March 17th, 2015 
AstroNerdBoy ユーキューホルダー! Manga Review
UQ Holder Chapter 73
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Kirie is not happy with how Ray is feeding Touta, so Ray gives her the chance to feed him. She starts, but then becomes embarrassed and punches him. Kirie passes the task off to Kuroumaru, who ends up punching Touta as well after becoming self-conscious about the act. Afro remarks to Touta on how popular he is after Kirie and Kuroumaru bicker about the incident. Touta can’t feed himself, so Santa takes up the task. Santa states how cool Kirie and Kuroumaru were when they fought Hoodie. Touta thanks Santa, which makes Santa uncomfortable.
Afro heads out to buy medicine as Ray tells Kirie that based on Touta’s rapid recovery from such devastating injuries, he must be immortal. Further, he suspects that Touta’s companions are as well.
Touta is having a relapse. Kurobo (Gravity Blade/Sidestick) chats with Touta, stating its belief that Touta is indeed a clone of Negi Springfield. Whether Touta is a second generation clone or a direct clone is unknown. As Touta ponders things, Kuroumaru shows up to give him a damp cloth for his fever. Touta recalls a time when Yukihime tended to him while he was sick, which make him realize he loves Yukihime. He confides in Kuroumaru this feeling, but when Kuroumaru asks if Touta wants to date Yukihime, Touta states that he doesn’t think that’s the love feeling he has. He wants his foster mother to acknowledge him. Happy to have been confided in, Kuroumaru shakes Touta’s hand and reminds Touta that they are partners.
Touta says he’s going to give up on Yukihime, which causes Kuroumaru to object. Kurobo, knowing Kuroumaru heard its conversation with Touta, tells Kuroumaru that Touta giving up on Yukihime would be the best for Touta, whether as a man or a woman. Kuroumaru is not happy with the sword. Touta and Kuroumaru ponder why Hoodie called Touta “Niisan” as if Touta is her older brother.
Kuroumaru detects magic on Touta’s shoulder and triggers a holographic message from Hoodie. She tells Touta that since they were interrupted, she now challenges him to a rematch at the Mahora Martial Arts Arena in a year. If he fails to make it, he will see what happens.
Thoughts/Review:
Well, this was certainly an interesting chapter, complete with convenient plot device to get us back to a place we weren’t going.
You know, I’m actually not annoyed with Touta at all in this chapter. He’s behaving in what I feel is a normal fashion, both in terms of his worries about his friends and Eva, but also in terms of him deciding to deal with the situation when he spoke to Kuroumaru about it.
I do find it interesting that his one thought of Eva was of her in her true form vs her Yukihime form. I don’t think Touta is romantically in love with Eva, which is pretty much what he indicates in the chapter. Touta doesn’t have a mother, and Eva has been the only mother he’s known. As such, I think it is in this vein that Touta loves Eva and wants her respect.
On the subject of romantic love, I was amused by Kirie and Kuroumaru being given opportunities to feed Touta and bailing on it. Kirie has an attraction to Touta at some level even if she doesn’t admit it. Of course Kuroumaru has an attraction to Touta and should just become a lovely girl like Karin suggested.
Once again, the rules for Kurobo are ignored. The sword goes from just being Gravity Blade to having some kind of intelligence that can communicate all of the sudden, but only with the right settings and if no one else is around, to now being able to communicate with Kuroumaru. It makes me shake my head because the sword is just “whatever” to be convenient to whatever Sensei wants to do at the moment.
(Yes, the sword is amusing, which is why I mostly give it a pass.)
One thing I’m not giving a pass to is Akamatsu-sensei’s constant need to “hide” Negi. There’s no reason to discuss Touta being a clone of Negi and show Negi from the backside. Makes no sense to me. Then later, we get the one-eyed treatment for both Negi and Nagi, which also makes no sense to me. Just draw the characters properly and have done.
I think there’s a big mistake in the art in this chapter. When Kuroumaru and Touta shake hands, Touta has his head (and right eye), arms, chest, and gut area bandaged up. However, on the next page as their discussion continues, Touta is suddenly without bandages everywhere except his head and eye. I think I heard that Akamatsu-sensei was late delivering the final three pages, so that might explain the problem. I just hope the book version has this fixed, assuming Akamatsu-sensei fixes it.
Finally, there’s the convenient plot contrivance to get Touta into the tournament. Hoodie wants to kill Touta and very nearly succeeds. She’s abandons her plans when she’s unable to take out Kirie as easily as she thought, combined with Santa and Kuroumaru being further hindrances. As such, following normal logic, Hoodie backs off, gathers more intel on her foes, then attempts to attack again when Touta is alone.
Ah, but that kills any tournament notions, which is what I noted in an earlier blog post. So in order for Touta to get into the tournament, Akamatsu-sensei has to make Hoodie go, “You know what? I want you dead, but instead, I’ll let you live for a year so you can face me in the tournament. Did I mention I want you dead Niisan? ‘Cause if you fail in the tournament, then I’ll kill you, else I’ll wait until the tournament.” *_*
By the way, when did Hoodie put this spell message on Touta? It wasn’t in the previous chapter. Touta is almost dead when Kuroumaru, Santa, and Kirie show up and Santa blasts Hoodie away. Hoodie goes after Kirie, fails to connect, then gets nailed again by Santa, then by Kuroumaru. Hoodie then exists the field of combat. Not only that, but when did Hoodie record this message? The whole scene just wreaks of, “Oops! I was getting Touta into a tournament, but then I introduced a plot element that gets him away from the tournament, so I have to use that plot element to force things back to where I originally planned for them to go.” *_*
I’ve complained a lot about things in this chapter, but on the whole, I did like it. I guess I’ll be suffering through a long, drawn out tournament process. 😛 😉
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[…] Here is some SPOILER info for the upcoming UQ Holder chapter 73, courtesy of 2ch. (My review of UQ Holder chapter 73 should come out Wednesday.) […]
Maybe was the whole killing an act and her true plan is that touta gets stronger. A so call motimation kick
….If that’s the case, that plan is getting tiring. I’ve seen it too many times. I know it is somewhat effective, but what happened to just straight up training, and finding him a person to train under? I’ve been saying since he got beat bad the first time around after his first mission, he needs someone to get him to do something to improve himself before his next mission. Since his first mission, already puts him in debt in the most random and messed up ways. it’s taken this long to actually get to it.
But it’s too late now. And even though I like Eva/Yukihime, sometimes I feel like she needs a hard hit on the head with a freaking fan, with tougher enough durability and stuff that Eva’s truly gonna feel it where it hurts. I would have a right mind to give Touta the recommendation to train, because he needs that strength. Had this already happened, he wouldn’t have to get beat down as much. But at least Touta has the right mind and heart to admit some things and move on to become a better person. So I hope he slowly rises out of his old mentality and try something different.
As for his adversary who has it out for him, as if beating him senseless and telling the truth about himself harshly in a twisted isn’t enough, she threatens him. And he still doesn’t even know her. And her last words, made me think she’s got a target lock on somehow that Touta would definitely give a darn about. Although I have to keep in mind that this may be a possible act like Dominic said, (and a very stupid one in my opinion) to get Touta to become stronger, when they should have done that way before the tournament arc. If so, I’m going to facepalm, and probably be the only one to do it. Because this whole faking a life-and-death situation to get an MC and supporting characters to become stronger, has been tiring and done to death.
Granted some characters have difficulties, but come on there are more than one ways to get the guy to becomes stronger, and at least have him or her understand the concepts of what some people went through.
Hence why we need Asuna back, or at least someone similar enough to not put up with this stuff without calling it out.
I agree.
If that were true, then Hoodie would have to have known Touta would get help. Further, it wouldn’t be implied that Kirie was “up all night” trying to get things so that Hoodie didn’t kill her.
Well any romantic resolution has been smothered in it’s crib by sensei. Upside is that touta’s “parents” could’ve of been konoka’s one of grandchildren.
Right now, it is looking less and less like the Konoe family is a part of this at all other than via adoption.
The part of Kuroumaru and Kirie trying give to eat Touta, it made laugh me, so, Touta “loves” Evangeline (Good thing Karin wasn’t there when he said it) It’s like the son who wants his mother feels pleased.
How much more I see the hoodie, I think that she is a mix between Gu Fei and Evangeline
So, Will he follow with the “tournament” for participate in the next year? Will he look for Evangeline for train him? Will Karin look for Touta with Evangeline and Fate?
PS: I think that he took off the bandage
In terms of fighting?
Magical bandage removal. 😉
I like that we got some character moments for Touta and the gang, can I just say I really love Santa?
I’m looking forward to these preliminaries, I’m sure the S-rank person is either someone from the UQ Holder colour spread or someone from Negima.
I hope Ray makes some magic apps for Kuroumaru and Santa to use in the tournament.
I wonder who the person that Kuroumaru wants to have acknowledge him? I suppose it could be Touta but I hope it’s someone from Kuroumaru’s past who will inevitably appear at the tournament.
I love tournament arcs so I’m looking forward to this.
Santa has been a bright spot in the manga for sure.
I’ve been thinking that it would be someone who gets to enter UQH.
It is totally Touta in my mind. Kuroumaru has been fixated on Touta from the start. Kuroumaru acts girlish at times when it comes to dealing with Touta and want Touta’s acknowledgement as a partner, warrior, and more. Kuroumaru just doesn’t have the courage to be honest with Touta.
in regards to sensei hiding negi face i think it just done on purpose to promote negima and to get people who joined in the uq holder period to go back and read negima
I actually think it is to weakly attempt to keep some wall of separation between Negima and UQ Holder. In my opinion, if Sensei REALLY wanted to promote Negima, he could actually cite specific moments in that manga and have people go look for themselves.
Either way, I’m thinking, “Enough already. Just show their faces normally and stop trying to be coy about hiding or pseudo-hiding Negi’s face.”
“Of course Kuroumaru has an attraction to Touta and should just become a lovely girl like AstroNerdBoy suggested.”
ftfy.
I finally caught up to UQ holder, and I think I’m liking this side of Touta. Not that i’m saying being weak is good, but it is more relatable to see him struggle it out.
Santa is very cute when he’s all “nii-chan” mode though.
Yeah, I agree. I also like that he’s honest about the situation, as referenced when he spoke openly to Kuroumaru about his feelings for Eva/Yukihime.
Okey we know now thath touta is a copie but i don t think we know everything the big or will come for sure
There’s certainly more to learn for sure.
Well, the vibe/feeling he was clone was justified, which makes me feel better. Or was given? If your long time reader of Negi, then your going have good idea that would have to be the case. Now, i would be glad they didn’t mention Touta’s “grandfather” so much. However, I think series has to include them for the older readers. I think people reading the Manga will get possible confused what this all about. I like long arching stories, so i don’t mind it.
Question is, where they going with this? We going make it to Tournment and final mission is my question. I was hoping Touta would explore more the world he lives in, possible go to Mars check it out or possibly some completely different place that may been introduced.
This chapter is good character building, Touta is maturing from his encounters. I’m glad he not depressed, but trying keep his head about himself trying find himself.
There is that element, but that’s true whether or not we were flashing back to Negima. All manga titles will have people joining well after the title is in progress. One can’t recap everything, but on occasion, writers will do things to give a clue or very brief explanation of things.
I think we are going to more “traditional” shounen battle manga route, like Fairy Tail. You have some general idea of an overall arc, but you just write whatever story arcs come to mind. I do think the ties to Negima and the loose threads there put UQ Holder a step above the traditional shounen manga, but ONLY for Negima fans.
Yep, and this is long overdue in my opinion.