The UQ Holder! manga and J.C. Staff’s spin-off anime are a treat for all Negima! Magister Negi Magi fans. Although not a direct sequel, it belongs in the same world created by famous mangaka Ken Akamatsu. Even though the manga is a good spin-off of the Negima! franchise, the 2017 anime adaptation struggled to impress new viewers. Well, most of its audience had mixed views about the show. Hence, here a Spoiler-Free UQ Holder! Review, of the manga and its anime adaptation. And if you want to find out about UQ Holder Season 2, click here.
Negima! Magister Negi Magi is an incredibly famous manga and anime series based on the work created by mangaka Ken Akamatsu. The manga serialized for nearly a decade between 2003 and 2012. An anime adaptation by Xebec debuted in 2005, while a second season called Negima!? came out in 2006. Years later, in 2013, Akamatsu decided to continue Negima’s legacy with a spin-off manga. UQ Holder! created a buzz around the industry and opened up to mostly positive reviews from the fans of the franchise. However, its anime adaptation called UQ Holder! Magister Negi Magi! 2 failed to get critical acclaim after its October 2017 release.
Synopsis
UQ Holder! is set several generations ahead in the world of Negima! Magister Negi Magi. The story centers around the grandson of Negi Springfield, called Touta Konoe, who aspires to spend his life in the city of Shin-Tokyo. However, his life turns upside down when a bounty hunter comes after his teacher and guardian, Yukihime. Upon being mortally wounded, Yukihime instructs Touta to drink her blood, turning him into an immortal vampire. Thereafter, Yukihime reveals herself to be a 700-year-old vampire mage and takes Touka to a place outside Shin-Tokyo, where she leads a secret society of immortals called UQ Holder.
UQ Holder! Manga Review
The UQ Holder! manga has been running for almost seven years now and has released 24 volumes (over 170 chapters) as of November 2020. It started off pretty well and impressed millions of fans of Negima!. It surely is a worthy sequel of the original series. Besides, the manga received relatively high ratings and positive critic reviews. However, readers complained that the quality of its content reduced after around a hundred chapters. A large section of the manga’s fanbase did not like the harem storyline.
Hence, while the first half of the manga was impressive and entertaining, the rest of them have been unsatisfactory. Well, since the series is currently in the run, there’s still hope for its improvement.
UQ Holder! Magister Negi Magi 2 Review
While the UQ Holder! manga received mixed reviews, its anime adaptation was downright disappointing. Studio J.C. Staff attempted to cram in the content of over 100 chapters in a single 12-episode season. This made the story feel rushed and incomplete. Besides, it ended way too fast, and its finale was disheartening. Magister Negi Magi 2 skips most of its source material, which results in poor plot and character developments.
On the other hand, the series is full of all types of fanservice. While it began as an exciting action-fantasy show, UQ Holder! became more of an ecchi and harem anime. Well, if you’re fond of ecchi, then this anime will be a decent watch for you. However, it’ll be better to skip this one for those who’re looking for some good action.
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