April 3rd, 2011 
AstroNerdBoy 魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 35 Chapter 322 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 322
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
As the civilians of Mahora and surrounding area look in awe at the upside-down Gravekeeper’s Palace in the sky, hoards of summoned demons descend. Nutmeg gets into the action to defend the people. Some of the martial artists from the Mahora Budokai join in but some of the demons cast a spell which strips them all of their clothing. The mage teachers and staff get involved but even some of them, like Sister Shakti, get stripped. The headmaster is relieved to see that the summoned creatures are not killing people but does note to Al and Eishun that the creatures appear to be heading for the World Tree.
Many of the students are starting to panic but Ayaka arrives, dressed in her costume from the Mahora Festival, and pronounces this is a surprise, “end of summer” sequel event to the successful “Martian Invasion” event at the end of the Mahora Festival. Eva finds this to be a poor excuse but the students buy it and Negi’s classmates on Earth begin handing out the special magic guns and staves.
The headmaster is pleased with Ayaka’s work and other teachers are amused with how their students go with the flow. Eva joins the headmaster, Al, and Eishun and demands they tell her what’s hidden under the World Tree.
Thoughts/Review:
Ordinarily, I would call “bull crap” on how the students of Mahora ALWAYS buy the poor excuses put out to explain away magic and magical beasts. However, after Negi and company jumped a week ahead in time thanks to the trap left by Chao, I’ve started to think that Chao’s forced recognition spell wasn’t just to get people to open their eyes, but to negate a condition that had closed people’s eyes to the truth. Mages have lived on Earth for a very long time. There have even been magic battles fought on Earth, not only during the Kyoto arc, but the attack on Negi’s village and more.
So, it would seem to me that for mages to want to live a life on Earth and keep their magical abilities a secret, two things had to be done. First, a spell like had to be cast so that normal people would buy the crappy explanations for when a magical event happened beyond anyone’s control. The second would be a punitive system (being turned into an ermine) to prevent mages from actively attempting to reveal their secrets. After all, there are special people like Chisame who never bought the bogus stories but like Neo in the Matrix, couldn’t quite put their fingers on what was real and what wasn’t.
This chapter was partially meant as a “take it easy” chapter for Akamatsu-sensei. I don’t mean that he attempted to sluff off because the man is seriously overworked and add to that the aftermath of the quake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant issue in Japan which make the life of himself and his staff more difficult. However, the story had been dark and action filled of late and since Akamatsu-sensei gets the shakes when he goes too long without drawing naked characters, it was time to work some of that into the story. While we’re at it, lets get some male fanservice as well as stripping characters who’ve never been stripped before. *lol*
Back to the story, interesting that some of Chao’s equipment was still accessible, such as the walker Eva and Ayaka came in on. Ayaka will be a fine successor to her father’s conglomeration (or whatever it is) based on how she has been handling things so far. Assuming there’s still another story arc after this one ends, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ayaka ends up getting a pactio sooner rather than later as she may now know about Negi being a wizard as well as her knowing the truth of Eva.
Speaking of Eva, although it wasn’t really clear, I’m pretty sure that she is up in the air hovering along with the headmaster, Al, and Eishun. I mention this because I’m pretty sure Eva is at full power, or very near full power. As such, we could see her open up a bit here. She’s also not likely in the mood for Al’s normal irreverent panache. Though I doubt she would attack him, it would be interesting to see Eva in a scary, angry way vs. the comical angry form we saw her express to Al during the Mahora Budokai.
Looking forward to the next chapter for sure.
Oh, regarding spoilers and the lack of them here. The Japanese haven’t been posting any spoiler images though it appears our French cousins, the same ones who had their website shut down some time back for posting the entire manga prior to it being for sale in Japan, are now posting a few spoiler images and then thumbing their noses at Kodansha by slapping their customary watermark on the images. I don’t want to be involved in that so I don’t touch it but I do still keep an eye open for Japanese sources of spoilers and will share those if they ever come back.
Posted in 
Tags: 
“However, the story had been dark and action filled of late and since Akamatsu-sensei gets the shakes when he goes too long without drawing naked characters, it was time to work some of that into the story.”
I got a good lawl in at that line. Mostly because I could easily imagine it being true.
As for Eva being near full power, I think you can safely assume that to be true. We saw Chachazero tottering about on her own earlier, which is a good sign of her strength. Not to mention everyone can see the tree glowing, and Al is out and about, so we know there’s a lot of magic in the air. Eva flying isn’t the best indicator, though, since we know she can still find ways to manage that even when so weak as to require catalysts to cast any spells.
Though I have to wonder how close it is to a full moon…
Hey astro great reviews as always. But I need your help with this over here
http://negima.kc.kodansha.co.jp/news/index.html#news110330
is this the 3rd Negima series we have been asking for. I wish to know. Checked google for like an hour and found nothing..
hmph kitty sums it up well
i dont think al would stop teasing eva even if she was at full power since he’s pretty tough himself
and was the first girl who got stripped that volley ball champion?
i meant dodgeball
I got a good lawl in at that line. Mostly because I could easily imagine it being true.
It does seem that way. ^_^
is this the 3rd Negima series we have been asking for. I wish to know. Checked google for like an hour and found nothing..
I could be wrong, but this looks like a re-airing of Negima!?
http://www.mxtv.co.jp/negima/
and was the first girl who got stripped that volley ball champion? i meant dodgeball
Yep, that’s Eiko. She’s had quite a few cameos with Naoya, the kohai who is in love with her.
do you know where I can find translated versions of chapter 322? because the mangasites only have up to chapter 321 🙁
“However, the story had been dark and action filled of late and since Akamatsu-sensei gets the shakes when he goes too long without drawing naked characters, it was time to work some of that into the story. While we’re at it, lets get some male fanservice as well as stripping characters who’ve never been stripped before. *lol*”
Another possibility is that that Tokyo Youth Ordinance amendment started going into effect on 4/1. This might be Akamatsu thumbing his nose at that a bit.
Something to keep in mind – Albireo believes that Eva suggested the “Festival Invasion Sequel” idea, but based on the previous chapter it appears that Ayako came up with it on her own (you can see her organizing class 3-A right after she shows up). She knows Nagi was interested in Mars (she asked Asuna about it way back when). She knows who “Dark Evangeline” is (she calls Eva that in chapter 321). While there’s no indication that she was expecting the palace to appear above Mahora, she also doesn’t seem to be particularly out of sorts as a result of it and immediately understands that it’s probably not the engineering department showing off.
So at this point it may be shorter to list what she doesn’t know as opposed to what she does. I wouldn’t be surprised if she knows more about some things than even Negi. It’s possible that she’s even managed to partially trace Nagi’s fate.
I am beginning too think that it not safe to under estimate any member of class 3-A. Assuming that the ones left behind were only make weights for the class was based on the believe that if they were important, they would go to Mars with Negi. But what if what they more like a “Mary-Sue”. A group of characters, intended to support Eva, that have knowledge and powers beyond whose that when to Mars.Akamatsu-sensei has used simular characters in the past, why (not true Mary-Sue, but having knowledge beyond those of the main characters.)
As for Ayaka,I am beginning to suspect there is more to her than we know, but have any one else notice the simularity between Ayaka and Princess Ayika?
(By the way what if under the World tree is a certian “Demon-Master.” Me and ANB like.
I wouldn’t assume too much about anyone that didn’t go to Mars. I mean, even if you look at Ala Alba:
Haruna – normal human
Nadoka – normal human
Yue – normal human
Chisama – normal human
Asakura – normal human
Ako, Makie, and Akira, all normal humans (as far as we know, at least…)
And that’s not even counting Kaede and Ku Fei are humans with incredible training, and Konoka and Yuna are more or less normal but for magical heritage and Konoka’s immense magic reserves.
For some reason, I don’t see some random student from the class popping out and going “Oh yeah, by the way, I can wipe the floor with these demons.”
As for Ayaka, let’s not forget that she’s been doing hard-core research into Nagi’s disappearance. As ANB said in his review on the previous chapter, she may well have dug up a lot more than just the mundane travelings of one man. I’m sure we’ll find out as the arc winds down how much she’s learned of the magical world (as in, magic in general, not the Magic Country).
Another possibility is that that Tokyo Youth Ordinance amendment started going into effect on 4/1. This might be Akamatsu thumbing his nose at that a bit.
That’s possible too.
So at this point it may be shorter to list what she doesn’t know as opposed to what she does. I wouldn’t be surprised if she knows more about some things than even Negi. It’s possible that she’s even managed to partially trace Nagi’s fate.
Considering that Asuna had put Ayaka on that case at the beginning of summer, I bet you are right. Plus, there’s no telling what Ayaka might have gleamed from her time in Wales with those mages on Earth, even if they didn’t outright say anything. Ayaka is pretty smart at putting 2 and 2 together.
By the way what if under the World tree is a certian “Demon-Master.”
I assume you mean Mage of the Beginning? I’ve heard some say that maybe Nagi is down there but I don’t buy that for an instant at this point. That Nagi might have sent the MotB to Mahora to seal him/her there is quite possible IMO and wouldn’t be the first magical creature he’s sealed on Earth. ^_^
For some reason, I don’t see some random student from the class popping out and going “Oh yeah, by the way, I can wipe the floor with these demons.”
Ayaka is the only one of the remaining folks who has any fighting skills. Hakase appears to have control over the leftover Chao tech so she can bring that into battle. Eva has her robotic servants but if she’s at full power, her Doll Master abilities should be completely at her service.
I do think that in the end, Negi will pactio with all his students. Not much of a prediction considering how popular pactio cards are in Japan and producing more is like printing money for Akamatsu-sensei and Kodansha.
“”By the way what if under the World tree is a certian “Demon-Master.”””
Sorry about that, my Ident seem to got lost some where
The “Demon-Master I was talking about is HakubiRyoko. It was just another poke at what I see as Akamatsu-Sensei borrowing too much from Kajishima-Sensei. Eve is becoming more Washuu like, and I expect someone to start mecoming Mihoshi like with monkey-Fist luck. I have already point out the simularities between the World-Tree and Funaho-ki.
Well maybe he will do something to justify this borrowing, he has done so for other series after all.
Shadow_s_writer