August 21st, 2011 
AstroNerdBoy 魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 36 Chapter 334 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 334
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
The Lifemaker is choking Negi when Asuna arrives and chops off the Lifemaker’s arm. Everyone is happy to see Asuna, who catches Negi before he hits the ground and gives him a hug. Then she starts scolding him for getting beaten up and says that everyone was worried about him. He tells her that everyone was worried about her, which she refuses, saying it was him they were worried about. Eva interjects to tell Asuna that something bad is behind her as the Lifemaker’s severed arm raises to cast a massive spell.
Asuna readies her artifact sword and blocks the spell. She then has Negi help her and both of them grab her sword with Negi’s Magia Erebea powers apparently boosting it. The combined powers easily defeat the Lifemaker, who reveals his face to be that of Nagi. He tells Negi to come and kill him, which will put an end to everything and that he’ll be waiting. With that, the Lifemaker dissolves into petals.
Negi only takes a moment to contemplate what he’s just witnessed before telling Asuna that they have more important things to do. Asuna tells him that she has already stopped the end of the Magic World and that she now has to recover all of the people rewritten. However, the lands and buildings that were destroyed are gone forever. Negi is surprised that Asuna has figured this out. Asuna looks aside for a moment to confirm that she has, then she looks at Negi and smiles, reminding him she is a legendary princess of a magical country.
Asuna’s classmates all call out from the upper level and Asuna thanks them for reaching her with their voices. With that, she summons the Great Grand Master Key and using the Code of the Lifemaker, Asuna casts the spell to restore the world to the way it was.
Thoughts/Review:
I suppose folks think that with Nagi’s face showing up in the hood of the Lifemaker that my Nagi is Negi theory has been destroyed. Au contraire my friends, I see nothing yet to counter that because what we saw on the Magic World was NOT Nagi. The fact that “Nagi” disappeared in a flood of petals tells me this was naught but another illusion. So why haven’t I given up?
For starters, the apparent REAL Lifemaker is sealed beneath the World Tree on Mahora. Al knew about this and it appears that Al may have been kept under the World Tree to act as a guardian to prevent folks from unsealing the Lifemaker. Also, Al knew that the Lifemaker was the one who turned Eva into a shinso vampire. So, the real body is there.
That being the case, if the body under the World Tree is the possessed Nagi, then why wouldn’t Al know about that? After all, during the Mahora Festival, Al confirmed that Nagi was indeed alive (thus backing up Negi’s story about having seen his father six years earlier) but that Al didn’t know where Nagi was. As I see it, Al would know if Nagi were the possessed form of the Lifemaker.
Further, if Nagi is possessed by the Lifemaker, then what saved Negi six years ago? Did Nagi magically break free of the Lifemaker’s control long enough to go, “You know, I wonder how my son is doing. I think I’ll pay him a visit. WHOA! He’s under attack by mazoku, demons, and other nasty stuff! I’ll come in and save his ass, then hand over my staff so that he can use it before shuffling off to wherever so that the Lifemaker can have his way with me again.”
Sorry, that doesn’t add up to me. If the Lifemaker is strong enough to possess Nagi, then I’m not seeing how Nagi conveniently gets control of himself just long enough to find a son in terrible danger.
Then, there’s Nagi’s careful staging of things. Before Nagi “dies” and before Negi is born, Nagi has Al record a message for said son. Why? Why would he think that Negi would follow his footsteps, come to Mahora, and get involved? He had to somehow know this would take place, otherwise he wouldn’t have left a message with Al. Nagi planned things quite well, as I see it, enough to get the heat off of him (and based on the flashbacks with he, Arika, and Al on Earth, the heat was on) by staging his death. Everyone bought it too, save Al, who knew Nagi wasn’t dead since his pactio with Nagi was still active.
“But wasn’t that Nagi talking to Negi at the end and asking him to kill him to end it all?”
Heh! Anything is possible, but as I see it, this is a message from the Lifemaker, not Nagi. The Lifemaker is using Nagi’s form to get to Negi and affect him in order to die. Based on the previous Lifemaker remarks on suffering and having been alive for 2,600-years, this tells me the Lifemaker wants to die. It would be nothing for the Lifemaker to assume Nagi’s form (Shiori and Al prove how easy that is and Al did take Nagi’s form in the tournament), especially if the Lifemaker feels it would serve their purpose.
In my opinion, the Lifemaker is Amateru and that Zecht is somehow related to her (possibly her son but who knows at this point). Regardless, Zecht had been alive for a very long time, even before his 2,600 year old speech to Nagi before he dissolved into petals (remember when we were all stunned that Nagi called this boy “Master” and Nagi also called him an old youkai from what I recall, indicating that Zecht was indeed MUCH older than he looked)? I think that Zecht is curious to see how Negi will handle things whereas the Lifemaker just wants it all to end now.
I may or may not post something further on my old theory. Whether I do or not, I will say that Akamatsu-sensei set up the reveal for Nagi in this chapter quite nicely by having Nagi appear during Negi’s fight with Fate. ^_^
That reminds me, I want to speak on the the key reactions to the reveal of Nagi from the Lifemaker’s hood. Negi appeared somewhat stunned to see his father’s face and somewhat disbelieving. Asuna seemed the most surprised by this reveal. Eva seemed to be very disbelieving what she saw. Fate seemed to smirk somewhat, as if he knew something the others didn’t (considering how Fate believed that Nagi was dead like everyone else, that suggests to me that he knows Nagi isn’t involved with the Lifemaker but we’ll see). Jack’s reaction was one of, “Is that so? What are you going to do now, kid?” I’ll be interested to see followup reactions to this reveal.
As to Asuna’s return, well, it was about time. I’m SOOOO glad that Asuna is finally back. After delays and thwarting of getting to her, much less rescuing her, the long wait is finally over. I’ll be interested in seeing how Shiori reacts to Asuna. I suspect that Asuna will forgive Shiori and that will be that.
The unfortunate part of this chapter is that it feels so rushed to me. I know this was done so that the chapter would be out in time for the Negima! movie release. That’s unfortunate, but I’ll live with it. With the next Negima! chapter being delayed to promote the Negima!/Hayate the Combat Butler movie pairing, we’ll have to wait to see the aftermath stuff, including the reunion of Emily with her comrades, the possible reunion of Shiori with her sister, and all of the other reunions. I figure we have nearly an entire volume of aftermath coming our way but I could be wrong there.
Oh, one more thing — with Asuna restoring the people of the Magic World but not the destroyed lands nor the destroyed structures, could this be the start of Chao’s world? I think so because think of the massive hardships now in store for the people of the Magic World, which I suspect are even greater than those they suffered during the war.
Anyway, chapter 335 won’t come out until August 31, so there’s another wait in store for us. Until then. ^_^
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Out of curiosity what would it take to prove to you that the Negi=Nagi theory is false? LM possessed Nagi being shown under the World tree? Negi using Royal Magic? Negi’s birth being shown in graphic detail?
That being the case, if the body under the World Tree is the possessed Nagi, then why wouldn’t Al know about that?
He could’ve lied about not knowing where Nagi is. Fictional characters are under no obligation to only tell the truth.
Further, if Nagi is possessed by the Lifemaker, then what saved Negi six years ago?
Maybe it was Al, maybe it was Arika, maybe it was the ghost of Peter Pan, who knows. Nagi breaking free is also possible, since it appears LM doesn’t have full control.
but as I see it, this is a message from the Lifemaker, not Nagi.
Those that can read Japanese say the speech pattern is Nagi’s, not LM’s.
In my opinion, the Lifemaker is Amaterasu and that Zecht is somehow related to her
It’s Amateru, not Amaterasu, and she is the LM’ daughter.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v30/c270/10.html
Zecht had been alive for a very long time, even before his 2,600 year old speech to Nagi before he dissolved into petals
That was LM, not Zecht. The Life Maker can posses people, I thought we knew this.
Koo Haa… Koo Haa… Negi… I… am your father!
Always love the classics!
I may be being naive but I don’t think Zecht’s background has anything to do with the current events. If I’m right then Zecht is most likely already dead since Nagi is the current host for the Lifemaker’s will.
Ok, so many things going around in my brain right now – i’ll just try to stick with the most important.
I’ll concede that this could be just someone using Nagis face – we’ve seen it before – and there are entirely to many things we still don’t understand about this whole shebang.
The one thing I will stick to, come hell or high water, is that Negi being Nagi would be a monumentally bad story-telling choice (the instinctual recognition of that is why so many people dislike your Negi-is-Nagi theory, I believe) and everything I know about Akamatsu-sensei and his writing makes me believe he doesn’t want to go that direction.
I believe its not far from the truth to say that Negi striving to reach his father is the emotional core of this story, because its the emotional core of Negi and the only way he’ll ever come into his own. If Negi turns out to be Nagi, all the emotional energy that is invested in discovering the outcome of this plot-line simply vanishes into thin air and that would be a truly fatal flaw for this story.
Now, you compared Negi-is-Nagi to Asuna-is-Princess and said if the two characters merging worked in Asuna’s case, it should work in Negi’s as well. Actually, though, those two cases are very different from each other. The Twilight Princess didn’t actually have a formed personality since she didn’t have any experiences that allow/require her to form one. Asunas personality/experiences in no way clashed with the Twilight Princess’s – they are extensions of each other.
Negi and Nagi are two distinct, strongly formed, and actually, at least in part, opposite characters. A merging would damage or probably erase at least one of them. And if you consider the bonds people have with other people as an integral part of who someone is (which Akamatsu-sensei obviously does,) there is no way you are going to be able to reconcile Negis set of relationships with Nagis. No can do.
My last point on this subject (for now) is Occam’s Razor: the simplest explanation for how Negi met Nagi on that day in the snow – the event that sets his entire journey into motion – is if he really met his father. Which would mean they’re not the same person.
Of course, given how mysterious that encounter was, and also given how devious Akamatsu-sensei is, I might be entirely wrong about that.
I don’t think I am, though, nor about my rejection of the Negi-is-Nagi theory, quite simply because Akamatsu has a terrific track record when it comes to playing true in matters of the heart. Merging Negi with Nagi, no matter how he goes about it, would damage Negis status and function as the heart – the main character – of this story and it would be a completely unmotivated mind-fuck.
I also can’t help but think, that Akamatsu would never have led people (Negi, the girls, us) to think of Arika as Negis Cool Mom (yes, she defintely deserves the capital letters) if that was just a hoax, even if we never heard anybody so much as mention Negi even having a mother before we met Rakan.
A final question for everybody: what was your favorite moment from the new chapter (there were several, despite it really feeling a little rushed)?
Mine was (and this again goes towards the Negis-developement-as-his-own-person point I mentioned above) Negi beating his shock and onsetting gloom back out of himself and focusing on the here and now instead – after Nagi/? vanishes. Almost seems like he gained a little ‘idiocy’ there, right? or maturity?
Over and out.
First off, got to say that I love reading your Negima reviews. But upon reading this one, I’ve got to say: Denial. It’s not just a river in Egypt anymore. Of course knowing my luck now that I’ve said this, you’ll be proven correct in about thirty chapters.
Secondly, I actually heard that chapter 335 will be out 8/24, so we should see a new chapter next tuesday. Not sure who’s right. Although I really hope we get another chapter this week.
on the lighter side
there’s no Asuna without “As”s
—————
Out of curiosity what would it take to prove to you that the Negi=Nagi theory is false? LM possessed Nagi being shown under the World tree? Negi using Royal Magic? Negi’s birth being shown in graphic detail?
—————-
As I mentioned in the comments of ANB’s previous entry, I don’t think he can be convinced. I suspect that he’ll be insisting that his theory is still possible for years after this series ends…
😛
On another note…
The chapter was a bit anti-climactic, unfortunately. Yes, we know that Asuna’s powers as the Princess were insanely powerful. The very brief glimpse that we got of the attack on her tower when she was younger confirmed that. But still, things seemed to end just a little too quickly.
It is good to see Asuna back, though. And she is, as always, the perfect partner for Negi. She’s not romantically interested in him at this time (as she often points out, he’s only ten years old…), but her concern in his well-being seems to trump that of pretty much all of the other girls. And the two of them defeat “Nagi” without even needing to talk about the plan. There’s an automatic understanding between the two of them regarding what needs to be done.
As for the ‘Nagi as LM’ bit at the end, Akamatsu-san initially raised the possibility (without actually saying it; you had to read between the lines) back during the very brief interlude at Mahora. Thus, I can’t say that it’s a complete surprise, although I wasn’t sure that he’d actually go that route.
The Nagi thing could go either way. If we find out in the next chapter that something happened to the World Tree, then that’s one thing, but ANB is right when he says there are too many loose ends. Using Nagi’s face is very possible, and I don’t imagine it’s very difficult magic, and it would have been effective. But, Nagi=Negi, although interesting, would leave holes of its own. No one can really say what’s what until there’s more information about it, which Negi will doubtlessly ask about eventually (if not in the very next chapter).
So far, any theory is just speculation on both sides. We’ll wait and see.
SO MANY THEORIES DEY BE FLYIN’ ERRYWHARE! Well, We’ll see how it turns out, though I poersonally dislike the idea of Nagi=Negi (I can’t see it ending well). But i’m re-reading Negima (again; it’s like the 4th or 5th time) and I just finished the Mahora Arc and came across something interesting. It says on the last page not “With this, the Mahora festival arc has now ended” but rather “With this, the First Term arc has now ended”
THis leads me to believe that Each term will be and arc of it’s own. I was always worried that with the end of the Magic world arc might come the end of the manga, but this statement makes me think that the manga will be going on for far longer than I’d estimated. after they get back, i expect some filler, stress release chapters, some background chapters and another arc that has less to do with the Nagi search and more to do with…possibly nothing related at all! in any case, I’m glad to see that this will be a long running manga. 335 chapters is nowhere near enough.
Though i gotta say, and I think everyone is looking forward to this, I WANT ANOTHER NEGI LOVE RANKING UPDAAAAATE!!!!
Yo, so my first thought on this chapter was OKAY so now that Asuna’s here Ala Alba gets to OTK the friggin’ Lifemaker? BS. Not only is there some weirdness with Magia Erebea supplementing Asuna’s magic cancel (which is like the ultimate origin, creator of all somehow being compatible with the ultimate void, destroyer of all. But I’ll be on that later) but then Nagi is under the hood?! Akamatsu this is getting contrived!
Alright, though I have considered Lifemaker!Nagi to be an illusion of some sort, if this Nagi is Negi’s father it raises some potential plot holes regarding Negi’s status as a doll. The Royal Family is likely Veteres due to having the power that created the world, but is Nagi a native of MM?
It also brings up general problems with crossing between veteres and natives in MM, how does Cosmo Entelechia affect those of mixed real/nonreal status? Is it like an on/off gene, where mixed people are either “dolls” or not, or is there a gradient? So many questions considering the 80-something million “real people” of Megalo.
More recently, how does ME and magic cacncel work together? How should that work, that shouldn’t work at ALL. Technically they could both be likened as being advents of creation, but magic cancel is like a void and nothingness and ME is like all encompassing fullness that they should just like explode or something when they are in close proximity.
IOW, this chapter was very frustrating
——————–
Not only is there some weirdness with Magia Erebea supplementing Asuna’s magic cancel
——————–
There’s something going on with Asuna’s ability, and it’s been pretty clear for a VERY long time. Back before Nagi met her, she was being used to single-handedly defend her home by destroying invaders. That wasn’t magic nullification that she was using back then. Her magic nullifying ability is purely passive and can be ignored by not using magic against her. That’s not the kind of ability that can actively destroy invaders. She was doing something else.
So she has some other ability. Or more likely, she has an extremely powerful ability that we don’t know the details of yet, and her ability to nullify magic is just one facet of this greater ability.
I thought Asuna was using her Artifact (only a soupped-up version of it) and her Artifact is created through Negi lending her his power.
If that is the case there wouldn’t be a problem with Negi lending her even more power through his Magia Erebea even though one function of her artifact seems to be to chanel her magic cancel.
Out of curiosity what would it take to prove to you that the Negi=Nagi theory is false?
Actual proof, not circumstantial evidence. After all, when “Nagi” appeared to fight Fate, folks were thinking that maybe Nagi was in CE this whole time. Then that changed. Basically, what I see at the moment is Akamatsu-sensei being very aware that fans are aware of his clue-dropping and so he is doing some misdirects.
It’s Amateru, not Amaterasu, and she is the LM’ daughter.
You’re right. I just looked at the Japanese. I just went with what CanonRap wrote. ^_^;
Those that can read Japanese say the speech pattern is Nagi’s, not LM’s.
Shiori’s speech patterns in the Japanese were Asuna’s when she was in her Asuna guise. ^_~
That was LM, not Zecht. The Life Maker can posses people, I thought we knew this.
This was proven or just a popular theory? Anyway, as I thought I said in the post, it was implied that Zecht was MUCH older than his appearance when he was referred to as an “old youkai” well before any of the Ostia trouble. So, unless you are saying that he was the Lifemaker then, which is possible even though a female Lifemaker saw him and Nagi together, then what I said still stands. ^_^
Always love the classics!
True. And if my theory goes south, I’ll be saying, “We’re on an express elevator! Going down!” (Aliens)
I may be being naive but I don’t think Zecht’s background has anything to do with the current events. If I’m right then Zecht is most likely already dead since Nagi is the current host for the Lifemaker’s will.
And that’s possible, and yet chibi-mage is whom? I thought that was Zecht (or possibly implied to be). Or did we all forget chibi-mage. *lol*
If Negi turns out to be Nagi, all the emotional energy that is invested in discovering the outcome of this plot-line simply vanishes into thin air and that would be a truly fatal flaw for this story.
I can see what you are saying. However, I’m not looking at things in the same light. I’ve been looking at things from the standpoint of, “if you desperately need to hide, where do you hide?” The answer is “in plain sight.” I may write to go into this more.
The Twilight Princess didn’t actually have a formed personality since she didn’t have any experiences that allow/require her to form one. Asunas personality/experiences in no way clashed with the Twilight Princess’s – they are extensions of each other.
Except Fate disagrees with you. He expected the Twilight Princess personality to come forth and the “fake” Asuna personality to be wiped out. That didn’t happen.
A merging would damage or probably erase at least one of them. And if you consider the bonds people have with other people as an integral part of who someone is (which Akamatsu-sensei obviously does,) there is no way you are going to be able to reconcile Negis set of relationships with Nagis. No can do.
It has been done in other stories where the best of both personalities become the core of the merged personality. That’s what’s influencing my opinion as well as Asuna.
As to Occam’s Razor, if Nagi is the Lifemaker, how does that square with meeting his son? An older Negi could have met himself to set himself on the path he needed to go on. Events like that happened in the Mahora Festival. ^_~
As to your question, I’m not sure that Negi ended up believing that was his father either. We’ll see though. ^_^
First off, got to say that I love reading your Negima reviews.
Thanks. ^_^
But upon reading this one, I’ve got to say: Denial. It’s not just a river in Egypt anymore. Of course knowing my luck now that I’ve said this, you’ll be proven correct in about thirty chapters.
I do sometimes get them right. ^_~ I figure I’ll probably lose this one, more so since Akamatsu-sensei apparently changed the ending but we’ll see.
Secondly, I actually heard that chapter 335 will be out 8/24, so we should see a new chapter next tuesday. Not sure who’s right. Although I really hope we get another chapter this week.
The last information I had says that this week is a anime-promotion chapter and the following week is a break week for the premier. I need to look for updated info though.
on the lighter side
there’s no Asuna without “As”s
*lol*
As I mentioned in the comments of ANB’s previous entry, I don’t think he can be convinced. I suspect that he’ll be insisting that his theory is still possible for years after this series ends…
*LOL* I hope not. ^_^;;;;
The chapter was a bit anti-climactic, unfortunately.
That’s why I dislike it when outside forces play on an author’s creativity, in this case, the anime movie.
As for the ‘Nagi as LM’ bit at the end, Akamatsu-san initially raised the possibility (without actually saying it; you had to read between the lines) back during the very brief interlude at Mahora. Thus, I can’t say that it’s a complete surprise, although I wasn’t sure that he’d actually go that route.
Akamatsu-sensei did set it up and I concede that. But whether it is a red herring or the real Nagi remains to be seen.
No one can really say what’s what until there’s more information about it, which Negi will doubtlessly ask about eventually (if not in the very next chapter)
True. But theories are fun though until the right questions are asked and answered. ^_^
So far, any theory is just speculation on both sides. We’ll wait and see.
True. For me, there’s no point in having a “good” theory if one isn’t going to stick by it. That said, as much as I’m wed to my theory, I can easily say that I will likely be proven wrong in this case but we’ll see.
I was always worried that with the end of the Magic world arc might come the end of the manga, but this statement makes me think that the manga will be going on for far longer than I’d estimated.
I had long thought the same thing. In fact, I couldn’t see the MW arc ending without ending the manga because things were building to that conclusion. Then at some point, I started sensing a shift and started feeling better before becoming worried again when “Zazie” showed up (her sister, actually). However, Akamatsu-sensei’s reported statement about changing the ending let me know this is going to go on for a while.
Though i gotta say, and I think everyone is looking forward to this, I WANT ANOTHER NEGI LOVE RANKING UPDAAAAATE!!!!
I can see one of those happening down the road. ^_~
…is Nagi a native of MM?
I believe it has been established that Nagi is human and from Earth, which is why he wanted to take Arika and Asuna to Japan for an outing.
It also brings up general problems with crossing between veteres and natives in MM, how does Cosmo Entelechia affect those of mixed real/nonreal status? Is it like an on/off gene, where mixed people are either “dolls” or not, or is there a gradient?
It is an interesting question. If I had to guess, even “half-breeds” would be considered illusions because how can something real create offspring with an illusion. However, in a computer program, the program would handle all that and the offspring would be 100% illusion, even if “half-elf” (as an example).
More recently, how does ME and magic cacncel work together?
Another good question.
IOW, this chapter was very frustrating
Which is why we’ll all come back for the next chapter to get some answers…eventually. ^_^
So she has some other ability. Or more likely, she has an extremely powerful ability that we don’t know the details of yet, and her ability to nullify magic is just one facet of this greater ability
I think it is related to her being able to so easily do Kankahou.
Actual proof, not circumstantial evidence.
Here’s one
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v34/c306/16.html
Dynamis states “blood of the final descendant of the line of Vespertatia”, I can’t think of a reason of why he would lie, I don’t think he could be mistaken, and unless you can think of another person besides Arika that fits the final descendant part(maybe Asuna, but let’s not go there), then this is pretty good evidence that Negi is Arika’s son.
And demand for proof goes both ways, what evidence is there that Negi is Nagi?
And also I don’t think Nagi could come up with a plan that lasts for a week, let alone one that spans years. Or that he is the type that would hide from an enemy.
This was proven or just a popular theory?
Outright stated that LifeMaker can posses people? (I assume you are referring to that) No. But there is more evidence than for the Negi=Nagi theory.
So far in the manga, besides creating Mundus Magicus, LM’s first action, by when it happened, was turning Eva into a vampire, that body was killed. Afterwards it was during the war.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v36/c325/14.html
This one was destroyed by Nagi. Then Zecht suddenly started to speak differently.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v29/c267/8.html
After this Fate, Secundum and Dynamis recognize “Zecht” as their master
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v36/c326/1.html
And now it would seem that Nagi is the current host of the LifeMaker. And we have this talk from Al about ceaselessness.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v35/c324/16.html
Anyway, as I thought I said in the post, it was implied that Zecht was MUCH older than his appearance when he was referred to as an “old youkai” well before any of the Ostia trouble.
Older, yes. How old we do not know, there may be a vague couple centuries somewhere. Regardless the 2,600 years is not about Zecht, a better question would be if he is even alive.
So, unless you are saying that he was the Lifemaker then
No, after the battle Zecht was possed by LM.
If Hata and TnAdct1 on AQS and animesuki are to be believed, then we will be getting another chapter tomorrow. And I’ve found those two to have it right-usually. Here’s hoping! (Oh, and if they’re right, we should see a Ako/Tosaka reunion and Negi is revealed as the son of either Nagi or Arika. Tell you what, I’ll just post the link. http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=1238&page=359)
Summary of Chapter 335 is out on Vetus.
http://vetus.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/period-335/
>This was proven or just a popular theory?
Not outright but come on. Akamatsu-sensei is already throwing it in our face.
Ch324 pg16
Al: What if what he had wasn’t “deathlessness” but “ceaselessness.”
Then at Eva’s surprise he says: You often see this in those video games you love.
Examples:
Roa from the visual novel, Tsukihime. http://typemoon.wikia.com/wiki/Roa
Medusa from Soul Eater. http://souleater.wikia.com/wiki/Medusa
Piccolo from Dragonball. http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Piccolo
Yuca Collabel from Immortal rain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal_Rain
Then we see images of the final fight with Ala Rubra and the LM followed by Zecht, then Nagi on his journey.
We know from Fate’s flashback in ch325 that the LM of the first Magic World incident was that woman.
We know from Rakan’s movie in ch233 that Zecht went to support Nagi when he fought the woman, and that he wasn’t around for the ceremony honoring Ala Rubra.
We know from Kurt’s movie in ch267 that after the battle, Zecht mentioned his long age and seemed hostile towards Nagi. Most likely because he was already possessed at this point.
Al goes on to say in ch324:
“Ala Rubra failed in their suppression twenty years ago”
Because Zecht was possessed and the LM lived on. We see him reviving Fate in ch326.
“And ten years ago, the sealing had barely succeeded through the sacrifice of one hero.”
Most likely, Nagi fought LM/Zecht, won and was possessed, and was sealed under the tree. His sacrifice.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. =D
Dynamis states “blood of the final descendant of the line of Vespertatia”, I can’t think of a reason of why he would lie, I don’t think he could be mistaken, and unless you can think of another person besides Arika that fits the final descendant part(maybe Asuna, but let’s not go there), then this is pretty good evidence that Negi is Arika’s son.
Everyone thought Nagi was dead too. That *was* pretty good evidence too until Al’s actual proof that he was alive. Negi seeing his father didn’t count since that *could* have been Nagi or someone disguised as Nagi. Al’s pactio was with Nagi and since it was still active, there was no doubt Nagi is alive. ^_^
So, if Nagi was thought to actually be dead, and from what I can tell, CE thought him dead, then Dunamis would simply assume that Negi is Nagi’s son like everyone else.
And also I don’t think Nagi could come up with a plan that lasts for a week, let alone one that spans years. Or that he is the type that would hide from an enemy.
But Arika is. Plus, Nagi did have a plan for Arika and it took TWO YEARS to carry out. ^_~
Outright stated that LifeMaker can posses people? (I assume you are referring to that) No. But there is more evidence than for the Negi=Nagi theory.
It is circumstantial evidence only. Everyone is just making wild assumptions that the Lifemaker is possessing folks because Akamatsu-sensei keeps teasing us. However, possession is not an established technique in Negima! as far as I remember. The closest things would be Eva’s ability to enthrall people, which is a long-established vampire trait.
Does that mean it couldn’t be true? It well could be true. At the moment, it is circumstantial and what bothers me is that folks are acting like it is an established fact when in fact it isn’t.
If Hata and TnAdct1 on AQS and animesuki are to be believed, then we will be getting another chapter tomorrow.
Looks like there was a change of plans from what Hata put out earlier, which is good. ^_^
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. =D
There’s nothing wrong with that either. LM may well be possessing people.
There was a hero sacrificed some 10-years ago though, although everyone seems to have forgotten him. 🙁 He was a major player in Ala Rubra though and he died after Nagi had apparently died.
Everyone thought Nagi was dead too. That *was* pretty good evidence too until Al’s actual proof that he was alive. Negi seeing his father didn’t count since that *could* have been Nagi or someone disguised as Nagi. Al’s pactio was with Nagi and since it was still active, there was no doubt Nagi is alive. ^_^
So, if Nagi was thought to actually be dead, and from what I can tell, CE thought him dead, then Dunamis would simply assume that Negi is Nagi’s son like everyone else.
What does that have to do with what I said? And when has someone from KE stated that Nagi is dead? What Dynamis says is “blood of the final descendant of the line of Vespertatia”, that has nothing to do with Nagi, but Arika.
And you didn’t answer to this “And demand for proof goes both ways, what evidence is there that Negi is Nagi?”
It is circumstantial evidence only. At the moment, it is circumstantial and what bothers me is that folks are acting like it is an established fact when in fact it isn’t.
Circumstantial evidence can be more powerful than direct evidence. And the Mundus Magicus is Mars only had circumstantial evidence, but it became true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumstantial_evidence
And one more thing for the LM jumps bodies.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v29/c267/8.html
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v36/c325/15.html
I saw a possible illusion dying and leaving a farewell message for Nagi in the first link and an unidentified woman in the second. That’s not proof that LM jumps from body to body, even if they both say “2600 years.” I’ll explain in a bit.
So, who was killed in this chapter? Was it Nagi? If it wasn’t Nagi that was killed, then what was it? If it was an illusion, then all we’ve established is that the LM can create and use illusions with incredible power. Zecht seems to dissolve like illusions do when killed, but interestingly isn’t wearing the LM gear when he “dies.”
BTW, whether it matters or not, but the official translation has Zecht say,
“Humans are past help. Hero. Feel our despair of 2600 years. Goodbye.”
That’s why I think Zecht is connected with the Lifemaker, not some possessed entity. I think that the chick is not an illusion but in fact Amateru and that Zecht is involved with her. Both are looking for a way to end the ceaseless existence and have been around for 2600 years.
BTW, if the LM were going to possess someone, why not Nagi then and there rather than Zecht? Why possess Nagi later? Its clear that the LM was interested in Nagi.
Look, you could be right. The LM may indeed be possessing people. I’m not saying it is impossible. I’m saying that it is not proven but folks are acting like its a fact.
Of course, I am used to going against the conventional wisdom and taking a beating for it. ^_~ Man, I took some abuse for arguing that it was NOT established that Chachamaru had a pactio with Eva. I argued that While Chachamaru might be Eva’s partner for fighting, she didn’t have an artifact and thus wasn’t a pactio partner. On the other hand, Chachazero did have an artifact and thus to me was Eva’s true partner. However, everyone just assumed Chachamaru had a pactio and we just hadn’t seen her artifact yet (and to be fair, the poor earlier adaptations didn’t help that aspect out). It wasn’t until the Akamatsu-sensei had Chachamaru and Sayo say that they didn’t have pactiones because of the nature of their beings that people were forced to give up the “fact” that Chachamaru had a pactio with Eva. Chachamaru getting her first pactio with Negi was then icing on the cake.
As to Mars, the circumstantial evidence there was pretty much spelled out, which is not the case with the LM jumps bodies theory (which I will again remind folks that possession has not been established as a technique, spell, or ability in Negima). Akamatsu-sensei started it by having Chao say that she came from Mars and was from the future. Thus not only was time travel established, but Mars being a habitable planet with connections to people of magic was established. Then when Maps of the Magic World were presented, it was an inverted map of Mars, complete with location names. Thus, Chao’s story was immediately confirmed. However, the characters within the story didn’t know the truth until one of them did what everyone else did — look at a map of the Magic World and compare it to Mars.
In my mind, based on what’s been established, there’s more circumstantial evidence to state that the Lifemaker is using the same technique that Al and Shiori use, only at an even higher level — using illusionary forms depending on the circumstances.
Now, if Akamatsu-sensei establishes possession as an ability, then I’ll accept the notion of the Lifemaker being able to jump from body to body.
BTW, if Nagi is the possession of the Lifemaker and is sealed under the World Tree, then the manga should be able to end rather quickly since we all know where Nagi is, right? No need to go to Istanbul, where everyone had assumed the next story-arc would take place.
Again, I’ll say that it is possible that the LM is possessing people but possession isn’t established in Negima and there are other, equally plausible explanations for the LM. Bottom line is that we don’t have enough facts yet and should more things be revealed that suggests the LM can possess people, such as establishing possession and a spell, technique, or ability, then I’ll happily accept that LM possessing people is a real possibility.
OH — when it comes to my Nagi = Negi *theory*, I’m not saying it is fact. I’m saying it is a theory. There’s a big difference. ^_^
Since you asked for proof, I’ll reread the manga and take notes for an article down the road where I will point out what set me on this path.
I’ll answer more thoroughly when I get home from work. In the mean time you might want to think about Al’s dialogue about ceaselessness and deathless, and about Evangeline killing the one who turned her, and it turning out to be LM
Eva could have killed an illusion.
I’m back.
So, who was killed in this chapter? Was it Nagi? If it wasn’t Nagi that was killed, then what was it? If it was an illusion, then all we’ve established is that the LM can create and use illusions with incredible power. Zecht seems to dissolve like illusions do when killed, but interestingly isn’t wearing the LM gear when he “dies.”
It’s also possible that in both cases they weren’t illusions and didn’t die, simply performed an exit stage left.
BTW, whether it matters or not, but the official translation has Zecht say,
If by official you mean Del Ray, I don’t put much stock in how they translate. I’ll go with the scanlation groups on this one.
That’s why I think Zecht is connected with the Lifemaker, not some possessed entity. I think that the chick is not an illusion but in fact Amateru and that Zecht is involved with her. Both are looking for a way to end the ceaseless existence and have been around for 2600 years.
Several problems with that, let us assume that LM is a group not one person, if so then why did Zecht help Nagi and not betray him so they could win? Thus delaying their plans, bringing KE close to extinction. These “that person was a traitor” theories never work when they had a clear opportunity at victory and didn’t take it.
BTW, if the LM were going to possess someone, why not Nagi then and there rather than Zecht? Why possess Nagi later? Its clear that the LM was interested in Nagi.
We don’t exactly how LM posses someone, we don’t know a lot about LM but that’s another issue. It could be that Zecht took the “bullet” for Nagi, even between Rakan’s and Godel’s videos of that event we are missing a lot of details.
I took some abuse for arguing that it was NOT established that Chachamaru had a pactio with Eva.
Never saw that discussion, as I may not have been reading Negima then. Although Eva and Chachamaru have a doll contract, but not a pactio.
which I will again remind folks that possession has not been established as a technique, spell, or ability in Negima
Now, if Akamatsu-sensei establishes possession as an ability, then I’ll accept the notion of the Lifemaker being able to jump from body to body.
This story has robots, ninjas, vampires, ghosts, whatever it is Al is, whatever it is Negi is becoming, mages, demons, yokais, time travel, it’s very possible that possessing people is also included somewhere.
And speaking of time travel it wasn’t established before the Mahora Fest arc, yet it still was used.
And since I believe there is no kill like overkill, possessing was established. Chapter 74, the one in which Sayo was properly introduced. It may have been just one panel, many things later became were first shown as not important.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v09/c074/15.html
End Part 1
Part 2.
BTW, if Nagi is the possession of the Lifemaker and is sealed under the World Tree, then the manga should be able to end rather quickly since we all know where Nagi is, right? No need to go to Istanbul, where everyone had assumed the next story-arc would take place.
Nagi(possessed by LM) may be under the World Tree, but the seal could have been weakened. We never did see what happened at Mahora. Or he could have escaped, or someone from KE may not have been hit by Eva’s spell, my money’s on Dynamis, he has this knack for surviving.
Even if LM!Nagi is under the World tree, that doesn’t mean that there is a solution to free him from LM, also we don’t know where Arika is, or what scheme the MM Senate is cooking.
And before I forget you still haven’t explained Dynamis stating “blood of the final descendant of the line of Vespertatia”.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v34/c306/16.html
And another one that comes to mind.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v34/c314/12.html
The Master of the Grave calls Negi her descendant, and immediately Negi recognizes that she has something to do with Asuna and Arika. Why didn’t I remember this earlier?
Phew, that was long.
If by official you mean Del Ray, I don’t put much stock in how they translate. I’ll go with the scanlation groups on this one.
This is the Nibley twins we are talking about. I did run this by them and the word they translated as “our” can mean “mine” but the context made “our” more appropriate in their opinion.
Several problems with that, let us assume that LM is a group not one person, if so then why did Zecht help Nagi and not betray him so they could win?
Fate and Nagi and subsequently Negi is the established precedence. While Fate was going around saving orphaned children and building a harem, Nagi was also going around saving folks. Both wanted to save folks and both had different means of doing so.
As I’ve always seen it (since Zecht was revealed to be at least linked with the MotB), KE was founded by the LM/MotB. Zecht has been around for a long time (which I believe was mentioned twice, though the exact amount of time wasn’t stated) so that he had the nickname of “old youkai.” So, assuming Zecht as been around 2600 years like the woman, I figured that when he hooked up with Nagi and company, he took a liking to Nagi and trained him so that Nagi could “save the world” the way he wanted. In the end, Zecht was telling Nagi that his method was still hopeless and humans shouldn’t be saved.
KE lives as long as one of them do and as we saw, the LM/MotB (or whomever) raised up all of the fallen KE members. As long as their ultimate goal is achieved, then the means that goal is reached is not as important. We saw that with Fate deciding to help Negi for now but reserving the right to do things his way should Negi’s plan fail.
Never saw that discussion, as I may not have been reading Negima then. Although Eva and Chachamaru have a doll contract, but not a pactio.
Right, but back in the day, I had to just stop participating in discussions where mention of Chachamaru having a pactio with Eva came up because it was “established fanon” rather than be something that was established in the manga. You could make an argument that Chachamaru had a pactio with Eva but it wasn’t established and eventually proven false.
This story has robots, ninjas, vampires, ghosts, whatever it is Al is, whatever it is Negi is becoming, mages, demons, yokais, time travel, it’s very possible that possessing people is also included somewhere.
It *may* be included down the road, but it has not been established yet. Akamatsu-sensei’s normal modus operandi is to establish techniques or spells in an outright method, then later on, those techniques/spells/abilities play a larger role in the story. If possession is going on here, this will be the first time Akamatsu-sensei has done something without establishing it first.
And speaking of time travel it wasn’t established before the Mahora Fest arc, yet it still was used.
Yes, but it was established in a non-critical form initially, just as the age-altering spell was established in a non-critical form. Both then became major plot devices later on — time travel in the Mahora arc and age-altering in the Magic World arc.
AH. Sayo. OK, I had forgotten that and that’s a very good point. So, I stand corrected on possession not being an established method. So far, only a ghost can do it though and perhaps, LM/MotB is like a ghost.
And before I forget you still haven’t explained Dynamis stating “blood of the final descendant of the line of Vespertatia”.
As long as he believes Negi is just what he claims to be, then that is a natural statement.
As to the MotG, ditto.
This is the Nibley twins we are talking about. I did run this by them and the word they translated as “our” can mean “mine” but the context made “our” more appropriate in their opinion.
I wasn’t sure when they started to work on Negima, regardless that line could mean many things. Not necessarily a group.
Fate and Nagi and subsequently Negi is the established precedence. While Fate was going around saving orphaned children and building a harem, Nagi was also going around saving folks. Both wanted to save folks and both had different means of doing so.
They were doing it at different times though. And Fate may have started doing it after they lost the Code of the LifeMaker, after what happened 10 years ago, as a way to pass the time, I think he did describe it as a hobby.
In the end, Zecht was telling Nagi that his method was still hopeless and humans shouldn’t be saved.
It seems kind of pointless to not even give Nagi a chance to find a way to save the world.
KE lives as long as one of them do and as we saw, the LM/MotB (or whomever) raised up all of the fallen KE members. As long as their ultimate goal is achieved, then the means that goal is reached is not as important. We saw that with Fate deciding to help Negi for now but reserving the right to do things his way should Negi’s plan fail.
We don’t know exactly how long a member of KE lives or when they were created. The ones remaining are “dolls” created by LM. And so far we know that Fate is the only one with free will, he was never calibrated.
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v36/c327/9.html
We don’t know what Zecht is, and we don’t know if he even is alive anymore.
As long as he believes Negi is just what he claims to be, then that is a natural statement. As to the MotG, ditto.
Except Negi never told them to their face who his mother is, and I don’t think they’d make such comments without having a little bit of assurance that it is true.
A bit about that Negi being Nagi theory – What if the person who saved Negi all those years ago was Negi from Chao’s timeline? He was never stated to die before time travel was invented, or even stated to die.
They were doing it at different times though. And Fate may have started doing it after they lost the Code of the LifeMaker, after what happened 10 years ago, as a way to pass the time, I think he did describe it as a hobby.
Regardless, they did similar things with the same stated goal, only with different means of achieving it.
It seems kind of pointless to not even give Nagi a chance to find a way to save the world.
Actually, I think Zecht DID give Nagi a chance. If Nagi addresses Zecht as “Master,” then it stands to reason that Zecht was training the Thousand Master. Zecht hung out with Ala Rubra for quite some time, or so it appears to me. As such, Nagi had several years to show his method for saving the world. In the end, Nagi’s solution was to attempt to slay the Life Maker, which obviously wasn’t the right solution. Having “slain” the LM, Zecht has his farewell and petals/smokes away.
We don’t know what Zecht is, and we don’t know if he even is alive anymore.
True. Other than being called an “old youkai,” we don’t know but I think that’s a clue. I don’t think it is “youkai” in the sense that it normally is in anime/manga (demon-like monsters that might also be able to take human form) but rather something that wouldn’t normally be considered alive that now is alive. As I understand Japanese use of “youkai,” even inanimate objects can become living youkai. Human can become youkai and thus become immortal. Youkai often have shape-shifting abilities to take on human form.
So for Akamatsu-sensei to describe Zecht twice as “youkai” says something to me. Actually, it said something to me the first time Zecht was described as such because the context did not suggest that it was being used in a kidding fashion.
Except Negi never told them to their face who his mother is, and I don’t think they’d make such comments without having a little bit of assurance that it is true.
Well, considering that CE knew that Arika didn’t die as advertised (since they were fighting her and Nagi) and they would likely know that Arika and Nagi were in love, it would be reasonable to assume that if Negi had a child, it would be from Arika.
What if the person who saved Negi all those years ago was Negi from Chao’s timeline? He was never stated to die before time travel was invented, or even stated to die.
Well, that is a possibility. Indeed, it was Nagi going back and saving Negi six years ago that was the killing flaw to my Nagi=Negi theory back early when it came to me. When Akamatsu-sensei introduced time travel and paradoxes, that was when I felt VERY strongly that Negi-Nagi went back in time to set himself on the path and thus close the circle.
@Astronerdboy: Well, actually, what I thought was that, even if Negi isn’t Nagi, he still could have saved himself from the village being burned down. I’m pretty sure the masked figure said something like “so I came too late”.
He probably had a good idea of the time. Also, he said he had no right to tell Negi to lead a good life. This might be because he failed to do just that. And Albereo might have saved original timeline Negi, or he could also have been saved by another Negi.