November 15th, 2018 
AstroNerdBoy ユーキューホルダー! 魔法先生 ネギま！2 Manga Review
UQ Holder! Mahou Sensei Negima 2
UQ Holder!: Magister Negi Magi! 2 Chapter 154
UQ Holder Chapter 154
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Eva comes after Mundus Magicus Senator Gorgonzola, who’s behind the invasion of Martian mages to Earth. Eva easily overcomes the troops the senator summons. However, the shinso vampire Ba’al stops Eva. As they fight, Ba’al questions Eva’s motives in coming to the Magic World. Eva avoids the trap Ba’al set earlier and battles him to a draw. As such, Ba’al reveals his true form, which is an untold number of magical beasts and evil demons.
Ba’al causes his beasts to attack, so Eva uses her Doll Master ability to summon heavily armed troops. However, it is not enough and Eva is overwhelmed and heavily injured. Jinbee rescues her, but is attacked by Ba’al’s minister, Sept Shichijuurou Nanao. Karin unleashes a devastating Divine attack on Ba’al to help defend Eva. Ba’al quickly subdues Karin and is going to send her to the rift between worlds. Eva uses Magia Erebea to send Ba’al’s attack back at him, destroying him for now.
The Senator and fellow politicians who supported him used the Megalo-Mesembrian Royal Guard to fight as their private army. Since Eva was the most powerful mage alive, she, Jinbee, and Karin were able to overcome their opponents in under a year. Senator Gorgonzola agrees to a peace treaty. He tries to spring a trap on them, but a giant Eva unleashes a massive attack. As a result, Eva received a price on her head, but the invasion of Earth stopped.
Karin tells Touta that for 120 years, Karin followed Eva around. Eva wanted Karin to go her own way. Karin isn’t happy to just be on call and wants a pactio with Eva.
Thoughts/Review:
Crunchyroll sucks horribly in how they handled UQ Holder chapter 154. However, I decided to go another route to read this excellent chapter. (More on that in a future post.)
The Bishounen Shinso
When the latest shinso vampire arrived on the scene in the previous chapter, it appeared to be a loli girl. This is a natural assumption since Akamatsu-sensei loves him some loli babes. (Well, to be fair, Akamatsu-sensei just loves him some babes, loli or otherwise.) However, the Twins are using the “he” pronoun, indicating that Ba’al is a male. Presuming there are no other indications in the Japanese text, in terms of historical context, Ba’al (Baal) has been male. So that makes sense.
Hopefully, Akamatsu-sensei doesn’t decide to pull a Kuroumaru on us when it comes to Ba’al. We’ve been there and done that gag.
The question I have is, “What happened to Ba’al?” After Eva defeated him, Karin’s tale mentions spending 120 years battling bounty hunters. However, it does not mention another confrontation with Ba’al. So is Ba’al still out there? I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes a new enemy for the UQ Holder crew to fight. At the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the Noble that Eva mentions to Touta in volume 1 of the manga. Obviously, with a hair cut.
Eva: The Most Powerful Mage
One of the mysteries of the UQ Holder manga is why Eva is not the powerhouse she was in Negima. Obviously, from a story telling perspective, you can’t have a Mary Sue character who can kick everyone’s arse. And while Akamatsu-sensei has not explored why Eva is no longer as powerful as she once was, he did allow us to see how she earned her fearful reputation on the Magic World.
Frankly, I have to say that I loved Eva’s rematch with Ba’al. On one hand, it got to show just how good Eva truly is. She forced Ba’al to have to use his true form in order to get the upper hand on Eva. And ultimately, she was able to defeat Ba’al using Magia Erebea. On the other, the fight more effectively showed just how much more powerful shinso High Daylight Walkers are compared with someone with the mad skills of Eva.
Also, Eva creating doll versions of herself, Jinbee, and Karin is a new skill. However, she may be using Eastern shikigami magic to create the clones, which would then be easy for her to control with her Doll Master ability.
Finally, it was AWESOME to see Eva take on an illusionary giant form and defeat an entire nation.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
It feels like I should have more to say about UQ Holder chapter 154, but I’m rather pressed for time. So let me wrap up things with some final bullet points.
- We finally know the name of the other bishounen member of UQ Holder — Sept Shichijuurou Nanao. Granted in UQ Holder chapter 154, he’s working for Ba’al, but we already know from another flashback and from volume 1 that he was a member of UQ Holder.
- Although I hated seeing Chachazero reduced to two single frame cameo, I am glad Akamatsu-sensei didn’t forget her. I missed Chachazero being at the camp with Karin and Eva, though I know Akamatsu-sensei “put her on the shelf” there because she would have stolen the scene. ?
- Karin using her Divine magic is awesome, even if ultimately unsuccessful against Ba’al. I kinda wish it had actually done damage to Ba’al. I hated that Karin got punked so quickly.
- Speaking of Karin, I suspect she will get her pactio. I’ve long thought that Karin’s mallet came and went like a pactio artifact. As such, I suspect this will be her pactio artifact, but she just doesn’t have to say “Adeat” or the like to summon it. I cite Asuna in Negima as precedence.
- If I’m right about the a Karin pactio, I hope Akamatsu-sensei addresses Chachazero and her pactio.
In the end, UQ Holder chapter 154 continues to show that the series can be quite strong and good without needing to have Touta be front and center of everything. I’m loving that we are continuing to get Eva’s backstory. Oh, and Crunchyroll sucks!
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Maybe ba’al is a Member too
Well, that’s possible. The Nobel with the shorter hair shown in volume 1 could be Ba’al.
Could Nanao be another missing UQ member? A long-hair female one
We’ve seen Nanao in another flashback chapter, when Eva-Yukihime had her split with Fate. So yeah, the character should be a UQ Holder member.
Is there any other sites in which I could read this chapter for free? I know crunchyroll has changed it to premioim for a while but other sites i usually read it at usually publishes it like a day or 2 after crunchyroll but none seems to have it so far
The unofficial aggregate sites usually take what CR publishes and just repost it on their own websites. None of them are going to be willing to buy the chapter from comiXology to do this. However, if even one of them did purchase it and post it, the others would quickly grab it from them.
Well, i had uploaded the chapter here yesterday: bato.to/chapter/1268719/1
That last page touched me, Karin really loves Evangeline, I don’t know if in the sense of being in love or of affection, however, I was surprised that she had already asked Evangeline to make a pactio before, seeing Chapter 152, I must suppose that Evangeline said something and they didn’t make the pactio, I would like Karin to finally get the pactio with Evangeline, but it is difficult because of the problem there is. (well, Chachamaru couldn’t make a pactio either and Negi insisted on it and in the end they made the pactio)
About the fight of Ba’al and Evangeline, for a moment I thought of Hellsing,
Evangeline’s spell “Boundless white seventh heaven” I did remember “Endless white nine heavens” that she made in Negima, of course Endless white nine heavens, is more powerful since it must have been an improved version.
It was all the fault of the Senator that they put a reward on Evangeline, sometimes not everything that one sees, is what it seems.
PS: I would have liked to see Chachazero talk to Karin or Evangeline, that shows that Karin knows Chachazero.
Well, as Karin said, Eva doesn’t need the pactio. And a pactio is a magical drain on the Magister. Technically, Eva should have one with Chachazero. After all, Chachazero had a pactio artifact in Negima, though who knows how Akamatsu-sensei will play this. (I can almost already feel the, “Well, Chachazero was originally Eva’s partner when I designed her, but then I changed my mind. And since I never showed Chachazero as having received an official pactio from Eva, I can now say that maybe Chachazero never did have one.”)
Whether Chachazero has one in UQ Holder or not, I suspect Karin will get one. For a start, it would make it easier for Eva to summon Karin if needed. And I’ve always felt that Karin’s battle mallet was like a pactio artifact. Karin keeps her swords around, but the mallet just appears at times, rather like how Asuna did her pactio weapon.
Since the Twins did the translations for both, I have to believe that the original Japanese for the spell has different kanji to denote the difference in “Boundless” and “Endless.” One complaint I’m reading online is that in Negima, Eva is said to have developed the spell to use against CE. So Eva using it hundreds of years earlier would be a retcon. However, if your point is correct, then Eva did develop the spell in the medieval period, but then developed the new version in Negima for CE.
I would have as well. I would love for Chachazero to be revived and be a part of UQ Holder. I think the only reason she’s not is that she’s a scene stealer. I think that’s why Akamatsu-sensei kept her to only two tiny cameo panels to show, “Yes, Chachazero is around”, but he’s not letting her partake in any of the real action because she’d steal the scene.
From this chapter I am seeing Eva who is pretty powerful, but not at that state of power she was in Negima.
This must be when she got *inspiration* to create Magia Erebea, which looks like it’s still very much in development.
Going by the current timeline, when she needs ME, and at the end of Negima Jack rakan states that she doesnt need to use ME,
I would say that as of this chapter she is probably at the level of her Copy from the Magia Erebea Scroll Negi used.
What do you think?
I kinda think that Eva started ME research after her first encounter with Ba’al. But there’s nothing supporting this theory though.
I’m not sure. This chapter seems to indicate Eva is at the peak of her power, or rather she’s more powerful than any other mage alive at the time. Only the actual, shinso, High Daylight Walkers would be an actual threat to her. People will obviously challenge Eva over the years, but clearly they’ll all lose until Nagi.
I kinda would like to see more Eva backstory to show more of her time with Ala Rubra and such. I doubt that happens ’cause of Arika, whom I believe to be a retcon character.
I was about to let you know about the scanlation for 154. Looks like you found it already.
Oh, and I saw your reply to me on the Crunchyroll forums about contacting them. I actually found it yesterday and sent them a message, but got some generic response that didn’t tell me much of anything. Thanks anyway for the heads up.
Anyway, good chapter. Nice to get some more backstory regarding Evangeline after all these years.
Actually, that’s a chapter from comiXology. ? This is why having the manga infested with hideous DRM filth makes no sense.
You’re welcome. ? I too received a generic response at first. Eventually I got a real response. Maybe if they get hammered with requests, they’ll do something about the missing chapter.
Yeah, I agree. And I want to continue to see more, even if it has to come from Eva herself.
Good chapter, I think the homophobic editorial caught on that Eva and karin wasn’t for titillation. And was a serious romantic relationship. More than 20 years later Akamatsu-Sensei is running into the same issues as Noako.
Oh well who knows maybe I’m proven wrong and the next chapter opens with karin and Eva on the ground together in afterglow.
Anyway, I once said that viz media would gut yen press, instead my concerns have been reversed and people will be priced out of the market/community.
Fullmetal Alchemist got re released into hardback format (excellent quality by the way)
They are not cheap, some series like jojo and berserk really shine in these larger formats. But alot of shounen does not (FMA is the latter). This is what gets people interested and in.
The market insular; for collectors and enthusiasts (expandable income). Goes against everything that first drew people into the medium. It was different, literally unlike anything else, unrivalled creativity. Boundless variety. (especially in regards to historical series, Otoyomegatrai or jojo. And all the anime that has sprung forth from it. So great is it that Hollywood feels emasculated by it.) queer representation, point to a American television show where I’m as well represented as an Ace person as I am. In the magnificent Bloom into you and I’ll stop look down at western entertainment.
The western market is becoming its very antithesis. Anime and manga has NEVER NEVER been exclusionary. One is welcomed, and guided with any questions they may have answered.
Shall be a dark day for literature across the world, when the manga market starts becoming the 90s reborn with elitism and snobbery.
I highly doubt anyone at Kodansha is “homophobic.” Most of the people I know at various publishing houses are very progressive socialist, though some try to keep that aspect quiet so as not to alienate half the audience.
I highly doubt this happens. We didn’t even get “afterglow” with Negi x Eva. In typical Japanese fashion, the author(s) lets the readers decide for themselves whether or not “x” or “y” happened. This is a shounen titles, and while there may be some hot babe fanservice for the boys, including girls kissing, there’s not going to be sex or even the allusion of sex.
1st those people are not japanese, 2nd ymir was killed off in a manga extra. Same magazine.
Interesting. Certainly epic chapter, hell it should have been a story ARCH, that would get more mileage for the manga had he did despite it being huge distraction from the core characters.
I finally read this by alternate means, which annoys me. CR is on its way down, but so isn’t the industry for manga-online. That’s going be problem for everyone in the end.
Anyways, Question is where UQ Holder going to now? Things seem to have gotten…bit lost now. We STILL haven’t heard of squat about Venus. Where demons play, maybe nobles prey on it’s inhabitants.
My gut feelings says we wont’ see anything from that avenue since the re-steering of the manga after the games that were postponed.
To me, this shows that UQ Holder is a title that doesn’t have to focus on Touta. The focus was mainly Eva, but Karin comes in at #2 and Jinbee rounds out things. They are all UQ Holder members we know, so I think it is all good. And the story is at a point to where it can handle this kind of backstory moment. And frankly, I love the backstory stuff and hope we get some on Kuroumaru too.
Other than Mana and Zazie getting a little bit of time chapters ago, the Mazoku haven’t had much of a role in this manga. This is where Akamatsu-sensei could bring them back AND give us a trip to Venus. That would be another cool element to explore.