魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 37 Chapter 341 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 341

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Asuna comes home and is greeted by Konoka with a hug. Setsuna backs off, gets on the ground, and bows, addressing Asuna in a VERY formal way as she’s a princess. Asuna is taken aback by this, but as Setsuna’s subservient attitude continues into the giant, dorm bath, Asuna has had enough and goes off on her, even crying and as Konoka notes, uses Setsuna’s own nature against her to get her to stop being so formal and subservient.

After their bath and back in the dorm room, Asuna is still having to scold Setsuna and assure her of their friendship.  Asuna notices that Konoka is studying and sees that it is magic reference books.  Konoka says she wants to become a Magister Magi and keep her promise with Setsuna.  Setsuna ponders this and the following day, goes to see Mana at the shrine. Mana is in her miko gear, sweeping one of the stages while Ku Fei and Kaede train nearby.  Setsuna challenges Mana’s work, leading Mana to reveal that she makes big donations to Musashi Mahora, an orphanage. She tosses her locket to Setsuna, saying that she has decided to devote herself to the ideals of the man who found her.

This amazes Setsuna as Ku Fei and Kaede come by.  Ku states that she wants to go on a journey or martial training with her final objective being Negi. Kaede is content with good friends, good food, a good sleep, and a good day. This makes Setsuna wonder if she’s lost so she consults more comrades from their Magic World adventure. She starts with Yue, who interprets Setsuna’s question about the future as being her own plans for hooking up with Negi, which Yue feels she’s not even at the starting line with so many interested in Negi.  Yue flees when she realizes that wasn’t what Setsuna wanted.  Setsuna catches her and Yue says she wants to help Negi, standing on her own strength, improving her grades, and then returning to Ariadne to study.

Setsuna sees Paru, who’s not happy with Yue’s answer in light of Chachamaru’s move. Her own goals are to take control of both the Magic World and Earth.  Setsuna sees Asakura, who is planning to follow Negi and make her report when the time is right.  Setsuna sees Makie, who has started studying and has become more mature.  Yuuna’s plans for the future apparently involve marrying her papa.  Setsuna learns that Chachamaru is now Negi’s secretary and is planning to become officially certified in this.  Chisame says she would advise Negi, but only if he asked.

Setsuna ponders all of this and imagines a future with Konoka, doing adventures and more. Setsuna flails about, unaware the Eva is behind her, eating ice cream and observing in a bored fashion. When Setsuna becomes aware of Eva, she tries to explain, but Eva dismisses it, stating that Setsuna’s delusions are on par with Chachamaru’s. She performs the Denki Anma wrestling move on Setsuna and chastises her for worrying after having told Eva during the Mahora Festival that she was going to follow both the sword and happiness.

Setsuna explains that during combat, she felt a bond with the others, but now, she feels Asuna and Negi are moving ahead and away from her.  Eva replies that this is the reaction of a warrior in peacetime, but that if Setsuna were like she was before the Kyoto arc, she wouldn’t have even noticed. Eva punishes Setsuna with more wrestling moves before stopping and asking if Setsuna had heard about the price Asuna and Negi have paid.  Setsuna hadn’t, and as if on cue, Negi and Asuna arrive.  As Setsuna wonders what price Asuna and Negi have paid, Eva says she has one final lesson for those two.

Thoughts/Review:

Although this was a very ecchi chapter at times, I loved this Setsuna-centric chapter.

In some ways, I’m torn about Setsuna’s attitude.  On one hand, I totally understand and appreciate her samurai desire to serve a lord.  On the other hand, how can she so easily dismiss the times she and Asuna faced death together and came out victorious?  We saw them in action against the hoard in the Kyoto arc, and while we didn’t see them in action together during the Magic World arc, they did take down a dragon together and fend off other bounty hunters. For Setsuna, I guess the subservient element trumps all else.

Still, Asuna’s method of handling Setsuna is perfect, though I do think Asuna was hurt at some level by Setsuna’s change in attitude.

It is great how Akamatsu-sensei worked Mana into this chapter. She and Setsuna have a history of working together on missions, prior to the events in the Kyoto arc. So, as two mercenaries, it makes sense to me that Setsuna would seek out her advice.  At the same time, Akamatsu-sensei gets to touch on the thread of Mana’s life with her former partner.  That was the element I liked most. The indication is that this guy found a young Mana and rescued her, explaining why she was partnered with someone at an early age. He died but she kept up the fight, using her funds to send money to an orphanage, quietly.  I like that a lot.

One thing I’d like to learn more about is Mana.  What happened to cause her to be an orphan? Why is she attached to this shrine as a half-mazoku?  Hopefully, she ends up with a pactio with Negi (which I’m guessing will happen, but not for some time).

Ku Fei’s goals were completely what one would expect — more training and Negi.  Kaede’s were a bit surprising. I thought she too might have specifically mentioned helping Negi, but she’s pretty content with things as they are now.  One could assume that this includes Negi since she does have a pactio with him.

Yue’s plans were pretty much what most of us would expect — Negi, but also becoming stronger and returning to Ariadne.  Hopefully, she can get her memory problems sorted out.  I do wonder what purpose Akamatsu-sensei has for keeping some of her memories hidden.  I half expect some sort of revelation of something that Yue knew during this blacked-out time but which was something she didn’t realize she knew back then.  As such, if she knew now what she knew then, it would reveal certain things to Yue which would cause the story to have to come to an end rather quickly.  So, keeping Yue in the dark allows for a slow, natural discovery of this “secret” (for lack of a better term).

Setsuna’s chats with other girls were by the numbers. It is still freaky that Yuuna has a thing for her papa.  Watch Akamatsu-sensei pull out a “He’s not your papa” card so Yuuna can hook up with Papa.  I like that Makie is shaping up on her grades.

As for Eva, well that was just priceless. First, there was the facial expressions before her going off on Setsuna with a series of wrestling moves.  At least Eva had the common courtesy to take off her shoe before hammering Setsuna.

So, just what is the price that Asuna and Negi paid?  I’m hoping that Setsuna gets in on that conversation.  Somehow, I think she will.  Also, I wonder what Eva’s final lesson will be.

In the end, a good chapter here, even if there was more ecchi in it than I would have preferred.