Print Review: Negima Magister Negi Magi volumes 1-10

Review Negima Magister Negi Magi volumes 1-10Written by WarpshadowRating very good

Some people say fan service and clichés are just crutches. In that case Ken Akamatsu must have access to atomic powered turbo crutches since Negima is really good.

Negi Springfield is a ten year old wizard from England. Upon Graduating from wizard school he was given the assignment of teaching English to a class of Middle school girls in Japan of all things. While most of the girls like the idea of having such a young teacher Asuna is one student doesn't really like children. As luck would have it Negi ends up being her roommate. Getting along with Asuna is just the first of a series of problems for Negi as both the school he works for and the class he teaches are far from ordinary.

At first look Negima is nothing more than a simple harem manga with a ten year old protagonist and more girls than you can shake your stick at. While it is true that Negima abounds with fan service this manga is more complex than that. First of all the manga does not expect you to memorize all the students in the class immediately and if you have problems remembering who is who there is guide in the back of the book. Also the story slowly morphs into an action cum romantic comedy story as it progresses. There is an abundance of clichés in Negima but even these are carried out with an earnest energy that allows even the most worn out idea to be fun. On top of this the artwork is nicely done so If the idea of an action fan service manga interests you Negima well worth your time and money.