January 30th, 2012 
AstroNerdBoy 魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 38 Chapter 350 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 350
Negima! Manga Vol 38 Ch 350
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
The girls that had supported Paru and Yuuna begin abandoning them since they realize that they all have a chance with Negi, thus they turn to attack Paru and Yuuna, whom are forced to flee, vowing never to accept a harem ending. Meanwhile, Konoka attempts to get Negi to tell her whom he likes since she’s an interested 3rd-party, but she’s shot down by Asuna.
That night as the fireworks go off, Yue meets with Negi and after accepting that he really won’t say whom he favors, she vows to study hard and become someone who can help Negi. Ayaka races in from a great distance to kick Yue, scoffing at the idea of a Baka Ranger joining the project. Yue counters by showing her improving grades as well as her considering transferring to Ariadne Academy on the Magic World after graduation. The two get into a fight, but it stops when Nodoka shows up, announcing she’s not giving up on Negi. With the arrival of Ku Fei, Makie, Ako, and Chachamaru, Ayaka accepts this and announces that they are all rivals. With that, they give chase to Negi.
At the same time, this is observed by Mana, Eva, Chisame, Setsuna, Asuna, Konoka, Misora, and Hakase, the later announcing that the family registry she produced for Chao was in fact fake. Seeing all this, Asuna decides that things will be OK if she’s not around. Negi looks back to the group where Asuna is and smiles, causing Konoka to wonder if Asuna is his favorite. She denies it, saying he was looking to the left, specifically pointing out Eva, Mana, and Chisame. Mana shoots down the notion of Negi looking her way while Eva is a bit flustered by it. Misora decides to tease Chisame about it, getting Chisame riled up even though she’s reminded of how close she was to Negi in the Magic World. Konoka attempts to get Chamo to use his abilities to determine whom Negi likes, but he refuses since it would be boring, in addition to betraying Negi.
Five months later in a private ceremony one week before Asuna’s class officially graduates, Negi and Takahata are there as Negi presents Asuna with her middle school graduation certificate. Takahata is frustrated with himself and apologizes for being responsible for laying the forthcoming burden on Asuna. Asuna is sure she’ll be happy when she wakes in a hundred years and decides that Takahata better get married, likely to Shizuna-sensei, so that he can have children, whom will also have children, one of which Asuna would then possibly be able to marry. Because she’s so insistent on him getting married and having a child, he gives up and simply congratulates Asuna on graduating.
Ayaka races in, relieved to find Asuna hasn’t been sent off to sleep yet, something Asuna hadn’t mentioned but apparently Negi had, and as such, Ayaka grabs Asuna and drags her to a remote tree on the Mahora grounds. Handing Asuna a shovel, Ayaka and Asuna dig up a cookie tin, where Ayaka has placed a large number of pictures, many of Ayaka and Asuna fighting. Ayaka hands Asuna a specific picture to take with her since in one hundred years, they won’t be there. Asuna tries to blow it off, leading Ayaka to slap her and cry, chastising Asuna before hugging her. Asuna concedes that of all the people she’s met, meeting Ayaka was probably her best moment and states her platonic love for Asuna as she looks at a picture of the two of them as kids, bandaged up and smiling together.
Thoughts/Review:
So, the “hated” arc is winding down. With it coming to an end, it is so clear to me what Akamatsu-sensei is attempting to accomplish; whether he does the theorized “hundred year leap” or not, he’s properly established Asuna’s departure, couching it in the sports festival and subsequent class nuttiness for Negi. For us in the audience, this arc is the last one that Asuna gets with her classmates in a comical sense, and possibly in any sense at all. When she and Negi fought an unleashed Eva, it was the last time she’d be Negi’s battle partner. The “whom does Negi like” was the vehicle for the fun, non-serious adventure where Asuna could get that final assurance that once she was gone, the rest of the battle harem would pick up the slack and take care of Negi properly.
Because of this, it makes Ayaka’s dragging Asuna to the time capsule even more emotional. No matter how many times I’ve seen these pages, I tear up. The moments would have been emotional enough, considering the history between Asuna and Ayaka going back to the beginning of the manga, but recent events added to the emotion of the moment because we know this is Asuna’s farewell tour. Even many of those who hated this arc (and I am most certainly not in that number) are subconsciously affected by the events of the previous chapters in the arc, even if they hated the arc and don’t realize its impact on them.
Anyway, Ayaka’s and Asuna’s relationship has always been fun, so it is a shame that it has to come to an end. However, Akamatsu-sensei is filling the void with Ayaka now officially declaring herself rivals with the others in Negi’s battle harem whom have declared their feelings for Negi. Heck, she even fought Yue in a manner she might have battled Asuna. ^_^
Speaking of Yue, I don’t think we’ll see this hundred year leap, but rather, I do think that we will see Yue on the Magic World. That would give Akamatsu-sensei a permanent link there, as well as a means for Yue to become an even stronger mage, to say nothing of being able to bring back characters like Emily, Collette, and Beau. I think it is a good possibility that we’ll see the all but forgotten Shiori over there too, and possibly her former comrades.
I like the symbolism of Asuna and company standing on the pillars that were a part of Chao’s departure from the series. I also loved how Eva is still flustered at the thought of Negi favoring her as well as Chisame’s “irritation” at the notion of herself being the favorite of Negi. Then, there’s Konoka’s attempts to get the information from Chamo and from Negi regarding the favorite. *lol*
So, nothing left but to wait for Asuna’s actual departure.
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There is even more evidence of this arc being Asuna’s farewell tour. Besides her battle with Eva being her last time being Negi’s battle partner, there are even more “last time” moments. There was the “last fight with Class Rep”, the “last lecturing of Negi”, the “last confronting of Takahata”, and the entire who-does-Negi-like event could have been put there specifically to be the “last ‘Does Negi like Asuna?'” moment, which has been a question going strong since the earliest chapters of the manga, and was alluded at by the commentary of almost the entire class, in almost every chapter since the end of the Magic World Arc. As I see it, the only thing left is for Negi and Asuna to say goodbye, and for both of them to show their true feelings over her departure, which have doubtlessly been very tightly controlled by both of them for the benefit of the class.
Well, since I expect Negi to do what he can to get Asuna unsealed as soon as possible, then that could help fuel the Asuna-X-Negi shippers. ^_^
I might be alone in thinking this but at the beginning of the chapter, Makie and Ako struck me as being a little fickle. Rather than taking Negi’s side in the first place like they should have if their feelings were real, they waited until they found out that they still had a chance before they started helping him. As if they thought, “the competition isn’t over yet! time to start earning ‘points.'” The only ones that actually helped him just to help him were Asuna, Akira and Satsuki.
I lol’d at Kuu’s face in the dogpile scene. It’s like she was awkwardly trying to be as open with her affections as Ayaka and Makie. And poor Yue off to the side. Also that ending T_T
Spoiler Warning.
Looking at the raws of 351, I don’t think it’s too crazy to say that instead of a timeskip, we get a couple time rollbacks. Negi shows his class book to Asuna and it looks like he’s written a lot of stuff that happened during the 5 month time skip in this chapter. Mentions something about Kaede’s home, Zazie being a princess, Haruna being wanted for questioning, and the word “valentine” keeps popping up all over it. This all sounds like plot points for entire arcs that could be shown to us kind of like when Negi and Kotaro were reminiscing about the stuff they did during the beginning of summer before they left for the magic world. But I don’t think I’d like that considering how the next chapter ends.
I’ll try to remember to mention this in my review, but I think “Valentine” would indicate girls giving him Valentine’s Day chocolates.
I respectfully disagree.
lol, just read your review and then minutes later, Naselare released ch 351… ;D
Konoka must really be nosy since she is trying to find out who the girl Negi likes so badly.
I actually liked this arc, some people are getting to out of shape for something that is fictional and meant for entertainment.
Also, you made a mistake “Nodoka attempts to get Chamo to use his abilities”, it should be Konoka not Nodoka.
Am I only one who feels that Asuna’s sealing wont go as planned? I don’t think we’ve heard the last from the Senate or KE.
Fixed. Thanks. ^_^;
For the record, I still think there are way too many unanswered questions about how/why she needs to be sealed, other than “because the plotline requires it”. But it looks like we won’t be getting the answers for a while, if ever.
I think the answer has already been told — the Magic World is about to collapse. So, to buy Negi the time he needs to terraform Mars, Asuna becomes the core of the Magic World to allow it to function until that time, in 100-years.
I think you’re right, that this is the only answer we’re going to get, but I don’t believe that’s inconsistent with what I was saying. I don’t want to go into the reasons I ranted about before all over again, but I still believe there are a number of inconsistencies with the specifics how this was resolved.
It’s just not like Akamatsu-sensei to use more than traces of Handwavium in his work… and it makes me wonder if something (editor, family, other) is making him telescope the story down to get it finished in a BIG hurry, instead of the pace he’d intended.
Well, the rushed ending of the series aside, Asuna had been used at various times in her life for the Magic World. Once it was revealed that Asuna had the power to restore most everything that had been removed from the Magic World, combined with her being a deus ex machina character, I wasn’t surprised that she was “required” to be sealed to keep the MW functioning.
Still, your noticing the “get it finished in a BIG hurry” was not amiss.
“Am I only one who feels that Asuna’s sealing wont go as planned? I don’t think we’ve heard the last from the Senate or KE.”
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Maybe. Or Asuna could turn up with Chao. Either way, I doubt that this is the last we’ve seen of her.
I agree. I kinda like the idea of her showing up with Chao, but…well, I’ll try to remember to say more in my review.
anyone think Asuna gets sent back in time at the perfect moment to ask “what’s everyone moping about”
Well, anything’s possible. ^_~