Negima! Box Set Review
Licensed By: Revelation Films
Genre: Comedy Adventure
Episodes: 1-26
Negima! is an comedy anime which follows a 10 year old wizard called Negima who must teach a classroom of teenage school girls in order to pass the test to become a fully fledged Master Mage.
It’s hard to tell exactly who this show is aimed at. Despite carrying a 15 certificate, this is a show that would appeal more to a younger male demographic. The idea of being chased and cooed over by a bunch of older girls is every youths fantasy, and Negima does nothing else but play out this fantasy through most of the 26 episodes.
The first hint of Negima!’s general tone comes early in the series, when a sneeze from the young wizard causes schoolgirl Asuna’s skirt to lift, exposing her underwear. This seemingly innocent joke manages to raise a smile at first, but by the third or fourth time it began to grow a little bit tired.
Other highlights include a contest between the school girls as to who has the largest breasts, with the most well endowed getting to be roommates with Negima. Also, in an episode set in a haunted house, the first girl to find Negima gets to kiss him. Most of the episodes deal with similar situations, whereby one or more of the girls in Negima’s class try to pursue him with almost all of the female characters falling in love with the young wizard.
In the first few episodes, there are hints at a deeper story running through the series, such as Negima’s long lost father, and the mysterious origins of the main schoolgirl Asuna. Unfortunately these themes are pushed to the side until the very last few episodes in order to make way for the constant and relentless fan service. It’s a real shame, because if those final few episodes were fleshed out, Negima would have been a much stronger anime.
One episode however that really stands out as a diamond in the rough follows a girl who happens to be a ghost. She has been dead for many years but still goes to school every day, even though everyone else is unaware of her presence. One girl takes it upon herself to investigate the ghost when her name is discovered in the register, and what follows is a touching little story, nicely squeezed into one 25 minute episode.
The English dub for Negima! is a mixed bag. The cast of school girls are very likable, each sporting unique character designs and personalities. Asuna does well as the main female character, and her lashing out on Negima usually produces a chuckle. However, In the English dub, Negima may have to go down in history as the most irritating main character in the history of anime. Think grown American man squealing out a terrible English accent as a 10 year old boy, and you’ll have an idea. It’s hard to put a finger on exactly why he’s so irritating, as his voice annoys on so many different levels.
By far the star of the show is the ermine (or short-tailed weasel) Albert Chamomile. Appearing half way through the series, this perverted little wise-guy rodent provides many a laugh out loud moment. It’s a shame that the character mostly takes a back seat the majority of the time, appearing less and less as the story goes on.
The animation quality never really goes above average, and to be fair it doesn’t have to, as there are hardly any proper action scenes, but the few that are there are pretty simple and unlikely to excite. The soundtrack, while not anything amazing is pleasant enough featuring some ditties resembling something you might find in a Mario Brothers game.
The box set provides a healthy amount of extras, from art work and character sketches, to commentaries and even blooper outtakes, and will provide a nice distraction for those interested enough to take a look through them.
Overall, the lack of storyline, questionable sexualisation of young girls and extremely annoying central character makes Negima! hard to recommend. If you like your anime heavy on the fan service then you’ll find enjoyment with this; otherwise you might want to look elsewhere if you require something with a little more substance.
ROBERT SOMERVILLE
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