November 26th, 2011 
AstroNerdBoy 魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 37 Chapter 344 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 344
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Asuna tells a weeping Setsuna that she’s OK with being sealed and that not doing it will ruin everything on the Magic World. Besides, Asuna says that both Negi and Eva will be there, though Eva scoffs at the notion of seeing Asuna. However, Asuna’s words and attitude make Setsuna proud of Asuna and strengthen her resolve to be a better person.
With that over, it is time for the Sports Festival, where Kaede and Kotaro are taking in the sights as well as a corn dog when they spot Negi. They are stopped from speaking to Negi by Konoka, Paru, Makie, and Nodoka, where the group then darts to a hiding place to observe Yue confessing to Negi. The girls are all happy, but Negi is flustered and Yue tells him she can wait for an answer until after she graduates. It is then that her remaining forgotten memories return, leading her to believe that her amnesia was something she secretly wished for because she knew Nodoka likes Negi.
This has her in tears, leading Paru to get angry and brings out another group of hidden girls to emerge. Even though they realize that Yue’s is crying because of her restored memories, the girls decide Negi must be punished. So, as the class works on a banner for the Sports Festival, Negi is the topic of discussion. Yuuna decides that Negi is a horrible person for toying with the hearts of so many girls in the class and thus truly is the enemy of womankind.
Misa gets in on the conversation after hearing Asakura speak of the lips Negi has stolen since she only knew of Negi’s kiss with Nodoka during the Kyoto trip. Yuuna realizes her mistake after showing her pactio card, so Misa demands that every girl with a card display them now. All of the girls Negi has formed a pactio with flash their cards, with Setsuna embarrassed because she has two cards, one with Konoka. Natsumi, Misora, and Mana also show their cards, though Mana points out that their cards aren’t with Negi. Asakura mentions that Negi also has pactiones with Asuna and Ayaka.
The cheerleaders are stunned by this news and decide they want in on the action. Fuka and Fumika are upset that Kaede scored a pactio and didn’t tell them. The girls stop all work to have a meeting about Negi’s inappropriate behavior. Akira tries to remind them of Negi’s age but Paru is having none of it, fearing Negi will eventually break away from them all as he goes after his father. She and Misa reject Nodoka’s and Yue’s argument that Negi not having girls first in his life is one of his good points. As such, Asakura decides to help them for Negi’s sake at the final event that will be hosted at Ayaka’s place.
Meanwhile, Negi walks with Asuna and discuss making memories at the Sports Festival. Asuna nullifies one of Negi’s sneezes and the two walk off still talking.
Thoughts/Review:
Note: the first two pages of chapter 344 will be transposed to chapter 343 as the last 2 pages for volume 37, in case you were wondering. ^_^
I know that a lot of folks won’t care much for Asuna’s cheerful attitude regarding being sealed for 100 years, but in my mind, the issue is a non-starter. Asuna has accepted it, I believe it, and Setsuna comes to understand and accept it as well. Case closed.
That being said, even if Asuna is sealed, I fully expect her to emerge with her personality intact. However, I do expect Negi will do whatever he can to either make it so she isn’t sealed or that her entombment is not 100 years.
As to Eva…*lol* Eva may say she won’t be there in 100 years, but assuming Asuna is sealed that long, I fully expect Eva will be there despite herself. ^_^
Now, the Sports Festival starts and time to have some fun. Frankly, this isn’t a problem with me. I like Negima! and I like the characters within. So, having a bit of fluff such as this operation to punish Negi is all good with me. After all, it means my favorite manga goes on a bit longer than it would if there was a mad drive to get into dark, deep, plot elements. (As an aside, I’m sure Akamatsu-sensei really needs an extended period of lighter chapters because when you get to your 40’s, it isn’t as easy to burn the midnight oil. ^_^;;;; )
While I know some of you may be unhappy with what you are seeing, I sense that like before, Akamatsu-sensei will use this “filler” arc to continue introducing certain plot elements and establish a few more pactiones for Negi. For starters, we saw Yue get her memories back and that’s a good thing (though I had thought that she might get them at a later time for a specific reason).
As to the girl’s behavior, some folks see it as a regression of character development, but I see it as typical, young teenage girl behavior. The girls driving this have always been the most immature in my opinion, save for Asakura who’s in this for the fun (as usual). The others are just going along for the ride and possibly to make sure things don’t get too out of hand (I see you Akira and hope you score the next pactio).
Interestingly, it seems that Chizuru didn’t reveal she has a pactio with Negi since she didn’t flash a card. Its possible she’s just holding out but we’ll see. If she did not flash her card, why not?
So yeah, immaturity here but typical, teenage behavior that isn’t just going to change just because of their experiences. ^_^
Oh yeah, just how did those girls sneak up on Kaede? Since Natsumi showed up a bit later, I’m going to assume she used her artifact to sneak up on Kaede and Kotaro. Its the only way they could have done so.
Finally, the closing moments with Negi and Asuna were very poignant. They know what’s coming but nothing more needs saying about it even if it is in the air.
So for me, a good chapter. I look forward to the hijinks that are soon to come. ^_^
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I actually have strong doubts Asuna will be sealed at all. it just doesnt seem like something Negi would let happen.
akira-the lone sane man(girl) and lol at chacha holding up chiu’s arm.
Anyone else think Negi saying he was getting chills might be indicative of something weird going on?
i dont think the girls sneaked up on kaede and kotaro. they are friends so even if k&k knew they were coming they wouldnt react. and the mouth covering was completely unexpected.
Why am I getting the horrible suspicion that Asuna is going to have an ‘accident’?
And I also get the feeling that Negi’s problem with going out of control isn’t completely gone…
I for one am very interest in why Asuna is so sure about being sealed up. I think it is because of her own memories returning. If so I expect a flashback chapter or two some time before the we go farther into the story.
As for the Negima sniffs, may I remind you that most of 3A is talking about him, and if that not an excuse for an anime-sneeze fit, I don’t know what can be one.
“Interestingly, it seems that Chizuru doesn’t have a pactio with Negi since she didn’t flash a card. Its possible she’s just holding out but we’ll see.”
Wait, what are you talking about? Chizuru got a Pactio back in Chapter 340. Or did you mean she hasn’t let any of the other girls know about it yet?
either chao show up after the time-skip,.. or she show up at the sport festival (right at the time our peloved negi get violated by older girls) in any case i still think she gonna bring all of them to the future… because i couldn’t wait to see the girls reaction when they meet the future negi (he still gonna grow a little b4 he went immortal.. right)
i’m hoping for that feeling we get when the once little goku show up at the tournament as a grown up saiyan.. ^_^ though i guess the grownup pills kinda make that feeling less exiting.. or ak sensei has something up his sleeves (make a 15 years old version of negi)
yea… i still hoping for chaos comeback
I discovered Negima! after reading Love Hina which was a wonderful manga. So, for me the light comedy/romance chapters are the most interesting ones.
Now Negima! is a subtle mix between romance, comedy and action. We should just enjoy what we get from Akamatsu-sensei and prey that it doesn’t end to fast 🙂
And concerning this chapter, I agree with the girls : Negi must be punished … :>
hold the phone….time travel? of course!
They could seal asuna. then the entire class could be waiting for her in 100 years when she wakes up. even better if they take her back to the present.
the one draw back to this theory would of course be that negi would need his time watch back…..or chao shows up.
YOu missed something that stuck out quite a bit to me. Akira said” He is twelve” Negi is twelve now, for what ever reason. we don’t know how much time has passed obviously but apparently, whether through time spent in the orb or maybe there’s already been some integral time-skip we haven’t been alerted to, Negi is 12
I actually have strong doubts Asuna will be sealed at all. it just doesnt seem like something Negi would let happen.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I can see him finding another solution and I can also see her being sealed for at least some amount of time, if not all 100-years.
akira-the lone sane man(girl) and lol at chacha holding up chiu’s arm.
I totally meant to say something about Chachamaru doing that. *lol* Oops. ^_^; Still, I think it says something about their relationship. Chachamaru and Chisame started this odd friendship going back to the Mahora Festival, so its fun to see that element survive.
Anyone else think Negi saying he was getting chills might be indicative of something weird going on?
I think that is the joke there. ^_^
i dont think the girls sneaked up on kaede and kotaro. they are friends so even if k&k knew they were coming they wouldnt react. and the mouth covering was completely unexpected.
Looking at the frame in question, it seems the girls just appeared suddenly. Look at the little marks on either end, which I take as indicators of “suddenly appearing.” Combine that with Natsumi being with them after they dart for cover and I think she did sneak them in. I don’t think that was the original plan though. I think they originally planned to just observe Yue confess to Negi but then Kotaro caused a change of plans. ^_^
Why am I getting the horrible suspicion that Asuna is going to have an ‘accident’?
Hmmmmm…I haven’t had that feeling. If anything, I am kinda leaning toward Asuna getting sealed, at least for a little while.
And I also get the feeling that Negi’s problem with going out of control isn’t completely gone…
That’s very possible.
I for one am very interest in why Asuna is so sure about being sealed up. I think it is because of her own memories returning. If so I expect a flashback chapter or two some time before the we go farther into the story.
I hope you are right. I don’t think said flashback will be coming immediately, but possibly before she goes “back into the machine.” I’ve been wanting some sort of chapter showing Asuna coming to terms with her younger self that was used and then traveled with Nagi and company.
Wait, what are you talking about? Chizuru got a Pactio back in Chapter 340. Or did you mean she hasn’t let any of the other girls know about it yet?
Yeah, my wording sucked there didn’t it. ^_^;;;; I meant that she didn’t reveal she had a card when the other girls did and it appears she was in the classroom making the sign.
Regardless, I do wonder why she didn’t flash her card and why no one else seemed to know about it when they knew of Asuna’s and Ayaka’s.
either chao show up after the time-skip,.. or she show up at the sport festival (right at the time our peloved negi get violated by older girls) in any case i still think she gonna bring all of them to the future… because i couldn’t wait to see the girls reaction when they meet the future negi (he still gonna grow a little b4 he went immortal.. right)
Hmmmm…Chao turning up now. Well, that could be interesting. Not sure I see that happening now but I could be wrong.
I discovered Negima! after reading Love Hina which was a wonderful manga. So, for me the light comedy/romance chapters are the most interesting ones.
I can understand that. It was that element that caused me to seek out Negima! in the first place. However, Akamatsu-sensei’s writing won me over on a whole other level, which is why Negima! is my favorite manga.
hold the phone….time travel? of course!
They could seal asuna. then the entire class could be waiting for her in 100 years when she wakes up. even better if they take her back to the present.
Well, I think that if Asuna is sealed for 100 years, bringing her back would have to see her handicapped somehow. I say this because she’s deus ex machine, like Eva. Both of those characters can bail the main character out of hot water at any time. Akamatsu-sensei has kept Eva on a leash by giving her that “I don’t care” attitude, though with a bit of “I really do care” underneath so that if she is used once in a while, it doesn’t violate anything.
With Asuna, the moment she rescued Kaede and Setsuna from the trap designed to take out entire armies, she’d become too powerful (though it was a very cool moment). As such, all she has to do is stand as Negi’s shield maiden and no spell can get to him and I dare say, very little in the way of normal ranged attacks. Thus, the Negi-Asuna combination are near invincible.
the one draw back to this theory would of course be that negi would need his time watch back…..or chao shows up.
Chao showing up, or Negi using his gift of spell creation to create a spell that allows for time travel, which in the future, is then placed into Cassiopeia devices. ^_~
YOu missed something that stuck out quite a bit to me. Akira said” He is twelve” Negi is twelve now, for what ever reason.
I asked Canon Rap about that and he said it was a typo on his part in the script he sent in. Negi is ten.
This might be a miscommunication on my part – the fact that Asuna is cheerfully willing to be sealed isn’t at all the roach in the punchbowl I referred to previously. That fits in perfectly with her character. What keeps bothering me is that everything seems to add up to Asuna having changed the plan afterward.
Maybe Asuna was somehow privy to something Negi couldn’t have possibly known, or something KE did broke Negi’s original plan, or both. But regardless, it doesn’t really seem to fit the tone of the story. It means Negi forced KE to stop their plan on false premises, and it means that Baka Red is now correcting ~the~ expert on magic theory.
Like you guys, I’m looking forward to some flashbacks… to me, right now it feels like there are big missing pieces in the puzzle.
~~~~~
re: Chizuru, my bet is that it’s just her budding evil mastermind side showing again… she doesn’t see any advantage in revealing it, so she’ll keep quiet and terrorize Natsumi and Kotaro into doing so as well. It’s getting to be a habit. (^_~)
another interesting thing in the chapter … now everyone in 3A officially know about magic. (althrough if Negi is aware about that fact is still an open question, by my count he shouldn’t be aware of the twins and … yeah thats about it after the cheerleaders was brought in a few chapters ago)
Could be funny if an adult came down on him because he managed to screw up enough so ‘everyone’ knew
Really? Booooooo. Bad Canonrap. BAD. Smackitysmacksmack
What keeps bothering me is that everything seems to add up to Asuna having changed the plan afterward.
Maybe Asuna was somehow privy to something Negi couldn’t have possibly known, or something KE did broke Negi’s original plan, or both.
I think Asuna did change things up. At the same time, I keep thinking Negi is on Chao’s path.
It means Negi forced KE to stop their plan on false premises, and it means that Baka Red is now correcting ~the~ expert on magic theory.
Not exactly. It means that Asuna’s sacrifice buys Negi more time than Fate would have given him otherwise. Asuna basically keeps the Magic World together while Negi gets the place terraformed.
Chizuru, my bet is that it’s just her budding evil mastermind side showing again… she doesn’t see any advantage in revealing it, so she’ll keep quiet and terrorize Natsumi and Kotaro into doing so as well. It’s getting to be a habit. (^_~)
Heh. Maybe. ^_^;
Could be funny if an adult came down on him because he managed to screw up enough so ‘everyone’ knew
Considering the Headmaster was aware of the class going to the MW and such, I think Negi is pretty safe. ^_~