s the most developed character in the series).
I’m really hoping that Kuroumaru sees Mana and realizes that he doesn’t have to be male to be a powerful partner. Maybe Mana’ll share some stories of Setsuna, who also chose the “partner and couple” route.
The funny thing is, Kuroumaru has seen Karin in action and knows that she’s powerful. I haven’t looked back, but Kuroumaru has to know how powerful Eva/Yukihime is. So I’m not sure why Kuroumaru is insisting on being male, but I figure it is more of a clan thing (males are powerful warriors, females aren’t).
Uuh, why the hell is Mana doing that ridiculous pose ? Did she become a model or something ? XD
And, was was the point of the interactions between Santa and the scum if the latter wasn’t involved in the reset & restart ? He remained the same and will continue bullying and attacking homeless people, and that’s supposed to be OK because he and his friends are alive ? Santa should have kicked their asses one more time…I miss his vindictive side. 🙁
Hahahahaha!
1- Yeah, I was wondering about Mana’s pose as well lol Her personality must’ve changed a bit, haha. Btw, how come she still looks so Young? Isn’t she just a half mazoku?
2- Ohhhh, Kirie didn’t waste all her extra time after all! Even so…”practe beginar”? \ :
3- “P-p-p-partner…” HAHAHAHAHA! Kuroumaru knows E-X-A-C-T-L-Y what this means! Touta was hitting on her (I guess I can call her that now?) without noticing!
4- So, (main?) numbers introduced, Mana returnes. Time for a brand new arc! ^^ After 2 weeks…^^’
“Btw, how come she still looks so Young? Isn’t she just a half mazoku?”
Depending on how long Mazoku live, even being half Mazoku should still give one an incredibly long lifespan. Half of several centuries is still a few centuries, for instance.
Yes, and I would even theorize that the half-Mazoku are immortal, like the true Mazoku. But they do not have capacity of regenerations. They are just immune to the ravages of time, as Fate.
*lol* Yeah, Kuroumaru did pick up on that even though Touta meant nothing by it.
I think she’s posed like that before in Negima.
I agree. I felt that Shinji should have gone back on the reset and then had to deal with the fact that his friends are AH’s.
Hmm…. the only thing I’m going to gripe about is…
Why make Mana pose like she’s in some fashion show?
Because fanservice. It is odd in that Akamatsu in no way, shape, or form is trying to hide or excuse it for being what it is, but its not unexpected. This is Akamatsu we’re talking about.
I would think he would lay off the fanservice like pose for mana till the next chapter though. It might have been slightly better if he just had her just walking in a normal way that looks badass and then do the fanservice pose in the next chapter. But, it’s not my manga. nor are they my characters. so not much say in that.
“But, it’s not my manga. Are They nor my characters. So not much say en ce.”
Ah! If only everyone could also thought rationally and reasonably than you on a manga or comic, and did not confuse “critical” and “bashing”, some people would “avoid climb their blood pressure unnecessarily” (like Astro said ^^) and to also climb the pressure of others. lol ^^
During the Mahora Festival when she met up with Negi, I thought she posed like that. (I’m not home as I write this, so I can’t consult my manga to confirm.)
Yup. Chapter 86. The pose was more subtle there, though.
There is a palatable irony in that UQ Holder tends to improve marginally when Akamatsu actually makes a return to his root. That said, this seems to be a theme for the series. The arc starts out with some promise, a random fight flies in from nowhere and shoves itself in the readers faces, and proceeds to escalate beyond the realms of common sense and decent pacing.
Personally, I’d go for three or four more “downtime” chapters so to speak to actually give the characters…well, character. Horribly planned plotline that’s taking ages to go somewhere (and even then, it hasn’t) aside, the characters aside from Kuro and Santa have been handled abysmally.
Well, I’ll follow the advice of Ragna and Astro and did not argue-without constantly on the war between UQ and Negima otherwise I think we’ll both ignite us indeed … yet lol.
But I break me still a question. I feel that here certais Akamatsu imagines as a robot programmed genetically to the romantic comedy and the harem and that everything he does outside of this sphere can not be THAT bad.
But I would like to remind yourself something. If in the beginning, Akamatsu made the harem was because he wanted to, not because we have programmed his brain for that lol
Today he wants to do something else and you yell at scandal? Is not that unfair? Is it not logical (or even beneficial for an author to do what he wants around instead of what his fans or his publishers require it to do?
I also want to remind the rumor that the harem in Negima was imposed by publisher, as rumored cete Akamatsu Negima make a 100% Nekketsu, as UQ Holder.
If this rumor is true it means that Akamatsu was tired of the harem for almost 10 years. On this basis I am not surprised at all of the nature of UQ Holder and I am pleased that he has finally been able to impose his wishes to his publisher. ^^
Part of the tragedy with creative types is they often are gifted at the kind of things they’d prefer not doing, but horribly bad at what they do like best. That’s an actually easy to understand pitfall, since loving a genre too much can blind us to its flaws. Just like Frank Miller became a Grim and Gritty bad parody of himself upon indulging too much into his Crime Noir fetish, so Akamatsu, who could play smartly with the Fighting Shonen Tropes when he had to play them into a harem series, only has indulged into the worst vices and flaws of the sub-genre when he has the chance to do an all out Action Shounen.
That’s also why fanfiction often (not always!) is so subpar; it comes from unchecked authors with no restrictions to go as far into indulging into their Author Appeals as they want, and sometimes their stories suffer from that.
In other words, no, an author doing what they like best is not a guarantee it’ll be for the best of that work’s quality.
Except that there is evidence demonstrating case when the authors are muzzled by their publishers, it ends anyhow. Naruto is one example. I do not know what degrees you find that NARUTO is bad. But for many old fans of the series (me for exemple), the manga has degenerated after the Pain arc.
Why? Because Kishimoto had not put an end to the rivalry and antagonnism between Naruto and Sasuke. All because EDITOR, wanted the manga is centered on this rivalry. According to some rumors Sasuke would not even have existed from the beginning if Kishimoto was free to move.
Kishimoto kindly obeys his editor. It gave the result that we know.
So stop with your advocacy for the “editorial dictatorship” on the authors because you made me incredibly laugh. Already because for an example that confirms your opignon, I can find 3 or 4 showing the contrary. And you, would you like that one requires you something you do not want to write, instead of your DEEP inspiration?
And do not answer “I’m not paid to write” me. Because certainly, Akamatsu is paid, but basically, he first accepted the job because he WANTED to write stories that PLEASED him, not to be the slave of a publisher, which basically imposes control on his author not to ensure the quality of ithe story but to make sure that it will sell as much as possible.
So sorry, the publisher does have imposed the harem akamatsu to ensure that it makes a very good story, but because he wanted more money!
the beginning of Negima had to look like : “Love-Hina sold well, we want the same thing. You want to make a Nekketsu? Who cares, you are our slave Mr. Akamatsu and we want you we were bringing the money.”
I make a caricature? Perhaps, but no more than tois, and I’m probably not far from the truth.
Sorry to shatter your illusions of “benevolent editor which ensures that story is the best possible and protects the delight of fans.” Because … is False.
And for the cliché, but sorry, the 3A was a whole harem cliché THOUSAND TIMES reviewed. So no, UQ Holder is neither more nor less cliché than Negima. The difference between you and me is that I do not hunt shots. I see them, but I accorded no importence.
Because:
1. Although the situations are similar each time they are shown in a different context, the clichés problem is not their numbers, but the way in which we use them. Fairy-tail is an example not to follow. And UQ Holder is VERY far from Fairy Tail.
2. I am always frightened the ease with which you tear him the “so EVIIILLL cliches” of UQ Holder but absolutely’re not bored by those Negima.
3. The principle of originality is to be rare, so we can assume that Negima was original in its genre, despite the many clichés sprinkled it, but we can not require the originality it becomes the norm.
And to paraphrase a French youtuber making critics and reviews on manga “originality is not synonymous with quality.”
4. The principal for a manga, a book, or a game is that entertain those who enjoy it. If it can teach them something more or make them think about a problem or a lesson, was both better now. yes…
But the purpose of a story is to please. So I’ll say it again:
you are PERFECTELY the right to not like UQ Holder. On the other hand you have no right to deny legitimacy to exist or to criticize those who take pleasure in reading it, as you have already done by treating them “sheep” or “uneducated masses.”
That is why I am sometimes aggressive with you, because I have the impression that you demand that we respect your opignons but yourself, you refuse to respect those of others, or their tastes.
ps: Stop using the word “tragedy” or “drama” because Akamatsu FINALLY decided to do what he wanted instead of what some selfish fans (like you) and his publisher wanted them to do. A natural disaster killing thousands of real people, CA is a tragedy. Akamatsu that is not responding to your every desire like a robot, it is not a.
I have already said and Ragna doomedge tell you the same. “If you do not like a manga go your way for another manga which corresponds to you more”. Come and complain every week or every month because he disappoints you has NO sense.
And do not tell me “but is akamatsu” It does not change anything. Me for exemple, I also love the clamps but if I do not like one of their next manga (as I will never love Chobbit, angelic-Layer or Kobato) I will not come crying on a forum that talks about her every week !
I will pass on.
I will act adult in fact lol.
“CA” = THAT
“Come and complain every week or every month because he disappoints you has NO sense.”
Irrelevant. You have no rights whatsoever to tell me or anyone what or not what to post or when. Our reasons to post or not are only ours and are nothing of your business, and don’t invalidate any of the problems the series has.
” I have the impression that you demand that we respect your opignons but yourself, you refuse to respect those of others, or their tastes.”
And I have the impression you are projecting, Mr. I Am Glad The Series The Other Liked Is Over For Mine (as Marge Simpson once wisely said, ‘Bart, you can be a bad loser… but you also can be a bad winner!” And that’s not even going into your unfortunate sexist comments…) Take this post for instance; at no point I was making a personal comment against you, yet you insecurities against those who don’t praise your beloved series prompt you to lash out in a personal attack. Please grow up already.
1. I was just making a remark on the fact that the fight against windmills like you did not bring you anything and will not change but … Continues to waste your time if it amuses you.
2. Precisely I noticed you you’re a bad loser, because you just complain every week, so you get no criticism to get into that here.
3. As for sexism. Was YOU who interpreted my comments as you arranged them. I have said several times that I was the first to rejoice when the female characters got the starring role and I do not like the “stupid girls crying because they are girls,” as we see in most Nekketsu precisely (Elizabeth in Nanatsu Taizai or Orihime in Bleach are an example, I prefer Erza (Fairy-tail), Rukia (Bleach) or Merlin (Nanatsu taizai) or Morgiana (Magi)).
I just said that moving from one extreme to the other, as Negima did was NOT the solution.
4. Do not take me for a belated, I understood perfectly that you are not attacking you from me, only I still have not digested that you treat some fans UQ Holder of “sheep”, “mass” or “weak”, was this attitude that I condemn. We come back to your problems, “I want people to respect my opinions but I have no need to respect that of others.” At least if I deceive me you do not give me much reason to think so.
So sorry but if me I need to grow then you still need it more than me.
This part is, for once, well-said.
Yes, it is perhaps the only part of his comment with which I am in agreement. I think the next chapters can eventually focus on the development of the plot and characters. I think Mana will make disclosure of 2065 and perhaps 2050. I on the way as well to talk about Setsuna to Kuromaru. To show him that he does not need to be a man to be a warrior.
Then at some point in the arc I see, indeed a powerfull enemy appear and Mana show us her talents to show to newbies they still have some way to go before equaling the previous generation. These are only well understood assumptions. ^^
I also assume that Juuzo will not be long in coming. Indeed, Tota recognized these limits. It is time he meets his own “Obi-Wan Kenobi” to learn how to overcome them.
Yeah, that would be nice.
Nothing special in this chapter, except for Mana – and she appeared literally on the last page, so I don’t have much to say this time. Next.
Yeah personally I look forward to be next Saturday, when the spoils go out, I WANT purquoi know it is there, what you it tell us? Information on the life-maker? The past of Tota? The situation of Negi?
And I am pleasantly surprised by the early development of Tota. By the way, have you noticed that the questioning and the evolution of Tota starts at the same time as Negi? Volume 6!
And enumeration of Numbers, certainly means that the story will FINALLY begin as suggested by one of my colleague akamatsu-fan “kaengel”. And Mana is probably there to give start pulse!
[…] Here are SPOILER images for the upcoming UQ Holder chapter 62, courtesy of 2ch. (My review of UQ Holder chapter 62 should come out Wednesday.) […]