November 10th, 2015 
AstroNerdBoy ユーキューホルダー! Manga Review
UQ Holder Chapter 101
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
In the room she shares with Touta, Kuroumaru takes note of her growing breasts, as her body becomes female, when Touta busts in ready for bed. Kuroumaru finds she can no longer sleep in the same room as Touta, thus is exhausted the following day when she trains with him. During their training, Touta is able to block a sword hit with his arm without taking damage, showing how far he’s advanced in his power. Kuroumaru is amazed since she can’t do this, but Touta downplays things since he’s still got so far to go to be the most powerful.
As the day goes on, Kuroumaru notes how Touta is able to do anything at a professional level after watching someone do that thing only once. Touta is well liked by the underlings at UQ Holder as well as the children there. Kuroumaru also notes how Touta considers her as a partner and she credits Touta with saving her. As such, she fears that if Touta learns the truth that she’s a girl, he’ll reject her.
Kirie hears Kuroumaru vocalizing her thoughts aloud and voices her support for Kuroumaru, denying she has feelings for Touta as well. In order to test Touta’s feelings without ruining their friendship, Kirie gets a sailor suit dress for Kuroumaru to wear. In addition, she turns Kuroumaru’s hair blonde. Kuroumaru shows up at the front door as a walk in guest of the inn and is greeted by Touta alone, after Kirie arranges for other staff members to be gone. As Touta takes Kuroumaru’s bag, he looks back and apparently recognizes Kuroumaru through the disguise.
Thoughts/Review:
Ah, yes. Kuroumaru is a lovely girl at long last. 🙂
The one little piece of information here regarding Kuroumaru becoming a woman was the fact that she never thought she’d ever become male or female once she became immortal. That actually made her continued insistence on being male make more sense to me. As a gender-neuter individual who thought that they would never get to make a gender choice, I can see Kuroumaru trying to act as butch as possible to avoid certain problems.
Now that Kuroumaru has become a lovely girl, I think her fears over Touta rejecting her in the cold manner she imagines are baseless. Touta may turn her down as a romantic partner, but I think that if Touta learned the truth of Kuroumaru’s clan and such (when it comes to gender), I think he’d find that to be cool. He’d find no issue with Kuroumaru being a woman and a partner in battle since Kuroumaru has proved herself over and over.
Kirie putting Kuroumaru in disguise to make her appear to be a cute, blonde, Eva knockoff was not a story turn I would have expected. I wonder if Kuroumaru’s hair was turned blonde ’cause that’s how it seemed to me (rather than her wearing a blonde wig). That being said, Touta being able to apparently see through the disguise is not unexpected since this is Super Touta we are talking about. However, I do hope that this leads to them actually having a heart-to-heart and does not become just some new take on the Kuroumaru gender gags. I want Kuroumaru to open up to Touta about her past so that we can witness some of these things and get to know Kuroumaru better.
Speaking of Touta, I noted with some amusement how Kuroumaru’s own thoughts about him are that he can do anything after seeing it done once. Well, it isn’t like we didn’t know that, but I took this more as Akamatsu-sensei acknowledging that Touta is that gifted to master things ultra quickly.
Still, Touta isn’t the annoying idiot he was in that he doesn’t get on my nerves like he used to. Indeed, I found the scene with him playing with Mizore and the little youkai girls (or whatever they officially are) to be quite touching and adorable.
In the end, this was a nice chapter featuring Kuroumaru becoming the lovely girl we all knew she would be.
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Set sail!
Hope your ship doesn’t get rekt. 😉 Kid has eyes only for Eva.
Har! Kuroumaru can win him over. 😉
Hey, he said he liked Kurou the best!
*lalala wishful thinking*
Heh!heh!
I personally don’t think this incident is going to end with Touta realizing that Kuromaru loves him romantically, rather than as a brother in arms. Rather, Touta probably would assume that this is Kuromaru’s way for telling Touta that Kuromaru is turning into a female, and would assume that Kuromaru’s recent awkwardness is a result of Kuromaru not being sure of whether she could continue her current status with Touta.
He would miss the romantic connotations – or possibly dismiss it, as a nah, my best buddy won’t see me that way, no matter his or her gender. So, I don’t think it would be a heart to heart talk, or more gender gags, but rather, Touta basically best-friendzoning Kuromaru without realizing it. Contrary to Kuromaru’s imagination, Touta learning that Kuromaru is female, is not tantamount to Touta realizing Kuromaru is crushing hard on Touta.
Also, I suspect that Touta realized it was Kuromaru, from her voice. Kirie simply underestimated Touta – plus, a Kitty Clone in-front of him probably made him rather alert – after all, Dana tried to pull the same stunt over Touta. I won’t be surprised if he pieced two and two together, and concluded that Kirei put Kuromaru up to it too.
That adorable scene where Touta was playing with the Yokai Girls and Mizore, I think might be a hint the current mini-arc is ending soon, and UQ Holder would once again take a serious turn. In-fact, I get the sense that Akamatsu is speeding through character introductions as fast as he can – Mizore and Shinobu’s introduction actually feels quite expedited in my opinion, at least compared to Negima.
Also, there’s something oddly entertaining about Kirie’s rage face, when those exaggerated jaws and pissed off eyes come out.
Everything in UQ Holder is expedited. The journey of Eva, Touta, and Kuroumaru was expedited to get them to the Senkyoukan quicker. Then things were expedited underground so Touta was the awesomeness. Touta rapidly leveled up to expedite getting to Negi’s level. So yeah, lots of expediency.
True.
Disguising as eva’s knockoff. I like kuromaru, but seriously? That’s a cheap trick.
That is Kirie’s imput. I wouldn’t throw this cheap tactic behind her.
Blame Kirie, who’s idea this was.
woohoo its finally happened and i enjoyed it alot. i just hope it goes well nxt chapter i foresee kuroumaru maybe having a talk with touta about her past(i can finally say her 🙂 )
which i am quite interested in that.
I think it is interresting that when touta said he want to be the strongest jack rackan was in the background
Someone cited Jack, without naming him, as the strongest, which is why I think that flashback scene was used.
If it matters at all, he is a Clone of Negi. So being able to be good at stuff should have been obvious. But this has been discussed before so i’ll leave it at that.
Honestly, Kuro was going to be a girl the second she was introduced. Why? well, Touta inherited that charm that makes every girl(nearly) fall in love/crush over him. Negi had that effect hahah.
As far as being able to do anything, Ken is also pressing that Touta would still be killed by someone like Rakan(who has fought immortals tons of times i am guessing).
Also, I have something that came into my head
Plot Twist; Chisame married Rakan and they have a really powerful Great-grandchild(or grandchild) who is really firggin powerful and ends up fighting Touta as some point in that Tournament. Which she/he would decimate Touta if they met outside just so she/he could test touta.
Which would mean that She/He could defeat a Immortal possibly. Maybe.
What you think?
The name is kirri
A homunculus created from Negi would be more accurate. If Touta were a clone of Negi, he’d look exactly like Negi.
As to the theory, I’m not sure how an illusionary creation (Jack) could reproduce with a human. However, we are talking about Touta being a homunculus of Negi, so using magic, maybe something could happen. (Though I can’t see Chisame leaving Negi for Jack.)
astro : So :
1. At the same time I want to say that Tota managed to unmask Dana morphed to perfection in a replica Eva. So we had a foreshadowing on the fact that he had enough intuition to uncover disguise including kuromaru^^. The rest is from chapter 2 tells us that that Tota can copy all talents except magic if he hadn’t the hoola hoop) after seeing it once. So well, this is consistent with the rest, there is no reason to change that brutally lol. Anyway he visibly became a acceptable character to your eyes, so much the better ^^
2. Otherwise I must admit that although I was not particularly bothered by the fact that Kuromaru become a girl, I am pleasantly surprised with the result! Whoa !!! It only remains to Kuro that take confidence in both capacities as a fighter and her seductive charms and be more offensive and she will perfectly the kind of female character that I love nyahhahahahahaha.
I also hope myself a frank confession of kuromaru on her clan and especially explore her past, her background !! We beg you both together for that!!! Please Sensei, PLEASE !!! ^^
I agree totally here.
Hmm, it’s weird because Kuroumaru mentioned that her race chooses their gender by performing a ritual but maybe it’s a ceremonial thing.
I hope Kuroumaru tells Touta about her race and gender issues in the next chapter. Or at least in the next couple of chapters.
She also said if there is no ceremony, the body will naturally change towards one gender.
In another year.
I think the ritual is more about ceremony. In Kuroumaru’s case, the circumstances caused her body to react naturally.
That would be the dream.
I just can’t see how this will end well though….
Plot twists on the way. 😉
The manga needs gender bender tag ?
It’s not really genderbending. Kuromaru ‘s race was always this way.
I’m actually surprised that her voice hadn’t changed but then again this is manga were all reading this and not hearing change in character voice from male voice to more masculine voice.
I think Kirie’s hair brain scheme of hers was flimsy. Especially when there so few visitors to the resort. Even if Touta hadn’t (allegedly) figure out who she was, people would have bagged her as being intruder if they didn’t realize who she was.
Kuroumaru probably had a voice that was more gender-neutral. Her voice might change with her now becoming female.
Yeah, that’s true.
Heh! Well, Kuroumaru had no gender and then naturally became a woman. so I don’t think it qualifies.
The ultimate proof that (alas!) Negi got together with Asuna in the end instead of Nodoka… how else can you explain Touta apparently having enough brains (subconsciously, I would assume) to master everything quickly, while also having full-fledged Baka Power(tm)? (^_~)
(Extremely random thought… does anyone remember approximately where/when in Negima someone says that what Asuna has and Negi lacks is the power to be stupid? Remembering that was actually the thought that prompted the above, and it’s driving me batty trying to remember who said it and when.)
Greetings.
The one who told Negi about “baka power” was Kotaro, right after a fight on their reunion at Mundus Magicus.
Thank you. (^_^) I started off by thinking it was Rakan, and couldn’t find it… then Evangeline, and couldn’t find it… and along the way I got stuck and just started re-reading. (^_~)
I wouldn’t be surprised if Negi hooked up with a lot of girls. That being said, I think Touta’s is a homunculus creation, using Negi and other genetic material, likely from girls in the battle harem.
As to what Asuna said, I don’t know where that’s at. The topic came up more than once in Negima.
(⊙_⊙)
Okay… where’s ANB, and what have you done with him? (^_~)
This actually reminds me of a joke photoshop I wanted to do* some years ago: Back when fg7dragon coined the term “Thousand Pimp”, I had the evil thought of taking this image (asuna’s bikini might be risky at work) and using a free transform to expand the girls’ abdomens (including Eva and Chachamaru) just enough to be suggestive… then giving it the caption “Don’t underestimate the Thousand Pimp. Sayo might be next.”
Joking aside, likewise. The thought (Negi + Asuna = literal deus ex machina) occurred when I read those lines, and I couldn’t resist.
.
* – Unfortunately, in the end I gave up after I lost most of the work in a crash.
Sorry, in retrospect that was WAY too oblique. Trying to get straight to the point for once, I meant making it look like all the girls (again, including Eva and Chachamaru) were about 5-6 months along.
Understood. 🙂
Heh! Blame it on my having accepted the harem concept way back in Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki. 😉
As to the image, you never know, but someone else may have done the very thing you thought of, knowing how the Japanese have photoshopped many an image.
Well, screw choice; she’s homura the sekirei.
In another news I’ve deduced the studio that should do UQ Holder! JC Staff.
After writing off all the others.
Bones: doing Jumps hero school
madhouse One-punch man and hunterxhunter
production IG busy with Shingeki season 2 and financial Issues given how GITS reboot was just to retain the rights and the OVA’s animation wasn’t all that good, and that it ended as a closed loop with continuity errors.
Toei: Does only Jump and is busy with their train wreck digimon Tri.
Pierrot: sinking due to no more naruto media and screwing about with Tokyo Ghoul with animation that looks 7 years old even on bluray.
Uftoable: continuous production delays, even more so because of God eater. Doing Heavens feel and is way out of Ken’s league for kodansha to dump that sort of money for his series.
A1:Pictures: doesn’t need any work from kodansha, doing fairy tail, nanatsu no taizai. As well as the anime finale movie for Black Butler. (susurprisingly have usurped Pierrot, in ongoing weekly shounen, after naruto Pierrot has nothing. It doesn’t seem that they have Yu Yu hakusho anymore, otherwise they would’ve rebooted In 2013)
Shaft and Exbec: burnt bridges
Sunrise: don’t really do properties and are moving 30K bluray with code geass akihito.
Manglobe: insolvent.
Gunzo: would be a surprise.
My choice for JC staff, is for that fact that they have a wide range of experience,
Revolutionary utena, Hayate the combat Butler, monomusu and most importantly; the To Aru franchise, the animation was amazing for 2008 and railgun for 2010 has flawless animation it also shares a few concept. EG imagine breaker=magic cancel. It would also be a huge status upgrade for the studio, from original to LN to small magazine to Kodansha’s ever growing shounen weekly magazine. It would be a big break for the studio.
Or Brain’s Base who are good at fixing mediocre pacing and lame jokes?
: p
Heh! They did a great job with RINNE for sure.
So, I think she is going to be a girl.
I wonder if Kuroumaru will continue being in the same room with Touta when turn into a girl. I suppose they will continue in the same room.
“Even his breathing is distracting me” Hum… I think it is his snoring what it does Kuroumaru can’t sleep.
I imagined Evangeline hitting him for snoring or also Evangeline covering her head with her pillow to not hear his snoring. XD
Although in the first chapter, Evangeline was sleeping with Touta and she was wrapping her arm around his neck, maybe before he didn’t snore.
When I saw Touta and Kuroumaru training with the sword and they count, I thought about “The Mulan’s movie: To be a man” XD
“I got a long way to go before I can be the strongest” Lol Sure, before Rakan, he must beat Evangeline, Negi, Nagi and Fate… He has a long way to go…
Kuroumaru must have felt very alone when was in the place that. I don’t think if Kuroumaru tells Touta she is a girl, he will put Kuroumaru aside.
I think Touta will get very surprised.
The scene of the bath, Kirie, what an obsession to groping her breast.
“I just couldn’t lose to either of them, or I’d lose face as an immortal”
But, Has it something to do one thing with the other?
“I pulled some strings to make sure you two would be alone”
What must have she done to the people?… Free pizza for everyone! And then, all the people were to eat pizza XD
Touta realized that the person is Kuroumaru. Lol, Kirie, he isn’t so stupid as you thought he was.
PS: About the studio that should do UQ Holder!
while the studio doesn’t make an anime as Negima and they can make an anime decent, it will be accepted. When I saw the anime from Negima, my soul fell to my feet in that very moment and all my hopes fell to shreds. (I only can tell, at least the OVAS from Negima, it was fine.)
Sometimes, you can get people to do a lot for free pizza and beer (at least, when they are in their 20s). 😉
I used to think that uq holder was epitome of random, not anymore CLOUD STRIFE from FFVII in smash bros. I think the Japanese are beginningto lose their proverbial shit. Just howmmore random can you get.
I don’t think Touta realized it was Kuroumaru, I think he realized Kuroumaru wasn’t there to help with the guest :p
I like Kuroumaru, but dying your hair and dressing like your crush’s crush is getting into stalker territory, I sometimes think Kirie is just sowing chaos for her own amusement.
If the spoilers are right, you were close to the truth.
Kirie is doing this for her own amusement, just as Ikkuu did to start this party.
I’m not sure if Kirie dressed Kuromaru to mimic Eva. I’m trying to remember the earlier chapters without actually going back….
I could be wrong, and if I am please correct me. But I don’t remember Kirie at anytime during the training that she saw Eva at Dana’s fortress. It was only Tota and Dana. So Kirie wouldn’t know how Eva looked.
Eva also said it was Touta’s imagination when he saw her in his mind in the summer dress, and he selected the clothes Eva was wearing, but she was OK with it. Eva wearing that summer dress was between the morning meetings, as something the young Eva left in Touta’s memory because of the exponential time increase between each visit in the morning. Earlier when Touta first was at the fortress Eva was initially dressed in tattered clothing when she tried to attack Dana. Eva was in a gothic outfit when Touta busted down the window to talk to her.
Touta saw through Dana’s disguise and part of it was that Dana wasn’t able to copy Eva’s behavior (ie forcing a kiss) and Touta by this time kinda knew enough of Eva’s behavior and that Eva would never do that, exposing that it wasn’t Eva but someone else.
Having long hair is a similarity between Eva and Kuromaru. Making Kuromaru a blonde I can see as the opposite of a brunette as part of the disguise as a hair color that wasn’t black that would easily expose Kuromaru, and not necessarily because Yukihime is a blonde, but Kirie didn’t give Kuromaru a hair cut or a different hair style (ie perm), so the facial features and hair would be the same, where Touta was observant enough to compare and become suspicious.
Why a variety of a sailor uniform, I think its because that is what japanese girls wear at that age. Kirie also is a wizard of magic too, and looks like used magic to create the outfit and flowers in Kuromaru’s hair.
Why she continues to grope Kuromaru’s breasts is also kinda kinky. Maybe as physical contact and proof that Kuromaru is becoming a girl by the breast development.
I would like to see what Kuromaru decides on what to wear. Would it be a dress, uniform or pants. She did look very cute in the Mahora school uniform.
oops I think I answered my own question, so I need to explain a bit. Kirie saw how Eva looked in Touta’s eyes when Dana disguised herself as that Eva. but Touta figured it was not Eva and fought that image till Dana revealed herself. But Kirie and Kuromaru didn’t see Eva in that outfit before that or since, so both are not able to compare if the Dana disguise was what Eva actually wore, or something Dana made up… no reference to compare.
oops again, my bad… Kirie admitted making Kuromaru a blonde like Yukihime…
True, but they know Eva is blonde, and I suspect that Kirie also knows Eva’s true form.
She did.
I think when the group got back, they all saw Dana as Eva (Kitty).
Well, ask and you shall receive. Kuro-kun is now a lovely girl. This was a really cute chapter. I couldn’t help but have a big grin on my face the whole time I was reading. The ship has started to sail, so let’s hope it doesn’t get anchored or, worse, sunk. I’ve shipped Kuro & Touta since the beginning.
I think it will be delayed, but I’ll still ship Touta x Kuroumaru.