Of course Setsuna's the one wearing the pants. It's tradition to have the more masculine-looking but obviously more submissive one to be wearing the pants even though the pants wearer knows fully well that the one truly wearing the pants in the relationship is the one wearing the dress. *nod nods*
Am I the only one who thought "Just as planned" upon seeing Fate in a suit? ...probably <<
And I'm amused at the blunt way Rakan confirmed Negi's mother being Arika. It's like Ken himself dropping that one off-handedly to shut up everyone still asserting otherwise.
Rakan's as good as dead, or at least petrified. I'm now wondering if Fate was the one who killed Gateau?
edited 23rd Jul '09 5:30:25 AM by Servbot
The revelation is in keeping with Rakan's style of exposition. When he was talking about Ala Rubra's battle with the Big Bad, he basically went "oh yeah, and Nagi won that one" without much elaboration.
I'm trying to pin down Chisame's role right now, compared to her original attitude at her introduction chapter. She appears to be kind of big-sisterly now, of the bossy sort, with a helping of tsundere. And yet it feels a little different, for some reason.
I actually don't think Jack's that dead yet. Because he's at least going to last a short time, and knowing him, the fight is going to be loud. Which means that Negi's entire team is going to respond. This could prove interesting.
My Blog thingChisame has definitely gone through a lot of character development. She has aspects of a Cool Big Sis and Harem Nanny, while still be a bit of a Meta Guy and a Tsundere, as dkellis said. Really, it's hard to pin down her exact role. I do know that she has become one of my favorite characters.
My theory that Chao might make a reappearance gained a bit of strength with this chapter. It's been a while since Negi or the others mentioned her.
Chisame seems to have the same feeling I do: that things are coming to a head and there's going to be some sort of major event soon and it will indeed become a point of no return; not just for Negi, but for everyone.
Jack Rackan versus Fate? Should be interesting. I'm there.
I was reading the article for Chekhov's Gunman and it was pointed out how often it appears in Mahou Sensei Negima. I wonder, then, if the fact that Zazie Rainyday is so mysterious means that she will play a very important part later in the series.
Or maybe Ken Akamatsu just likes messing with readers like myself and will never explain anything about her. Time will tell, I suppose.
edited 23rd Jul '09 9:08:24 AM by Jack Inqu
Ken had intended to have some time for Zazie during the Festival arc, but it ran too long.
Anyone else think Haruna looks good in that gown?
So, appearantly some ancestor of the Vespertatia family was instramental in the establishment of Mudus Magicus. On Mars. Well, that explains why the gateway had such huge Instant Runes, going half-a-step sideways isn't that hard but the gate also has to bridge the considerable distance between Earth and Mars.
edited 23rd Jul '09 5:17:56 PM by LarryD
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. — George S. PattonCome to think of it, there is another way I could imagine that Fate vs Rakan could end.
Fate's group and Negi's group join the fray and then...
Godel appears and tells them to stop. Then he reveals that Fate's group was invited too and guests shouldn't fight against each other. He certainly seems like the type to do that.
Cue massive tension during the ball as Negi's group is forced to be civil around Fate's group.
edited 24th Jul '09 5:50:22 PM by Servbot
Pat. St. of Archive Binge
So, it appears that the plan was for Kosmo Entelecheia to destroy the alternate plane that is Mundis Magicus and create a new one, which would naturally set them up on top.
A lot of the lifeforms in Mudis Magicus would simply die outright when the plane was destroyed, any who survived would most likely be precipitated onto the real Mars, where they would shortly die of asphyxiation, carbon dioxide poisoning, or hypothermia.
And Negi is recalling a thesis (from 1908) that alternate planes are inherently unstable, which might relate to Cho's remark that "in the next century, Mars is made habitable." Since there are, right now, people considering how such might be done; I took that to mean terraforming by technological means, I hadn't considered magic being involved.
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. — George S. PattonWell, I'm back from holiday, and I've had quite some time to think. And I thought about music again
:
Now, whenever I read chapter chapter 186 (arrival in Megalosembria gateport, Fate's attack), I can't help but think of a music appropriate for seeing a new world for the first time. A music carrying a feeling of awe, before it degenerates into a terrorist attack. In other words, a music like this
.
Can you guess what music before clicking/tooltipping the link?
Give yourself a cookie if you do.
edited 31st Jul '09 5:53:44 AM by Medinoc
"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."It seems that the Jack Rackan/Fate showdown has been put on hold, as Fate's Lovely Ladies show up to take on Rackan themselves. I'm wondering the same thing Rackan is: why are these girls so willing to fight for Fate? They're not mercenaries, they don't seem to be afraid of him, and according to Rackan they're just ordinary girls; is it possible that he rescued them from various bad situations? Is it possible that he actually has a somewhat decent side?
It also appears that Fate is some sort of religious fanatic, with his talk of "save the souls of the most weak one," "those who have not been blessed by God," and, "the successors to His will." I'm with Rackan: those "real believers" are a pain to deal with.
On a sidenote, when did Kazumi gain her pactio item?
I was disappointed when Fate's partners first showed up, but that was actually a good fight. Interesting to see that this apparently isn't the same Averruncus as before - hence the name "Tertium". If he's the Averruncus of Earth, who were the other two? One's probably Mars/Mundus Magicus, but that leaves one. In fact, have we seen enough Averruncus appearances in Rakan's flashbacks to have seen two, or we have presumably just seen one then and now Fate?
Kazumi made a Pactio not long after she met up with Negi after the Gate was destroyed and the Ala Alba scattered; it was before she and Chachamaru left to hunt for the others.
Ten years ago, Nagi killed the second Fate.
Interesting. That's the time when Nagi disappeared.
And Rakan calling this Fate as being more human than the others makes me think that we might have an Anti-Villain here.
Wait, I just had a strange and scary thought. Supposing Nagi disappeared during the time he killed the second Fate, what are the chances of this Fate being a union of the original Fates and Nagi?
And while Rakan's survival chances had greatly increased (Comedic battle against Quirky Miniboss Squad instead of serious battle against Big Bad!), I still have a feeling that there's a fifty percent chance of something bad happening to him, maybe Fate making a surprise return for a petrify. <<
I get the feeling that Rakan would definitely survive, but whether he'd be around to help Negi was in question. Being petrified (since it's established to be possibly non-lethal if Fate desires; see the Kyoto arc) would count, but I was thinking of Fate dumping Rakan somewhere far far away.
Fate's Anti-Villain status is kind of in keeping with the enemies Negi directly faces: usually they have apparently noble goals (Chao and Fate), they're just doing a job (Wilhelm von Graf, I think his name was), or they're cartoony-villainous (the woman who was in charge of the enemy crew during the Kyoto arc). Evangeline kind of flips between "doing a job" and "cartoony-villainous" depending on how serious the manga wants to be. We haven't really seen any really evil characters turn up to challenge Negi directly... yet. Kurt Godel might be the first.
Of course, I'm only counting the Big Bad types; Tsukuyomi is pretty twisted on her own. I do find it interesting how much personality she obtained after her first appearance during the Kyoto arc.
I had something else I wanted to say, but I forgot what. Something about foreshadowing via minor events even way back.
Is it about Turkey? I remembered catching the double reference (first that Fate was registered to the magical organization in Turkey, revealed way back in the Kyoto arc, and then that Nagi's last known location was in Istanbul, revealed by Iincho's detective work just before the Magic World trip.
Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.By the way, can anybody tell me exactly when does Konoka say her Chunky Salsa Rule line?
The site says it's during the Battle For Mahora arc, but I can't find it...
"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."Couple of things:
When did Kaede make a Pactio with Negi? I know it was sometime after they reunited in the magical world and were attacked by Fate and his cronies, but I haven't found it.
Also, do you think Negi qualifies as Crazy-Prepared after his fight with Jack Rackan? Seriously, FIVE different trump cards? In one fight? Batman would be proud.
Kaede made a Pactio in chapter 234, pretty much right after Rakan told them the story of Nagi and him meeting etc.
I wouldn't say Negi's Crazy-Prepared, since that trope seems to apply to characters who are ready for anything, but he had prepared for the fight with Rakan incredibly well.
I was reading volume 7 last night, and I couldn't help but wonder - do Negi and his partners actually use the "Magister sends Ministra power to improve their strength, speed, etc." part of the Pactio any more? Asuna doesn't seem to need it (though she can use it for the extra boost, there' s not been a sign either way since she learned to use the Kankaho without it), it would conflict with Setsuna and Kaede's chi, and the backliners aren't really going to be fighting up front, so they have little use for it. I suppose Nodoka, Chisame, and Kasumi could use it for defensive purposes, but otherwise it's a pretty big thing - for most people, it seems, basically the only function of Pactio, considering what a big deal was made by... someone, I can't remember who, about one of Negi's group (I guess it was probably Yue's card) having an Artifact card - that they don't need at all. Shows how good the Ala Alba are.
edited 6th Aug '09 7:46:32 AM by Amadeus Windfall
I think that the girls have learned to activate the contract themselves using their cards. IIRC, Asuna asked Negi if it was alright to use his magic prior to her fight with Setsuna in the Mahora Budokai, phrasing it in a way that implied the could access it at will.
Makes a good Handwave anyway.
edited 6th Aug '09 2:01:49 AM by Elfive
Yue used it unconsciously during her trial to get to go to Ostia. (chapter 212, check page 13
) In fact, not only did Yue unconsciously draw on Negi's power, she also summoned the card to her (out of Collet's hand) when she was defending Emily and Beatrix from the dragon griffin. Which was when Emily spotted the card and assumed it was a pacto card, only a few panels later realizing it was an artifact card.
And it was used when Fate's ministras fought Negi's (starting about 223, enabling Nodoka, Haruna, and Chisame to survive a fall without injury)
edited 6th Aug '09 7:28:26 PM by LarryD
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. — George S. Patton

I'm assuming age-changing pills, due to Rakan going "I see you've taken a leaf out of Negi's book" or something like that.
Also, not only is Chisame still loli, she keeps the cat ears.
edited 23rd Jul '09 12:14:10 AM by dkellis