January 7th, 2015 
AstroNerdBoy ユーキューホルダー! Manga Review
UQ Holder Chapter 63
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
TATSUMIYA Mana introduces herself to Touta as a friend of his grandfather and decides that as his senpai, she can give him some pointers. Touta is reluctant, but he agrees to this as Ikkuu and Kuroumaru observe from a distance, Kuroumaru sensing that Mana isn’t ordinary. Since Touta is immortal, Mana says she won’t hold back.
She first puts some melee moves on Touta before brandishing a gun. Touta deflects the bullets with Gravity Blade, so she produces a second gun. Since Touta is well skilled in deflecting bullets, she praises him. Touta uses shundou to get close, but Mana uses that against him. Touta attempts to get a lick in when she runs out of bullets, but Mana deftly avoids the blow. Touta charges, thinking she’s out, but she simply drops her guns as two more appear.
Touta tries to get distance, but Mana produces a rifle and shoots him, after which shes on him quickly, telling him that if she blows his head off, he’s finished. He concedes defeat, but she tells him he passes, which confuses Touta.
Touta asks about how strong his grandfather is, so she tells him that he was 100 times stronger than she is. She fondly recalls Negi’s skill, but hearing this depresses Touta. Mana likes this and thinks that Touta has a promising future, so she says she’ll excuse his absence to point him in the right direction to develop. Touta, Kuroumaru, and Ikkuu follow her to the Headmaster’s Office, where she tells them she’s only the acting Headmaster as she’s doing this job as a favor to an old friend.
Mana tells Touta about the Mahora Martial Arts Tournament, with the finals held at the top of the tower.
Thoughts/Review:
I could basically write, “Mana is awesomeness” and end this review right there because it is true and that’s almost all that needs to be said. 😉
In terms of what Mana did in fighting Touta, there’s nothing new there. That doesn’t make her skills any less impressive though.
The questions I have are,
- How did Mana know that Touta was Negi’s grandson?
- If she was the Headmaster, why wasn’t she involved in the Sayoko case? After all, she’s a half-mazoku exorcist with an eye that can see things.
- Who is the old friend who put her in this job?
For item 1, I suspect that Eva and Mana have been in contact and that this is how UQ Holder was able to infiltrate the school so easily. As such, Eva would have given Mana the lowdown on Touta. That’s how she’d know he wants to get to the top of the tower.
Further, when Touta expressed an interest in training to Eva (but not in getting stronger), she immediately sent them on this mission. So the goal may have been for Mana to test Touta after the mission was over and then help him get the training he needs.
For item 2, I can only surmise that Mana hasn’t been schoolmaster that long, maybe a year or two.
For item 3, there’s a chance Mana’s friend who put her in this job is Eva, but I tend to suspect it will be someone else we know.
I find it interesting that Mana did not appear to recognize Gravity Blade.
As to the new martial arts tournament, I can’t say I’m that enthused about it. I had my fill in Negima, and I’m not that interested in seeing another tournament. But, as I learned in Yu Yu Hakusho and then was reminded of in Negima, tournaments are were one can get stronger quicker.
Finally, I noticed that Akamatsu-sensei is trying to play up Touta as having lost. I got the feeling from this chapter that he’s responding to complaints from fans who see Touta instantly master anything he sees and is trying to say, “Well, Touta’s really still weak. Yeah, weak.” I also see this as a way for Sensei to have more powerful people that Touta can spank in the traditional shounen manga ways.
In the end, the chapter was a good one, but mainly because Mana is awesomeness.
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Regarding item 2, there is also the possibility she came to Mahora and became acting headmaster sometime between the end of the whole Sayoko deal and now. But we need more information to make that judgement.
The person who asked her to do it may also be a descendent of someone from Negima.
The chapter was only a fight scene, so there’s not much, good or bad, to say on it. The fight was well drawn and choreographied, but there’s still little to no substance here, as a mere bridge chapter.
“I got the feeling from this chapter that he’s responding to complaints from fans who see Touta instantly master anything he sees”
That’s the typical power fantasy stuff the target audience eats by the spoonfuls, so I doubt it was because of complains from Japanese fans (and it’s unlikely he even can read what us Westerners say). Maybe he had realized he was portraying Touta as too uber to write challenges for him later on, and realized he was writing himself into a corner again.
And speaking of the power curves Negima wrote himself in, Negi being ‘100 times stronger than Mana’ was the sole truly cringe worthy part of this chapter. Mostly, if Negi was 100 times stronger than Mana, and Negi needed help to go fight the Lifemaker, why bringing Mana in then? Assuming, then, Lifemaker was 100++ times stronger than Mana, Mana should have been useless in THAT conflict. It’s like I’m going into a ring with a heavyweight champ and bring my two year old son with me, hoping his baby slaps will make just the difference I’ll need to cover the gap. He only was risking her there.
That, and it continues the universe’s overblown worship of Negi. Negi was always soooo stronger, smarter, better at everything than everyone else (especially females not named Evangeline), and by now it just smacks of a Messianic obsession for the character. And now they want to push Touta down the same path, too? Eh.
Regarding the balance of power between Mana and Negi, I thought myself as she spoke of her Mazoku form. But after reading the chapter I wonder if she was talking rather about her human appearance. After all, it’s this form that Tota fought. He wanted to know or is Negi over the opponent who has just overcome him. In this case, Mana in its current form.
I think in Mazoku form, strength gap must still exist but less matter.
Oh, and what do I see? A comment containing both positive and negative reviews a chapter UQ? Is that a good proportion comment?
Who are you and what have you done with our international hater?!
Lol just a little humor. ^^
The headmaster is mostly likely to be konoka, however mana never really made friends with 3-A, the person she was closest to was setsuna? I do believe, but that’s just based on the limited panel in which she interacts with others, but perhaps I’m taking the implementation of the word “friend” to far and she was just being casual. As to why konoka has been absent, perhaps asuna passed away 3 months ago+ and with no Airers. Thus creating a crisis of succession as well as causing tension as army’s are moved near the orsitan boarder as the kingdom appears vulnerable. She has been called in to “settle” things as is apate for the greatest magisiter who has healed and help hundreds of thousands, and having been married to the last known bearer of the successive bloodline of the previous dynasty (assuming asuna was aire apparent and a whole blooded sibling of the monarch took the thrown or coupè her father) has either A) made Ayaka grand duchess (assuming asuna married her, because the epilogue could of been inferred as such since their wasn’t even the back of the groom shown) to keep things stable, thus allowing touta to free negi and he can be made king choose a successor abstain or abolish it. B) has been made Queen since she has an assured line of succession. (wherever her son or daughter are they may just want a male heir in touta) “) C) the crisis of succession may be a key point in the bad Chao timeline and has appeared before konoka so that she may alter the timeline by having konoka intervene. D) Konoka has had declining health in the past 2 year’s so was unable to look after touta and has recently been hospitalised.
There is just a very simple problem with your theory: There is no guarantee that we are in the timeline of the epilogue. Despite all the good I personally think of the 3-A (It’s ironic huh?^^), I prefer to think that the epilogue is a “good-ending” in which Eva (and chao linchen came especially from her own temporal dimension/timeline to return Asuna in the past after her awake) have given to Asuna some valuable information to avoid the cataclysm of 2050 (but not the 30-year war on Mars lol! ^^). Besides the magic was revealed much later in UQ Holder.
I think we are in the timeline B (the one where Asuna sleeps for 100 years).
Personally, I think in fact it was a pattern that looks like this:
Timeline A: epilogue Negima: Good / perfect ending
Timeline B: Asuna is sealed for 100 years, the Negi plan succeeds and the magic is accepted but the 2050 disaster has caused many problems and suffering (timeline UQ Holder): normal / neutral ending
Timeline C: Negi does not implement his plan, the mundus-magicus is destroyed between 2010 and 2012 (according to calculations by Poyo), 100 years of war between the Earth and the survivors of the cataclysm, persecusión magicians and rejection of the supernatural (timeline Chao Linchen): bad / hopeless ending.
There! That said though Asuna is not present, the fact that the director is Konoka is always possible! ^^
The next arc is going to focus on the Mahora Marital Arts Tournament. Let’s hope that there is more to the arc other than the tournament. I want to know what happen to some of Mana’s classmates.. If Ken A. is smart, he will introduce a character who happens to be one of Touta’s cousins. during the arc Knowing how Touta tends to act around girls, the ideal cousin for Ken A. to introduce will be a female cousin of Touta’s. The female cousin can be a stronger fighter than Touta. Unlike Karin, Touta’s cousin will treat him with more kindness.
The next arc will likely give some clues about Touta’s family as well as what to some Mana;s clasmates. Touta’s paternal grandmother is Konoka. She is likely still alive despite of her age. I
So carrying on from the raw page.
Mahora academy festivals.
If the rules remain then same then the martial arts tournaments will forbid the use of ‘Weapons’ brooms, staff and coins are usable like before I assume but Touta will be getting a Physical or power boosting type ability (via Magia Erebea) though as Mana said… he has talent but lacks killer/finishing moves.
If it was Kaede then Touta would be learning Mid-Air Shundo but likely Mana will be teaching some tricks and a way for Touta to have a finishing move. Though unlike eva and negi, Touta cannot produce spells so his Magia Erebea fighting style would be more turning the opponents spells against them by absorbing and powering up.
Either way Touta is a very Rakan type character… stronger bare handed but fights with a blade.
Forgot to mention… since they bringing in one Negia cast member back at the time (The immortals or long life spam characters) we should have a guess who will be the next to appear/return (I assume in the tournament we will see someone)
So far have…
Evageline A.K. McDowell
Alberio Imma (Mentioned only)
Fate Averuncas
Negi Springfield (Mentioned and flash back only, confirmed to be Alive but speculated to have been sealed away or in trouble)
Mana Tatsumiya
Potential Ala Alba members to appear and is still believed to be alive… Zazie Rainyday, Asuna (Dependent on which reality UQ Holder is in), Chachamaru and Chao Lingshen (via Time Traveling).
“Deputy headmaster” reminds me more of normal “vice headmaster”. So when I read “acting headmaster”, it made more sense to me. After all, from what I read in MSN, I don’t find mana as someone who would work as a headmaster.
Still, we don’t know exactly when she started to be an acting president. Let alone one or two years, it could have been just one or two weeks..
Your comment on item 3 made me chuckle, because I honestly never considered Eva as possibly the friend Mana mentioned. It would be funny if that turns out to be the case.
The first person came to my mind when she mentioned “old friend” was Albireo. I know, his old place is wrecked down there, but maybe that has something to do with the world tree and not because he’s dead or incapacitated. He’s a troll after all. (Eva would agree with me. lol)
Almost forget to say this; yeah, Mana was awesome in this chapter.
“The first person came to my mind when she mentioned “old friend” was Albireo. I know, his old place is wrecked down there, but maybe that has something to do with the world tree and not because he’s dead or incapacitated. He’s a troll after all. (Eva would agree with me. lol)”
Eh I had not thought about that ! Good idea !
Alright, let’s see…
Not much to say about the chapter, but it feels danm good to see Touta getting curp-stomped. The fight against Fate should have happened like this, but alas, he’s far too obsessed with Negi now to fight as seriously as he used to in Negima against his grandson.
As for Negi being a hundred times stronger than Mana… Well, my preferences aside, if we consider his growth rate stayed the same after Negima ended, then I don’t find it THAT hard to believe. By the time Negima started he was a complete Noob: When he fought Chachamaru and Eva(weakened) he couldn’t even cast a spell while Chacha was just using small “attacks” – like poking his forehead or something: He was nowhere near the level of the strongest fighters, but…
The training from hell and Magia Erebea made him that strong in some months, to the point that, by the end of the series, he was already at Fate’s/Poyo/Mana’s level. Then, with the ME Immortality, he got even stronger. I’m not saying the others can’t improve: I’m just saying that Negi’s growth rate was never NORMAL to begin with.
He was always training and had the hard earned Magia Erebea (almost) at his side, tough. If he grew that strong during some months, I don’t think it was impossible for him to grow a hundred times stronger during the course of the years.
I’m pretty much neutral towards this development, though.
Okay, about Mana…
I’m starting to think she’s actually on Fate’s side. She said the exact same thing to Touta after the battle – “You pass”. And back in the day, she helped Chao, trying to change the future. Knowing Mana, I wonder if she doesn’t think Fate’s plan to bring Negi back is good for the world and is currently part of (Neo) Ala Alba. I think the Old Friend might be either Fate or someone else who joined him.
By the way, I apologize in advance for any typos or bad english in the above comment. I’m sleepy to the point that I’m almost falling head in the keyboard, so yeah. Won’t even proofread this.
The thing is Mana made a point clear, he had Thunder in Heaven, Great Vigor in his arsenal.
Raiten Taishou was capable of surprising the legendary Jack Rakan but as Rakan already mentioned, you are just telegraphing attacks so lightning speed shundo works against u if they can predict ur course and counter.
Raiten Taishou II on the other hands boosts his mental capacity allowing his mind to keep up with his new speed. This form is Negi strongest spell effectively because his level of power can rival Jack Rakan and Fate Averuncus and a base mode Evangeline… Though her queen of ice can level the playing field, his own absorption skill from complete magia erebea puts Evangeline in a disadvantage.
But as shown in the festival of the final chapters negi is just above average in his base form… His power mainly comes from the amplification of Magia Erebea but as you mentioned given his growth rate and what Rakan said… In just 5 years negi in normal circumstances can reach their level, ME was just a shortcut.
I’m not sure if The absorption is an advantage. On his fight with Eva he didn’t even had a chance to use it, as Eva never needed to use a big spell. It was only when fighting with Asuna that he had the chance, and that’s while Eva didn’t know he could do that. Afterwards he wouldn’t be able to use it. The absorption is interesting but won’t work against an enemy that know you can do it. It at least lock them out from using any very powerful spell/tech.
As Evageline phantom explained… Magia Erebea true form and essence is the power of absorption and the ability to take another magic and make it their own.
Evageline never completed this and only Negi has… and to such a degree that the spell became a passive buff that actively absorbed stuff like Fate’s magically infused punch. This is why Negi is noted as the only user of the completed Magia Erebea.
Though the downside is… on both occasions he had to draw the magic circle and he had to lure the opponent to fire a powerful spell worth absorbing.
Of all the three users, Touta is perhaps less compatible to use it.
For example using an incomplete version Evagenline understands the basics of the spell and its true purpose and effectively use it.
Negi has completely decipher the spell, inherited and improved it far beyond the version used by his master to the point the spell became one with his own body.
Touta cannot produce spells so he cannot use the Armament ability to load a spell and buff himself. He lacks the sense to draw the magic circle to use it so therefore the only option is to scale it down and do what Negi did when he first activated it… to catch a mid-level spell, condense it, absorb it and load it. Either way his Magia Erebea will likely never truly be completed.
However, Negi continued to use ME after he’d mastered it in order to continue that boost in power.
Negi didn’t have a choice… For someone who could fight on par with Rakan, Fate and non-Magia Erebea Evageline whilst using Magia Erebea, it will give someone the false impression that he is ridiculously strong.
This was further hinted in the ‘Final Lesson’ Evageline went slightly serious and floored Negi but he emerged shirtless and boldly claim his powers were for ‘show’. Not to mention the fact that the girls from class 3-A were able to seal his powers and reduce him to a rather pitiful state it should have been clear that even with Magia Erebea he still has to boost his natural state and therefore it should have been natural for him to level up his normal mode.
Well, there’s always a choice, but in Negi’s case, the ME boost always kept him artificially above the level he truly was at. That being said, he was always improving himself and he had mastered ME, so why not keep using it.
Then. Not only am I chord with everything you said (by the way, the fight against Fate has REALLY happened like that on the end. Once Fate has finished testing Tota and has invoked the magic circle of lifemaker, Tota has been massacred ^^).
Including what you said on the growth of Negi in the heart of the past 60 years. However, as I said above, I think Mana finally spoke of her human form, not her real level. This does not preclude that Negi is still stronger than her even when she is Mazoku mode. However, the strength difference must surely be reduced.
But I must say I like the idea that Mana can be a member of the neo-Ala alba. On the one hand because as you pointed out, this is the kind of thing she would do. The only reason she has joined Negi instead of Fate in the last battle of Negima, was because Negi had to offer a concrete alternative to avoid the disastrous future of Chao-linchen and 100 years of apocalyptic war. Alternative which was a success whatever people say.
But now another problem arises. And it is possible that Mana think Fate project better than Eva. Besides now it’s no longer just the Earth and Mondus-magicus. There is an entire solar system and 12 billion people to preserve.
In addition Mahora is in front of the space elevator. It is logical to consider that it is part of the Fate sphere of influence.
And then, it would complicate things (in a good sense). After all, it is true that Fate is a eternal pragmatic and he used to play the big-bad (lol) for a good cause. But Mana? Never! She has certainly joined the Chao side in Mahora festival but is different. Chao did not have the same aura of “evil leader” as Fate. This would give the famous “shade of gray” (that if we are to believe some peaple, missing from the neo-ala alba and UQ Holder). While I personally have NEVER doubted that this shade would eventually appear. If your theory is just the time has now come ^^)
So that would mean that the proto-UQ was cut in two after 2065. Fate is not the only one left. I would not mind the following diagram:
-a side: Eva, Zazie and Albireo + the rest of UQ Holder
-In other: Fate, Mana (Poyo?) + the rest of the New ala-alba.
Chachamaru meanwhile, has for me an equal amount of chances to be with Fate or Eva. I have no prognostic concerning her.
ps : I wanted to say “I WOULD mind the following Image”
I’m far from convinced that UQ Holder is the “Absolutely good” organization and that “Neo Ala Alba” is the “Evil Empire”, and I won’t be unless the series proves otherwise. Even in Negima, Fate was not exactly your average Big Bad plotting evil for selfish reasons(Can’t say the same for The Mage of the BIGGER BAD, though. To this day, we still don’t know his true purpose… And who knows when we will?)… And back in the day Evangeline herself told Negi these exact words: “Don’t try to make things look pretty. You’ll hurt others and yourself at the same time. Become someone who continues on ahead even when smeared with mud. That is what my apprentice should be like.” …And there you have it. For all I know, Holder might have a lot of dark and dirty secrets too.
And further to that, his training was basically seven days a week since he was spending the equivalent of a day in Eva’s diorama sphere every day of the week.
I tend to think not. Mana became interested in Negi during the Mahora festival, to the point that she even turned down Chao’s money so that Negi wouldn’t think less of her as a person. Yes, it is true that Mana does her own thing, but in this case, I think Mana’s loyalty to Negi would trump. We’ll see though.
Well, that’s precisely the case, and yet another reason I think she might be on Fate’s side. What if she thinks Fate’s ideals are better for Negi or something? He did say he has a method to save every single person (the same sort of thing Negi wanted back in the day) and it involves bringing Negi back. As for UQ Holder, I don’t think we know that much about them so far, to assume that what Eva is currently doing is the best. At least for now, I’m believing in her, but considering Fate’s character, it was strange as heck to see him get THAT annoyed in her presence. Also, her reaction to who killed Touta’s parents was strange. Eva is one of my favorites, but I don’t know, she sounds a little suspicious to me, too. Only time will tell.
Well, Fate may be in the next chapter, so we’ll see if your theory is right. My thought is that Mana’s ties to the school are more related to her former classmates/battlemates and their descendants.
I wonder if Touta will reach the final. It may be too early for him to do it as the top of the tower now symbolizes not only his dream but also other things like facing off Fate.
I think he will. After all, the MC has to reach the top. Whether he wins the final or not is another question.
I’m really excited for the tournament, it looks like we’ll be heading to the tower sooner than I thought.
I’m looking forward to seeing Shinobu again and that guy who kinda looked like Takamichi.
I wonder if Eva will turn up and enter the tournament or at least be a bystander.
I’m looking forward to the tournament because it’s a great way of introducing new characters.
Although I hope we stick around Mahora for a while first, have a training arc, get to know some of the students.
Also, I wonder if we’ll finally see some pactios at the tournament, if not I guess Akamatsu has retired the concept.
Yeah, Akamatsu-sensei doesn’t seem to be wasting a lot of time to get Touta where he wants him.
Well, this would be the place to introduce them.
Kuromaru and Touta pactio, Kuromaru wants to do this the male and male way (which I suspect is the exchange of blood), the rest of the UQ Holder sabotages them, and it ends instead with Kuromaru kissing Touta. Much hilarity and embarrassment occurs, to top it off, the pactio involves Kuromaru dressed as a female.
We’ll see. ^_^
Happy new Year!
Mana came back! I liked the “fight” between Touta and Mana, although it already knew that Mana would win.
Then, she is the headmaster, the old friend that she told, I don’t think that it’s Evangeline because Mana told “It’s not really my thing, but an old friend asked me to stand in for a while” Eva can’t to be the headmaster, can she? then, Mana is a temporary substitute, the headmaster maybe is Zazie or someone new
I’m agree about that Evangeline informed Mana about Touta, by that, she knows to Touta. then, Will Mana be the person that helps Touta with the training? How much time must have gone since that they are in Mahora?
About the tournament, I would like that Evangeline would appear as she did with Negi, but camouflaged as a participant (Speaking of her. I haven’t seen her since Setember at least)
PS: There are no a monument of Negi in Mahora? XD
And to you. ^_^
Well, you can’t have Mana truly lose. 😉
Well, Eva was a teacher for two years in the country. She was at Mahora for how many years before the curse was lifted. Who better to be headmaster of the school? 😉
I think Mana may be around somewhat, but I think Mana is the one to introduce Touta to new trainers.
Yeah, I’ve been disappointed with how she’s not been a main character like I thought she’d be at the beginning. 🙁
Mana. What a woman. So good to see Mahora’s resident tall, dark, and badass gunslinger do what she does best again, kicking ass, taking names, and looking damn fine while doing it. She and Kaede were among my favorite girls from Negima. I have a thing for tall, strong women, so needless to say the first time Mana did her thing in Negima I went into instant fanboy mode.
I hear ya. ^_^
Regarding Negi’s strength, I’m in agreement with Aki. Negi’s ME powers (Even as broken as RTII made him compared to everyone save the top tier) were mostly a gimmick that allows him to preform on their levels in the first place, and while hes more formidable then he was in the beginning of the series, he wasn’t strong enough with that alone to take on Fate, who himself is definitely not in among the top tier. The fact that he still defaults to RTII says to me that he may have stagnated as far as combat goes, so I can’t even say that he’s visibly improved post-series. That said, I’m not convinced Fate hasn’t either, since I haven’t seen him fight on a level he wasn’t capable of in Negima either, so that’s something.
Regarding the chapter, its a fight scene, so nothing monumentally important. I will say Touta being shot in the face should happen more often though.
“Regarding the chapter, its a fight scene, so nothing monumentally important. I will say Touta being shot in the face should happen more often though.”
As General Cross Marian would say… Amen!!!
64 review on MK already out.
Just posted the spoiler image. ^_^
“I got the feeling from this chapter that he’s responding to complaints from fans who see Touta instantly master anything he sees and is trying to say, “Well, Touta’s really still weak. Yeah, weak.”
I got the same impression, that Akamatsu changed his mind on his approach to Touta’s character. Back at the beginning of the story everyone always talked about how Touta was special, a genius, had awesome battle senses, intuition and everything else… Things started to change in Fate’s arc, where in one of the first loops Fate curb-stomped everyone – Touta included – with no effort, but that was to be expected. Then, in Sayoko’s arc, she literally said he’s nothing special before using Kuroumaru to wreck him and Santa got the spotlight(which was an awesome twist, to me). Now, he wasn’t able to keep up with Mana at all – very different from his fight with Kaito back in the day.
In no way am I saying that Kaito was on Mana’s level, just that he was WAY stronger than Touta at first, but the latter managed to reach his level with nothing more than intuition and battle instincts… Until Kaito decided to use his Limit Break, where the ME Berserk kicked in.
I can’t read what Japanese fans are saying, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Japanese fans had similar complaints that many Western fans had about Touta and the direction of the series. So he and his editor may have decided to tweak things a bit.