April 3rd, 2010 
AstroNerdBoy 魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 31 Chapter 284 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 284
Negima! Manga Vol 31 Ch 284 Review
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Shiori, who’s real name is Luna, reacts negatively to Mana’s gun and demand of information, post has a positive reaction to Negi’s warmth, remembering Fate had given her permission to do whatever she wanted when her mission concluded. As such, she gives Negi the location of Asuna and Anya — Gravekeeper’s Palace.
Meanwhile, it has been a week since Asuna was captured and she’s remembering her entire past, including how she was used and ultimately rescued by Nagi before traveling with Ala Rubra. Anya arrives with Asuna’s meal and the previously depressed Asuna snaps out of it, her normal personality taking over. Anya is relieved by this until Fate walks in with Homura and Koyomi. Fate is surprised that the “fake” Asuna personal took control again despite having her previous memories unlocked. Asuna immediately goes to attack Fate, who uses her own momentum against her to thwart the attack.
Fate has Homura help him explain the final secret of the Magic World, namely that it is running out of magical energy needed to sustain it. When that happens, the beings that were created out of the same material as the Magic World will cease to exist and the real humans will suddenly be on the real surface of Mars. As such, Fate’s plan is to send all of the inhabitants of the Magic World to Cosmo Entelecheia, another false world that is reportedly paradise. Since Earth could not support the 67 million humans, much less all 1.2 billion inhabitants of the Magic World, there is no other option as far as Fate sees things and he needs Asuna’s power to pull this off.
Thoughts/Review: I guess I hadn’t realized that Nodoka didn’t know Asuna is a princess of the Magic World. So, I suppose that maybe Negi might need to let the others know, or maybe that’s unimportant.
Anyway, Shiori, aka “Luna,” seems to be a prime candidate to switch sides, though under close observation from the likes of Mana, who may never trust Luna short of Luna doing something to save Mana’s life.
I note that Negi’s bullet wound is not addressed. No “smoke” and no evidence of a hole either. “Impressive. Most impressive.” ^_~
We finally get back to the real Asuna, and lets face it, we’ve been longing for this day for quite some time. Since time is precious, the “conversation” that Asuna had with herself is one that we won’t get to see as I’d hoped. Instead, by having us at the end of that deliberation were Asuna’s previous memories were restored to her (apparently), we got to see a tad more flashback stuff to tie in Asuna’s being with Ala Rubra.
Still no Arika, which I’m sure is driving some people bonkers. *lol* I still say that they are hidden in the open and that Negi’s glasses aren’t for reading (actually, I haven’t said that last bit, but Negi’s glasses have always been strange and since magical glasses are available to help disguise the wearer from recognition…).
Back to Asuna, I think the reason the “fake” persona resumed control is that unlike the child Asuna who’d mostly been used and abused, the Asuna under Takahata’s care was loved greatly, made friends, and knew nothing of the horrors she left behind. Then when given a choice on whether or not to help Negi, thus getting re-involved without realizing it, she chose to help others in need. Indeed, she became Negi’s pseudo guardian (a mantle Chisame carries at present) as well as his chief partner. We know she loves Negi a great deal, not in a romantic sense (not really that I can tell, though there may be some of that there depending on where she is on that infamous list of Chamo’s), but in a sisterly way. Thus I think it is that love, both received and given, which causes the “fake” persona to win out in the end.
Also, Asuna is 100 years old? Like, “Whoa!”
As to Fate’s final solution, I can’t help but wonder if Asuna might pull a Negi on us and be tempted to buy into this mess. It would be ironic to have Negi bust in and be the one to convince Asuna otherwise when she’s been the one to do so in the past.
As I think about things, there’s still stuff left unsaid here. CE’s war years ago was for what purpose? Were they hoping everyone would just kill each other and thus they would then seal the Magic World away? Was that their only means of gaining access to Asuna? Some things just don’t add up quite right yet.
Anyway, I laughed out loud at seeing Anya in a maid costume. Considering Anya’s personality, her being forced to wear that had to be a humorous thing. I wonder if Akamatsu-sensei’s wife wears a maid costume since he clearly has a thing for them.
So, an excellent chapter with Asuna finally returning and Negi on the way! ^_^
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in the conversation between Mana and Shiori/Luna, it sounded as if though Mana was going to pull a Captain Price on her.
When it will be shown that Negi posses the the magic of the ancients, the Negi is actually Nagi disguised and with memory loss theory will be thrown out the window of the topmost story of a 700 story tall building.
The purpose of the war 20 years ago may have been to keep the nations occupied while KE did its job.
I guess i was kinda right as to the eternal garden being another place or something close to that so is fate just looking to move everyone from magic world to this other place? kinda confused there but seems good. at least we know Fate is not that cruel
Mhm as far as “Fake” personality taking over I have a slightly different theory. Asuna’s previous personality was very passive, she was asily giving up and didn’t see any meaning to her own existence. Asuna on the other hand is loud, rowdy, energetic, and… well Dominative. Therefore it seems to me that her more Active personality simply took over because it was more suited for taking command… Erm does it even make sense ^^; ?
As for Anya, I loved her in that maid uniform too, especially the moment she enters Asuna’s room, she was so hilariously cheerful, and that Asuna’s “HALLELUJAH”, hilarious stuff.
I’ve had the same thoughts as you regarding Asuna and her personality. I wager Fate insisting the Kagurazaka personality as fake that would lead to the downfall of his plans.
I also found it ironic that this time around Negi and Asuna’s have switched places and this time Fate placed her in a position where its hard for her to just dismiss the main enemy’s justification and logic.
So, if I have this right… in the timeline, the Ala Rubra rescued Asuna early on however somehow the CE managed to kidnap her again and use her powers forcing Arika to seal her away and for Nagi to come back at a later date and break her out of the seal?
Woha! So Asuna is over hundred years old? There goes her being Arika sister.
I agree that Fate is wrong calling Asuna’s personality fake. It’s evident by the fact that when she first arrived at Mahora she was the same emotionally dead child as before Ala Rubra saved her. It’s her life experience that shaped her current personality. The same way as they would any other person.
I have a theory: What if Asuna IS the Great Grand Master Key itself. In the Rakan movie she was state to be a key to the Magic World. And an powerful artifact being actually a living thing isn’t something unheard off.
Also this could explain why Fate is so interested in Negi (beside personal reasons). It’s possible that for activation of Her power someone from royal family is needed.
@Pong (I have a theory: What if Asuna IS the Great Grand Master Key itself…. Also this could explain why Fate is so interested in Negi (beside personal reasons). It’s possible that for activation of Her power someone from royal family is needed.)
*facepalm* I’m suddenly reminded of Ghostbusters…
“I am the Gate Keeper. Are you the Key Master?”
…although it would be reversed in more ways than one. And so, so very wrong.
@Philip — I had to look that “Captain Price” reference up. Never played “Call of Duty.” ^_^;
@Anon — we’ll see about the theory but as I’ve always said, if I’m wrong, I’m wrong. ^_^
As to the war, it just seems like a lot of work to do their job. It seems like if they are just going to send everyone to this “off” world “paradise,” just do it already. That’s why I think there’s something else.
@Nick — I think you are correct there.
@Hubert — Makes sense to me.
As to Anya, that was a hoot with her being in a maid uniform. We may get one more laugh when Negi and Anya meet up again.
@Monic — I think your time line is right. I think they grabbed Asuna when Arika was kidnapped and had to be rescued. Ala Rubra got Arika but not Asuna, who’d been taken elsewhere.
At least, that’s what I think happened.
@Pong — Fate’s use of “fake” to describe Asuna’s current personality means it isn’t the one she was born with. It was a created persona for the purposes of allowing her to live a new life. It also helped hide her from CE along with her memory purge. (Why they kept her “Asuna” name is a bit more of a mystery to me though.)
Now, you are correct that the installed personality on Asuna then built her own life, becoming “real” in a very real sense of the term. Its just that Fate assumed that Asuna’s original personality would take over because that is the “real” Asuna of 100 or so years. As I see it, it is a computer logic way of thinking.
Also, I tend to suspect you are right about Asuna being the Great Grandmaster Key.
@arimareiji — *lol* That’s funny and wrong. ^_^
Is it me or somewhere there mentions that Asuna is related with the mage of the beginning. he mentions that Asuna is his descendant.
I agree that somewhat Asuna was “created” as a key, I guess that its possible that she is even older than 100 years.