I’m back from the premiere of the Negima/Hayate double-billed movies. I’d be happy to hear your impressions from those of you who also went, but in the meantime, a review/preview for those who will wait for the blu-ray release. Starting with Negima – Anime Final…
Warning: The following post does not reveal the ending of the movie, but does contain several smaller spoilers.
The first thing to get out of the way is the “production issues” fiasco. For those who still haven’t heard – twenty minutes of the movie were cut out (most likely because Shaft screwed something up, but I wouldn’t know). Akamatsu Ken, the author of the original manga, even felt the need to comment on this on his twitter account, stating that the script of the movie was changed in a way which makes it difficult to understand. Since your average Japanese author doesn’t usually make an effort to discourage viewers from watching their own creation a day before the premiere, most of us were really afraid it was just that horrible.
Well, it isn’t. There’s no gaping hole with something obviously missing in the movie. And I found the premise perfectly understandable from the dialogue at the beginning of the movie. They do get through the setup pretty quickly, but everything in this movie appears to be moving in fast-forward anyway…
The aforementioned premise: Negi has to choose one, and only one, partner to form a permanent pactio with. All his other provisional contracts will be removed along with the memories (concerning magic and Mundus Magicus) of the girls not originally involved with the magical world. With this setup, you could expect half an hour of Negi’s emotional struggle mixed with the girls vying for his affection… but thankfully nothing like that happens.
All the girls are actually highly accepting of the incoming resolution, Many of them are shown alone, making peace with their memories and trying to leave themselves something connected to their magical adventure – photos, manga pages, data backup on a usb stick…
We actually get more drama for the people who do not need to fear losing their memories. How will they be able to speak with their classmates once the worlds they know become so different? This repeated question gets different answers depending on the character mulling it over. Surprisingly (to me, at least) Natsumi x Kotaro fans get a treat in the form of a meaningful discussion between the two, analyzing the weight and meaning of memories and the trial the students have to face. Kotaro and philosophy?
Those few quiet moments are the only part of the movie where the pace is slower than a roller coaster. The remaining part of the first half of the movie is filled with all kinds of what could be considered (under a very broad definition) fanservice for fan-favorite characters. Kaede and Mana suddenly decide to fight each other, which is as visually impressive (and budget-devouring?) as it is pointless to the plot at large. Nodoka and Yue, weirded out at their classmates attempting to murder each other for no apparent reason (I’m with you on this one, girls), decide to investigate. But first they get long magical girl transformations… which again prove to be completely pointless plot-wise.
And if you’re wondering what the remaining characters are doing… well, they’re attempting to mass rape Negi. Not anything contract-related. It’s just that it’s their last night using all those funny pactio artifacts, so they want to take full advantage of the opportunity. This involves blasting Negi’s room to shreds (without confirming if he’s even inside). As in, they are running around using magic to destroy school property. Nobody attempts to stop them. Vandalism? Keeping magic a secret? Who cares?
In the middle of the movie, Negi looks up and notices that the world is about to end. Yes, you’ve read the previous sentence correctly. Armageddon comes, but luckily Negi manages to notice by looking up at the right time… It’s so ridiculous I don’t even want to spoil the details.
So, we’re informed that the only one who can stop the disaster is Negi, and the only way to do it is to improve Negi’s power level by getting that permanent pactio done with. This part also implies Negi is the only one (in Mahora, at least) who can become a Magister Magi… I thought that was just a title full-fledged mages got, not something legendary. Did I get confused on that one, or did they just make it up?
Regardless, what follows is a stream of fallacies so rapid it could easily carry Shaft’s studio away with it. Remember last time Negi broke the laws of the universe by kissing one of his students hard enough? Now it’s enough to hold hands, but there appear to be unfortunate side-effects to his students’ intelligence levels. Asuna forgets she has the ability to completely negate even the strongest magic (that’s a useless ability, anyway) and Yue dramatically yells that even a very powerful barrier isn’t infinitely powerful, so it will break if they all keep hitting it hard enough (is this the same Yue that came up with a devilish plan against Fate? Really?) Or maybe everyone is just too stunned to think straight after seeing Makie throw a ball at armageddon (an orbital bombardment wasn’t enough, but a ball might just do the trick… maybe). Some of the most powerful fighters in the magic universe watch this mess unfold without lifting a finger to help (they are not Magisters, after all, so they can’t do a thing. Unlike balls.) Not even the appearance of one of my favorite characters can do anything to salvage this climax scene.
It’s not that the movie is horrible. The army of seiyuu is a treat. The battle and transformation scenes are visually impressive. All the popular girls get at least one scene to themselves. But it’s not what Negima has gotten us used do. No ingenious twists, clever tactics and subverting the genre. Instead we get gratuitous beam throwing and convenient Hollywood logic. The pacing of the movie could probably greatly benefit from the lost twenty minutes, too. I think we can expect at least that part to get fixed for the blu-ray release.
Bottom line: Concluding an epic saga like Negima in a movie under two hours long is no easy task. But I get the impression that Negima – Anime Final gives up on living up to the Negima name without even giving much of a fight.
Thanks for the summary and impressions. I just hope They release this on Bluray asap so I can watch it…
Thanks for the summary! But what happened between Konoka and Setsuna that they kind of led on to about in the trailer?
Konoka and Setsuna have a swimming pool scene where they are worrying over the losing-memories thing like everyone else. Though in their case, they’re both contracted to each other, so neither will actually forget anything.
Setsuna: Everyone will forget about magic tomorrow, how shall I face them knowing this?
Konoka: Don’t worry too much, Secchan. It will work out somehow as long as we have each other, right?
Setsuna: Ojou-sama… But still, I…
Konoka: Secchan! Stop worrying so much or I’ll tickle you to death! >:[
*punishment scene ensues*
^Something along these lines. They are also shown sleeping together during a sleepover at Ayaka’s. That should be all.
Haha AWW. Well, of course it wouldnt be what I THOUGHT I would be (the way the showed the pool scene in the trailer seemed like it was going to be one big romantic kiss scene. Poo :/). Whatever, the audience knows they have a ‘secret’ relationship or one that heavily insinuates to one. Gotta love Konoka and Setsuna. Crazy girls haha.
Thank you so much for telling me! Still sounds like a fun movie!! Your blog is awesome btw! And you live in Japan? I go next semester to Benpu, Japan I believe to finish my minor and hopefully do my business minor while I am there. Also to see if I want to take up a job offer to coach soccer and teach oral English at a middle school. I am excited!
Keep up your awesome work!
Thanks for your kind words. Glad I could be of use.
I can’t see Konoka x Setsuna getting more official than it already is. But who knows what those two are up to when nobody is looking…
Good luck on your trip to Japan. I have half a year left here in Kyoto and I’m enjoying every day of it. Hopefully you’ll have a lot of fun too
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Hello!
I am glad you went to watch it and gave your opinions…..
well, actually I am a member of the production staff (BG artist infact)
and yes, keep it to yourself, but the reason for the 1/3 being cut WAS due to your idea of the infamous S company….we actually got told there would be a cut once ALL of our BGs were sent (which we managed to do without holidays from the end of july up to the 20th of last month!) Supposedly there will be a negima festival either this month or next month where they will show the full movie (pointless and waste of money – i thought) but coming from someone who has worked on all the negima DVD series, we were a bit (understatement) disappointed by the schedule we were given. a certain director also didnt even put his all into the movie! prob too busy with another series currently doing extremely well on dvd after the tv series finished earlier this year….oh yeah, we shall be doing the movie of that too……should be magikal! hehe. anyway, i have yet to see the final result myself….but am kinda putting it off after the bad rep its getting. hope you liked the BGS….im just wondering if my dusk forest battle scenes made it in there…..hmmmmm….oh well thanks again! LOL
While with a mail address like “go-bitch-go” it’s hard not to suspect a troll, I will just say that the forest battle scenes are present and visually impressive.
haha sorry, well i made my email adress about 10 years ago and have stuck with it….lol although its the first time ive been suspected of being a troll…..hehe. im glad they kept the forest scene in….might go watch it tonight at the Wald9 in Shinjuku…if I can finish C3 Bgs before 7pm! EEKS!
That’s a pretty interesting review, but, I have some doubts, anyway.
By the previous trailer, the current parners (i.e. after MW arc) select Asuna (obviously) to be Negi’s offcial partner. Is this true? Well, it’s almost a universal true that Asuna get the “trophy” in any continuity. But, what about Negi? Is he thinking about the others and all, worrying himself to dead? Or just trying to avoid the “I WANT A PACTIO SO BADDLY” girls?
And, I already know about the guest appearences. Actually, I think a certain chinese girl came with the solution, but it’s only my impression about a japanese review I red.
That’s one of the things the movie deals with very well, in fact. The assumption that Asuna and Negi will make a permanent pactio hangs in the air all the time, shared by all the characters… except Asuna and Negi. There are NO “I want a pactio so badly” girls, because while a lot of them do want that pactio, everybody thinks they would just be hurting Negi and Asuna if they got in the way. This doesn’t mean all of them just easily give up on their feelings for Negi, though.
As for the two in question… Asuna calmly awaits Negi’s decision, but thinks he should choose one of the girls who want to be together with him most, like Honya. She’s not fired up about getting the pactio herself because she believes she has already been ‘chosen’ enough times already, and it wouldn’t be fair for her to be privileged once more at the cost of others.
As for Negi… well, as I alluded to in the review, he prefers looking for a way to break the rules of the universe rather than trying to choose just one girl.
That’s my way of answering without spoiling the other readers. If you actually do want a spoiler, drop me a line.
Actually, you already answered some of my doubts, but, I’d like to know a few more things:
- Is the “magic armaggedon” a final act from Life maker?
- Did Lingshen really returns with a solution for the problem or just for help?
- Status quo (“no need to choose a permanent partner now”) returns to normal at the end?
Just this. Thanks for you attention.
Heeeey can u tell me if Negi picks Asuna ,
are they a couple now ?
i wont get a chance to watch the movie because i live some where else
can u pls tell me
thank you (=
wow thanks, now i can really see whats going to happen. i love negima so much thouhg. thanks for the summary.
Also tell me if negi pick Nokoda or Asuna because they are the most likely ones that will practically love negi.
Wait… so Nagi isn’t going to appear? Why does the world hate Negima anime so much?
[...] a review, like the K-On! Movie Review or the bit of bashing I was forced to dish out for the Negima Movie. Sometimes, it’s digging through the abyss of the Japanese Internet to find and translate [...]
After watching it myself, I definitely agree with the gist of your review. I do like the way they dealt with the girls’ reactions to the news about losing their memories. After all they’ve been through and everything they’ve done together, it makes sense that they’d deal with it maturely (for the most part). There were other parts I liked as well, mostly involving character interaction between those who are trying to deal with the news. Nodoka and Yue in the library, the scenes at Ayaka’s house and the pool, Kotaro’s and Natsumi’s discussion, etc.
The fight scenes, although seemingly pointless to the plot, seem to be a part of a large group of scenes showing how others are dealing with the news that many of them won’t remember a thing within the next day. Kaeda, Mana, and Ku Fei want to fight, Yue and Nodoka find solace at the library, Haruna starts drawing on her own, Kazumi, the twins, and Makie spearhead a (violent yet unsuccessful) attempt to bother Negi, Ayaka tries to hide her worries but Konoka sees straight through her act, etc.
Once the last act started though, it just took a complete nosedive. The reason behind the Armageddon was hardly explained at all, and the entire situation and its resolution was just one long string of logical fallacies and nonsensical reasoning.
Besides the horrendous last act, my only big gripes are about some students like Mana and Chachamaru apparently being included in the group who would forget everything even though they both already knew about magic before Negi even came to Mahora, and the fact that they completely glossed over the big fight against Cosmo Entelecheia. I was really looking forward to seeing that and would’ve been entirely happy with a movie adaptation of that last battle and little else.
Yep, my thoughts exactly. The movie dies with a whimper at the end, and a fight against a barrier that doesn’t strike back doesn’t do much in terms of sparking excitement.