UQ Holder

Definitely looks like Negima 2.0. Might even turn out to be a sequel.

"Near-future battle fantasy", a decade since the Masquerade was broken, and those character designs. Yeah, this is Negima 2.

Yeah, this is very certainly Negima's sequel. Which is very cool, I am certainly going to read it.

However, I really hope they address one of the biggest problems in Negima's finale: that the whole Broken Masquerade thing was accepted and solved far too easy. The whole ending was terribly rushed, of course, but this is what I found the worst if for Worldbuilding.

Of course, UQ Holder is set in an already Unmasqued World, so we won't be seeing the actual transition^note save a flashback latter on, I suppose. But hopefully they will address the issue more deeply and show things did not go as smoothly as Negima's finale seemed to imply.

edited 20th Aug '13 10:56:17 AM by Heatth

Main character looks like an expy of Kotarou. Not sure if sword girl is our heroine, but it would put to rest the red-head tsundere heroine trend of his; she seems to be an expy of Setsuna.

I'm more than willing to bet that his teacher is an expy of Nekane/Ayaka.

In before his teacher actually is Nekane.

The teacher is actually Neka....

..........

SHIT!!! I was too late!

edited 20th Aug '13 1:42:02 PM by HandsomeRob

Huh? What? Really?

I have no idea, but that's my WMG until the series is out, heh.

So MC is a swordsman? I bet my best internet hat that he's using Shimmeryu style, because that's only useful sword style in the world.

Well, I'm sorry for my contribution to that. Those jokes were never meant to be mean-spirited coming from me. After all, I'm writing THIS.

Wasn't there something about how Akamatsu wanted to do battle series but they made him do a harem series instead(hence the Genre Shift). I wonder if this is basically gonna be what he wanted Negima to be with some cosmetic tie ins to help with marketing.

If that's the case, it wouldn't surprise if it doesn't address many of the lingering questions people have brought up here.

edited 20th Aug '13 2:08:56 PM by kiukiuclk

Genre shift's are fine, but they have to be done smoothly. Negima's shift was a bit large, although there was a legitimate amount of enjoyment to be had from the overtroping.

I guess this is his chance to do it the way he always wanted? I wish him the best of luck if that's the case.

I don't see why this would be the case. All the world building of Negima had nothing to do with the harems elements. Much of the opposite, in fact.

Of course, it is perfectly possible he will ignore the lingering question Negima's finale left for us, but I don't see what this have to do with this manga being the action manga he wanted to do originally.

Most of the lingering questions Negima's end left, like how they defeated the Lifemaker, and when and how did the rest of the class get their Pactios, would have happened long before this new series started, and I don't see many flashbacks to that period when there's a whole new cast to focus upon.

What I mean is....world related questions may get answered, character related ones....probably not. Except for the times he wants a ratings(or whatever it is for manga, sales?) boost.

Oh, yes. I agree. Which is a pity, sure, but nothing I would expect from a new manga. Right now, I am much more concerned with the whole Unmasqued World thing. I felt Negima dealt with it in a very unsatisfactory way, so I hope UQ Holder will be better at that.

In Negima, wasn't the The Unmasqued World supposed to happen after the series proper, so it was only sort of mentioned in the epilogues? (which were afer it happened)

Anyway, this is set 10 years after the unmasking I think it will probably be treated as a fait accompli. The only reason to pick that as a setting is to avoid deaing with the unmasking I bet. Actually, it would be pretty funny if the protagonist was a kid who doesn't remember a world without magic...i.e. another ten year old.

Well, yeah. Which is what I was talking about. It was one of the many wasted story potential the finale had.

Maybe. Or maybe the setting was pick precisely to deal with the unmasquing. ;) Realistically speaking, a single decade shouldn't be enough for the whole thing to be dealt with. Lots of things should be going on already. Picking some time after the unmasquing might be a way to show show the readers right of the bet all the consequences, without bothering with the period of transition.

Also, consider this paragraph^note emphasis mine:

This was the passage that let me hopeful in the first place. I clearly sates that the unmasquing had big consequences. And the fact we are beign told of this already right with the basic premise imply this will be important for the story.

I never read any of his previous works though I did enjoy what I saw of Negima!? (that is the second anime right? I only saw the first three or so episodes) so I guess I'll look into this.

edited 20th Aug '13 6:01:36 PM by Chariot

As long as it doesn't give us an Emo Wangsty GRIM 'N GRITTY crapsack setting... which would basically negate everything Ala Alba fought for.

Naturally. Thankfully, "deep" doesn't always mean Darker and Edgier (and vice versa). On the other hand not being gritty and darkly is also not the same as full of flower and sunshine.

I bet everyone was like "Yay, magic!" and everything was awesome.

Because that's how I would react if I found out that magic is real.

Ideon Ending!

On another note.....If UO is fish...what's a UQ? Maybe it's the name of that sword.

edited 20th Aug '13 7:35:05 PM by kiukiuclk

I changed my mind. The character with the long hair is probably a guy.