Book Description
The final novel of Hermann Hesse, for which he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, The Glass Bead Game is a fascinating tale of the complexity of modern life as well as a classic of modern literatureSet in the 23rd century, The Glass Bead Game is the story of Joseph Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, the remote place his society has provided for the intellectual elite to grow and flourish. Since childhood, Knecht has been consumed with mastering the Glass Bead Game, which requires a synthesis of aesthetics and scientific arts, such as mathematics, music, logic, and philosophy, which he achieves in adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game).
Customer Reviews:
His best work.......2007-09-19
Although Hesse is not in fashion among academics these days, this book (unlike some of his earlier more romantic stuff) deserves to be noticed as a great work of the 20th century. It's very complex, and can be frustrating (especially if you have little or no knowledge of German history, literature and music); it's nevertheless an important, and often very moving reflection on the nature of modern society (and isn't yet outdated), and equally on some of the dangers of trying to escape that society.
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
I suppose you could say this was more than a little impenetrable. Especially if you have no interest in games, mathematics, or any of that sort of thing. I read it when a friend loaned it to me after reading it enjoying it. I didn't mind it, but not usually the style of thing I will be searching out. A definite change of page though.
English translation.......2007-08-13
Yes, I agree with some of the reviews here that, of all Hesses books, 'Glass Bead Game' was difficult to follow at times, especially when compared to books like 'Demian', 'Siddhartha', etc. I had tried to read it several times & always my attention just drifted while in the middle of the introduction.
The problem, for me, is the english translation, the one by Richard & Clara Winston (Who also did Klingsor). In 1969, after the book had already become quite popular in a different translation, ( one done by Mervyn Savill in 1948) someone decided that the book needed a new translation, one that would try harder to capture the style of the German version closer. The Winstons tried very hard to do that, but their version really seems so wordy, so verbose, that it often just loses you. It is interesting though, to compare the two versions to see just how different a translation can affect the style, the tone of the book. I would really like to learn to read German, only to read Hesse in the original language, & also so I could read the volumes of his letters, only a small percent of which have been translated into English.
But yes, the 1st translation seems to hold your attention better from the first pages, much like Hesses other books do (at least FOR ME it does). To find it you will need to look in used bookstores, it has a white cover & is called 'Magister Ludi'. - The different title, in fact, was Theo. Ziolkowskis main problem with it, rightly feeling that both 'Journey to the East' & 'Bead Game' needed to be titled not after a hero, but instead for the 'realm' where the journey to discovery takes place. It would be like if 'Steppenwolf' had been titled 'The Magic Theater' because 90% of the story dealt not with Haller so closely, but the theater itself (it didnt do that, but thats what 'Journey' & 'Bead Game' are doing, in essance). But the fact that the 1st version had the wrong title doesnt make it an inferior bookl, especially if it is the version that is more enjoyable to read.
beautiful character exploration.......2006-12-01
This is a story of one man's life and spiritual journey of awakening. It is presented as the biography of Joseph Knetch who, among other things, becomes Master of the Glass Bead Game (Magister Ludi) in a fictional province of the mind segregated from the rest of the world. The book is divided into four parts. The first, and weakest part, is an introduction to the Glass Bead Game and to the fictional world in which the events take place. If you have the endurance to make it past this introduction, you will find your reward in the second part which is the actual biography of Joseph Knetch, and which comprises the bulk of the novel. The final two parts are collections of Joseph Knetch's writings from his student days: a series of poems, and three short stories depicting his hypothetical life in three different historical settings.
Hermann Hesse's style is reflective and inwardly focused, and he writes with remarkable clarity and depth of insight into human nature. He discusses actions of the mind as effortlessly as most good authors discuss actions of the body. I have never been more content at being able to relate to a character, and I left the book feeling as if I had experienced living another life.
I disagree with the characterization of this book as satire or humor. Do not pick it up expecting humor or satire. While it is set in the future, it is also not science fiction. It is simply a penetrating and beautifully written character exploration that the more mature and reflective readers should find deeply satisfying.
Hesse's most profound offering.......2006-06-02
During my teenage years Hesse was by far the author I was most fond of, having read all his major novels, Glass Bead Game was the penultimate I engaged with, possibly at the age 18, which was slightly too early given the weight of the work. I have re-read it in parts since, and being now in my twenties and somewhat distanced from the ideal, that I can do and experience however I please, trying everything once, as Hesse very much proposes in his other work such as Demian and Siddartha, I perceive Glass Bead Game to be the most fascinating work for any reader above the aged of 25.
This might be personal but I think this book to be superior of much higher regarded novels such as "Crime and Punishment" or "1984", the latter lacking in style the first in philosophical depth what Hesse presents here.
The book is deeply philosophical and also raises many valid points, that were not touched upon in such great depth in H’s previous novels. Whilst many claim his style to be ponderous or difficult in G.B.G., I think it is only so compared with the very short and captivating Siddartha and fairly short Steppenwolf. Both books which I think are excellent in their own right don’t quite reach the maturity and level of Glass Bead Game.
Glass Bead Game is besides the underlying story which so magnificently was summed up by other readers on this page, making it pointless for me to repeat it, is about change and movement. We should never get complacent within a position we inhabit no matter how high and respected it is, constantly strive to move forward, trying to find self-realisation. A theme that Hesse uses almost in every single novel, but takes its most profound meaning within Glass Bead Game.
The idea of the Glass Bead Game is another incredible concept that Hesse envisioned for the book an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas. With it Hesse has reached his creative highpoint.
The book is essentially about learning and teaching, such as they come in circles of life and understanding. We should never stop to learn even when we teach and move on. This is Hesse’s essential message until the finishing line of the book.
PS.: Hesse also plays ironically with names. the Magister Ludi before Josef Knecht was “Thomas von der Trave”, his friend Thomas Mann who came from Luebeck which is situated on the River Trave makes it almost too evident, whom he means by this.
Book Description
NEGI VS. THE THOUSAND MASTER!
As the “Budókai” Martial Arts Tournament draws to a close, Negi finds himself facing one of his own students, Setsuna, in battle. But after the strange disappearance of Takahata-sensei, and an even stranger conversation with the mysterious “Ku:nel” Sanders, can Negi pull it together to emerge victorious? Elsewhere, student Asuna leads a group of rescuers–among them another student of magic–deep into the catacombs beneath Mahora Academy. Who will receive the greater shock: Asuna in the depths below, or Negi facing his long-lost father?
Customer Reviews:
Nice developing.......2007-09-25
This is the last manga I bought from Negima! its a nice story, developing showing the growth of the main character and friends, but something that did get me down is the fact that Ken Akamatsu has started using the same story telling technique that Dragonball and Naruto and One Piece developed, 1 day takes 2 mangas to relate, I know this time traveling time can be very long going, but its kinda boring at the end, of course you end up learning a lot about a lot of things, but it tends to get you down, i will think in the future of keep buying this.
But if you really liked the story so far, dont stop reading, it gets better!
the father revealed at last.......2007-06-19
The battle concludes at last with negi vs. nagi and no Ku:nel is not his father which I think was really clear from the beginning. Enjoy because this ends the tournament. The real question is, "will negi beat his father 'the so-called-thousand master that according to Eva knew only 3 spells?" Read and find out.
Mixed-up, dragged-out finale........2007-03-31
Volume 13 on Negima features the semi-finals and finals of the Budokai Martial Arts Tournament. Lots of fighting this time around; not so much comedy. The big storyline here is about the identity of the mysterious Ku:nel Sanders. Is he Negi's long-lost father? You'll have to read the book to find out; I won't spoil it. This is another pretty solid chapter in the series.
Vol. 13 -- More Action, Some Plot Advance.......2007-03-13
Volume 13 continues the Mahora Festival School Arc (which won't end the first part of Volume 18 for the record). Kaede battles "Ku:nel Sanders" (Albireo Imma) in the tournament, Negi battles Setsuna, and finally Negi battles Sanders. Throughout this, Chao-san's plan continues, the mage-nun Misora-chan and her partner gain entrance to the festival and teams up Asuna and others to rescue Takahata-sensei from Chao-san. Finally, Sanders and Eva have a heart-to-heart.
The battles are all well done and the art is the high quality stuff you'd expect from Akamatsu-sensei (complete with excessive fanservice with girls losing clothing). We get some advance on the plot with Chao-san and an Misora-chan's involvement in the world of magic (with her own artifact) is interesting. However, what makes the volume really good is Sanders. His ability to appear as other people makes for an interesting plot devices, especially when he delivers a message to Negi and to Eva.
Del Rey does a good job, though the translator notes are pretty light this time. They do have a note about "Ku:nel" which the original Japanese can read as "Colonel" and state that the "Ku:nel" having the last name of "Sanders" doesn't mean the name should be "Colonel Sanders." I give Del Rey a pass here because chapter 163 had not been published in Japan at that time where Akamatsu-sensei clearly reveals that "Colonel Sanders" is indeed the intended spelling (you'll have to wait about a year and a half for Del Rey to publish that though).
Bottom line: Another enjoyable read in the "Negima" manga series. There's enough advancement in the Chao story as well as some information given on Negi's father to keep this from being just an action-filled fanservice affair and thus well worth picking up.
Who is the Ku:nel?.......2007-03-10
Ken Akamatsu's Mahorafest storyline has been building to a climax for four volumes now, and the thirteenth volume of "Negima" doesn't quite get there. But it still reveals new mysteries, and gives us three kinetic battles as the Budokai competition ends.
New mages are revealed as Asuna and the newly clothed Takane go on a mission to rescue Takahata, with the help of some magic nuns. But the girls find themselves in combat with a bunch of killer robots controlled by Chao Lingshen, and elsewhere the skeptical Chisame learns that more info on Negi (including about his dad) is leaking onto the web.
Meanwhile, the final rounds of the Budokai are underway as Kaede battles the mysterious Ku:nel, Negi battles Setsuna -- and the winners will get to the final round. But the boy wizard is distracted by the Ku:nel -- is this his long-lost father, the Thousand Master? As the two do battle, Negi discovers the Ku:nel's true identity, and a message meant just for him.
Unsurprisingly the thirteenth volume ends with another cliffhanger, just as we're about to learn of Chao's secret plot involving the mages. But there's plenty of new revelations in this volume anyway, particularly the real identity of the Ku:nel, how he's so powerful -- even for a mage -- and how he knows so much about Negi and Asuna's pasts.
The thirteenth volume suffers from a bit of middle-book syndrome, since not much is actually finished here except for the Budokai. After all, Asuna and the others are apparently still hunting for Takahata. But Akamatsu keeps things interesting with robot henchmen and kinetic magical battles full of gravity orbs and shadow doubles. There's even some comic relief like Takane freaking out at the prospect of losing her clothes for the third time.
And though virtually everyone is doing something, the spotlight is on Negi in this volume, as he tries to figure out if the Ku:nel is his dad. The final battle of the Budokai has a brief period involving Negi and the Thousand Master, which is both poignant and wickedly funny.
The thirteenth volume of "Negima" doesn't take the plot very far, but reveals some important secrets that promise to make number fourteen VERY interesting.
Book Description
At the end of her bestselling Coldfire trilogy, C.S. Friedman challenged readers to imagine what a world would be like if sorcery required the ultimate sacrifice-that of life itself. Now, in Feast of Souls, she introduces us to a terrifying world in which the cost of magic is just that...in which the fuel for sorcery is the very fire of the human spirit, and those who hunger for magical power must pay for it with their lives. In this epic tale of nightmarish shadows and desperate hope, the greatest threat of all may not be that of ancient enemies returned, or ancient wars resumed, but of the darkness that lies within the hearts of men.
Customer Reviews:
Good beginning to what should be another great series!.......2007-08-13
Inexplicably, this latest offering by acclaimed author C. S. Friedman has been flying under the radar since last January. And given its quality, this sad state of affairs continues to baffle me. Feast of Souls marks Friedman's return to the fantasy genre. That, in and of itself, should be reason enough to buy this book! Like many other readers, I have been waiting for this moment since Crown of Shadows was published.
And yet, having read both Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind and Williams' Shadowplay earlier this year, I decided to wait a while before giving this one a chance. I try to balance everything by reading titles from various publishers -- an attempt to spread the joy, if you will. However, electing to wait before reading Feast of Souls proved to be a dumb move on my part, for the first volume of the Magister trilogy is without a doubt the very best of Daw Books' "big guns" of 2007.
More epic than dark fantasy this time around, Feast of Souls is a compelling opening chapter in a tale which appears vaster in scope than anything C. S. Friedman has written up until this point. Having said that, I feel that it's also the least self-contained novel the author has ever written. Whereas each volume of the Coldfire trilogy was more or less stand-alone -- even though part of an overall story arc -- Feast of Souls is definitely an introduction to a much more ambitious and complex fantasy epic.
Richly detailed worldbuilding intrigues the reader from the beginning. It's obvious that this book is meant to lay the groundwork for what will unfold in the upcoming sequels. As such, it makes for a slower pace for the better part of the first half of the novel. After that, the pace quickens and the storytelling makes it difficult to put this one down.
Characterization is a facet in which Friedman excels. It's a little harder to judge how memorable some of these characters will be, for Feast of Souls is comprised of multiple viewpoints. Hence, since the story reveals itself through the eyes of various POV characters, the narrative is not as powerful as that of the Coldfire trilogy. I'm not saying that the characterization leaves something to be desired, far from it. The author introduces us to an interesting and disparate cast of characters that give substance to this novel. The problem is that she leaves you wanting to learn more, again and again. This is especially true with Kamala, as well as the Magisters Colivar and Ramirus. More will be disclosed in the forthcoming volumes, of course. Sue me for wanting to know more right now!
One word of advice, though: C. S. Friedman now belongs to the school of thought which feels that having characters survive countless ordeals and star in multiple books/series is a somewhat obsolete concept. À la Martin, Lynch and Erikson, she has no qualms about getting rid of main characters when you least expect it. Consider yourself warned. . .;-)
The absence of a map did irk me to some extent. What can I say!?! Maybe I'm too "old school," but I'm one of those people who like to know where the action is taking place.
Imaginative and entertaining, with an ending that I never saw coming, Feast of Souls is probably the most underrated fantasy book of 2007. Give C. S. Friedman's latest a shot, lest it remains this year's best-kept secret!
Couldn't go on.......2007-08-09
I wanted to like this title, but had to stop at page 185 after reading: "Nothing inspired a man's lust more than the presence of a woman he could not possess." ?????
Reads Almost Like a Sheri Tepper Book.......2007-05-24
If it weren't for two aspects of this book, I would have enjoyed it quite a bit. Like all Friedman's books, the writing is excellent and the story is interesting. But, for at least the first half of the book, I could barely continue reading because of the overriding misandry. It almost reaches the same pitch as one of Sheri Tepper's books (the plots of which are also usually excellent). Almost without exception, men are described as beasts, rapists, child-molesters, etc.. I have no desire to read through one actual rape, constant references to another rape, and several near rapes in a Fantasy book. That's problem number one (and the most disturbing). The other problem is that I just don't like the ending (not because it's part of a trilogy, mind you). I can't say too much since it would be a spoiler. But, I was hoping for a twist that would avoid the necessity of the obvious ending. Unfortunately, obvious is what we appear to have gotten (though I'm still hoping for a redeeming twist at the start of the next book). Without the misandry, I'd probably give the book a Very Good four stars out of five. But, because it makes the book so stomach-churning, I'm dropping it down to an OK three stars out of five. Hopefully, the next book will be more pleasant.
Gets Under Your Skin.......2007-05-02
C.S. Friedman has a way of getting under the reader's skin, specializing in the relationship between the causes and the resultan effects of the interaction between people while masterfully developing a story, layer by layer, until the usually startling conclusion is revealed.
Ms. Friedman has had both relative as well as major success in delivering the goods with prior efforts, and this first installment is quite promising, although it does have some familiar territory, and is somewhat similar in premise to "The Cold Fire" trilogy.
Still, it took me only three days to finish the book, which my busy schedule means that I put off doing some other things in order to finish it, which is a significant development, since I rarely have the time to get involved with books in this fashion.
Overall, it was very satisfying read that sets up the next installment quite well.
Highly recommended, despite all the grumblings from other reviewers.
I loved it!.......2007-04-06
I read the book through in two sittings and I just loved it.
I read an average of two or three books per week, and have been so disappointed in some of my favorite authors over the past several years because they seem to be writing the same story over and over.
This is a new story that I will read again and am happy to have in my collection.
Ms. Friedman's talent for illustrating the darker side of human emotion and the extent to which we will go for power is only a small part of this complex story and I look forward to reading the continuation of the series.
Personally, I cheered at Kamala's victory over the brutes when she returned to her home town. I was angry at the first magister she met after she left her teacher and glad to see his fall. I was surprised at the way the actual meeting between Andovan and Kamala played out.... I had thought it would be different somehow. It came out better than I had imagined it in the pages leading up to it.
I can hardly wait for the next book in the series. I have loaned my copy to my daughter (she's read it more than once already!) and I will buy a copy for my mom. I enjoyed reading this book better than any I've read for some time.
Average customer rating:
- Wizards and love
- back to basics
- the best Negima volume ever!!!
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Negima!: Magister Negi Magi, Volume 14
Ken Akamatsu
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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ASIN: 0345496140
Release Date: 2007-05-29 |
Book Description
ALL GROWN UP?
Negi Springfield has finally met his father–or at least a hologram of him. Now Negi is more determined than ever to follow in his father’s footsteps. But there is no time for self-reflection: After his mind-blowing performance at the Budōkai Martial Arts Tournament, Negi is at the center of a media storm. On the run from marauding reporters, Negi disguises himself with the help of a potion that turns him into a gorgeous bishōnen. But using magic puts Negi at risk. His sneaky pupil Chisame may finally discover his secret–that Negi is really a powerful wizard!
Customer Reviews:
Wizards and love.......2007-09-02
Now that the Budokai Competition is over, Negi Springfield is doing what he does best -- helping his students, and brooding about the message his father left him. The fourteenth volume of Ken Akamatsu's is slower and more character-driven than the volumes preceding it... call it the calm before the storm.
Ako has had a massive crush on "Nagi Springfield" (an artificially aged Negi) ever since she saw him. But he accidentally shatters her self-esteem when he walks in, and sees what she's most ashamed of -- and before Ako knows it, her entire day has been destroyed. So it's up to "Nagi" to repair the damage he's done, reversing time and and giving Ako the best date of her life...
But Negi also spends time with other students, such as the tea-serving robot Chachamaru, feisty dog-boy Kotaro, and the embittered technogeek Chisame. But things get even more complex when Haruna and Chisame reveal that they know Negi is a wizard, and Yue's growing crush on Negi -- whom her best friend Nodoka also likes -- comes out into the open. What's more, Takahata moves up the time of his date with Asuna...
After all the fighting of the Budokai, it's nice to see Akamatsu isn't neglecting his characters. Though a few hints of Chao's sinister activities are still here, most of this volume is devoted to some of the less prominent students at Mahora, and Negi's ongoing efforts to make them all happy.
While there's some fanservice (the mass spillage at the tea party), Akamatsu spins some unusually poignant, un-comedic stories -- Ako's belief in her ugliness and insignificance, Negi's meditation on his father's prerecorded message, and Yue's struggle not to "betray" her friendships. Don't worry, there's still plenty of humour -- one chapter starts in a particularly funny manner, with Haruna showing a full-length comic page showing how she could torture her friends for hiding wizardry from her.
Akamatsu's usually slapsticky, detailed art takes on a simple beauty when we see things like Ako examining her scarred back, or Yue and Nodoka hugging in the flooded Library Island. And fans of gorgeous men will enjoy the sight of Negi and the Inuyashaesque Kotaro roaming Mahora as mature young men.
But the character development in this one particularly belongs to the students, who are explored in more depth. The antisocial Chisame gets shown in a new light in this one, as does the increasingly emotional Chachamaru, and the shy, unhappy Ako -- who looks at herself in a new light thanks to Nagi. Even the gung-ho witch-nurse Takane shows some new dimensions.
The fourteenth volume of "Negima" could be considered a calm spot of character development and friendly fun, right before things explode...
back to basics.......2007-06-14
For awhile now Akamatsu-san has given us adventure but this issue returns back to romantic comedy for our 10 year old little hero. Good thing he's only 10 because if he was just a bit older with all these girls swooning after him this would turn into a hentai book pretty quickly. I know I would do something if I was in his shoes! Also Akamatsu-san does beautiful work on the women! Really good work ;-)
the best Negima volume ever!!!.......2007-05-30
So this is it. Volume 14. I've been waiting for this one since I bought all thirteen volumes in one sitting way back in February. This one's by far the best yet, and it's got quite a few twists in it.
The story begins with Negi finally escaping from the Budokai tournament and just wanting to have some peace and quiet. First, he has a brief conversation with Ku:nel about Nagi, then Ku:nel disappears and Negi heads over to Chachamaru-san's nodate. He's ambushed there by Class Rep and the others who watched his matches- and there's plenty of fan service here, including some neat little panty shots from Class Rep and the others. The paparazzi is after Negi, though, so he ends up taking one of Chamo's age candies to escape. Problem is, Chisame now knows that Negi is a wizard!! Like Asakura, however, she agrees to keep Negi's wizarding a secret. The rest of the first part details Ako Izumi's concert with Kugimiya's band, and her cheer-up date with who she thinks is Negi's "cousin" Nagi, but is actually the "older" Negi!!! The second part begins with quite the shocker: Haruna has found out about magic and Negi being a wizard, also!! She attempts to pactio with Negi, but couldn't, due to the fact that Chamo hadn't drawn the magic circle yet. (FYI Haruna actually gets her artifact relatively early on in the actual anime series, but this manga only briefly mentions Negi pactio-ing with her.) Not only that, but a deep and dark secret is revealed- one that might threaten to tear two best friends away from each other for good...
This one's more of a romantic comedy compared to the past four volumes, in which the Budokai tournament takes center stage. Nodoka's cute as always, and Akamatsu's at the top of his game with some quite humorous moments involving spilled tea. An excellent way to continue the series; I must say I'm quite addicted now. In fact, I'm reading volume 14 as I type this!! =)
Enjoy!!
~andy~
Book Description
SECRET, SECRET, WHO DOESN’T HAVE A SECRET?
At the Mahora Academy Festival, the Budokai Martial-Arts Tournament is well under way–and it seems that all participants have something to hide. What has awakened inside Asuna during the battle with Setsuna? Everyone remains in the dark about the true identity of the curious “Colonel”–except Evangeline, a vampire who, not surprisingly, loves the dark. But how exactly did she become a bloodsucker? As for Setsuna, how deeply is the conflicted member of the “Bird Tribe” willing to look within herself? Will she be able to defeat her own worst enemy–herself?
Customer Reviews:
The Ever-Deepening Mysteries of MahoraFest.......2007-02-08
It's now Day Two, and we're in the middle of the Mahora Martial Arts Tournament. Most of this volume is pretty much taken up with fighting; those of you who are in it for the "cute" bits may be disappointed. The first round of the tournament concludes, and the second round is also completed. The fights are pretty exciting, and background information is provided for some of the characters. Will Negi win the tournament? Read Volume 13 to find out (unless they REALLY stretch things out).
Very good, but not the best of Negima........2007-01-24
Well worth it's price, but it gives the feeling of being mostly filler material, just building up to volume 13. It's still a very good read, just not quite up to usual Negima standards.
Fight on.......2006-12-14
The secret pasts of three characters finally come to light in the twelfth volume of "Negima," as the Budokai Competition continues. Ken Akamatsu does a top-notch job mingling character development with multiple slam-bang battle scenes -- with more to come.
After Negi's victory, Asuna and Setsuna prepare to do battle against each other, and the heated fight brings out some shocking memories of Asuna's past, as well as a devastating new level of magic power. But when Kotaro fights his own match with the mysterious Ku:nel -- who claims to be a friend of Nagi's -- he suffers a terrible defeat.
Meanwhile, Negi has learned that someone is sprinkling the Web with rumors of magic at Mahorafest, including footage of the magical battles. And when Evangeline and Setsuna finally do battle, the vampire unleashes a new attack on the winged girl -- saying that her newfound friends have made her "soft." But what is in Evangeline's past that makes her understand Setsuna?
Ken Akamatsu is as his best when he mixes comedy, action, drama and fantasy in equal measure. Revelations from both Lingshen Chao and the mysterious Ku:nel (about evil plans and Nagi respectively) only help. Meaning he's in good form in this volume, and it only promises to get even better.
There's lots of acrobatic kung-fu in this volume, full of magical blasts, shadow puppets and ninja moves. But Akamatsu peppers it with moments of character development, often during or after the fight scenes -- including some fragmented moments of Asuna's past. And he doesn't skimp on the comedy either("What's with this sleazy lingerie?")
Obviously Evangeline and Setsuna both get lots of development, with readers seeing how Evangeline became so nasty, and Setsuna's conflict between "her sword and her happiness." But Kotaro Inugami also gets some development -- after his defeat, he's devastated by fear that Negi will disdain him because he's too weak.
The twelfth volume of "Negima" is still building up to something gigantic, and the next volume promises to be even better than this one. Definitely worth getting... so long as you've read the previous ones.
Fight-O! The beat down goes on..........2006-12-04
The Mahora Martial Arts extraveganza continues, this time with fights between Asuna and Setsuna (glee!), Kotaro and Ku:Nel Sanders (Col.Sanders, get it?), Eva-chan and Spurious Fighter #4, and so on...
Much action in this volume, with bits of fan service sprinkled in between. Probably the most significant addition to the arc is that several more of Negi's class are becoming suspicious as to the nature of their teacher and magic in general (helped in a large part by Chao Lingshen's attempts to spread the word to the world). That and Ku:nel has a bombshell of his/her own to drop.
Akamatsu-sensei is doing his best to insert subtle flashbacks here and there to flesh out certain characters (works great for Asuna, not so much for Eva) and to build bridges between his characters.
Art is gorgeous, as always, with intricate backgrounds and impressive lingerie details (hah!)... and the pacing is fine... just sit back and enjoy.
I recommend a buy, but don't expect any closure in this arc for quite some time (as the MahoraFest arc is STILL going in Japan).
Book Description
BLOOD FEUD WITH A VAMPIRE
There is a vampire stalking the night! Normally ten-year-old teacher/magician Negi Springfield would have no problem dispatching such a villain, but this vampire has a magic-enhancing partner–and worse, the vampire is a student in his own class! Now he must find a partner of his own, but with a class full of beautiful girls all vying for the position, it won’t be an easy task. Add in Negi’s old friend, a skirt-chasing, wisecracking weasel from Wales, and the nice orderly chaos of Negi’s life turns into a hilarious melee of sirens and sorcery!
Customer Reviews:
Easily the best volume of this series.......2007-09-22
With Negima Volume 3, manga creator Ken Akamatsu finally starts to give his new series some oomph. First, he introduces a terrific villian to pit against his hero, naive wizard-in-training Negi Springfield: Evangeline, a wizardess/vampire who's not only a student of Negi Springfield but also his deadly enemy, for she bears a grudge against his family and suffers a curse that only Negi's blood can lift. Evangeline's icy stare and icy sarcasm are delightful contrasts to Negi's innocence and wide-eyed determination to do what's right, no matter what the cost. When he tries to reform her evil ways, she beats the tar out of him, not once but twice, in magical battles that are beautifully drawn and cleverly written. Soon Negi has to face the fact that he needs help - but who can he recruit to aid him in his struggle? The answer comes in the form of a white ermine daemon from his past, who presents himself as Negi's familiar and who recommends that Negi team up with his nemesis Asuna, a fierce but basically good-hearted Amazon who, up to this point, usually torments her unwanted teacher/roommate. But Asuna comes to the rescue during Negi's initial battle with Evangeline, saving him from a terrible death - and the aftermath, when Negi breaks down in tears and clings to Asuna for comfort, is easily one of the most affecting moments in this manga's entire run. Asuna is initially reluctant to team with Negi for several reasons, many of them dealing with her continuing self-denial of her growing affection for her 10-year-old roommate. But finally she's persuaded to enter a Probationary Contract with Negi - a magical binding that will allow her to protect him magically during battle - and the scene where she and Negi seal the bond with a kiss is the second-most affecting moment. Sure, he's only 10, but his reaction to the kiss is one of stricken awe, and it's one of the touches Mr. Akamatsu has added to the character that has made him so endearing. The second battle with Evangeline is intense, believable and ultimately triumphant, although it does serve to soften Evangeline a hair too much - I like her much better as deadly enemy than reluctant ally. At any rate, Volume three marks this manga's high point; "Negima" as a series never gets better than this, and that's important: while the books that follow have their moments, none of them thus far have quite lived up to volume 3. This volume is highly recommended. Hopefully the manga will have an ending as satisfying as this one lone volume.
A vampire and a talking weasel.......2006-08-09
One of Negi's students is a vampire, whose magic powers were sealed. She believes that drinking Negi's blood will fix that. And with another student as her partner, the odds are against the young magician. He needs a partner of his own, and fast!
An old friend of Negi's, a panty-stealing ermine elf, arrives and shows Negi how to make a temporary parnership. But which girl should he pick?
Negi's First Fight.......2006-05-30
All of the previous volumes mostly involved Negi trying to gain the respect of his all-girl class, and failing miserably in the process. This volume, however, presented an antagonist that actually wants to do physical harm to Negi, and we get to see what Negi is capable of with his magic. It was a refreshing and welcome change of pace from the fan-service based comedy while still keeping with the traditions set in the earlier volumes. In other words, it isn't a jarring change of pace but one that comes gradually.
In this volume, Negi finds himself the target of a mysterious female wizard who just so happens to be a vampire as well. Yet after the first battle, many problems are presented to Negi. One, he must find a way to get past his fear of the vampire and teach his class, and two, he must find a partner capable enough to protect him while he must cast the intricate spells needed to battle the wizard/vampire. Along the way, Negi ends up getting closer to a few more of his students who, in some way or another, help Negi in his future fight with the vampire.
What made this so volume so great was that it presented the vampire conflict in the first chapter and ended it by the last. It's not a continuation from the previous volume nor does it go on into the next. It can be read in one shot, without any cliffhangers along the way.
For me, Negima continues to get better. It may not have achieved that perfect point for me, but I'm still laughing at the jokes and I was excited when the action really started in this volume. I highly recommend this volume to the more skeptical Negima reader, especially if you felt that Negima wasn't going anywhere soon. It gets a little deeper into the plot and finally lets Negi be a wizard first and a teacher second. And, of course, a pimp third.
Evangeline and Chachamaru--delightful evil in Vol 3.......2006-03-03
Along with having the bad-tempered Asuna as a housemate, battling nasty high school students, and getting lost on Library Island, ten-year old Negi Springfield is confronted with another crisis. What if you're a teacher at a junior high school, and one of your students happens to be a vampire?
Meet Evangeline McDowell, student no. 26 on his roster, a.k.a. Dark Evangel, a dour-looking customer who's in the go and tea ceremony clubs. After the attack on Makie Sasaki, Evangeline is revealed to be the so-called "vampire of Cherry Blossom Street," where the attack took place. Turns out she's not only a wizard, but knows of Negi's father, the Southern Master, who defeated her, and using a spell, trapped her in the body of a junior high school girl. The way to lift the curse is to drink the blood of the nearest relative of whoever cursed her. Guess who that is? And she's so villainous, "even the villains want to kill her." However, despite seeming to be powerful, she lacks natural talent. She needs cloaks and catalysts, and a partner, a Ministel Magi. Evangeline tells him, "while we wizards prepare a spell, we can't defend against attack. Selecting a `ministel magi' [is] about finding someone to block incoming spells while you cast your offensive ones." In Evangeline's case, she has Chachamaru Karakuri, an android given the long prongs she has for ears. "Two evil-doers in my class--as if the regular cut-ups weren't enough!" wails Negi.
The need to defeat Evangeline dominates the third volume of Negima!, as a funny character makes his debut. The slick fast-talking Albert Chamomile, or Chamo for short, was an ermine Negi rescued from a trap, and who's on the run for stealing 2,000 pairs of female undies. Chamo aids Negi in trying to find him a Ministel Magi, and they settle on Asuna due to her fighting abilities and reliability, but they form a partnership under a probationary contract. The last part of the volume involves the first real confrontation between the partnered teams of Negi and Asuna versus Evangeline and Chachamaru.
Negi though, sees Evangeline and Chachamaru as his students, and sees the good side of the latter through her good deeds, taking in stray cats for example, for which he cancels an attack on her, something not missed by the robot. She's not bad, she just has to obey her mistress. And when Evangeline is sick in bed, he doesn't attack her, he sits by her bedside.
But he does get discouraged, and apart from crying-hey, he is ten years old-he flees into the woods where he gets some help from his student Kaede Nagase, who helps him clear his troubled mind with the self-sufficient weekend outing she does in the woods.
And when Nodoka the librarian girl gets all except the very top part of her blouse and her socks blown off, I wondered if I was reading Battle Vixens instead. Yet one mystery arises. Why did his mentor Takamichi, scribble above Evangeline's picture, "ask her advice if you're in trouble"?
The introduction of Evangeline, Chachamaru, and Chamo, as well as the Harry Potter-like casting of dueling verbal spells between Negi and Evangeline ensures the magic continues in Volume 3 of Ken Akamatsu's series.
Insane killers and AI robots...wow.......2005-10-29
Akamatsu never stops to amaze... the 3rd instalment of negima is a great volume if ya a vampire lovin hippie or a cyber dude. If your a "love Hina" fan you best pick this up!
Average customer rating:
- Magical harem with power and mystery.
- Best of the series yet!
- Negima's magic is beginning to fade
- This is getting crazy! And I love it!
- heck breaks loose
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Negima!: Magister Negi Magi, Volume 15
Ken Akamatsu
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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Binding: Comic
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Negima!: Magister Negi Magi, Volume 11
ASIN: 0345496159
Release Date: 2007-08-28 |
Book Description
STUDENT VS. TEACHER!
Boy wizard Negi Springfield has met some tough challenges. After all, he’s an English teacher at an all-girls high school. But now he must face one of his own students in battle . . . without relying on his magical powers!
Includes special extras after the story!
[Rating logo:]OTAges 16+
Customer Reviews:
Magical harem with power and mystery........2007-10-05
Don't be fooled by the loosely manga based anime, this is an amazing series. Although they could focus a bit more on the intrigue instead of so much fan service, the frequent magical and/or martial arts battles of incredible power and skill, not to mention fascinating revelations about the 'magical world', more than make up for it. Since it is a harem title, and this harem has at least 31 girls, the character development has taken a really long time, but if things take a turn for the truly serious as they seem to be doing at the end of this volume, with as much as Ken Akamatsu has made us love the girls, this series could have frightening power. At this point, if someone were to die or something, it'd be really rough. Be warned if you don't already know, this series has a high risk of addiction.
Best of the series yet!.......2007-09-26
Best Negima volume yet, the adventure continues. I was smiling all the time I was reading it.
Negima's magic is beginning to fade.......2007-09-22
I first passed "Negima" by because, well, it's obviously a "Harry Potter" ripoff, plus it's rife with "fan service" (provocative themes, panty shots and nekkid junior high girls meant to titillate the reader, which is something I can pretty much do without). But its gorgeous artwork won me over, at least enough to purchase the first few volumes. Plus the main character - Negi Springfield, a British wizard-in-training - initially had more soul and appeal than Harry ever had (in my opinion), thanks to his British schoolboy naivete and his blind devotion to his student/roommate Asuna, a hot-tempered Amazon who starts out as his nemesis but soon becomes a trusted ally. As for the manga's plot, it goes like this: Negi is for some weird reason sent away from his magic school in Wales to Japan to teach, for some weirder reason, English to a flock of predatory Japanese schoolgirls, who spend less time studying and more time trying to seduce Negi...who, incidentally, is a ten-year-old boy. *yeesh* Still, Negi's blind devotion to Asuna - who is the ONLY girl in his life who seems determined to protect his virginity rather than divest him of it - is initially touching and endearing. His affection for her is understandable in the sense of a young schoolboy having a puppy-love crush on an older schoolgirl, and the Asuna/Negi relationship is easily the most compelling part of this manga. Unfortunately, Asuna has thiry other classmates, with their own stories to tell, and soon such heavy narrative traffic brings Asuna's and Negi's relationship to a standstill. Plus, as mentioned, every one of those other students has a thing for Negi - this manga hasn't been nicknamed "Harem Potter" for nothing - and their ongoing attempts to seduce him soon grow tiresome. I mean, does EVERYONE in his class have to fall in love with him? Even a freaking ROBOT falls in love with him! By volume 15 the whole tale has gotten so clogged and bogged down with characters that it's like a movie where the stars disappear and the extras take over. And too bad too, because in this case none of the extras - with the sole exception of the wizard/vampire Evangeline, whose icy sarcasm and initial intent to kill Negi make her an invaluable villian - has any value. To sum up, I have already tired of "Negima", and for my part I'll continue to read the occasional scanlation of the series online, but plan only to buy the final volume of the series - where hopefully the Asuna/Negi relationship will be satisfactorily resolved and bring the series to a logical close.
This is getting crazy! And I love it!.......2007-09-22
Ken Akamatsu is brilliant! To go from the likes of Love Hina (which was brilliant in it own way),a simple love story with brilliant plots, to Negima with it's complicated but brilliant plots with plenty of action, love story, and fan service to go around, Ken must go down as one of the most brilliant story tellers of all time (at least in my book any way). I still can't believe that Ken is coming up with this stuff, it's just too different from Love Hina. Any way, this is a lead in book to the stunning and thought provocative confrontation with Chao! The Asuna date was interesting, the plot twist with Negi and his team being sent a week into the future (which I really wondered how Ken was going to get out of this plot twist), the new artifacts with Hurana (hers is totally wicked) and Yue, and the ADULT (and I mean ADULT) training session between Evangeline and Negi when Negi is questioning if him defeating Chao is the right thing to do... wait.. could Evangeline be falling for her cute little aprentice?
heck breaks loose.......2007-08-31
Well the second day of the Marhorafest is coming to an end, well sooner or later....Asuna is off on her date with Takahata. Things go well, despite a rampaging robot T-Rex, a near gang fight, and all the animals breaking out of the circus. Asuna soon learns that Takahata sees her as a daughter type, not as a possible soulmate. to add to the storyline, Chao uses her time machine to escape into the future to put the final step of her plan to expose the mages to the rest of the world then to leave school and return home. but to do that she must defeat Negi in combat, which does not turn out as easy as it sounds given the fact that Negi now has two new contracts and a few new allies with Fei Ku and Kaede. Chao lets it known that she comes from the future, is a martian and is a direct decentant of Negi. Then battle is posponed when the rest of the class springs a surprise going away party for Chao. Day three starts in Evangeline's resort ,where Asuna was hiding after beingrejected. The plan is to train up everyone with their new powers to combat Chao, but when they leave they find out, there is one more ttap. they appear one week after the festival ends and magic has been exposed and Negi has been blamed for it all, not to mention the time machine has stopped working. now it is up to the girls to save negi and put things to right.....a big job to say the least
Book Description
DON’T TOUCH THAT WAND!
Ten-year-old prodigy Negi Springfield, has just graduated from magic academy. He dreams of becoming a master wizard. Instead he’s sent to Japan to teach English . . . at an all-girls high school! All the students are delighted with their cute new teacher—except for Asuna, who resents Negi for replacing the teacher she secretly has a crush on.
Although he is forbidden to display his magical powers, sometimes Negi can’t resist. And when Asuna discovers Negi’s secret, she vows to make his life as difficult as possible— just the thing to prepare Negi for the challenges of life as a master wizard!
Includes special extras after the story!
Customer Reviews:
no, it ain't Love Hina... it's better.......2007-05-21
Mention Ken Akamatsu, and the manga/anime that immediately comes to mind is his most popular offering, Love Hina, the story of Keitaro Urashima and Naru Narusegawa. What people SHOULD think of, however, is Negima!, Akamatsu-san's newest manga series, already made into an anime.
Negima! centers around a 10-year old named Negi Springfield, who graduates from the top of his class (of 5) at the Meldiana School of Magic; his diploma then states what his occupation will be- and it turns out to be a teacher in Japan!! (FYI Negi-kun is originally from Wales, England, a fact that's the subject of a few jokes in the novels.) Negi arrives in Japan, only to discover something shocking- the school he's going to teach at is an all-girl's school!!! He takes it solely as a challenge, however, towards gaining status as a Magister Magi, a magician who helps people out for a living. Upon entering the classroom, he's automatically sabotaged by a dropping eraser and a bucket (...), but everyone takes one look at him and start crushing on him hard. There are a few who develop more than the average crush on him: Makie Sasaki, the resident rhythmic gymnastics nut; Ayaka Yukihiro, second-in-line to inherit the Yukihiro zaibatsu and the class rep; and Nodoka Miyazaki (possibly named after famed anime director Hayao Miyazaki?), a bookworm who falls hopelessly in love with Negi after he saves her from a nasty fall- which is also how 14-year old Naru Narusegawa, the only student in the class who positively hates Negi (for replacing Takamichi Takahata, the teacher that Asuna had a monstrous crush on), finds out that Negi is a wizard. What's next for our young hero?
Negima! has shades of Love Hina all over the... er... campus, due mainly to the fact that both series are by the same author. Asuna could be compared to Naru, Negi to Keitaro, Nodoka to Shinobu Maehara, and Fei Ku to Kaolla Su (maybe...). Also, some of the characters even look alike- Negi kinda looks like Keitaro, for instance, and Nodoka could possibly be based off of what Kanako Urashima looks like as a kid. Similarities aside, Negima! is better than Love Hina in some ways, and worse in some. Fans of Akamatsu's bountiful gratuitious fan service definitely will not be disappointed. And of course, no one can miss the almost direct references to Harry Potter, including the fact that Negi looks like Harry- and even comments to Asuna about his flying wand, saying, "Just no Quidditch jokes, okay?".
Enjoy!!
~andy~
Negi not for schoolgirls or boys.......2006-11-11
This manga is witty and interesting, and really exploits a schoolboy's fantasies about sex with older women and personal power. The artwork is great. However, as a middle-school teacher, I can't allow it in my classroom. Definitely rated PG-13 or R, depending on your tastes.
As I have students with learning disabilities, I'm on the look-out for illustrated books that are age-appropriate. This was just too mature for my audience, even though the protagonist is a 10-year-old boy.
This series is asking for trouble.......2006-09-19
Personally i liked negima, although i haven't read much of the manga. I is truly a hilarious series to read. the manga is far less modest than tha anime though. i can't really tell you that much except it is pretty good. it's kind of a cliche straigh from harry potter, fells like harry potter got indegestion.
10 year old wizard teaches at an all-girls school........2006-08-09
A little different than Ken Akamatsu's usual work, Negima still doesn't fail to please.
Ten year old Negi has just graduated into the rank of magician. His mystic diploma gives him the task of teaching in Japan. At an all-girls middle school, no less.
Dealing with an irate roommate, his occasional super-powered sneezes, a few poor learners (one being said roommate), some high school bullies, and more, Negi's got his hands full.
Not to mention the fact that he has to keep his magic a secret, or he'll be turned into a hamster...
It's got magic. It's got comedy. It's got action. It's even got fanservice, if you're into that sort of thing.
A Player from the Age of Ten.......2006-05-05
I'm sorry, but the first thing I noticed was the fact that the main character, Negi, seems to have some game. All the girls in his life (minus one) seem to adore him, despite his age, and are even willing to parade around in the buff with him in the room. Besides that, he's a very charming young man, capable of tearing himself away from all the constant affections in order to get the job done. Much respect, Negi, for being a player who knows how to play his game...
But seriously, Negima! was, for me, a fun manga to sit and read. Though I'm not generally a fan of fan-service (I don't like to feel exploited), and I tend toward the more mature side of manga, Negima had just enough in it to keep my interest throughout. For one, the fan-service was never to the point where there was full-body nudity. The worst were a few naked rear-ends. Secondly, the sexual jokes in this manga were definitely enough to push this manga into the mature zone, if not the fan-service alone. And the simple fact that the jokes were intelligent if a little brash made me appreciate what this manga was attempting to do, and that was to draw laughs from an older audience while still trying to keep the "young'ens" entertained.
The story wasn't so bad, either, at least to where I got from reading this volume. Contrived at times, to be sure, but how else would fan-service ever find a way into manga if it weren't forced in. It follows Negi Springfield, a new graduate of magic academy as he's getting his first assignment; which just happens to be as an English teacher at an all-girl high school in Japan. But he accepts the job willingly, believing it to be his stepping stone to becoming a great wizard. Unfortunately, he doesn't expect what comes to him. He makes enemies with the same girl who's supposed to be his keeper, his students don't take him seriously, and should his magic be discovered and revealed to the student body he lose his position. Either way, he's definitely the man for the job, despite everything. Now, all he has to do is make friends with Asuna, a girl with a sad history but a tough mentality.
Though I can't consider this a perfect manga, I say so only because it isn't something I'd aim for as a reader and fan of manga. Too cutesy and the fan-service was a turn off at times. Still, it had more than enough to keep me reading from cover to cover, and I would like to know what happens next to Negi and Asuma. Either way, if you liked Love Hina or anything of that vein, then Negima! would be a perfect manga for you, especially since it was created by the same man who made Love Hina. It was an innocent sexual yet surprisingly funny manga. And, for fans of anime, the American release of Negima! is looming so if you'd like to see what it's about then now is as good a chance as any.
Book Description
A FIELD TRIP INTO PERIL
Ten-year-old teacher/magician Negi Springfield is looking forward to taking his class of beautiful girls to the historic cities of Kyoto and Nara–but there’s a catch! Negi’s student, Konoka, is a kidnap target of feuding magicians in those very cities. Her grandfather, the school principal, orders Negi to protect Konoka–while keeping the fact that she’s in danger a secret from the unsuspecting girl. To add to Negi’s headaches, his sword-wielding student, Setsuna, may be a spy for the kidnappers. With so much on his mind, how is a young magician to see the sights, care for a sarcastic stoat, and stay in the good graces of his hot-tempered magical partner Asuna?
Customer Reviews:
to Kyoto and Nara- and beyond!!!.......2007-05-24
So here we are. Negima! volume four. Up until this point, Negi's had to deal with a lot of stuff: beginning to teach at an all-girl's school, a dangerous excursion deep beneath the school library, and a powerful vampire by the name of Evangeline McDowell (aka Dark Evangel), but Negi's never had to face the intricacies of a girl who's in love with him. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Volume four begins with a brief conversation between Negi and Evangeline concerning Negi's father, the Thousand Master; when Negi tell Eva that the Thousand Master is alive, she initially just laughs it off, but realizes that he's telling the truth and advises Negi to go to Kyoto to look for clues about his father, since Kyoto was the last place that anyone ever saw Nagi. Negi then gets the idea of doing it legally (since he's accrued no time off, neither does he have any extra cash) by organizing a class field trip to see the sites at Kyoto and Nara. The headmaster agrees to the field trip, but only on the condition that Negi delivers a letter to the leader of the Kansai magic group, the main group opposed to the field trip (Kyoto is in the Kansai district and their opposition stems from the fact that a wizard [i.e. Negi] would be leading the trip). Things start to get out of hand on the train ride, though, as the students are attacked by... frogs? Also, a paper bird steals Negi's letter, but one of his students, Setsuna Kagurazaki, slices the bird in half while leaving the letter untouched; this leads Chamo to believe that Setsuna might be a spy for the West. Their time at Kyoto is no less eventful, including a first-day trip to the fountains that has everyone passed out drunk from booze that was pumped into the fountains. Then there's that little thing about Nodoka finally confessing her love for Negi...
One of the main reasons that I'm so impressed with Negima! is that each novel seems to be better than the previous one, and this one is no exception. Of course, the fan service is there, but the best parts of this novel are Nodoka's confession to Negi and a neat little sidestory about just how deep the relationship is between Setsuna and Konoka (who Setsuna insists upon calling "ojou-sama", a highly reverent and respectful term for a girl of affluent parentage).
Enjoy!!
~andy~
Taking a trip..........2006-11-06
Negi takes the class on a field trip to Kyoto and Nara. People there are out to kidnap Asuna's friend Konoka, and another student has taken it upon herself to defend Konoka. Nodoka has difficulty telling Negi of her feelings for him. And a reporter-in-training finds out Negi's secret.
Paper panty-stealing monkeys, a female samurai, and a birthday surprise. The total is one excellent graphic novel.
Same Old Magical Pimp, New Problems and Setting.......2006-06-04
Darn it all, I'm hooked. I can't put this damn series down for a life of me, no matter how much I tell myself that I don't like manga such as this. I like blood and guts and mature situations. I like adult titles like Berserk and Hellsing and Monster, not Negima. But Negima has somehow wormed itself between these manga and made a place all its own on my manga shelf, one that continues to grow yet one where Negima seems to hold its own.
But seriously, this is shaping up to be one heck of a manga series. After finishing the fourth volume, I've come to understand that I won't soon be disappointed by this series. It continues to stay fresh by bringing in a constant stream of characters, without overwhelming a reader too much. It has added a small element of action that wasn't found in the first couple volumes. And it has moved settings now from an all-girl's high school to a public tourist attraction.
Plus, Negima is still as funny as it was when it first started, still using a subtle adult humor and a mocking style of fan-service.
In this volume in particular, Negi takes his class on a field trip to the old Japanese capitals of Kyoto and Nara, which has since become world famous tourist attractions. Though his battle with the vampire Evangeline is on hold for now, a new dilemma has arisen for Negi, and that is finding his father, the Thousand Master. He learns the first clue may be in Kyoto. Along the way, however, he runs into a couple bumps, including a mysterious girl swordmaster who is also a student of his, some crazy paper-using wizard, a plot to kidnap Konoka, the daughter of the school's headmaster, and a student reporter who wants to know all of Negi's deepest secrets. But worst of all, Negi must confront the idea of having someone in love with him.
As for the problems with this volume, it still suffers from an over-abundance of fan-service. Even if it is comical, it always feels forced. Another problem I found with this one is the appearance of yet another character outside the student body, making it well into the thirties. It's becoming difficult to keep track of the names of the students. While the book has a handy roster at the back, when a character is brought in that isn't in that roster, it's close to impossible to remember them. The characterization is also a bit iffy on some of the characters, though Ken Akamatsu apologizes for this in his earlier volumes, saying the sheer size of the cast causes some problems with keeping things in order. As a writer, I've got to appreciate creative honesty.
With everything Negima has going for it, it's shaping up to be something instantly special (I don't want to use any cliches like "my favorite" or "instant classic"). The manga has me hungry for the anime, which is due in August through FUNimation. Though not yet perfect, I'm sure that it will always stay at least a solid four in my eyes. I recommend this to anyone seeking a change from their normal manga reading list.
School Trip Part 1 of 3.......2005-06-30
With the impressive mark left by Volume 3 of "Negima!," I was eager to see where things went from there. Fortunately things remain pretty good, we are introduced to two new characters and a 3rd gets some work as well.
Evangeline tells Negi that he should take a trip to Kyoto as his father, the Southern Master, used to live there. Thus Negi-sensei decides the class field trip should be to Kyoto and Nara. The headmaster then gives Negi a quest to deliver a letter to the head of the magic association based there (Kansai Group) to stop an age-long feud between them and the Kanto Group. Thus preparations begin by the students and Negi to take this 4-day trip. Konoka and Negi are out in a nice district of Tokyo and are spotted by the cheerleader squad who think the two are on a date. Naturally Ayaka learns of this and will not tolerate anyone else being with Negi, so she grabs Asuna and begins her plan to make sure nothing happens between Negi and Konoka.
The school trip finally starts with Negi-sensei being attached to a group of girls that includes Asuna, Konoka, Miyazaki (the library girl), Yue, and Saotome. They are also joined by Setsuna-san, a girl with a nodachi - a giant, long sword. Forces opposed to the Kansai Group and Kanto Group making amends begin to work with a series of mild attacks by frogs and then monkeys. Setsuna is comes to the aid of Negi as she is sworn to protect Konoka-chan, whom she has known since a child and refers to with the very reverent title of "oujo-sama". The battle heats up as Asuna (armed with a new weapon), Negi, and Se-chan team up to battle a female Japanese wizard and her summoned demons as they attempt to kidnap Konoka-chan.
Once the battle is over, Miyazaki-san is determined to confess her feelings for Negi, something that has been brewing since Volume 1. Being so shy, she has a very difficult time of it, but her friends Yue and Saotome are there to force her to keep on. She is further aided by talking with Asuna and Se-chan. Hearing someone may be confessing their love to Negi, Ayaka dispatches the class reporter Kazumi on the case. Kazumi is bored with the assignment but soon comes upon the scoop of the century when she learns Negi's secret.
There is a fair amount of fun "filler" in this volume, especially at the beginning. The subplot of Miyazaki's feelings is sweet and while being told, the main story arc is not forgotten. Kazumi's learning of Negi's secret should prove interesting and we'll see where this is taken. There's more naked girl fighting in the manga than one would dare dream.
Del Rey does its usual good job and I noticed that they are starting to use a little more of the sister honorifics (neesan) which is cool. The standard extras of the spell lexicon, the translator notes, and early character sketches by Akamatsu-sensei are all included as are definitions of the honorifics.
Bottom line: While not as intense as the previous volume, it is still very good and I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here. Se-chan is a great charater and Asuna continues to grow on me. Well worth the purchase.
A secret date!?.......2005-03-20
This is the fourth volume in the Japanese comic book series about a 10 year old wizard who is assigned to be a teacher at a Japanese girls middle school. Most of this volume is about an extended field trip (which isn't over yet). With 31 students in the class, it's hard to devote time to all of them. But this time around, we get to know the cheerleaders, the swordswoman and the reporter. This book has a good mix of comedy and drama. Sure, it's weird that a bunch of 14 year old students have a crush on their 10 year old teacher, but if you can get beyond that, you may enjoy this comic.
Average customer rating:
- Unio Mystica as Ultimate Purpose
- Hesse's "Dr Faustus"
- Hesse's
- Best book ever read
- Brilliant!
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Magister Ludi
Hermann Hesse
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Narcissus and Goldmund
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Siddhartha
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The Journey to the East
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Demian (Perennial Classics)
ASIN: 0553262378
Release Date: 1982-06-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Unio Mystica as Ultimate Purpose.......2006-01-22
_What is the Glass Bead Game? It is no less than the highest reason that an entire future civilization exists. It is the grand and ongoing synthesis of all knowledge into a unified, integrated whole (a Unio Mystica.) It is an attempt to forge a holographic intellectual world where all is interconnected and reflected in every part. This is a mission to weave the golden thread of significance and meaning through every part of a culture- science and the arts and the spiritual are all unified into a system of concentric, interpenetrating rings. All this is primarily accomplished by using the language of music and mathematics as common universal symbolism (the "glass beads" are part of a symbolic physical aid that was once used for this purpose.)
_It is no wonder that the book places the first origins of the game with Pythagoras, Gnostics, and Socratic ethics. No wonder that the League of Journeyers to the East also figure prominently in its development. To some extent the Game has been the goal of all sensitive and introspective individuals and groups down through the ages.
_All of this stands in stark contrast to our own Feuilletonistic Age where all knowledge, all culture, is unsynthesized, chaotic, and largely meaningless babble.
_The crisis that develops from this is that even if you accomplish this grand synthesis in some isolated ivory tower refuge of intellectual contemplatives- it isn't enough. It is necessary to reach out to the entire society once it is achieved in the same way that a bodhisattva attempts to enlighten the rest of mankind instead of individually passing onto Nirvana. The entire society must be made whole and sacred and not just an isolated elite. This is the realization that comes even to the Magister Ludi, the Master of the Game.
_For the game to be ultimately meaningful we have to coach everyone to eventually become Masters.
Hesse's "Dr Faustus".......2002-06-09
I just read this book and it was one of the best books I've ever read. The preface to my edition compared it to Thomas Mann's "Dr Faustus (my favorite Mann)- which i found to be very true. I love Hesse but this is the only one of his books that was on the level of Mann for me. "Goldmund and Narcissus" and especially "Stepanwolf" also are excellent. Magister Ludi has a lot in common with the character Goldmund. This book has the intellectual incisive prose that I like so much in Mann - the mind and motivation are clearly written out, not just suggested.
The book follows the life of a great scholar from grade school to death. What distinguishes him is he has a great heart/sense of morality along with his genius. You follow his evolution as a person throughout the story. The story is set somewhere around 2500 AD but theres no indication that technology has advanced since the 1940's - or that life socially is much different...the emphasis is on the political situation as it relates to Knecht's scholarly order. Since there the order is celebate like the 19C Oxford scholars there are no female characters of consequence - so you see a lot of male relationships in all different shades. Hesse lets you know as much about the game as he can and still do it justice...the game is supposed to be one of the supreme human achievements so he couldnt invent it fully fleshed out for the purposes of a novel. Magister Ludi is Joseph Knecht's title: he is Master of the Game. He's on the highest board which includes a Music Master and Master of Meditation. The climax of the book is a discussion Knecht has to have with the Master of Meditation/President of the Board of Educators to justify a momentous life changing decision he makes. I reread very few classics (I plan on rereading the major Mann and Doestoyevsky books) but this is one I would reread: it's beautiful. If you loved "Doctor Faustus" or "Goldmund and Narcissus" you most likely love this one.
Hesse's.......2002-06-09
I just read this book and it was one of the best books I've ever read. The preface to my edition compared it to Thomas Mann's "Dr Faustus"(my favorite Mann)- which i found to be very true. I love Hesse but this is the only one of his books that was on the level of Mann for me. "Goldmund and Narcissus" and especially "Stepanwolf" also are excellent. Magister Ludi has a lot in common with the character Goldmund. This book has the intellectual incisive prose that I like so much in Mann - the mind and motivation are clearly written out, not just suggested.
The book follows the life of a great scholar from grade school to death. What distinguishes him is he has a great heart/sense of morality along with his genius. You follow his evolution as a person throughout the story. The story is set somewhere around 2500 AD but there's no indication that technology has advanced since the 1940's - or that life socially is much different...the emphasis is on the political situation as it relates to Knecht's scholarly order. Since the order is celebate like the 19C Oxford scholars there are no female characters of consequence - so you see a lot of male relationships in all different shades. Hesse lets you know as much about the game as he can and still do it justice...the game is supposed to be one of the supreme human achievements so he couldn't invent it fully fleshed out for the purposes of a novel. Magister Ludi is Joseph Knecht's title: he is Master of the Game. He's on the highest board which includes a Music Master and Master of Meditation. The climax of the book is a discussion Knecht has to have with the Master of Meditation/President of the Board of Educators to justify a momentous life changing decision he makes. I reread very few classics (I plan on rereading the major Mann and Doestoyevsky books) but this is one I would reread: it's beautiful. If you loved "Doctor Faustus" or "Goldmund and Narcissus you most likely love this one.
Best book ever read.......2002-03-28
This is the best book I have ever read. It is fantastically engaging and has a surprise ending. Hesse never really explains the Game to a point that the reader must construct his own version of what the Game is like. The Game uses beads that represent high information density symbols, somewhat like advanced mathmatics, to show connections between fields of study or disiplines that have interconnections that are not immediately obvious. The Game imbodies the ultimate "life of the Mind" and to study the Game is a truly life long adventure. Ludi becomes the Magister, or top player, of the Game and greatly admired.
Brilliant!.......2000-03-15
This book, so it's been suggested, is in part Hesse's response to the misunderstanding of his previous book, Steppenwolf. It is a brilliant exploration of themes of institutions and loyalty to them, and of personal excellence and humility. It is also in many ways an indictment against anti-intellectual popular culture, and in this sense the book is absolutely visionary. The titular subject of the book, the Glass Bead Game, is, furthermore, a dazzling invention of an almost surreal character. Finally, the book is tied together by several compelling, intricate characters. Magister Ludi is at the very pinnacle of my favorite books list.
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Steppenwolf: A Novel
