October 10th, 2011 
AstroNerdBoy 魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 37 Chapter 340 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 340
Negima! Manga Vol 37 Ch 340
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Ayaka and Asuna are at a posh restaurant dressed nicely as Asuna mildly complains about wearing such things. Ayaka reminds her that this will now be their normal dress and addresses Asuna as “Princess,” causing Asuna to protest. As they talk, Ayaka expresses her gratitude for Asuna coming back from her trip. However, Asuna finds this to be creepy, which leads to one of their customary verbal fights.
Negi (with Chamo), Fate, and Kotaro arrive at the restaurant in suits and in adult form. Fate explains that they are late because of a 3-on-3 date, which leads to Asuna choking Kotaro and Negi until she learns it was the cheerleaders that the guys went out with. Ayaka states that the five of them will be visiting the Prime Minister of Japan at his official residence thanks to her pactio artifact, which allows her to meet any person without prior arrangement. Asuna wants to know when this pactio happened and Fate remarks that this artifact is the rarest of the rare and the first time he’s seen one.
Ayaka decides that she has to tell the story of her pactio moment with the others, even though Asuna doesn’t want to hear the details, and explains that three week’s prior, she’d been waiting for Negi in the classroom after school was out at his request. As she ponders a fantasy of Negi asking her to marry him, Negi arrives in a sailor seifuku (at Chamo’s request), causing Ayaka to pass out with delight. Negi quickly changes and performs recovery magic on Ayaka, telling her that her seeing him in girl’s clothing was merely a dream.
Negi explains things to Ayaka about Mars and magic, and while she’s grateful he trusts her to tell her in person, she’d learned much already from talking with Asuna and her own research on Negi’s father, who’d also been interested in Mars and space development. Though Negi is unsure about Ayaka’s offer to help, Ayaka gets frustrated at this and explains that she’d follow Negi no matter where. Chamo decides that a pactio is in order, but hearing a kiss from Negi is involved is almost too much for Ayaka to handle.
When the pactio kiss starts, the amount of power is incredible, thanks to Negi’s growth in power, but to Chamo’s surprise, Ayaka’s feelings for Negi are so strong that she begins reversing the pactio system and causing Negi’s pactio card to start forming. However, in the end, Ayaka gets her card and proof of her love for Negi.
Since Ayaka’s father agreed to help only if it contributed to Japan’s national interests, they are using Ayaka’s pactio card to make Negi’s mission part of Japan’s national interests and thus gain Ayaka’s family’s support. As the guys discuss the situation, Asuna thanks Ayaka for treating her the same despite knowing she’s a princess. Ayaka scoffs, stating that she can’t change her ways toward Asuna because Asuna is still an idiot, which irritates Asuna.
After all of this is done, Kotaro is at home in the dorm and discovers that Chizuru has also made a pactio with Negi and wonders when Negi did this, suddenly understanding why Negi is sometimes called the enemy of all womankind. Chizuru notices Kotaro is suddenly quiet and asks about his pactio with Natsumi. She then teases Kotaro about wanting to do it with her too, which causes him to become very flustered. Chizuru continues to tease, asking if Kotaro was Natsumi was (for the pactio) and if he was kind to her. Natsumi, standing outside the door, decides she better not go in for now.
Thoughts/Review:
And so at long last, Ayaka gets her pactio with Negi. Akamatsu-sensei had drawn her pactio card years ago and it was clear that eventually, he’d have Negi and her form a pactio. The story made it so that it was much delayed, but what matters is that she did get it.
Now, as to the story behind her pactio, it was pretty much by the numbers, though still amusing. Ayaka’s responses where a continuation of what Akamatsu-sensei had established with the added bonus that Ayaka finally gets to kiss Negi and nearly pull off a reverse pactio (which was amusing and possibly a hint on how Negi gets his pactio artifact back). In light of the Twin’s updated translations of volumes 4-6 in Negima! Omnibus 2, it was easy for me to believe that Ayaka could pull off such a reverse pactio. She does have abilities to be sure, though if she’s to be part of Negi’s battle harem, she’d need to train.
At the same time, we get to finally see Asuna in the story, being her usual self with the added effect of knowing she’s a princess. Her and Ayaka’s interesting friendship continues and as he’s done before, Akamasu-sensei shows that quite nicely.
This chapter reveals why Negi, Fate, and Kotaro were all dressed up and in adult form when they met the cheerleaders. While I know that story had the three guys return to boy form for comedy’s sake, the fact that they were dressed up (including age-altering magic) for a meeting with the Prime Minister tells me that they wouldn’t be using some cheap age-modification pills as that would be counter to their mission (they would reveal their true identities, if needed, by simply reversing the magic themselves).
A thought did occur to me — where is Chachamaru? I know she’s only a robot, but after Negi brought her on board, she appeared to be at Negi’s side at all times. It seems odd to me that Negi would leave her on the sideline, but I suspect the real reason has to do with Akamatsu-sensei wanting a 3-on-3 date with the cheerleaders in the previous chapter. I would have liked a line stating something like, “Hakase is transferring Chachamaru to a new, improved body,” but oh well.
The unexpected, and thus more amusing to me, bit was Chizuru teasing Kotaro over her pactio with Negi. Big time fan Hato joked that this was Kotaro’s “NTR” moment, which in and of itself is quite funny. (For those who don’t know, NTR stands for the Japanese word “netorare,” and basically means that a man has his woman stolen by another man. At the extreme, she may still care for her original guy at some level and even still live with him; however, she now can no longer be satisfied by anyone but the man who stole away her.) Considering Akamatsu-sensei’s having Chizuru in a cleavage-revealing top, I think he did want to put the NTR thought in the minds of Japanese fans.
Since Akamatsu-sensei has always shown the pactio moment for all of Negi’s partners, I figure we’ll see Chizuru’s moment of pactio with Negi sooner rather than later.
So, a fun chapter with a plus for seeing Asuna again and a plus for the unexpected Chizuru stuff at the end.
I’ll be keeping an eye open for those chapter 341 rare spoiler images. Hope those are coming back ’cause I sure like to see them even if no one else does. ^_^
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I can understand that Chizuru is from a rich family, but didn’t expect her to be a daughter of an industrialist…
Just jumping in to say that Fate/Zero episode 2 is out since Saturday. I’m looking forward to reading your review of it, as per usual. You’ll get a glimpse of the Caster Servant i mentioned in the comments to the previous episode, so brace up.
I’ll be keeping an eye open for those chapter 241 rare spoiler images. Hope those are coming back ’cause I sure like to see them even if no one else does. ^_^
What chu talkin’ about, Willis? 😉
Count me in, for sure. And thank you for the fact that you keep linking them for us.
~~~
I do wonder whether this is just a prolonged wrap-up… it’s kinda sad that they would rush sensei to wham-bang-done finish the Magic World arc if that’s so and we’re actually on the home stretch.
Any bets on whether we get new cameos from sensei’s other works before all is said and done? It’d be kinda fun to have them actually run into people instead of them just appearing in the background. Heck, maybe we’ll find out that Naru went on to be the prime minister, and the “his” was just an errant translator assumption? ^_^
Last random thought: Anyone else amused by Iincho getting into it so much that she had her hand firmly planted on Negi’s butt? Talk about taking the lead…
There’s one thing I found seemingly at fault here (other than the 241/341 typo at the end 😀 ) You mentioned “Since Akamatsu-sensei has always shown the pactio moment for all of Negi’s partners,” but this hasn’t really been fully true. Both Haruna and Asakura’s pactios happened offscreen, (although we got to see Haruna’s preemptive kiss in ch126 and Kazumi’s photo of the event, they don’t really count). Given that, however its still a pretty good bet we’ll see how it happened.
Those spoilers might be a while, because I think that Akamatsu is taking a week off
was it really an almost pactio reversal or just a case of “unreliable narrator” since Ayaka may have embelished a little.
I’d do it with Chizuru, pactio that is.
I can understand that Chizuru is from a rich family, but didn’t expect her to be a daughter of an industrialist…
Well, from a story perspective, it makes sense seeing as how Negi needs heavy industry to carry out his plan (and to eventually create the future tech we saw Chao use).
Just jumping in to say that Fate/Zero episode 2 is out since Saturday.
Yeah, going to try to watch it in a bit.
I do wonder whether this is just a prolonged wrap-up… it’s kinda sad that they would rush sensei to wham-bang-done finish the Magic World arc if that’s so and we’re actually on the home stretch.
I don’t get the sense of a prolonged wrap-up. I get a sense of laying the groundwork for a new arc while taking the time to peek in on other classmates.
Any bets on whether we get new cameos from sensei’s other works before all is said and done?
I’d love for Motoko to cameo with a speaking role. It is assumed she cameo’d back when Konoka flashbacked her meeting Setsuna for the first time.
Heck, maybe we’ll find out that Naru went on to be the prime minister, and the “his” was just an errant translator assumption? ^_^
Well, this story is still set in 2003 (I think) so I’m not sure how it would go (I’d guess whomever was the real Prime Minister at the time).
Last random thought: Anyone else amused by Iincho getting into it so much that she had her hand firmly planted on Negi’s butt? Talk about taking the lead…
I’m sure there will be hentai doujinshi on this subject at the next Comiket. ^_~
You mentioned “Since Akamatsu-sensei has always shown the pactio moment for all of Negi’s partners,” but this hasn’t really been fully true. Both Haruna and Asakura’s pactios happened offscreen, (although we got to see Haruna’s preemptive kiss in ch126 and Kazumi’s photo of the event, they don’t really count). Given that, however its still a pretty good bet we’ll see how it happened.
Hmmmm…I had thought that Paru’s pactio was onscreen in some fashion, but maybe I’m thinking about the earlier kiss.
Those spoilers might be a while, because I think that Akamatsu is taking a week off
He is, but that’s for the upcoming Wednesday issue of the magazine. Spoilers *could* show up by Thursday (doubt it but it could happen).
was it really an almost pactio reversal or just a case of “unreliable narrator” since Ayaka may have embelished a little.
I tend to think it was the real deal since we were shown Negi’s card forming and Ayaka wouldn’t know about that on her own.
I’d do it with Chizuru, pactio that is.
Despite her young motherly appearance, she’s still 15. ^_~
Dear god, Ayaka.
Negi’s gonna need several weeks of therapy for this.
Ku_fei lover: Sorry for the atrocious pun, but no doubt Ayaka would be glad to be his the-rapist.
Despite her young motherly appearance, she’s still 15. ^_~
Even though she looks like that should be in hexidecimal. ^_~
Poor Kotaro. Sigh. I suppose it was inevitable that he would lose out to Negi but still, his mother figure who took him in off the street? Feels a bit…sickening. Although I suppose I will be in the minority with that opinion.
Well, the whole NRT genre is supposed to cause such emotions in the reader and the more I’ve read about the subject, the more I believe that this was what Akamatsu-sensei was going for.
I understand what you mean. Although I’m not really a fan of NRT I just never thought that something like Negima would dabble in it. But like I said I think it is just me most people would probably prefer for Negi’s harem to increase and, considering Chizuru now is doing secret missions with him, I guess she doesn’t really care that much for Kotaro anymore anyway. It just makes me kinda sad. But I stress I am in the minority.
I just got done reading this chapter so I apologize for the late comment, but I didn’t notice this theory even though I’m sure its out there. I found it interesting that as Fate was about to counter Kotaro’s veiwpoint about what makes Ayake’s artifact so powerful that he got cut off. I believe his point was gonna be that its not powerful because you can meet people that would normally be difficult to meet. But you can FIND people that can’t be found. Whether there’s rules preventing certain things I suppose that’d get brought up later but I think that could lead into the next story arc. The group’s realization and preperation for whatever they end up meeting if they use her artifact to locate Negi’s father. Just a thought.
That’s certainly possible.
…I’m a latecomer so I just got here now but…does this mean Chizu-nee’s abandoning Kota-kun for Negi? Did Kota-kun do something bad? Chizuru’s only ever had one conversation with Negi why would she do this. I don’t understand my head is confused. She spent all her time with Kota-kun, always took care of him, always flirted with him and she’s never even looked Negi’s way. Why would Chizu-nee suddenly do this. Am I perhaps reading to much into this? I hope so. Poor Kota-kun why would your mommy do this, she still loves him right? She took him in right? I mean a pactio doesn’t necessarily mean that Chizuru romantically loves Negi and we have no evidence they kissed and Akamatsu-sensei says there’s other ways to make pactio’s right. I don’t know what NTR is but I don’t think I’d like it. What do you mean when you say Chizuru will never be satisfied with Kota-kun again? What did he do? 🙁