I would say the blond looks more like it could be a guy to me. Black hair seems to have a ponytail. Also, can't tell if that's an arm or a chest, but the long black hair looks like a girl to me. YMMV.
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Black haired person certainly have a pony tail. But man can have pony tail too, so I fail to see what would be the problem.
Blond person have breast, so I am fairly sure she is a woman.
Oh for God's sake!
The new MC will apparently be called Tôta.
edited 21st Aug '13 7:11:45 AM by Archivist10
Looks pretty generic. =/
Is that Negi with the hoe? I can't tell at that size but he seems to have the same red on top, black underneath hair colour.
Anyway I am very much looking forward to this new series.
I wouldn't look to deep into it. Ken recycles character designs frequently.
I now spot two androgynous chars. Please don't overdo the trap factor Ken.
It could be Negi, although it might just be Akamatsu's repetitive character design pattern at work. I don't see Negi at this point where he should be busy with important things like the space elevator doing chores that would ask for wearing an apron. Maybe it's Nagi instead? He would be more likely to just waste his time around between adventures.
The sword master character with the black hair has to be a girl. The design is too petite and feminine, unless it's a 'trap' of the highest caliber.
The new lead's design is so generic it hurts. Really, Akamatsu, if you tossed an interestingly different MC type like Negi just to make yet another iteration of the cliched Shonen Hotblooded Idiot... at least you shoulda used Kotaro, since he already was there.
Overall, the cast lineup gives me strong Fairy Tail vibes. Isn't FT Kodansha's current top seller? Hm...
I am well aware of Ken's 'limitations' in character design but unlike his previous series, this one does have indications of being related to his previous one so it is only natural to look for cameos.
edited 21st Aug '13 9:37:34 AM by SebastianGray
There's no girls in this manga.
Except the two Lolis, which is why Akamatsu was fighting so hard against the Anti-Loli ban.
There's lots of swords present as well. And suits.
Love Hina had a generic lead as well and yet, was a great manga. I think Akamtsu deserves the benefit of doubt, even if the MC is so generic it hurts.
edited 21st Aug '13 9:51:33 AM by Heatth
This people dresses remarkably well for living in a world in upbeheaval. 
Eh, it's easy to forget that now, but Keitaro wasn't such a common archetype when LH started. There had been some bumbling losers as male leads in romantic comedies before, but most harem leads to that point were action guys like Ranma, Tenchi, or Otaru in Saber Marionette J. LH pretty much defined and codified the modern, post-Tenchi Harem Comedy, so the legion of Keitaro copycats started pouring by the bucketloads after LH. So no, Keitaro didn't look as generic back then as this guy.
edited 21st Aug '13 9:54:49 AM by NapoleonDeCheese
Sorry if I don't understand the joke but, I don't understand the relation? =/ What one thing have to do with the other?
I see three girls on the left of the MC in front row. There is two more people in the front row on right side of the MC, but I can't tell much about them. One in the raincoat looks like a girl. Can't tell on the other one that seems to have backpack, but looks like a guy. Two blonds in the back row seem to either have a bust or really big abs(esp for a blond, long haired guy)
Well, they could be the elite of the tumultous, shaken, chaotic world, I guess. First the students of an exclusive school, now this! Akamatsu is with The Man! 
Little guy/girl with the hooded coat gives me serious Zecht vibes. And I swear one of those guys could be Touma's long lost brother. 
The darkskinned character with the sword looks like a dude way too much. Knowing the setting, most likely half-demon too.
edited 21st Aug '13 9:59:06 AM by NapoleonDeCheese
Negi(for lack of a better name) in back seems to have a back pack on a stick rather than hoe. Probably a staff of some sort.
But yeah, does look pretty generic. Main even got a Katana.
edited 21st Aug '13 10:00:21 AM by kiukiuclk
Ken's had some pretty bad costume design before though. Remember when Asuna had those belts linking her shoes in the Kyoto arc? What the hell was the point of that?
Meh. It's a fantasy battle series. Your supposed to have insane character designs. Amaterasu actually pretty normal in that area I think. I can't really think of any characters that stood out for their look.
edited 21st Aug '13 10:05:11 AM by kiukiuclk
Yeah the main character design really reeks of genericness and lack of inspiration. I hope he can make up for it with personality, but if he's another hot blooded idiot constantly talking about dream, friendship and guts I'll be mad.
Eh, a world that "has undergone massive upheaval" is not quite the same as a "tumultous, shaken, chaotic world". I don't think it is a good idea to make too much assumptions about the setting yet.
Hmm, fair enough. Sometimes I forget how old Love Hina is. AI Love You uses the same stereotype, though, which is why I presumed it was a pre existent archetype.
I agree. I actually like Negima's weird clothes. It was one of the things I was activelly looking forward to in the latter arcs, to see what kind of fantasious designs the characters would wear next.
Otoh people often go to far the other way, which is how you get people wielding giant scissors or clothing that shouldn't be even physically possible.
Shlugo, do you have that link to that image of the Nasu-created RPG character in the Type-Moon thread?
Edit: Double post. Using a computer with the world's crappiest keyboard right now.
edited 21st Aug '13 10:39:13 AM by NapoleonDeCheese
Hmmm, yes, it is possible, I suppose. Being Akamatsu, we would usually guess it is a woman due to the usual male to female ratio on his manga. But, hey, he could be trying to do something different, right? And there is no reason to disguise this as a harem this time.