UQ Holder

Did they state it's global? I forgot. I only remember them stating Japan's in deep shit because of overconcentration of the population in the biggest cities (which led to slums and general disparity and social unrest) and depopulation of the rest of the country, which is what is already happening in real life.

I think it was mentioned it was global, but Japan Is The Center of The Universe, so we only focus on Japan.

Odds are a disaster big enough to sink most of Tokyo and large parts of Japan did a real number on the Pacific ocean and its coasts overall.

You were talking about mixing sci-fi and fantasy. As far as I can tell, you're saying there that it's good sometimes but sometimes people fuck it up, and I don't get that as a reason to not like it because everything's vulnerable to some asshat fucking it up.

Well, there's certainly shit we never saw in Negima in play, such as chibi-Konoka's cloning spell, but you're right that nothing says any of that's new in-universe.

Their innovations in the field of magical stripping pulled them out of poverty. On a good day, they think it was worth it.

There's a small difference between disliking something for the chance of it being poorly done, and when it actually happens. I'm talking about the latter.

This is just personal preference, but I have a much harder time getting into sci-fi than I do...anything else, so that sort of plays a substantial part in it.

Halfway through reading up on the discussion thread for this series.

From the looks of it, some people complain way too much about it and don't judge the series on its own merits. A lot of people are carrying baggage over from the previous series.

Ignoring the fact that a sizable chunk of people actually went into Holder with a fair amount of good will starting out despite what happened with Negima.

It was when Holder, even by itself, was shown to be throughly mediocre by its own merits and now blatantly refusing to be its own series by trying to be Negima 2 is when it went off the rail.

edited 6th May '16 10:28:43 AM by SkormSnow-Strider

Did you miss all the complaints about Touta-wanking? Because it's not physically possible.

Considering at some point this manga started to desperately cash on the previous series, it's legitimate complaint.

If you wanted to start a flame war or troll, try harder.

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.

Ken Akamatsu for example.

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.

UQ Holder has few merits and brought the baggage on its own by being a sequel.

I wasn't particularly disappointed with 'the ending of Negima!. I went into this series with Akamatsu being one of my favorite manga authors and excited that it was a sequel and that Evangeline shows up right away.

Now I fucking despise the character and regret buying several hundred dollars of his titles.

edited 6th May '16 12:11:45 PM by Rotpar

"But don't give up hope. Everyone is cured sooner or later. In the end we shall shoot you." - O'Brien, 1984

Actually, the series is at its worst when it tries to clumsily deal with the Negima baggage/tries to appeal to the older fanbase while kicking them in the nuts and try to pass that as thrown bones. The shadow of Negima is something that neither lets this series breathe with life of its on, nor it really solves anything of what was wrong with Negima.

If this had been its fully own thing, judging it with Negima in mind would be as unfair as judging Inuyasha over the awful end of Ranma. But it's not like that. This tries to claim it stands on its own while also claiming it pays homage to Negima, and actually does neither.

Also, if you want to discuss any of the criticism, give actual counterarguments instead of saying 'you guys criticize too much, why can't you turn your brains oooooooooff'.

I'm not trying to start a flame war, and I never suggested turning your brains off.

I came into the series after buying the first seven volumes on a whim and reading it without a lot of prior knowledge about the first series.

The series has a very cool concept, featuring different types of immortality and how they work, and introduces some very cool techniques and abilities. All of the magic in the series so far is cool as well.

The characters are 'cliche' but that doesn't bother me as much as I think it bothers other people. I like the kind of main hero with a never-give-up attitude who gains in power boosts and friends over the course of the series. That's just straight-up enjoyable and light-hearted to me.

I'm only a bit over halfway through UQ Holder as it is right now, so maybe my opinion will change on the series but overall it seems to be very fun, even if stakes are low and the heroes are powerful.

Most of the concepts are hardly explored at all, not to mention all the world building that just comes off as half baked, but if you find all of that to be 'fun', more power to you.

I find Fairy Tail to be incredibly fun, but I won't ever argue it's a good series or tell its critics they're exaggerating.

The series is less about "The lives of immortals and their struggles", and more Touta Konoe power hour. Literally everything that's supposed to be unique to Holder is flat out overshadowed by content back from Negima, with very little of its own exposition into anything about it.

Touta himself is basically a terrible combination of Negi and Asuna, and somehow being stale and boring all away around aside from a couple of throw away lines that don't amount to anything. If Holder actually tried to be its own story as opposed to trying to be Negima without the things that made that series good, it'd be a passable series. That ship however is long gone.

"I need you to become an even greater man than Negi-sama!"

Oh, you can hear Akamatsu literally screaming "This will be far better than Negima, admit it, admit already, WHY AREN'T YOU ADMITTING IT YET?!"

Wait, why would Chachamaru share that info with a bratty kid before with Ayaka herself? That makes no fucking sense.

Goddamn, fucking race, just end already.

Okay, the bit about the power of love and loadsamoney was pretty great.

I figured the kid just grabbed her first and she was going to tell Ayaka when she got the chance. It's not like the info's really that urgent.

…Well, same conclusion as usual: this series would really be more bearable if it just decided what it wants to be. If this was just a harem romcom with a magitech shtick, chapters like the latest ones could be perfectly fine. Hell, sue me but I kinda like Mizore in the end.

But any interest I might have in all this is defused by the fact I know it won't go anywhere...

Ayaka's line about hot boys is right up there with Kuro's "Leave me alone, this is who I am" bit when he's sulking. A++ right there.

I can agree with this, actually. The harem stuff is...well, harem stuff, but it's not offensive as much as it is creepy occasionally. Compare it when UQ Holder tries to play something seriously and ends up being laughably terrible, like mages tormenting homeless people and the whole slums thing.

If only the cast introduced so far could be likable, then this wouldn't be as bad.

So Ayaka is now interested in young hot boys in general? ...well at least she's broadened her interests...I guess, just took her a few decades.

Aside from Yukihime's questionable actions, Mizore and Kirie whom I can why people wouldn't like the two (especially the former). The cast is no where near 'unlikeable' IMHO

edited 11th May '16 1:44:13 PM by Archivist10

Except there's really nothing to like about them to begin with. It'd be like if Asuna didn't mellow out ten or fifteen chapters in or everyone remained static for all eternity. The only one that's vaguely sympathetic is Santa, and he basically stopped existing after his arc.

Not being likable doesn't automatically mean they're hated, like Chao or Hoodie. Those two at least elicit a reaction, which is more then what could be said for anyone else. They're all, frankly, boring.

edited 11th May '16 2:47:38 PM by SkormSnow-Strider

Okay, Mizore might just be the most pointless character in the series. Not the worst or most annoying, but most one-note, one dimensional, could-cut-her-out-and-lose-nothing-of-value character there is.

She's a fangirl. That's it. She's in story to pad out Touta harem and nothing more. Her whole character is the equivalent of a filler episode. It's just there to increase the number of pages.

....

Holy shit, did Lifemaker plan to destroy whole Solar System? How did he even come up with that? Like seriously.

Maybe the Lifemaker realized that he was part of this manga, which drove him to despair and decide to end this universe to end his misery.

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.

So, assuming Touta manages to save Negi, there's still time for Ayaka to make an insane come-from-behind victory and snag him, right? He still looks like a shota.

Not until his illegitimate son comes out of nowhere!

Though if I'm being honest, I wouldn't really mind Aya Negi, really.

Mizore isn't...terrible, I guess? I mean I feel like she could be cool, and her being a giant romantic is kinda sweet. It's just...she's so in the wrong series for this.

To the video itself, trite propaganda, though whether or not Holder decides to fuck over what could have been a cool antagonist is probably to be seen. It's worth noting the main cast knows jack about him, much less a documentary special on Negi. I kinda like how the universe forgot Asuna existed, though.

edited 11th May '16 4:44:06 PM by SkormSnow-Strider

Unsurprising, considering that at the end of the MM arc Negi was literally the only person to get any credit despite the fact that without Asuna they would have been screwed.