February 10th, 2015 
AstroNerdBoy ユーキューホルダー! Manga Review
UQ Holder Chapter 68
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Touta sees a man in an afro being beaten by four thugs, so he intervenes, easily beating the four guys to the dismay of Afro. Gravity Blade compliments Touta on this easy win as a sprite from the Preliminary Round Management Committee appears, announcing that Touta has won 5800 points for defeating one Rank C and three Rank D fighters. Although Touta is officially withdrawn from the tournament, he still has an account, so the sprite grants him the points. Afro decides to take out Touta and loses, whereby Touta is granted 50 more points for defeating a Rank E.
Afro walks with Touta and explains that the entry fee of the tournament is ¥3 million. Afro is angry with rich people for this supposed injustice, then explains how that there are eighteen slots for poor people. The street fighting allows folks to earn points and gain rank all the way to Rank S, after which, defeating another Rank S person gets you into the tournament.
Afro takes Touta to an underground arena for Rank B fighters and above. There, Touta sees his first aliens (not counting the folks at UQ Holder), the demi-humans from Inverse Mars. While Earth is mostly ignoring this venue, it is hot stuff on Inverse Mars and though illegal on Earth, a lot of betting goes on. Touta watches a fight between two demi-humans and isn’t impressed since he’s fought tougher folks and seen tougher folks. Afro formally introduces himself as Afro the Forever, a magic app developer, and offers a partnership with Touta.
Meanwhile, at UQ Holder HQ, it has been three days and Kirie is apparently moping around, leading Ikkuu to ask if she likes Touta.
Thoughts/Review:
Touta’s sudden humility and “Oh, how I suck” comes off so hollow to me, more so in light of how easily he dispatched four folks at once. Even Gravity Blade is saying, “No, what you did was pretty impressive.”
Of course seeing the tournament venue, Touta is thinking he could easily win. And of course, he could. Assuming we get a traditional tournament arc here, there will be fights that take Touta by surprise, but he’ll win it all.
As to Touta having an account for the not-Chachamaru sprite (for lack of a better term) to award him his points, in my mind, that would seem to lend credence to the theory that says that Eva is actually testing Touta now to see what he’d do. The theory is in keeping with Eva’s persona and what she liked in guys (or people in general). I kinda hope that turns out to be the case.
Touta’s already over half way to being Rank B, so I imagine another fight or so against stronger opponents will do it, thus getting Touta into this underground tournament. I presume that fighting in this tournament will still award out points.
As for Afro, his magic apps may give him an edge, but otherwise I see him as weak. Plus, I think his real interest in Touta is getting a big payout in the illegal betting. Otherwise, there’d be no reason for the illegal betting to get mentioned, nor would there be a reason for Afro to want to team up with Touta.
I notice that Akamatsu-sensei had three arrows pointing to Earth, one from Mars, describing people who were coming in to fight. I wonder if this is were we get the payoff for revealing that Venus is where the mazoku (Zazie) live, and that there are other youkai-like creatures on other planets in the solar system.
Finally, there’s Kirie, the tsundere. Well, if we make Kuroumaru a girl (which could happen by the time the tournament starts), then Touta could have a three girl harem of Kuroumaru, Kirie, and even Karin. Then have Ikkuu go into a female body for some real gender-bender action and well… 😉
In the end, I found myself a bit more interested in this tournament idea than I initially thought I would be. We’ll see how it all pans out though.
Posted in 
Tags: 
I felt like this was a good chapter.
I mean, I didn’t feel like Touta’s humility was hollow, just a little rushed. If there were a few more chapters dedicated to it, I feel like we would see more – but of course, that is not Akamatsu-sensei’s style, I suppose.
Plus I like how Touta is still (relatively) on his own. Fighting with side-stick (CR translation name for sword) and Afro-san still means Touta has to spent time in a different environment “alone”. If he stays away from UQ holder guys, I think this will be good for him and make for a more interesting read.
Apart from that, I’m not sure why I liked the chapter as much as I did.
That’s an interesting choice of words. Rushed is a good choice though. 🙂
Yeah, I think you are right — being away from UQH could make for a more interesting read.
“Well, if we make Kuroumaru a girl (which could happen by the time the tournament starts), then Touta could have a three girl harem of Kuroumaru, Kirie, and even Karin. Then have Ikkuu go into a female body for some real gender-bender action and well… ;-)”
I could totally go for that. Ikkuu already looks like a girl anyway and since he’s physically a machine with interchangeable bodies biological gender could be meaningless to him. We don’t know if he likes guys, though he could be like Fate and develop a total “It’s okay if it’s you” man-crush on Touta; in fact, being a total cyborg may mean he doesn’t even have an orientation (kind of like Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell). Karin would have to get over Eva to be part of a hypothetical harem for Touta, though. In any case, Kuromaru should still be the “lead” of the harem, though, being the “first girl” and all plus the one who’s the closest to Touta (after Eva, that is, but she seems more like a mother/big sister figure to Touta).
Anywho, I did get a bit of a giggle out of that last panel. Both Kirie and Kuro-chan both blurted out a big “NO!” when Ikkuu asked if Kirie liked Touta. I thought that was cute.
*lol* Yeah, that was kinda my line of thinking.
That’s why I think in the end, they’ll go out to find Touta ’cause they do like Touta. 😀
Afro the “Forever” please don’t tell me that this guy is one of the trash mobs in UQ Holder and is actually an immortal just very weak. I can see a lot of chances to grow in this I just hope they won’t be wasted.
I really hope Afro just a normal human.
Ok actually very interesting.
And I see that for now, the manga gives me reason: There is NO rejection of magic from the low population apparently. The source of social conflict is ONLY a money problem. Moreover, even Afro (lol was really his name too!) workss in the magic industry, he develops apps, lol! And yet was a guy from the popular class that looks to drool every day, but for him the magic poses NO problem, I like it, I would not like that one is in the background of the manga input a conflict between mages and no-mages!
And I would go even further! Among the poor and the outcasts, it seems that there even has “non-human” (the public of the arena not look to be wealthy and some are of Inverse-Mars) everyone human or no-humans, are in the same difficulties and suffers the same level and that I like. Is not “ultra-rich magical aliens” and “poor abused human terrians” This is apparently, more complicated, everyone is in the same ship, the same problem, the same suffering and it looks cool!
Well apart from that, I wonder what is this “Amater-industry.” Obviously the name reminds me of “Amaterasu no mikoto”, the japan’s Godesse of Sun, of course, but mostly it reminds me the name “Amateru”, founder of Ostia.
Two possibilities:
1. is the company’s Fate (created after Negi disapear?)
2. is the company of someone who would be in the gang of life-maker.
The fact that one can get in on their merits and hard work seems to negate Afro’s arguments against the rich. Being rich might make it easier, but he seems pretty weak, although I suspect he’s going to use Touta as a means to get paid.
I noticed that name sibilance and wondered if Akamatsu-sensei was trying to make some connection to Amateru. However, I figured I was thinking too much about it and let it pass.
I thought Amteratsu and Amateru were one and the same? Name for the sun/heaven goddess with their kanji meaning the same thing/being equivocal, it’s just that the prefered romanji and author preference was Amaterasu.
You know, back in the day, I had that thought too for some reason. I think I even used the name Amaterasu instead of Amateru, but someone corrected me. Although Akamatsu-sensei has used elements of Japanese mythology in his stories (different youkai and mazoku), he hasn’t introduced Japanese deities into the mix. Further, the story of Amateru isn’t the same as the mythological Amaterasu.
I feel like this opens up world building, where before I was worried it was going to go back into start-of-series style tiny skirmishes. Which it will, but plus aliens!
A magic app developer might be able to shed some light on Touta’s inability to use magic. Could it be a botched magic cancel from the Ostia line, or Erebea absorbing stuff before it can be cast type reasons?
Also I think Kuroumaru is 14 so there’ll be another year to kill after the tournament before gender picks. And I expect that to be a reset arc to show both versions and then reset to be a girl. Because ‘no! ‘ it doesn’t like Touta xD
I see Ikkuu as more flirting with Kuroumaru, and I wouldn’t like it if Karin fell for Touta.
All we know for certain is Touta’s debt will go up haha.
I hadn’t considered that, but it might…assuming Akamatsu-sensei wants to explore this.
For some reason, I’m thinking Kuroumaru is 15. It is difficult to know how much time has passed since the manga started though.
Heh!heh!heh!
Just one chapter and there is already a bit of contradiction on Gravity Blade. It’s just a minor point though.. :p
Agreed. I hope the ‘surprise’ part is shown interestingly.
Other than pieces of hints here and there in this chapter, I’m looking forward to see the participants of this underground arena.
edit: trying to test the edit feature.
I missed the contradiction.
Looks like it worked. ^_^
Well, the blade said his current setting allowed him to talk only whenever they are alone. And they are not exactly alone in this chapter.
And that was something I completely overlooked until I saw Hata mention it. ^_^; Even after you mentioned the inconsistency and I reread the chapter looking for it, it didn’t even dawn on me that the sword violated its own rules. ^_^;;;;
I don’t mind Tota being pretty strong because I think he’s definitely an artificial being(re: being four years old)
I’m guessing the tease of the UQ Holder guys at the end of the chapter means they’ll probably enter the preliminaries too, or maybe they’ll do missions off-screen to earn the money to enter the main tournament…or maybe Kirie will pay for the others to enter because she wants an excuse to meet up with Tota again.
I liked Tota thinking about Kaito, I’d like to see him again, maybe Akamatsu is reminding us of him because he’s entering the tournament too.
If Tota ends up forming a harem, I doubt Karin would be a member, she’s a total Eva-sexual.
The S Class fighter will probably be important, maybe he/she is an immortal.
I have a hunch that the S Rank of the secret arena is the vampire boy or he is Juuzo. ^^ This is one of the two I think.
I’ve heard the theory that the Rank S person might be a UQH, so I think it could be one of those two as well.
I don’t really like the possibility of that S-rank fighter being a UQH member. Because a few chapters back, Karin (iirc) complained that a member of UQH, an underground organization, shouldn’t join this kind of event. By event, I mean the tournament as a whole, not just this “underground” preliminary.
But if it really is a member, then I think it’s that vampire boy or the other one, not Juuzo, who is said to be overseas. Being an “aristocrat”, I expect to see some kind of rebellious personality from him.
I was actually thinking of a Santa-type scenario, where Santa is an immortal UQH, but not a member of UQ Holder until the end of the Santa-Sayoko arc.
The vampire would be interesting, especially since I believe Eva stayed at Mahora to fight in the tournament. Shinso vampire vs. aristocrat vampire.
Yeah, I don’t really mind if it turns out to be a non-member immortal. But, because the three members left from the promo picture are supposedly already mentioned by Eva in chapter 6, I doubt this one would join UQH.
The wording of Eva’s explanation of the different types of immortals doesn’t mean that these are already UQH members.
That’s true. There’s a chance the vampire or the lady(?) shown in chapter 6 aren’t members yet. If that’s the case, and that S-rank is one of them, then it’s very possible we will get a Santa-scenario. But, if it’s other than them, then I don’t think s/he will join.
The strength doesn’t bother me per se, it is just the story’s structure and the way Touta has been presented which I’ve had a problem with.
I do think that they’ll meet up with Touta again before this arc is over.
That’s possible, considering Kaito’s personality.
There are cracks in that shell my friend, thanks to Eva planting the seed. Karin has been on defensive ever since. 😉
I can see that being very possible.
I did not find Touta humble. He’s thinking big, he knows he sucks compared to the top fighters he’s seen and that’s why these B ranks don’t impress him at all.
I saw it as a kind of false humility, which is why I didn’t like it, so we may be on the same track here, just wording it differently.
In my opinion, this chapter was really good. This arc maybe gives Touta a little different growth, than what we thought. This is an underground arena, so most likely his opponnents will have black techniques, which will be new even to the Negima readers. This way, he can experience many styles, which may level up him a lot. I think this is far better, than training. After all, what he is lacking now is fightning experience.
And this Afro guy… A magic app developer? Maybe Touta will get something from him? Like a unique magic app? Of course I know that Touta isn’t a mage, but… He is a descendant of Negi and Nagi, so… However, after the first chapter, I doubt he is capable of using magic aside from Magia Erebea.
I hope that’s the case.
I think Afro-san will have a unique app, but Touta won’t be able to use it. He apparently has no affinity for magic even though he can use ME.
I wouldn’t be so sure Touta still having an account is Eva’s doing. Yes she likes to test people, but they’re usually aware they’re being tested, and this being a test isn’t a very logical progression. Seeing Negi, Nagi, and the Lifemaker obviously after falling into a trap by touching the letter, does not make for a natural segue into “Let’s forbid Touta from entering the tournament he was about to enter, forbid the others from helping him, and order him to stay at base until the tournament, just to see if he’ll defy my orders and find a way to enter on his own.” Especially given the way Eva was freaked out. If the goal was to train Touta to be able to handle himself in a higher level fight, the planned route of training under Mana would have been better.
It makes plenty of sense as a panicked response to 1) falling into the Lifemaker’s trap, 2) the Lifemaker having some sort of interest in Touta, enough to recognize him on sight, 3) realizing the Lifemaker is probably setting some sort of trap at the tournament for Eva/Fate. The reflexive action being to get Touta safely out of the way. Explaining things will just make Touta want to help out more. Being cold to him will discourage him. If he spends the year mopping or being pissed off at Eva back at base, so be it. So rather than her testing him, she likely just underestimated how willing Touta would be to go against her direct orders.
Touta still having an account seems more likely to be Mana’s doing. Touta entering the tournament as training was her idea to begin with. Unlike Eva who spent two years with Touta doing what she told him to do, Mana just met Touta and is more likely to suspect he won’t be be so willing to stay put an do nothing. Especially as Touta may not have told her about the whole Negi/Lifemaker vision given Eva didn’t want Touta to talk about it.
So Mana would know something was up, but not exactly what, would expect Touta to be not so easily discouraged, and likely still wanted him in the tournament for the initial reasons she stated. So she leaves the account open, and leaves the departing Touta with the innocent enough sounding encouragement that he’ll get another chance to climb the tower.
I totally hear you. There’s just one thing — she didn’t order UQ Holder to prevent him from leaving. Indeed, they’ve did nothing to stop him (aside from Kirie squawking). Quite the opposite — Karin encouraged him and Ikkuu gave him the keys to the classic quadski.
You may be right, but I can’t see Eva overlooking putting out an order to UQH to stop him. After all, they address Yukihime as “Yukihime-sama” and her law is absolute for them. Instead, her only order to them was for them to NOT assist Touta in any efforts he might make to get into the tournament, including forbidding Kirie from paying his way. They’ve obeyed those orders.
I wonder if it were solely her idea. Mana became acting Headmaster because she was asked by a friend. Mana signs Touta up. Suddenly Eva shows up in her normal form, wearing her Mahora uniform, and authorizes Touta to be in the tournament. I don’t think that’s coincidence.
Now, it is true that the Lifemaker’s unexpected appearance changed things. But Eva not covering all her basis when it came to ordering Touta back to HQ makes me wonder.
Eva did forbid Touta from joining the tournament, but having an account and registering for the tournament could be two different things. Maybe what Mana did was only cancelling the registration, not the account.
So I think the one who’s more at “fault” for Touta joining the tournament is that Chacha-referee.
Well, whether it was Mana or Eva or both, I feel the account still being active was done on purpose.
I don’t disagree with you there. However, since Eva only ordered Touta to remain at UQH-HQ but did nothing to prevent him from leaving (only preventing the others from assisting him), then I tend to suspect that the account was there because Eva figured Touta would rebel and set off on his own. I think she and Fate are nearby in case of trouble, but Touta going off on his own allows him to learn and experience a whole host of new things that he otherwise wouldn’t learn. And, this keeps Touta’s training from being too much like Negi’s training (if that makes sense).
Interesting point regarding the bet. I agree, he will probably bet on Touta on a first match where everyone would beat on someone else and get a big prize. He may even use the money to enter the tournament, if he gets enough.
Yeah, that’s kinda how I’m seeing it. I also suspect that Afro-san is going to showcase a new magic app, which he was going to use in the fight until Touta interfered.
Isn’t Kuromarou 14 years old ? He/She still has around 2 years before becoming a girl (yay!) or a boy (booh!).
I was thinking Kuroumaru was close to 15. It is hard to tell how much time has passed in this manga.
The hanyo? Is the same age as touta, which is 14. I’d say kuro’s 15th birthday is sooner or quite close, And that her 16th will be done about 100 chapter’s later or the rite of passage will be performed earlier. Either as character development/shock parentage or a power-up (hopefully with some black tsubasa), also beacase touta wants to call his group black wing or something “awesome” as he says.
I don’t think we’ll be waiting 100 chapters. I can easily foresee this tournament thing speeding along and we get a year pass in just a few months of real time. I can also see Kuroumaru not making a choice and just ending up as a girl, but hiding it from Touta and the others to keep the “I’m a guy” jokes alive.
Lol, now I want to see this scenario comes true 😀
Hmn so afro is a magic ap engineer. maybe touta willo get some useful aps since he apparently cant use magic. id love some more info on these things its one of the things ive been wondering for a while how do these work exactly and lol the guys name was actually afro
Touta can use magic! Magia Erebea! He just can’t use Apps!
The manga has implied that he could not use magic, which is what makes ME so weird for him. He had no affinity for magic, as I understand it.
Couldn’t Magia Erebea just be a magical racial trait, like magical werewolf’s transforming, EG kotaro (a hybrid) and Kaito. It just happens to have the capacity to be improved and give typical elemental buffs.
I suppose, but we have so little information at this point. And supposedly, ME is a learned technique, not something inherited.
Touta can’t use magic apps, so I don’t think that’s in the cards.
That ending was cute with kirie and kuromaru ^^
^_^ Yep.
Ohhhhhh!
1- How come Touta remains as a tournament participant, even after returning the form? Could it have been Mana?
2- By the way, I like the sword’s personality. I wonder what its name is (Colonel Sunders? LOLOLOL);
3- The preliminaries system is interesting! It must be hard fighting outside without calling attention from the police;
4- Yes, I noticed the 3 arrows as well… I would just LOVE to see Zazie’s homeworld! And could the 3rd arrow be from… Mercury?!
5- I wonder what will be Afro’s intentions by the end? He doesn’t look like a bad guy.
Someone didn’t delete his account. Mana is a likely source.
Magic fixes everything. Plus, the tournament is legit as best as I can tell. It is the betting that is illegal.
Not sure, but it does seem to suggest other entities from another planet.
I think he’s got an agenda.
I seemed interesting the tournament, another form to get money (I don’t know the reason, but, I have the feeling that in some way, the stadium will be destroyed) it is interesting the classification of rank, Has it only a person of the rank S? Thinking about it, Could Albireo be the person? or Could the person be someone of the class 3A? Kotaro? Mana?
Maybe, Fate and Evangeline will appear in the tournament by some reason
The “person” that appeared suddenly when Touta won that people, I though by a second that was Chachamaru…
What ever happened to Chachazero?
The reaction of Kirie at the end of the chapter, it was funny
“If Tota ends up forming a harem, I doubt Karin would be a member, she’s a total Eva-sexual.”
It made me laugh X’D She is capable of be waiting that Evangeline takes his virginity lol
Well, any of those choices could happen. My favorite theory at present is that it will be another UQH person we’ve not been introduced to.
I think they are entering the tournament.
Yeah, it does look like her.
I don’t think we’ll ever know. Chachazero was a scene stealer in Negima, but then at the end of the manga, she disappeared. In the first chapter of UQ Holder, she’s seen in a cameo as Eva just abandoning her, which still irritates me to this day. I loved Chachazero, but I think her scene stealing is why Akamatsu-sensei got rid of her.
The art style was much improved in this chapter, also their was an black outline of a setsuna look-like, with a shinmei blade and the other being the fey-hina.
I must have missed this Setsuna look-alike. What page was that on?
page 12, the female with the side pontail, (ironically shaped like a crow wing). Although the same set of 6 charcter’s are copy and pasted so it could just be bait.
Hard to say, but I now see what you mean.
Astro Anyway, it seems that I was right. I’d tell you that soon the story was going to be put in place and that we would go out of the logic of the missions (at Fairy-tail like), it seems that I was right, it was enough to wait … ^^
Well, we are still in Fairy Tail mode as best as I can tell. Forgotten is the Lifemaker as Touta meets new people and masters new skills to make a name for himself.