October 6th, 2015 
AstroNerdBoy ユーキューホルダー! Manga Review
UQ Holder Chapter 96
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Touta races to the UQ Holder HQ at Senkyoukan, where he lands the boat, rushes past everyone, and makes it to Yukihime’s office. Once there, he loudly proclaims his love for her, causing Santa, Kirie, and Kuroumaru who are outside the office to fall over shocked, and which causes Karin, who’s elsewhere cleaning, to break her broom. Kirie, Santa, and Kuroumaru can’t believe what is happening, nor can Yukihime, who thinks something must be wrong with Touta. Touta makes what sounds like a sexual pass at her, which causes Yukihime to punch him. He continues his full court press, asking her to marry him, which leads to her beating him fiercely.
Yukihime demands to know what’s wrong with Touta, but he says he’s serious in wanting to be there for her and support her. He reminds her of his words after he became immortal and saying with her. He fears that if he doesn’t keep an eye on her, she’ll disappear. She finds this amusing, then whacks him again. She tells him and the hiding Kirie, Santa, and Kuroumaru that they have important guests here and that all four of them are demoted. As such, they are to work as part of the Senkyoukan Inn’s staff.
After having been firmly told “NO” in English, Touta is bummed out at having been rejected. Ikkuu is there with Santa, Kuroumaru, and Kirie as Touta is told he should have tried to find out if Yukihime remembered him from the past. Jinbee and Gengorou show up so that Jinbee can remind Touta that He’s now got to work. Karin literally drops in, irritated over Touta’s confession to Yukihime and attacks him. Jinbee grabs him as Karin attacks, sending him flying as a happy Yukihime remarks to herself that Touta was 500 years late.
Thoughts/Review:
Well, there was some doubt on whether the chapter would be dedicated to Touta confessing to Eva, but that was in fact how the chapter went.
The chapter was fun, but while we saw the happy Yukihime at the end of the chapter, I don’t think we’ll see an Eva x Touta pairing. It makes sense too, considering her vast years (vs. Touta’s roughly three years of memory) and the fact that she became motherly to Touta. She does care about Touta and is happy when he does little things for her, including this love confession and marriage proposal. But when push comes to shove, it will be Negi when they rescue her since I think that Nagi was an infatuation, but with Negi, she actually fell in love.
As for Touta, well, he’s just confused, since this is the first time he’s had such feelings. Soon, he’ll have a harem though. 😉
Still, the chapter did confirm that she did remember Touta from the past. Whether or not there was some minor tweaking of the timeline due to what Touta did in the past remains to be seen, though I suspect Akamatsu-sensei may play this straight and the “retconned” events are that Eva knew Touta all along.
The return to Senkyoukan allowed us to see many of the old characters, both Numbers and the minions. As such, I liked seeing Jinbee and Gengorou again. I loved seeing Karin again (Useless-senpai indeed). (As an aside, now that the pactio system has officially been introduced into UQ Holder, I’d love for that mallet of Karin’s to actually be a pactio artifact.)
While we didn’t get to see Ayaka nor Chachamaru, Ayaka’s granddaughter (or great granddaughter) did get a cameo, being escorted by Gengorou. Considering that these are no doubt the important visitors Eva spoke of, I suspect we’ll see them next chapter. By demoting Touta and company, I suppose that insures that they don’t go anywhere so that we can have whatever it is that Akamatsu-sensei has in store for setting up the Touta harem.
In the end, while there’s not a great deal for me to discuss (and I keep shifting between trying to write this and help with an issue at work), this was still a very fun chapter.
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dose anyone know what she means by 500 years late!!??
It is clear in the manga. And technically, the first OAD explains it (I haven’t watched the anime, but I know the story in the manga). Touta meets Eva (Yukihime) in the past. Over the course of the story, Touta keeps meeting Eva, who’s actually in a different timestream that temporarily intersects with Touta’s. For her, time flows faster, so each time Touta meets Eva, more time passes. By the end, Touta falls in love with Eva and vice versa (supposedly). But from their final meeting until present, several hundred years have passed. So I think that’s where the “500 years late” comes from.
The echoing effect for karin, must’ve been how it was for Fate.
How so? (Sorry, it has been a long week already, and it is only Wednesday night.)
Fate, heard the name Negi Springfield all the way from the tower, in the same comedic manner.
I ship Tota and Yukihime to get together, however the word “late” can be interpreted in two ways. Is he too late? After falling in love with Tota in the past, she went through that awful period until she was saved by Nagi (according to wikia) and fell in love with him? The other way it can interpreted is, is he late in confessing his love, and that she still loves him? I really hope its the latter. This is coming from someone who hasn’t read Negima btw, but has read the wikia page for Yukihime)
Well anyway the new arc should be interesting, by the looks of it Tota’s getting a loli-harem. One of the girls also mentioned she is his fiancee/husband. Things are getting interesting.
What you said is undesirably the truth, she is far too old. She is a mature women now, he is still in his teens. She fell in love with him I really wanted them to get together (at Dana’s castle, and she owes him a lot too), but as time goes people and their feelings change. We will get to to see a loli harem. I am hoping Yukihime will be jealous, but considering she went through so much in the past 500 years, I don’t see this happening. It makes me sad, but nothing I can do.
Wasn’t she in love with Nagi? I thought she was one of the few women that didn’t love Negi!
From the look of it, from my point of view, its the latter.
I took it to mean that after 500 years, his confession to her was way too long in coming, hence her having moved on to Nagi and such. There’s not doubt that Eva cares greatly for Touta, but I think it is in a motherly sense.
I should have been more clear in my writing, but any more, when I write, I’m usually working too and switch back and forth.
Regardless, with Nagi, she had an unrequited love. With Negi, during Negima, she was somewhat tsundere with him, but in UQ Holder, when she saw the Lifemaker in chapter 65. Her focus is about Negi. When Nagi and Negi show up, her first words were for Negi, not Nagi. Then she wanted to talk to Negi. Granted, she had the paper signed by him that she wanted to talk about, but I got the feeling that seeing Negi again was more important to her than seeing Nagi again.
Then there’s the years they spent together. Eva was rather tsundere regarding Negi in Negima, especially early on. However, she was interested in him and even demanded a date from him during the tournament. From UQ Holder, we know that she became an active participant in Ala Alba.
So it is pure speculation on my part, but I could easily see how over the years, as fellow immortals, Eva and Negi got closer and closer. It wouldn’t surprise me if Eva was the one Negi had the crush on (I suspect it more since Touta is the Negi replacement in UQ Holder). Negi is believed to be the one who founded UQ Holder with her. If that’s the case, especially considering how Eva has changed over the years, then why not this change be for love? 😉
Ohhh dammit! I just re read chapter 65, and you are right. She does have an obvious reaction on seeing Nagi (blushing), however she has a weirder reaction on seeing Negi. I think Touta notices this aswell. After reading the comments, I feel your reasoning does make sense. I am so annoyed right now. I feel like my hearts been ripped out and dissected, and then reattached. I was shipping them so hard.
The whole reason I started reading UQ Holder a couple of months ago, was because I read on review that the MC liked a girl and was loyal. And it wasn’t a proper harem. Now I don’t know. I usually love your reviews, but this one made me change my whole view point of UQ Holder. And also I have seen/read plenty of times where the MC tends to go for the tsundere types (In reference to what you said about Negi liking Eva). That just makes it worse for me. I wanted to read Negima first, but I decided not to because of the harem aspect. Normally I binge read manga, e.g I read UQ Holder in a couple of hours. So I didn’t want to read Negima because I didn’t want to be disappointed by the unclear harem ending.
Also I feel the romance in this is too simple for Akamatsu – sensei’s work. There are bound to be some twists and turns through out the manga. But at the same time, I hope the romance in this is similar to Love Hina’s. If Touta doesn’t get together with Eva or anyone else through out the story in the future. I would want a heroic death the end for Touta.(Note: I hate MC’s dying at the end of the story).
I have a couple of questions:
1) In chapter 65, the Mage of the Beginning appeared with Nagi and Negi. I kind of have a basic idea of who she is (The super powerful antagonist). How is she able to control two powerful mage’s such Nagi and Negi them? And from the Wikia for “Negima!” I thought she was defeated.
2)In the Wikia for “Negima!”, its mentioned that Eva will meet a lover in the future (compared to that timeline)? After reading that I thought it would be Touta. Also, didn’t Negi marry someone? I kind of got that gist from reading UQ Holder.
3)You said, that you would like to see a mother-son relationship between Touta and Yukihime. I don’t, I would rather they fall out and have no relationship rather than a mother-son relationship. So my final question is: Did Yukihime look after Touta because she recognised who he was and how he was someone she loved in the past? Or because she recognized he was a clone of someone she used to love? And whats this whole thing about clones, I don’t get it.
PS. About Negi marrying some one, Touta keeps on calling Negi his “Grandfather”. So I thought he married someone.
I thought that as well. Then we got the news that Touta is a homunculus. Since homunculus are created via magical, artificial means, then Touta calling Negi his grandfather doesn’t mean Negi’s his real grandfather in the traditional sense.
I honestly have no idea why Astro persists on believing Eva had any romantic feeling toward Negi, but as someone who already read Negima, I can assure you, she had none, and her “love” for Nagi was actually just a comic relief played for laugh, back in Negima, no one treated it seriously since Nagi already had a wife at that point and Eva only wanted him as a closed friend instead of a real lover.
About your question:
1) Mage of the Beginning is someone very powerful and has the special ability to possess others. In the epilogue of Negi, the author said there exists a timeline where Negi was able to defeat her, but it’s clearly not this timeline. I think it’s just a way for the author to create a happy ending for Negima, think of it as a “What if” side story while UQ Holder is an actual continuity.
2) Yes, that lover is Touta as this series is Eva’s travel to find love. Akamatsu’s fulfilling his promise at the end of Negima. Negi indeed said he liked someone, but I doubt he actually married, since he’s infertile because of his imperfect immortality.
3) It’s not quite clear but look like Touta really recognized Touta the moment she first met him, since she indeed remembers what happens 700 years ago in Dana’s castle and it also explains why she tried to seduce her all the time and created a love nest for them in those 2 years instead of going back to UQ Holder’s HQ
There was a comic relief element, but Eva’s feeling for Nagi were quite clear. She even said that she loved Nagi when Negi accessed her memory-dream. She was obsessed over Nagi. I don’t think she let go of Nagi until Al told her about Arika, which is when Eva suddenly understood why she wasn’t able to win Nagi’s heart.
Of course, I may be reading too much into that, but that was the moment that started me thinking that maybe Eva did have a torch of some kind for Negi.
Unfortunately, the Wikia has too much fanon in it, whereby fan assumptions are deemed factual, whether the manga actually said anything or not. Even I have been guilty of this when it came to Eva’s past before she was turned into a shinso vampire.
I’m not so sure MotB has Nagi and Negi captive. She cut off Negi attempting to explain things to Fate. But even if she does have them captive and under her control, it just goes to show how truly powerful MotB is. Nagi learned the truth when he “defeated” MotB way back when — MotB can never truly be defeated by normal means.
It really is difficult to say if Negi married someone or not. The manga hasn’t specified this, though Touta refers to Negi as his grandfather. But if Touta is a homunculus, created in part from the essence of Negi, then it is quite possible that Negi didn’t marry anyone.
It appears that what we are to take from the chapter 1 flashback is that Eva recognized Touta as the boy she liked from her distant past, who’d show up in her life from time to time. The scene still doesn’t play off that way to me. Eva does recognize Touta, but it still feels like she recognizes him as Negi’s “grandson” rather than, “Oh, that’s the boy I liked way back when.”
After reading both your opinions, I have no idea what to believe. In my opinion there are evidence for and against your arguments. However I like the bit of suspense, we don’t know if she likes him (in the present). There are hints that she may like him, however there are hints she may seem him as someone close to her. Off-course, Touta just confessed. I feel there relationship will start to change, after re reading the whole manga yesterday night. Before the confession, there was hardly any hints that she liked him. After we, all we know is “Dummy, you are 500 years late.” So far all we know is that she is at her happiest around him. They met in the past yes, but age is not a factor in this. Yukihime claimed she was 16 (At Dana’s castle), but I believe she was lying. She should have been around 200 years old, if you take that into consideration age doesn’t play a factor. Like ttkh ttkh said, the whole point of UQ Holder is about Yukihime’s love. I feel Yukihime won’t accept Touta unless he is able to protect her or grows out of his immature habits.
Thanks for answering the questions guys. 🙂 Means a lot. One final one. Why do you think Yukhime is protecting Touta from the Mage of the Beginning? What do you think she wants with him?
I don’t think she was lying, based on the fact that (1) Eva couldn’t speak Japanese when they first met and (2) each time they met, Eva was stronger in power and stuff. Initially, she’s just trying to kill Dana. Later, there’s no sign of that. By the end, Eva has full sized doll servants.
Further, there’s the fact that for Eva, there was a time gap that grew between their meetings. Toward the end, the gap grew larger and larger.
MotB has been shown to be quite dangerous. Nagi was not able to truly defeat her. Obviously, neither was Negi. I have a funny feeling that one of the motives for creating Touta was to create someone who could ultimately defeat and kill the MotB. If I’m right, then it would make sense that Eva wouldn’t want Touta to fall into MotB’s hands.
awesome, way to smooth out everything Ken
i used to found ToutaxEva rather forced now i feel it flowing in like a stream river
Heh! I’m going to be stubborn as a mule. 😉
Was happy to see Karin again too! – she is keeping within her character – direct, focused, specific, dedicated, loyal, protective, and serving Yukihime, and a with bit of jealousy for her affection too. That hammer she has is cool! She is definitely someone to have that will protect Eva – yeah and a useless-sempai too 🙁
Dana was specific to Touta, about Eva, so I’m not sure of not seeing this Eva -Touta pairing ending just yet, and how much Touta is supposed to help – as Dana said – for Eva find love. But Dana didn’t specifically say it was Touta to be Eva’s focus of that love. Or maybe I got that part wrong. The Eva of the past definitely liked him. I kinda agree with demonright – her smile at the last frame, saying he was 500 years late – but late is better than never, and Eva now knows how Touta feels about her. I think much will be decided when we learn more of what has happened to Nagi and Negi, and if they are still eligible bachelors for Eva.
Touta also lived with her while in the village, so the friendship, closeness and intimacy, and partnership was already there – to a certain level of a parent or guardian – and minus the love component.
One question that I have is what is the relationship of Fate and Eva? Obviously they had a short battle, but was more of a show of power and how they have improved their skill, and they worked together in the past. Eva was seen with Fate too at the shopping center when they met Dana, and also at the Mahora School.
I would see their relationship as one of good friends yet are currently at odds because they both have different ideas about fighting the Lifemaker and saving Negi.
And a sort of rivalry between the two as well.
Well, they were Negi’s companions in Ala Alba for a time. Eva knew of Fate from his first appearance in the Kyoto arc, so they do have a long history together. Both are very keen to find Negi (which is partly why I think Eva fell in love with Negi). I would say they aren’t exactly friends, but now that Fate is no longer trying to grab Touta, they are not enemies. More like partners working for the same goal.
I know I’ve said this before, and I know it is too much to ask, but I’d LOVE it if that hammer were a pactio artifact and the pactio was with Eva.
As to Eva’s love for Touta, I think it is certainly there, but as I see it, for Eva, the romantic ship has sailed away. Now, there is love, but in a family kind of way.
Eva fell in love with Negi? When?
I think that Astro-san wanted say “Nagi”.
Its really speculation. We don’t know for certain. Touta right now is rejected and in deep water with Kitty’s close admirer. The Maid. We can only guess what going turn out to be when they get to final arc of the big overall story when series ends some day when they rescue Nagi and Negi. I’m little surprised Nagi still alive after so much time has past since the original series ended.
Now he out of the tournament for while. Now we get more side story at the resort while things cool down.
No, I actually meant Negi. It is clear that she had an unrequited love of Nagi. I think she got over that once she learned of Arika. With Negi, she had an interest in him from the start, namely his blood, but then that grew over the course of Negima. In UQH, we saw that she went from being a passive member of Ala Alba to an active member, fighting with Negi. In chapter 65, when Nagi and Negi show up, her first words are for Negi, then Nagi. The rest of her conversation is for Negi and it is Negi that she and Fate are interested in saving. So I speculate that she fell in love with Negi at some point, and I’ve long wondered if Negi fell in love with Eva.
This is speculation on my part, based on her reaction to Negi in chapter 65, combined with the fact that she became an active member of Ala Alba (instead of just a passive member, as she was in Negima), and the fact that she and Fate are both keen on finding Negi for seemingly similar reasons. 😉
What a perfect translation though! ‘go a round with me’
Just the right combination of innuendo, casual sex and innocent meaning.
I loved this chapter, it converted me. Not to shipping them, but the fact it proved Touta’s personality is completely consistent and moreover that their relationship is still the same dynamic as it was in the countryside. To me that doesn’t imply lack of development, but more that Akamatsu wasn’t being as random as we feared.
And please god stop focusing on Touta now, this manga should not be a monologue!
Meaning other characters should get focus with Touta on the side for a bit?
Astro : I think Akamatsu wanted fenced as soon as the plot of the romantic tension between Tota and Eva BEFORE show us the meeting of former members of the Ala-alba. Because to be fran I imagined (and I feared) that tumbles Tota not complain in the midst of revelations capitals and breaks the serious mood with his “I Love You”. And I think Akamatsu wanted avoided that. Now that is set we will be able to return to the plot development.
I also note that we will perhaps visit the inn and it’s not a bad idea. Perhaps even going Finally Juzo? It should not wonder that it is a kind of loner who remains in his quarters, which rand visiting the inn, required to meet him. ^^
I’m not sure if Akamatsu-sensei wanted there to be any kind of romance early on. After all, Touta had zero interest in Eva in the early chapters and got punished by Eva at that onsen as a result of him vocalizing his disinterest. Other than Kuroumaru’s apparent interest in Touta, no other characters showed an interest until Karin gave indications that could be seen as taking a tiny interest in Touta, and Kirie doing the same, only with Kirie, it continues to grow somewhat. It isn’t until recently that the whole notion of harem and romantic stuff has seriously come into play.
I wondered that as well. The way the story had been going, introducing the remaining Numbers seemed a difficult thing at best.
I really enjoyed this chapter, lots of fun. I expected to go straight to the preliminaries but I’m excited to spend more time at UQ Headquarters.
I’m happy to see that you also think that Eva fell for Negi, so many people disagree(and sometimes get angry) with me when I say that.
Also, in the tile, did you mean “When Hormones Strike”?
Really? Since a couple of people have been saying it, I have to go with it. The question is do you like that for UQ holder? Even if she fell for Negi, I hope her feelings change.
l always thought it was Eva’s name that Negi whispered to Asuna.
Negi’s and Eva’s relationship grew a lot in Negima, he even became immortal at 10 like her so they share that experience. I’d like to see how their relationship progressed over the decades but that probably won’t be until the end of the series.
Unless we get some flashbacks showing Ala Alba over the decades, which I would like to see.
Yeah, that’s always been my thought to a degree. I discounted the idea at the time since I felt Asuna would have thought of Eva and not been totally surprised. But as time passed, I kept thinking, “Nah, it really has to be Eva.”
You are looking too much into this imo, Fate confirmed that it was not Eva and that she was not interested in him, and he was with Negi and Eva all this time. There’s no way the others would have not known it if Negi had confessed to her later.
Yeah, I’m sure you are right in that I’m reading too much into it. When did Fate say that though? (Fate has his own agenda with Negi, so he could have said something like that to establish his claim on Negi.)
Well, there’s still the quest to find Negi, so I’m guessing that’s still very much on her mind and keeps Negi as a focus.
Well, it is pure speculation on my part, but I do think it works, as I’ve mentioned in other comments here.
At first, I couldn’t see what you were talking about. That’s the problem trying to type tired and while juggling work too. Then I realized, “Wait, I have that misspelled.” *_* I’ve corrected it now. I didn’t even notice the red squiggly line under the word when I wrote this. 🙁 Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
At first I saw it as a typo – then thought about that word and found it very creative on your part and fitting to what is going on right now. Seriously! ‘harmone’ I think was the spelling – not sure – but combining har-em and hor-mone can become that unique word, and with this female harem beginning to form, focused on Touta there has to be something chemical going on there too. 🙂 The three ‘K’s (Karin, Kirie, and Kuromaru) have shown some feelings toward Touta in their own way already. I’m curious how all of this activity will affect a already very fragile and shy Kuromaru and his gender issue.
Yes, seeing Eva with Karin’s hammer is a great idea. I hope it happens too.
I wish I had been that clever with that pun spelling of hormone. 😛
Actually, what I was saying was that I hoped Karin’s hammer/mallet is a pactio artifact and that her pactio is with Eva. ^_^;
I liked very much this chapter, the part Karin breaking her broom, I laughed a lot.
If Evangeline will train Touta, I want to see it.
Where are Chachamaru and Ayaka? Are They in the Inn? Is it in UQ Holder, isn’t it? I wonder that type of working they will have to do in the Inn. (If Chachamaru and Ayaka are there. I would have liked to see the reunion with Evangeline)
Also, Where is Fate? Did he get tired of go with Evangeline? XD Hasn’t Evangeline a own room? She always is in the same room working XD
I hope we see that too. I’ll not be a happy camper if we don’t. (We didn’t get to see Mana and Eva chat, if I recall correctly.)
After Dana stepped in, I’m guessing Fate went back to where ever and Eva went back to UQH. After all, they don’t need to do preliminaries for a tournament.
As for Eva, she probably does have a room, but Akamatsu-sensei likely hasn’t designed it. He has designed her office, thus we’ve had several scenes there.
I haven’t done much commenting here since several chapters ago on this manga. But I caught up. Well I’m not surprised somewhat, but it’s a bit late for Touta with any love confession, and I think that’s also part reason why Yukihime(Eva) demoted them after all that. : | Jeezes man confirm if Eva remembers you before you jump on to a love confession like that, it’s more likely than to cause another messed up moment than what you think would happen when it’s obviously going to be the complete opposite. Besides that whole Touta X Yuki(Eva) thing isn’t going to happen like that. In terms of age between them, she’s way too old for him to say the least. But I’m okay with the Mother/son thing, just don’t ever try something like that ever again Akamatsu….
It was fun basically.
At least some of the training arc is out of the way, and the story is moving on.
She’s way more mature than Touta. Her 700 or so years of life have made her a quite different person, more so after she met Negi and company. So yeah, I’d like to see that mother-son thing continue.
This was entertaining, and perhaps moving with Evangeline.
I do have a side question. Ayaka is very old now. She can’t even walk sadly. However, it does bring me to ask a question. Eve’s candy that reverse aging as well make you older.
Is possible that Ayaka could temporary use it for herself?
That’s an interesting question. Eva’s candy only created an illusion. So I can easily see there being an illusion of the younger Ayaka, but I wonder if that would allow her to walk or not. Illusion magic in the Akamatsu-verse is rather odd. After all, the illusion Negi had his arm reattached and no one knew they were working on an illusion (apparently).
I always got the impression that the age-shifting “illusions” were actually shape-shifting magic that caused an actual physical transformation to a younger or older state, albeit a temporary one. Considering the way clothes interacted during the shift (a character de-aging ended up with clothes way too big) and how other characters interacted with age-shifted characters, it’s almost certainly an actual transformation and not a simple projection or whatnot. Maybe Akamatsu-sensei meant “disguise” instead of “illusion” even though “illusion” implies something like a hologram or projection.
I think you are right in how the magic works. The term “illusion” still applies because it could easily be dispelled.
That being said, would this mean that Ayaka could use the magic on herself and get up or no?
It could be that it;s a personal question. She may have choose not to become. If Negima was around, i be you she take the youth candy at drop of a hat. Her husband could be very well be gone. She may still have the hots for Negima if that the case.
Personally, there properly going be doesn’t want to appear to be youth around her arrogant grand child. Its likely the girl Asuna meet in the future (alternate universe one), could be this feisty one’s daughter. Though she seems to be little young to be looking get hitched.
I’m pretty sure we’ve told you this before, but Yukihime did recognize Tota in the flashback in chapter one when she saved him “from the car wreck.” Stop pretending this hasn’t been foreshadowed.
The way it is written and drawn in chapter one, she does recognize him and says, “Is this…” and gets the answer, “yes.” So in my mind, she wasn’t asking, “Is this the boy that I hung out with hundreds of years ago?” It was more like, “Is this the homunculus boy with Negi’s genes?” That’s how that page in the manga came off to me. 🙂
Time travel by definition is a recton, problem is that Akamatsu-Sensei used it in the most arbitrary way possible. He made Touta Eva’s childhood friend before Karin and anyone else she came to mutual terms with. The intention of the line “is this” was ‘his grandson (Negi)’ or ‘boy already immortal’
One of the glaring issues with your statement is, that Evangeline would’ve A) Made Touta a then Full Shinsô B) Had no issue with Touta turning Touta immortal when the bounty hunter attacked in Chapter 1.
I do Admit to find it strange for translators to defend continuity, of whom work for the same Licenser, that Publishes Fairy tail. A series that as of writing has completely ignored the huge Layla 7/7/xx77, dragon sub-plot with added story (retcon) elements such as natsu’s random connection to zeref, as well as the consequences of Dragoniscation
And the rectoning hath only just begun, as Sensei’s attention for his series dwindles, he will slowly escalate. Before UQ holder! is done Setsuna’s ethnicity will not be the biggest negima retcon.
They might know things we don’t. Or they might be annoyed with me questioning something they see as fairly clear.
It does not give them an excuse to be passive-aggressive, in their post.
Hi, first time I comment here even though I’ve been visiting this blog for a while.
I don’t mean to offense, but somehow I get the feeling your opinion is but wishful thinking. There’s nothing indicate Eva saw Negi as anything other than an interested student, even Fate confirm this in UQ Holder. Even in case she really developed some other feeling for him later like you said, she had a whole 60 years to be together with him, why didn’t she do anything? Furthermore, in UQ Holder, we can clearly see she cares about Touta’s safety and well being than rescuing Negi. Does it look like the action of someone who loves Negi?
And also, I don’t think Eva’s route is really closed for Touta. But rather, it’s the other way, in the last page, the face she showed is undoubtedly belongs to a happy maiden in love who finally gets to see her loved one after a long period of waiting. The reason she rejected him is because she has no choice, they’re too different right now, in status, age and the way of thinking. Touta’s right, he has to do more, at least to make she sees him as an equal instead of someone she has to protect before she can finally accept him as her lover.
Yeah, you are correct. I’m sure it is wishful thinking on my part (or pure speculation as I put it).
As to Eva x Touta, after two years of raising him as his mother, in my mind, it would be creepy as all get out for her to suddenly look upon Touta as a lover. But that’s just me.
For Eva she first met him when she was 16 and through those years of brief meeting with him fell in love with him. Now, presently in UQ holder she met him again and recognized him, but he didn’t know her yet, so she took on the mother role. But how do you suppose someone just forgets the romantic feelings they first once had for someone? Of course Eva probably figured, “Well he’s not the Totoa I knew, he’ll probably never know the “me” he knew either.” Okay, easy to move on and accept “this” Totoa.
But now in chapter 96 we have Totoa finally knowing the Eva from when she fell in love with him, and now he’s made it clear to her that he loves her romantically. But the real question is, did she reject him because she figured he was just confused and will get over it? Or did she reject him even knowing he’s finally gone back into the past and knows her from “that” time again? That wasn’t made clear.
I wonder how that confession would’ve went if he had started of with, “YUKIHIME, do you still remember me from the past? This is years late, but, I LOVE YOU, go a round with me every night!” She probably would’ve still *slapped!* him saying the round night part again, but I think when she was asking him repeatedly, “what is wrong with you? Are you okay?” I think she was trying to figure out if he’d say, “I met the past you.” I really wonder how that conversation would’ve happened instead of how it did, but I’m still happy with the chapter.
The last page, when she said, “Dummy. You’re 500 hundred years late.” That means “long time coming”. Not, you’re too late. If she meant that, she wouldn’t said just that: “dummy. You’re 500 hundred years too late.” The “too” before the late means she meant it as just that: TOO late. But she didn’t say that, so it was meant as “long time coming”.
Overall, I just can’t wait for the “I remember you from the past/met you in the past” conversation. ヾ(*´∀｀*)ﾉIt’s gonna be a good one.
I hope you don’t mind, Ria, but I made some paragraph breaks in your post. It was hard to read otherwise. 🙂
And no doubt, Akamatsu-sensei made that unclear on purpose so that folks would debate her motives for rejecting him.
Well, she still rejected him, and the moment just lets the audience know that she did remember him from the past. One could now say that when Touta broke into the past, this was the element that caused her to start to shift her life a bit, and that shift led her to Nagi and Ala Alba, which eventually led her to being captured and imprisoned at the school, where Negi and company completed the redemption process.
Sorry for writing a bit long here…
Akamatsu-sensei would be happy to read about how much this is a discussion topic and to keep us guessing on the outcome.
There are other things to consider. Eva has a big responsibility as the leader or head of UQ (holder) and has to think of everyone and the fine details of running the whole organization and its people, add to that a potential future problem that Fate briefly talked about, and add to rescuing Nagi and Negi. Both of them are Eva’s mentors and possible love interest, but also loyalty as a friend to rescue them. This brings up some bushido obligations or traditions of clans and to the Daimyo and also to the shogunate. Eva has to maintain some level of being the leader over everyone, that can exclude showing how she feels towards individuals, and only show care for the whole group.
She has feelings for Tota/Touta but its very personal, and she doesn’t want it known to anyone at this time, and not conflict with what she wants to see or done.
Akamatsu-sensei, in manga, as in film, information is revealed when they want at the right time. We as readers have no control and will not know till its printed, and no other choice but to wait and assume or presume what will happen. Bits and pieces are to be revealed at some point like a trail of crumbs that point to the real ending. Some info may be vague on purpose. All we have are crumbs to look at.
Eva for this current time, of dropping everything and go off and get married isn’t the right time and place, and time has less significance if both are immortals, short of getting killed which Tota is worried about her disappearing. She assures Tota that she will not disappear too.
Negi worked with Eva to turn her from her ‘evil’ ways, eventually to let her become part of the class and team member. Nagi locked Eva at school so she would change her ways and stop following him too. Eva, being immortal was one of two key individuals to help Asuna at the end of Negima so she could again join her classmates at the right time in the past, and not after everyone had died 100 yrs later and no one was alive causing painful tears for Asuna. Something a close or best friend would do for their friend, and getting Chao involved so that it was possible. Eva was sitting with Nagi and others at the end of Negima too, while a grown up Negi was with a few others from the class that were now adults standing around Nagi. But her physical position at that meeting, wasn’t even close to indicating anything was romantic.
Can age be that big of a deal in love with immortals that don’t age? Yes Eva has more time and probably more mature mentally, but love is based on other things and not just mental age and maturity, and how one feels towards another is the start and attraction and care for the other person. Tota made the first move. Eva gave a response, but I’m unsure if it’s a heartfelt final rejection or one based on her position and not her feelings. I’m not including the physical side of being teenagers and what those hormones do to a immortal stuck in that age.
Tota was given the task by Dana to bring out the love that is somewhere in Eva, but hidden deep inside her. Eva is showing love as a friend, administrator, and parent, but not the romantic love that Dana wants Eva too experience. Eva is lonely, and is seeking companionship amongst immortals and has created UQ (holder). Dana wants better for her and for her to find love and not just companionship.
Tota has to prove himself worthy for Eva to notice him other than who and where he is right now. Tota has some big shoes to fill for he has to as good or better than both Nagi and Negi. Tough shoes to fill considering his own limitations. But the journey involves how he tackles these roadblocks – which is part of why I enjoy this manga.
I’ve no doubt that she cares greatly for Touta, but while Touta’s confession may have pleased her from a nostalgia aspect, she’s quite mature now, as evidenced by the fact that she raised Touta for two years and became his mother.
Well, she seemed to have a little crush of some sort on Touta in her younger days as an immortal. However, after a few hundred years, she forgot about Touta completely. She was reminded of him one last time, but then that served to allow her to be able to eventually meet and fall in love with Nagi.
We’ll see what Akamatsu-sensei does, but at the moment, I’m not seeing a Touta x Eva ending.
Becoming a surrogate mother to raise someone that you remembered having a romantic crush on is weird enough. Now that “son” also views you as a woman after meeting your teenage self. I get the feeling that this author is rather fine with taboo-ish relationships? I mean, in his previous work, teenage girls were romantically pursuing a boy who was still physically a kid.
This is the complication and twists that come with time travel and add non-aging immortals, that makes things a bit less weird.
Eva is a non aging immortal and true form is age 16-18? and Tota who became immortal by Eva, is close to that age, as in a few years younger. So by appearances, they are close in visual age. Eva takes this pill that makes her look older as in her 20s or 30s. In reality Eva is hundreds of years old.
Tota isn’t Eva’s biological son (at least so far) so no genetic issues if they had a romantic relationship, but she raised Tota – either by request of the ‘parents’ that were killed or by knowledge of who Tota was in her past, waiting till time caught up with Tota.
Both won’t grow ‘older’ but their minds mature with their life experiences.
A time paradox was created when Dana trained Tota and he got to meet Eva of the past, by plan or by accident, that may explain why Eva raised Tota, OR the time-line has shifted to a different reality where what was shown in the early chapters and with Eva no longer is accurate. This we can only speculate or assume or presume.
Well, he does seem to be venturing out in this area a bit. And you are right — in Negima, the young boy Negi was getting teen girls and even adult women worked up, to say nothing of artificial life forms (Chachamaru). But in UQ Holder, he may have Touta suddenly see Eva as a woman, but I don’t think we’ll see any changes is how Eva treats Touta, based on her rejection of him.
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! She remembers him! :3333333
Why did the group get demoted? Weren’t they kidnapped by Dana? Right in front of Eva? LOL
P.S. Everyone’s reactions were awesome!
Eva being sadistic? 😉 Actually, I think Akamatsu-sensei wants the next part of the manga staying at UQH HQ, and this is a good way to do it.
To me, the “500 years late/smile” thing is a strong indication that EvaxTouta will happen at one point in the manga. I understand it in regards to the way things happened with both Nagi and Negi : I strongly believe Eva loved Nagi, and then Negi even more, but the two of them didn’t love her. Nagi took a wife, and Negi, even if he said he liked her as a master, wasn’t talking about a love relationship, in my opinion. For Negi, I’m basing my assumptions that she was not his loved one on Asuna’s reaction, as I think that she would have been more sisterly worried, even if at the end she kinda liked Eva, that Negi could date the Evangel of Darkness… So I think the smile Eva gave at the end is quite a bittersweet one : she’s certainly touched by the confession, as it might be the only one she’s ever had, but her 500 years of violence, hatred and loneliness have made her cynical, to the point it’s impossible for her to take seriously the words of a 15 years-old brat, as determined as he seems to be. The Eva that could have said yes disappeared 500 years ago, to become the “last boss” and immortal monster she is now, and it’s ot a few years with the 3-A, Negi and raising Touta that can change this so quickly.
I didn’t like this ship at first, mostly because of the age difference, but two things made me want it to happen : first, I can’t imagine ToutaxKirie, or Kuroumarou, or anyone else. It doesn’t seem to work for me. And second, seeing what Akamatsu seems to hint with the different notion of time for immortals, I don’t think the idea of being too young really matters, as long as the relationship lasts forever.
For the rest of the chapter, I’m very happy to see the others numbers again, I hope we’ll see more of Ikuu. I think I’m going to dislike Ayaka’s grandchild a lot, but this was what I was saying of Ayaka at the beginning of Negima, so I’ll look forward to see her, which, with her cameo like appearance, might be next chapter !
(BTW Astro, this is my first comment ever on your blog, but I’ve been reading you since the Negima era, and I want to use this comment to thank you for your work every week on spoilers and analysis !)
That’s a good point. It actually made me imagine Negi confessing to Eva years later and getting a similar rejection that Touta got, but possibly topped with some sort of sexual thing too (as she was wont to do to Negi from time to time). Since Touta wants Eva to be happy, if they rescue Negi and Nagi, then my little fantasy of a Negi x Eva could come true. 😛
First, thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment. I hope you’ll feel free to comment again. Secondly, you are very welcome. 😀
I dont know if anyone remembers this but I do recall in Negima that Eva told Negi that he was 400 years too early but now she tells Touta that he is 500 years (give or take a few years) too late. What does that even mean? Also when I find the chapter of when she said that to Negi I’ll post it but I think it was during the Magic World arc.
In the case of Eva’s remarks to Negi, she’s saying that he’s way too young and inexperienced, given her advanced years and experience at that point. With Touta, she’s remarking on how long it has been since their last encounter, or to be more precise, he should have said that confession 500 years ago, not today. Back then, she would have accepted it.
This was a great chapter. Hits the right mix of humor and sweetness. Eva blushing and getting flustered was great, and that last frame made me kind of misty-eyed. It seems that the Eva/Touta ship has been sunk for now, though. Maybe Touta will hook up with Kuroumaru on the rebound, assuming we don’t see things go towards the harem route that’s been standard for Akamatsu manga.
Well, I’m curious to see if we have the harem injection to the story. If so, that will change everything and hopefully, cause Kuroumaru to become a lovely girl. 😀
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Hi, first time I comment in here
In chapter 42 Fate denied eva and negi is lover, maybe they already husband and wife relationship. Well, it is pure speculation on my part
Well, we don’t know how factual Fate was being there.
Hehe, I ship Eva and Touta :’D I always shipped Asuna and Negi, but then they were related. I honestly do think that Akamatsu-sensei will allow my shipping to actually come true this time: he had that whole Dana thing where she told Touta he was the secret to Kitty’s happiness, right? 🙂
My order for the harem is Evangeline/Kitty/Yukihime>>Kuromaru>>>>>>Kirie>>Shinobu>Mizore>>>Karin. Honestly, Kirie is just Chisame, and Shinobu and Mizore are recycled characters too (Shinobu from Love Hina and Ayaka, duh). Shinobu and Mizore especially come across as just filler competitors to either further Kuromaru or Kirie’s storylines, and Karin at this point would still just be strange as a pairing with Touta.
Kirie is a little more decent (the time stop thing was cute), but I’ve grown to dislike tsunderes, and she’s also basically Chisame, who was basically and extra-tsun Asuna, so…yeah.
And then I liked Kuromaru before Touta revealed his undying love for Eva/Kitty/Yukihime because they matched well, but I honestly think that Touta needs another guy friend/partner like Santa. He already has a harem.
So, yeah, I hope he ends up with Eva/Kitty/Yukihime, something that actually seems to be what Ken Akamatsu wants. 🙂 So…yup, just my 2 cents, haha.
Distantly.
Maybe. But if Touta saves Negi, then Negi may end up with Eva.
Santa is all he’ll get, based on Negima. 😉
Kuroumaru will make a lovely girl and awesome addition to the harem. 😉
Actually i dont care 500 years latter.
After those sentence spoken by eva was proclaimed to be a major change in history of her. During the training with dana touta has meet eva when she was about 15 years old as stated. This was after the confession of love to evangeline.
By that time touta was considered to be one of her crush and during the years of meeting she actually forgot him. By stating i will be by u r side made her happy. Though the time flews normal life of her took place as meeting with nagi and negi. But a fragment of his form lurkes on her mind as he didnt came for a long time she completely forgot him. On by this timeline he changed everything. During dana’s training he disrupted the timebarrier for her and meet her saying that he wants her to be by her side. And after this she kissed him in present claiming him that to look for a girl himself that doesnt mean she doesnt wanna get married to him she actually does love him but nagi was the one who stolled her heart and after comes negi. After those incidents here comes ialda. By that time he again meet with eva and she said that she fallen for 3 persons in these past 700 years. By keeping these statements. And considering dana’s divination. I state that eva and touta will have a harem by i dont thing he will ever get married or so. In this harem i suspect there would be 1st place for yukihime,kirie,shinobu,mizore,karen,
Tokisaka and later arrivals.
By xavi o raen ?
FB-xavi o raen.
If you read the later chapters. The author noted there was clear split in the timeline.
[spoiler]In later chapters, Diane would show the other timeline where Eva marries Nagi which is bit insane, but true. I honestly never though Nagi had any attraction to her. While Negi marries one of his classmates NO ONE saw coming.[/spoiler]
The timeline they inhabit is the non-happy ending one without better name. There still a differring timeline that Chaos came from which was never clearlyed laid out .
Given how well the manga sales are going, i don’t know if we’ll ever see much of the rest of the negaverse in coming months ahead.
Well, I’m never going to be a fan of an Eva x Touta hookup, even within a harem setting.
I think this was either clever way hook them up, or a desperate act of trying keep the manga a float. It was stupid idea, funny rejection but it was in poor taste. Touta is pretty ignorant as far as 14 year goes.
That’s true.