Negima!: Magister Negi Magi
Encyclopedia
Negima! Magister Negi Magi, known in Japan as is a manga
and anime
series by Ken Akamatsu
(known for his best selling title Love Hina
). The manga is currently being published by Kodansha
and serialized
in Shōnen Magazine in Japan. Del Rey Manga
published the English translated version in the United States and Canada prior to Kodansha establishing a U.S. division
. The series is licensed for English-language distribution in the United Kingdom by Tanoshimi
.
The anime, produced by Xebec, aired in the first half of 2005 and is being released in the US by Funimation Entertainment
. Additionally, two OVAs
have been released, produced by Shaft
and GANSIS, who had produced an alternate retelling of the series, Negima!?
. The third set of OVAs, called Mahō Sensei Negima!: Shiroki Tsubasa Ala Alba was bundled with Mahō Sensei Negima! volume 23, 24 and 25 and spanned from chapter 176 to 183 of the original manga. The fourth set of OVAs, covering the Journey to Magic World arc, was bundled with the original manga starting with volume 27 on September 17, 2009. An animated theatrical movie feature called "Mahō Sensei Negima! Anime Final" was released in Japanese theaters on August 27, 2011 as a double-bill with Hayate the Combat Butler! Heaven Is a Place on Earth
. The movie concludes Journey to Magic World arc.
.
Negi's reason for becoming a Magister Magi is to find his father, Nagi Springfield, the legendary mage also known as the "Thousand Master", who is believed to be dead.
After graduating from the Merdiana Magic Academy in Wales, Negi is given a duty as a cover in the real world, and training, before he actually becomes a Magister Magi. That duty is to become an English teacher at Mahora Academy in Japan. The task will not be easy, however, as Negi will become a teacher to a Middle School
class of 31 older girls, each very special in her own way. The series details his time and adventures in Japan as he gains acceptance and respect from his students, helps them in their problems, and faces magical threats from inside and outside Mahora Academy. Although each of the girls has her own back story and personality, Negi's main relationship is with Asuna Kagurazaka, his student and roommate, who dislikes him initially but later accepts him as a friend and becomes his partner, helping find clues about his father and his life.
The series, while initially appearing to be another romantic comedy work featuring numerous bishōjo
characters like Love Hina
, has progressed into a mix of shōnen
action, fantasy, horror, romance and comedy. Akamatsu stated that he specifically wanted to do something "different" than Love Hina. Negi himself is prepubescent, and many of his scenes with Asuna are specific subversions of the "awkward romantic scene" tendency of harem manga, quickly diffused and only played for laughs. In addition, many of the girls are able to fawn over him in a childish sense without any romantic expectations from the reader.
In keeping with this style, Negi himself is seen as a contrast to Love Hinas Keitaro and other typical male leads of manga. He is hardworking, capable, and treated kindly, but due to his appearance and age (well below most of his students), he feels completely non-threatening and finds it difficult to be taken seriously as a teacher; many of his students treat him as a cute little kid, if not a playmate (or plaything).
When a pactio is established, a card (Charta Ministralis) is created as proof of the contract, depicting the Minister with his Artifact, surrounded by several magic signs and a "title" related to his/her personality. The Magister keeps the original card with him/herself, though copies can be made for the Minister. The card allows the Magister to communicate telepathically with his/her Minister (By touching the card to one's forehead and chanting Telephatia) and summon him/her across great distances, within a limit of 10 km. Additionally, the card may be used by the Minister to summon his Artifact, with the word "Adeat" (Latin for "Let it come forth"), and to store different costumes "within" it, for later use.
While there are many ways to form a pactio, the most common is having both participants enter a magic circle and share a mouth-to-mouth kiss. Any mishaps result in a "Mistake Pactio", which only grants a badly drawn card. If one of the participant's does not want to commit to a life-long partnership, or is too young to make a "Permanent Pactio", a "Probationary Pactio" is created. Probationary pactio work like a permanent ones, except that there's a time limit to the activation of the contract and the contract can be broken at will. Permanent Pactio, on the other hand are life-long, always active, and the number of contracts is limited by the Magisters power.
As of now, the main character Negi Springfield has formed eighteen pactios. In order, they are Asuna Kagurazaka, Nodoka Miyazaki, Setsuna Sakurazaki, Konoka Konoe, Yue Ayase, Haruna Saotome, Chisame Hasegawa, Kazumi Asakura, Kaede Nagase, Theodora, Ku Fei, Chachamaru Karakuri, Shiori (real name Luna), Ako Izumi, Yūna Akashi, Makie Sasaki, Ayaka Yukihiro, and Chizuru Naba.
In addition to the class, more characters are introduced and become Negi's problem beyond the classroom. These characters come from magic schools, demons, and other sorts of chaos.
The first OVA is a re-enactment of the first chapter, where Negi first learns of his job as a teacher and is introduced to the students of Mahora Academy 2-A. It ends with profiles of the Baka Rangers (Asuna, Makie, Yue, Ku Fei and Kaede) as well as Ayaka. Asuna is the only girl in the class that does not have romantic feelings for Negi.
The second OVA is a re-enactment of the "love potion" incident of chapter 2, with profiles at the end of Nodoka, Konoka, the cheerleaders (Misa, Madoka, Sakurako) as well as Kazumi.
The third OVA is a re-enactment of chapter 13: Negi's Mahora tour with the Narutaki twins. The tour shows Negi to several of the students (Yuna, Akira, Chao, Satsuki, Satomi, Chizuru, Natsumi, Zazie) as well as others that he ends up missing (Sayo, Evangeline, Chachamaru, Chisame, Misora, Ako). After being chewed out by Haruna for completely skipping her, a final scene introduces Setsuna and Mana, keeping watch from something on campus.
began airing in Japan on January 6, 2005 and ended June 29, 2005. The anime follows the story of the manga to a certain degree but also creates its own reasons for certain events happening - most of which take place towards the end of the series - which differ from the original story, as the situations addressed had yet to occur in the source material. These differences between the manga and anime are extraordinary, and most events in the manga never occur in the anime, again due in part to the manga being incomplete during the series' production. At one time it aired as part of the Funimation programming block on CoLours TV
.
and produced by Shaft
have been released, a Spring OVA and a Summer OVA. Both OVA's were released on DVD in English dub on October 14, 2008.
The Spring OVA called Negima!? Haru was shown to a private audience in Japan in April 2006 and was released for the public in DVD on October 25, 2006. It is based on the trip to the Southern Islands in volume 7 of the manga. The story is about how Negi makes up to Asuna after saying to Asuna that she should not mind his business.
The Summer (Natsu) OVA was also shown to a private audience in September 2006, and the DVD was released on November 22, 2006. The beginning is about Nodoka and Yue practicing casting a spell. While training, Yue convinces Nodoka that they cast a spell of the red string of fate
on Nodoka. A spell which shows them who her future partner will be. One end connects to Nodoka and the other end connects to Negi. Unfortunately, this spell is not a fate connection, but just a tie-up. The rest of the OVA are about how Nodoka and Negi spend the rest of the day trying to take their bath while their hands are tied together. The bath house depicted in this OVA is a parody of the one depicted in Spirited Away
although the "creatures" are working on treadmills.
Both OVAs see various changes in hair and eye color of some of the students, most notably Asuna now having both of her eyes being the same color, changes that are also used for Negima!?
, the director of Pani Poni Dash!
and Tsukuyomi -Moon Phase-
. It started airing in Japan on October 4, 2006. Negima!? is an alternate story with different character designs and an all new storyline, albeit with the same characters. The show also focuses more towards breaking the fourth wall, action, and comedy, and less on the original series' fanservice.
Just like previous Negima adaptations by Shaft, Akiyuki Shinbo served as the director, together with the same staff as his previous works.
From the Negi no Ochakai event that was held on May 2008, Ken Akamatsu mentioned that if pre-orders for the first of the OADs exceed 50,000 the staff would consider a film adaptation, and if it exceeded 100,000 views, the staff would consider a third animated series. The counter on the official website reached 82,581 before the first OAD was released. The total sales of three volumes was 245,000 copies.
Weekly Shounen Magazine announced a "full-length" anime that would be premiered in 2011 and used the term "Negima Saga Final".
On May 17, 2011 the official site opened with the new title "Mahō Sensei Negima: Anime Final" and was released in Japanese theaters on August 27, 2011 as a double-bill with Hayate the Combat Butler! Heaven Is a Place on Earth
. The movie will conclude Journey to Magic World arc.
A CD will be released on August 24, 2011 featuring the theme songs of the movie along with the off vocal versions.
background elements, for things such as crowds, buildings, and some objects. Many buildings are drawn from real-life structures all over the world, such as the Brooklyn Bridge
and the Belfast City Hall
. These are rendered in 3D, then characters are drawn in and around them for the panels. Many of these models are detailed in the appendix in the back of the books.
In the US and Canada, the manga was licensed and published in English by Del Rey Manga
for the first 28 volumes. New volumes will be published by Kodansha Comics USA and distributed through Random House Publisher Services
. Publishers in other countries and languages include Tong Li Comics
in Hong Kong and Taiwan
, Chuang Yi
in Singapore
, Play Press Publishing (formerly) and Star Comics
(current) in Italy, Pika Édition
in France, Egmont Manga & Anime
in Germany, Schibsted Forlag
in Norway, Glénat
in Spain, Editora JBC
in Brazil
, Tanoshimi
in the UK, Algoritam in Croatia
,
In Indonesia
, The manga has been licensed and released up to volume 26 by Level Comics a division of Elex Media Komputindo
, under the title "Magister Negi Magi".
In Malaysia, the Malay version of the Negima books, named 'Magic Teacher! Ahli Magik Negi Magi', are retranslations of the Chinese edition. Evidence shows the names of the characters in Chinese style, such as Asuna as Shenlao Asuna and Konoka as Munai Xiang. Instead of printing "Ken Akamatsu" as the author, the name "Chesong Jian" is used – actually a Mandarin translation of Akamatsu's name in kanji. The characters' names were corrected in volume 15.
After dealing with Evangeline, Negi takes the class on a trip to Kyoto
while searching for more information on his father' whereabouts but is forced to fight against Eastern mages aiming to kidnap Konoka with the help of other students who also become his partners including Nodoka Miyazaki, Konoka's childhood friend Setsuna Sakurazaki, and lastly with Konoka herself. The arc also introduces Fate Averruncus, another mage who looks to be around Negi's age but proves himself to be far stronger than him. Seeing his own weakness after the events in Kyoto, Negi begins to train with several students in order to become stronger while Kotaro Inugami, one of the foes he confronted there unexpectedly reappears and finds himself a family with Negi's students Natsumi and Chizuru. Kotaro also joins Negi against Wilheim, an old evil from the past who just like Fate Averruncus, seems to be a pawn of an even stronger enemy.
During Mahora's cultural festival, Negi manages to partake in many simultaneous events thanks to his student Chao Lingshen's latest invention, the time machine Casseopeia. One of the events he participate is the "Mahora Martial Arts Tournament" where he confronts a series of stronger enemies including a former member of "Ala Rubra" (Crimson Wing), a legendary brigade led by his father. After the tournament, Negi takes part in more activities at the festival until Chao makes her move as she reveals herself as a time-traveler who chaims she must change the present to avert a great catastrophe in the future. Despite that, Negi and his allies confront her and manage to stop her ambitions. After giving up on changing the present by herself, Chao bids farewell to her classmates before returning to her own time.
With the festival finally over, Negi decides to set for the Mundus Magicus (Magic World) to look for his father. His partners decide to accompany him and together, they form their own brigade, the Ala Alba (White Wing). They are joined by Negi's childhood friend Anya and accidentally by other students who are oblivious to his secret. As they arrive, the team is ambushed by a group of mysterious enemies led by Fate Averruncus, leaving Negi and his group defeated and scattered across Mundus Magicus. After meeting Jack Rakan, another member of Ala Rubra, Negi decides train to get stronger and specializes in Dark Magic, just like Evangeline. Meanwhile, Negi's lost companions start to learn the ropes of their new environment and eventually reunited with him.
During another clash with Fate and his companions, Asuna is captured by the enemy and held captive along with Anya, with a body double is posing as the real one. Later he has an encounter with Kurt Gödel, a former member of Ala Rubra who reveals to him the story of his parents including how his mother was unjustly tried and sentenced to death before being saved by Nagi at the brink of her execution. He also learns that the Magic World is actually a magically created, inhabitable version of Mars
, and just like the world itself, the majority of its inhabitants are created by magic. During another clash with Fate, Negi also learns that the main objective of his group "Cosmo Entelecheia" is to make use of Asuna's secret powers to erase the magically created inhabitants of Mundus Magicus and transfer the rest of its population to Earth before it eventually collapses.
By joining forces with the various armies of the Magic World, the members of Ala Alba storm Cosmo Entelecheia's stronghold where Asuna and Anya are being held captive to stop their plans. During the confront between both forces, a magic gate is opened to Earth just above Mahora having Negi's remaining students who stayed behind along the Academy's faculty members also joining the fight. Having succeeded to rescue Asuna and convince Fate to accept a plan he devised to save the people of the Magic World without the need of any sacrifices, Negi discovers that the true leader of Cosmo Entelecheia is no other than his father Nagi who vanishes before asking his son to look for him and destroy him once and for all.
After being celebrated as heroes for stopping Cosmo Entelecheia, Negi and his friends return to the Academy, but instead of resuming his duties as a teacher, Negi leaves Fate as his substitute and with the help of some of his students he starts working on his ambitious plan to terraform Mars for the people of the decaying Magic World to relocate there.
Del Rey's releases contained fully translated versions of the omake
(s) found in the Japanese versions (which include character sketches, fan art, and information about spells and related concepts), as well as various notes about Japanese culture and other things of interest not found in the original omake(s).
In 2010, all Kodansha manga licenced in the U.S. was transferred from Del Rey, to the new "Kodansha Comics" imprint, under Random House publishing. It was announced that they would decide which series to continue translating on a title-by-title basis. On December 10, 2010, it was announced that Negima would continue English releases starting in May 2011.
) and the second TV anime (Negima!?, having the equivalent of an interrobang
) by having two exclamation marks joined at the dot (or, Negima!!). The cast of all of the 31 girls was released on July 2007, while it is announced later that actress Yukina Kashiwa would play Negi, Hiroshi
would portray Takamichi T. Takahata, former AV star Nao Oikawa as Shizuna Minamoto, and Gajirō Satō as the school dean. It started in TV Tokyo's late-night timeslot on October 3, 2007 and ran for 25 episodes. The 26th announced episode was a DVD exclusive.
Like Negima!?, the live-action series has an entirely different storyline from the manga and the first anime series.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series by Ken Akamatsu
Ken Akamatsu
is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo.Sailor Moon was his introduction to anime and manga fandom.In his teens, Akamatsu applied himself to Film Study . Eventually, he became famous as an illustrator featured in Comiket . He used the pen name...
(known for his best selling title Love Hina
Love Hina
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine by Kodansha from October 21, 1998 to October 31, 2001 and was published in 14 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. The series tells the story of Keitaro Urashima and his attempts to...
). The manga is currently being published by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
and serialized
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
in Shōnen Magazine in Japan. Del Rey Manga
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
published the English translated version in the United States and Canada prior to Kodansha establishing a U.S. division
Division (business)
A division of a business entity is a portion of that business that operates under a different name. It is the equivalent of a corporation or limited liability company obtaining a fictitious name or "doing business as" certificate and operating a business under that fictitious name...
. The series is licensed for English-language distribution in the United Kingdom by Tanoshimi
Tanoshimi
Tanoshimi is a part of Random House a US based publisher. Tanoshimi is an arm of the United Kingdom branch of the company and is used for the publication of new English Language Manga titles...
.
The anime, produced by Xebec, aired in the first half of 2005 and is being released in the US by Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
. Additionally, two OVAs
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
have been released, produced by Shaft
Shaft (company)
is a Japanese animation studio founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao. They are best known for their unique use of gags and references notably in Pani Poni Dash!, Maria Holic, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei, Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Bakemonogatari series.- History :Shaft was...
and GANSIS, who had produced an alternate retelling of the series, Negima!?
Negima!?
is an alternate retelling of the manga series Negima! Magister Negi Magi. The anime, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, aired October 4, 2006 to March 28, 2007 in Japan. It is accompanied by a new monthly manga series by Takuya Fujima called Negima!? neo. Both series feature the same characters and...
. The third set of OVAs, called Mahō Sensei Negima!: Shiroki Tsubasa Ala Alba was bundled with Mahō Sensei Negima! volume 23, 24 and 25 and spanned from chapter 176 to 183 of the original manga. The fourth set of OVAs, covering the Journey to Magic World arc, was bundled with the original manga starting with volume 27 on September 17, 2009. An animated theatrical movie feature called "Mahō Sensei Negima! Anime Final" was released in Japanese theaters on August 27, 2011 as a double-bill with Hayate the Combat Butler! Heaven Is a Place on Earth
Hayate the Combat Butler! Heaven Is a Place on Earth
is a film adaption of the manga and anime series Hayate the Combat Butler. The film was released in theaters on August 27, 2011 as a double-bill with Mahou Sensei Negima! Anime Final.-Cast:Hayate AyasakiNagi SanzeninMariaHinagiku Katsura...
. The movie concludes Journey to Magic World arc.
Overview
Negi Springfield is a ten-year-old wizard from Wales, who dreams of becoming a Magister Magi (Approximate Latin translation: "Master of Magic" or "Master Mage"), a special wizard who uses his powers to help normal people, using covers such as working for NGOsNon-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
.
Negi's reason for becoming a Magister Magi is to find his father, Nagi Springfield, the legendary mage also known as the "Thousand Master", who is believed to be dead.
After graduating from the Merdiana Magic Academy in Wales, Negi is given a duty as a cover in the real world, and training, before he actually becomes a Magister Magi. That duty is to become an English teacher at Mahora Academy in Japan. The task will not be easy, however, as Negi will become a teacher to a Middle School
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
class of 31 older girls, each very special in her own way. The series details his time and adventures in Japan as he gains acceptance and respect from his students, helps them in their problems, and faces magical threats from inside and outside Mahora Academy. Although each of the girls has her own back story and personality, Negi's main relationship is with Asuna Kagurazaka, his student and roommate, who dislikes him initially but later accepts him as a friend and becomes his partner, helping find clues about his father and his life.
The series, while initially appearing to be another romantic comedy work featuring numerous bishōjo
Bishojo
is a Japanese term used to refer to young and pretty girls, usually below university age. Bishōjo is not listed as a word in the prominent Japanese dictionary Kōjien...
characters like Love Hina
Love Hina
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine by Kodansha from October 21, 1998 to October 31, 2001 and was published in 14 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. The series tells the story of Keitaro Urashima and his attempts to...
, has progressed into a mix of shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
action, fantasy, horror, romance and comedy. Akamatsu stated that he specifically wanted to do something "different" than Love Hina. Negi himself is prepubescent, and many of his scenes with Asuna are specific subversions of the "awkward romantic scene" tendency of harem manga, quickly diffused and only played for laughs. In addition, many of the girls are able to fawn over him in a childish sense without any romantic expectations from the reader.
In keeping with this style, Negi himself is seen as a contrast to Love Hinas Keitaro and other typical male leads of manga. He is hardworking, capable, and treated kindly, but due to his appearance and age (well below most of his students), he feels completely non-threatening and finds it difficult to be taken seriously as a teacher; many of his students treat him as a cute little kid, if not a playmate (or plaything).
Pactio
The pactio (Latin for "Contract") system in the series enables the magician casting the spell, the Magister Magi, to transfer some of his/her magic power to the other person involved in the pactio, the Minister Magi, improving the Ministra's natural capabilities, and providing a magical barrier against physical attacks. The Minister also receives a special magical item called "Artifact", which reflects the Ministers abilities and personality. The Minister, in turn, has to protect the Magister from any dangers and assist him/her in any way possible. Since most Western Mages are vulnerable while chanting spells, a Minister primary duty is to protect the mage in combat situations. Although it is not necessary that the Magister and Minister are of different sexes, its by far the most common setup, and usually pactio partners end up marrying each other.When a pactio is established, a card (Charta Ministralis) is created as proof of the contract, depicting the Minister with his Artifact, surrounded by several magic signs and a "title" related to his/her personality. The Magister keeps the original card with him/herself, though copies can be made for the Minister. The card allows the Magister to communicate telepathically with his/her Minister (By touching the card to one's forehead and chanting Telephatia) and summon him/her across great distances, within a limit of 10 km. Additionally, the card may be used by the Minister to summon his Artifact, with the word "Adeat" (Latin for "Let it come forth"), and to store different costumes "within" it, for later use.
While there are many ways to form a pactio, the most common is having both participants enter a magic circle and share a mouth-to-mouth kiss. Any mishaps result in a "Mistake Pactio", which only grants a badly drawn card. If one of the participant's does not want to commit to a life-long partnership, or is too young to make a "Permanent Pactio", a "Probationary Pactio" is created. Probationary pactio work like a permanent ones, except that there's a time limit to the activation of the contract and the contract can be broken at will. Permanent Pactio, on the other hand are life-long, always active, and the number of contracts is limited by the Magisters power.
As of now, the main character Negi Springfield has formed eighteen pactios. In order, they are Asuna Kagurazaka, Nodoka Miyazaki, Setsuna Sakurazaki, Konoka Konoe, Yue Ayase, Haruna Saotome, Chisame Hasegawa, Kazumi Asakura, Kaede Nagase, Theodora, Ku Fei, Chachamaru Karakuri, Shiori (real name Luna), Ako Izumi, Yūna Akashi, Makie Sasaki, Ayaka Yukihiro, and Chizuru Naba.
Characters
Negima includes a wide array of characters, including the 31 students from Class 2-A (later 3-A). Like many classes, Negi's students consist of a wide array of smart students, academically challenged, athletes, and cheerleaders. Furthermore, the class also includes several martial artists, a ninja, a vampire, a robot, a ghost, at least one half-demon, a web idol, and even a time traveling Martian. Nearly all the students are associated with various school clubs or sports teams. Many of these girls are eventually drawn into Negi's world of magic or have long been involved with the magic world. Through interaction, Negi learns about his students in depth. Some students also sometimes get the opportunity to make a probationary "contract" with Negi which will make them a partner and give them additional powers.In addition to the class, more characters are introduced and become Negi's problem beyond the classroom. These characters come from magic schools, demons, and other sorts of chaos.
Introduction OVAs
Before the beginning of the series, three OVAs were produced for the sole purpose of introducing the characters. The first two were released on DVD bundled with two drama CDs, with the third being sold separately. It is unknown if these will ever be released outside of Japan. (Spring OVA and Summer OVA have been released on Microsoft Zune Marketplace.)The first OVA is a re-enactment of the first chapter, where Negi first learns of his job as a teacher and is introduced to the students of Mahora Academy 2-A. It ends with profiles of the Baka Rangers (Asuna, Makie, Yue, Ku Fei and Kaede) as well as Ayaka. Asuna is the only girl in the class that does not have romantic feelings for Negi.
The second OVA is a re-enactment of the "love potion" incident of chapter 2, with profiles at the end of Nodoka, Konoka, the cheerleaders (Misa, Madoka, Sakurako) as well as Kazumi.
The third OVA is a re-enactment of chapter 13: Negi's Mahora tour with the Narutaki twins. The tour shows Negi to several of the students (Yuna, Akira, Chao, Satsuki, Satomi, Chizuru, Natsumi, Zazie) as well as others that he ends up missing (Sayo, Evangeline, Chachamaru, Chisame, Misora, Ako). After being chewed out by Haruna for completely skipping her, a final scene introduces Setsuna and Mana, keeping watch from something on campus.
First television series
The animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
began airing in Japan on January 6, 2005 and ended June 29, 2005. The anime follows the story of the manga to a certain degree but also creates its own reasons for certain events happening - most of which take place towards the end of the series - which differ from the original story, as the situations addressed had yet to occur in the source material. These differences between the manga and anime are extraordinary, and most events in the manga never occur in the anime, again due in part to the manga being incomplete during the series' production. At one time it aired as part of the Funimation programming block on CoLours TV
CoLours TV
Colours TV was a multicultural American TV network produced by the non-profit organization Black Star Communications. Programs focused on the cultural and educational issues of the Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Native American communities. Some examples of programming included video...
.
Storyline changes
In order to bring a true ending to the series, starting approximately halfway through episode 22 and continuing until the end of the series, original work was created for the series.First television series episodes
Anime revisions
Due to protests against the animation in Mahōu Sensei Negima!, the DVD release has been revised from the TV version. Various episodes have redrawn characters, expressions, scenes, and even a few episodes have been redrawn completely. The redraws are minor, and fix errors like in episode 16 Makie has six fingers in a scene. Funimation used this version for their English release of the series.Spring and Summer OVAs
Two OVAs directed by Akiyuki ShinboAkiyuki Shinbo
, born September 27, 1961 in Fukushima, Japan, is a Japanese animation director. Shinbo started his career as an animator in 1981 at Studio One Pattern. He then made his directorial debut with Metal Fighter Miku in 1994. He is most notable for his involvement in a number of Shaft works since 2004...
and produced by Shaft
Shaft (company)
is a Japanese animation studio founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao. They are best known for their unique use of gags and references notably in Pani Poni Dash!, Maria Holic, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei, Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Bakemonogatari series.- History :Shaft was...
have been released, a Spring OVA and a Summer OVA. Both OVA's were released on DVD in English dub on October 14, 2008.
The Spring OVA called Negima!? Haru was shown to a private audience in Japan in April 2006 and was released for the public in DVD on October 25, 2006. It is based on the trip to the Southern Islands in volume 7 of the manga. The story is about how Negi makes up to Asuna after saying to Asuna that she should not mind his business.
The Summer (Natsu) OVA was also shown to a private audience in September 2006, and the DVD was released on November 22, 2006. The beginning is about Nodoka and Yue practicing casting a spell. While training, Yue convinces Nodoka that they cast a spell of the red string of fate
Red string of fate
The red string of fate, also referred to as the red thread of destiny, red thread of fate, and other variants, is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend and is also used in Japanese legend. According to this myth, the gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of men and women...
on Nodoka. A spell which shows them who her future partner will be. One end connects to Nodoka and the other end connects to Negi. Unfortunately, this spell is not a fate connection, but just a tie-up. The rest of the OVA are about how Nodoka and Negi spend the rest of the day trying to take their bath while their hands are tied together. The bath house depicted in this OVA is a parody of the one depicted in Spirited Away
Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a sullen ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood and after her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba,...
although the "creatures" are working on treadmills.
Both OVAs see various changes in hair and eye color of some of the students, most notably Asuna now having both of her eyes being the same color, changes that are also used for Negima!?
Negima!?
is an alternate retelling of the manga series Negima! Magister Negi Magi. The anime, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, aired October 4, 2006 to March 28, 2007 in Japan. It is accompanied by a new monthly manga series by Takuya Fujima called Negima!? neo. Both series feature the same characters and...
Second television series
A second series was announced on May 9, 2006 by Shaft and directed by Akiyuki ShinboAkiyuki Shinbo
, born September 27, 1961 in Fukushima, Japan, is a Japanese animation director. Shinbo started his career as an animator in 1981 at Studio One Pattern. He then made his directorial debut with Metal Fighter Miku in 1994. He is most notable for his involvement in a number of Shaft works since 2004...
, the director of Pani Poni Dash!
Pani Poni Dash!
, also known as through its anime adaptation , is a Japanese manga series that uses parody, frequently referencing Japanese and American pop-culture in many ways...
and Tsukuyomi -Moon Phase-
Tsukuyomi -Moon Phase-
is a manga series by Keitarō Arima about a young vampire girl named Hazuki and a Japanese freelance photographer Kouhei Morioka whom Hazuki attempts to make into her servant....
. It started airing in Japan on October 4, 2006. Negima!? is an alternate story with different character designs and an all new storyline, albeit with the same characters. The show also focuses more towards breaking the fourth wall, action, and comedy, and less on the original series' fanservice.
Shiroki Tsubasa OADs
A third set of OVAs (officially an "OAD" or "Original Animation Disc" as these are limited edition OVA releases that are only sold exclusively with the purchase of a specific manga volume in Japan) called was announced by Ken Akamatsu on his website days after the end of the live-action adaptation's airing. Production was handled by Shaft in cooperation with Studio Pastoral and the entire cast from Negima!? reprised their roles. The new OVAs cover chapters 176 to 183, and are shown in three parts:- The first OAD covers chapters 176 and 177 and was released on August 12, 2008, together with the release of Volume 23 of the manga.
- The second OAD covers chapters 178 to 180 and was released on November 17, 2008, together with the release of Volume 24 of the manga.
- A limited edition Negima audio drama CD was released on December 19, 2008, and covers chapter 181.
- The third OAD shows chapters 181 to 183 and was released on February 17, 2009, together with the release of Volume 25 of the manga.
Just like previous Negima adaptations by Shaft, Akiyuki Shinbo served as the director, together with the same staff as his previous works.
From the Negi no Ochakai event that was held on May 2008, Ken Akamatsu mentioned that if pre-orders for the first of the OADs exceed 50,000 the staff would consider a film adaptation, and if it exceeded 100,000 views, the staff would consider a third animated series. The counter on the official website reached 82,581 before the first OAD was released. The total sales of three volumes was 245,000 copies.
Mō Hitotsu no Sekai OADs
A fourth set of OADs was announced in the Mahō Sensei Negima: Ala Alba event held on February 11, 2009. The series is officially titled . This OAD series, covering the Journey to Magic World arc, was exclusively bundled with the manga starting with volume 27. The first episode, adapting chapters 184 through 188, was released on September 17, 2009; the second, which adapts chapters 189 through 192, was released on December 17, 2009. The third, covering chapters 193-204, was released on May 17, 2010, the fourth on August 17, 2010 and the fifth was released on November 17, 2010. Just like the previous OAD adaption, this series is produced by Shaft in cooperation with Studio Pastoral.Anime Final
Akamatsu Ken announced in his web diary that they can now initiate "the project" freely because the number of the pre-orders of the new OAD Mahou Sensei Negima! Mō Hitotsu no Sekai was large enough. He said he could not explicitly disclose what "the project" is from now since the sales data turned Akamatsu's personal desire into a real project. He had been saying that the final chapter of the OAD series will be released as a movie if the sales are successful.Weekly Shounen Magazine announced a "full-length" anime that would be premiered in 2011 and used the term "Negima Saga Final".
On May 17, 2011 the official site opened with the new title "Mahō Sensei Negima: Anime Final" and was released in Japanese theaters on August 27, 2011 as a double-bill with Hayate the Combat Butler! Heaven Is a Place on Earth
Hayate the Combat Butler! Heaven Is a Place on Earth
is a film adaption of the manga and anime series Hayate the Combat Butler. The film was released in theaters on August 27, 2011 as a double-bill with Mahou Sensei Negima! Anime Final.-Cast:Hayate AyasakiNagi SanzeninMariaHinagiku Katsura...
. The movie will conclude Journey to Magic World arc.
A CD will be released on August 24, 2011 featuring the theme songs of the movie along with the off vocal versions.
Manga
Early in the production of the manga, Akamatsu began using CGCG artwork
CG is a term most commonly known in the West for its use in Japanese webpages to denote digital artwork. In traditional Japanese, it is an abbreviation of the Japanese gairaigo , used to refer to any form of digital artwork, from digitally shaded dōjinshi to legitimate cinematic art...
background elements, for things such as crowds, buildings, and some objects. Many buildings are drawn from real-life structures all over the world, such as the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
and the Belfast City Hall
Belfast City Hall
Belfast City Hall is the civic building of the Belfast City Council. Located in Donegall Square, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, it faces north and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre.-History:...
. These are rendered in 3D, then characters are drawn in and around them for the panels. Many of these models are detailed in the appendix in the back of the books.
In the US and Canada, the manga was licensed and published in English by Del Rey Manga
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
for the first 28 volumes. New volumes will be published by Kodansha Comics USA and distributed through Random House Publisher Services
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
. Publishers in other countries and languages include Tong Li Comics
Tong Li Comics
Tongli Publishing Co. , most known as Tong Li Comics, is a publishing company which distributes a variety of domestic and imported comics in the Republic of China .-History:...
in Hong Kong and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Chuang Yi
Chuang Yi
Chuang Yi Publishing Pte Ltd. is a publishing company based in Singapore that specializes in producing domestic and imported comics and comics-related merchandise, in English and simplified Chinese. Chuang Yi distributes all or some of its products in Singapore, Malaysia, India, and the Philippines...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Play Press Publishing (formerly) and Star Comics
Star Comics
Star Comics was an imprint of Marvel Comics that began in 1984 and continued to publish comic books until early 1988. Titles published by the imprint were aimed at child readers and were often adaptations of children's television series, animated series or toys...
(current) in Italy, Pika Édition
Pika Édition
Pika Édition is a French publisher headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, specializing in manga. Founded as a daughter company of Media System Editions, it was taken over by Hachette Livre in 2007.-Distribution:...
in France, Egmont Manga & Anime
Egmont Manga & Anime
Egmont Manga & Anime is one of the largest publishers of manga in Germany. It was founded in the year 2000 as a daughter company of Egmont Ehapa, after the manga boom in Germany became apparent around the turn of the millennium. Since 2003, EMA has been part of Egmont vgs in Cologne.- History :In...
in Germany, Schibsted Forlag
Schibsted
Schibsted is a Norwegian media conglomerate with operations in 20 countries, the most important being Norway and Sweden. The company has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway and is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange....
in Norway, Glénat
Glénat (publisher)
Glénat Editions SA is a French publisher with its head office in Grenoble. The company publishes many things, including comic books and manga in France, Benelux, and Spain; it was founded by Jacques Glénat. The Spanish subsidiary has its head office in Barcelona. The Benelux subsidiary, Glénat...
in Spain, Editora JBC
Editora JBC
Editora JBC is a company that publishes books and magazines related to Japan in Brazil. It has its headquarters in Sao Paulo....
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Tanoshimi
Tanoshimi
Tanoshimi is a part of Random House a US based publisher. Tanoshimi is an arm of the United Kingdom branch of the company and is used for the publication of new English Language Manga titles...
in the UK, Algoritam in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
,
In Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, The manga has been licensed and released up to volume 26 by Level Comics a division of Elex Media Komputindo
Elex Media Komputindo
Elex Media Komputindo is a major Indonesian publisher of literature on computers as well as comic books. In addition to local comic books, it also publishes Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Chinese manhua. Founded on 15 January 1985, Elex Media Komputindo is within the publishing arm of the...
, under the title "Magister Negi Magi".
In Malaysia, the Malay version of the Negima books, named 'Magic Teacher! Ahli Magik Negi Magi', are retranslations of the Chinese edition. Evidence shows the names of the characters in Chinese style, such as Asuna as Shenlao Asuna and Konoka as Munai Xiang. Instead of printing "Ken Akamatsu" as the author, the name "Chesong Jian" is used – actually a Mandarin translation of Akamatsu's name in kanji. The characters' names were corrected in volume 15.
Plot
While looking for clues about his missing father Nagi, Negi Springfield becomes the English and homeroom teacher for Mahora Academy Class 2A (later 3A). It does not take much time for him to become acquainted to most his new students including his room mates Asuna Kagurazaka and Konoka Konoe. Negi faces his first real challenge in his student Evangeline A.K. McDowell who is actually an immortal vampiress and one of his father's enemies. To help Negi confront Eva, Asuna agrees to become his temporary partner by performing a "Pactio", a kind of magical contract sealed with a kiss.After dealing with Evangeline, Negi takes the class on a trip to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
while searching for more information on his father' whereabouts but is forced to fight against Eastern mages aiming to kidnap Konoka with the help of other students who also become his partners including Nodoka Miyazaki, Konoka's childhood friend Setsuna Sakurazaki, and lastly with Konoka herself. The arc also introduces Fate Averruncus, another mage who looks to be around Negi's age but proves himself to be far stronger than him. Seeing his own weakness after the events in Kyoto, Negi begins to train with several students in order to become stronger while Kotaro Inugami, one of the foes he confronted there unexpectedly reappears and finds himself a family with Negi's students Natsumi and Chizuru. Kotaro also joins Negi against Wilheim, an old evil from the past who just like Fate Averruncus, seems to be a pawn of an even stronger enemy.
During Mahora's cultural festival, Negi manages to partake in many simultaneous events thanks to his student Chao Lingshen's latest invention, the time machine Casseopeia. One of the events he participate is the "Mahora Martial Arts Tournament" where he confronts a series of stronger enemies including a former member of "Ala Rubra" (Crimson Wing), a legendary brigade led by his father. After the tournament, Negi takes part in more activities at the festival until Chao makes her move as she reveals herself as a time-traveler who chaims she must change the present to avert a great catastrophe in the future. Despite that, Negi and his allies confront her and manage to stop her ambitions. After giving up on changing the present by herself, Chao bids farewell to her classmates before returning to her own time.
With the festival finally over, Negi decides to set for the Mundus Magicus (Magic World) to look for his father. His partners decide to accompany him and together, they form their own brigade, the Ala Alba (White Wing). They are joined by Negi's childhood friend Anya and accidentally by other students who are oblivious to his secret. As they arrive, the team is ambushed by a group of mysterious enemies led by Fate Averruncus, leaving Negi and his group defeated and scattered across Mundus Magicus. After meeting Jack Rakan, another member of Ala Rubra, Negi decides train to get stronger and specializes in Dark Magic, just like Evangeline. Meanwhile, Negi's lost companions start to learn the ropes of their new environment and eventually reunited with him.
During another clash with Fate and his companions, Asuna is captured by the enemy and held captive along with Anya, with a body double is posing as the real one. Later he has an encounter with Kurt Gödel, a former member of Ala Rubra who reveals to him the story of his parents including how his mother was unjustly tried and sentenced to death before being saved by Nagi at the brink of her execution. He also learns that the Magic World is actually a magically created, inhabitable version of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, and just like the world itself, the majority of its inhabitants are created by magic. During another clash with Fate, Negi also learns that the main objective of his group "Cosmo Entelecheia" is to make use of Asuna's secret powers to erase the magically created inhabitants of Mundus Magicus and transfer the rest of its population to Earth before it eventually collapses.
By joining forces with the various armies of the Magic World, the members of Ala Alba storm Cosmo Entelecheia's stronghold where Asuna and Anya are being held captive to stop their plans. During the confront between both forces, a magic gate is opened to Earth just above Mahora having Negi's remaining students who stayed behind along the Academy's faculty members also joining the fight. Having succeeded to rescue Asuna and convince Fate to accept a plan he devised to save the people of the Magic World without the need of any sacrifices, Negi discovers that the true leader of Cosmo Entelecheia is no other than his father Nagi who vanishes before asking his son to look for him and destroy him once and for all.
After being celebrated as heroes for stopping Cosmo Entelecheia, Negi and his friends return to the Academy, but instead of resuming his duties as a teacher, Negi leaves Fate as his substitute and with the help of some of his students he starts working on his ambitious plan to terraform Mars for the people of the decaying Magic World to relocate there.
English version
Negima! was involved in a controversy surrounding the censorship of the English-translated manga in North America, typical of Akamatsu's penchant for fanservice and risqué humor. Fans fell upon initial rumors of potential edits by Del Rey, and upon receiving news of this, immediately began fighting against the changes. The compromise reached was to release the book uncensored but shrink-wrapped, which some collectors feel can cause damage to the books. Since Volume 14, the books have been released without the shrink-wrap.Del Rey's releases contained fully translated versions of the omake
Omake
means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...
(s) found in the Japanese versions (which include character sketches, fan art, and information about spells and related concepts), as well as various notes about Japanese culture and other things of interest not found in the original omake(s).
In 2010, all Kodansha manga licenced in the U.S. was transferred from Del Rey, to the new "Kodansha Comics" imprint, under Random House publishing. It was announced that they would decide which series to continue translating on a title-by-title basis. On December 10, 2010, it was announced that Negima would continue English releases starting in May 2011.
Live action series
A live-action series of Mahō Sensei Negima!, distinguished from the manga, first TV anime (Negima!, having an exclamation markExclamation mark
The exclamation mark, exclamation point, or bang, or "dembanger" is a punctuation mark usually used after an interjection or exclamation to indicate strong feelings or high volume , and often marks the end of a sentence. Example: “Watch out!” The character is encoded in Unicode at...
) and the second TV anime (Negima!?, having the equivalent of an interrobang
Interrobang
The interrobang, interabang , , is a nonstandard punctuation mark used in various written languages and intended to combine the functions of the question mark and the exclamation mark or exclamation point . The glyph is a superimposition of these two marks...
) by having two exclamation marks joined at the dot (or, Negima!!). The cast of all of the 31 girls was released on July 2007, while it is announced later that actress Yukina Kashiwa would play Negi, Hiroshi
Hiroshi (Owarai)
, real name , is a Japanese comedian famous for his dismal stand-up act.Originally a member of a kombi called Babies , he started working as a host in Tokyo under the host name Ken Saegami when Babies dissolved...
would portray Takamichi T. Takahata, former AV star Nao Oikawa as Shizuna Minamoto, and Gajirō Satō as the school dean. It started in TV Tokyo's late-night timeslot on October 3, 2007 and ran for 25 episodes. The 26th announced episode was a DVD exclusive.
Like Negima!?, the live-action series has an entirely different storyline from the manga and the first anime series.
Music
Note: This list pertains only to the theme songs from the first Negima! animation series.Opening theme
- "Happy Material -Original-" by Yuri ShiratoriYuri Shiratoriis a female seiyū and J-pop singer from Kanagawa Prefecture who has released various solo CD albums. She is employed by 81 Produce.-Profile:*Born on August 20, 1968 in Kanagawa Prefecture*Nickname: Shiratari-san...
, Madoka KimuraMadoka Kimurais a Japanese voice actress and singer working for Production Baobab.- Notable voice roles :* Kimie Sugawara in Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru* Yuuna Akashi in Negima!* Miki Tachibana in Night Head Genesis...
, Ayana SasagawaAyana Sasagawais a female Japanese voice actress.-References:...
, Natsuko KuwataniNatsuko Kuwataniis a Japanese voice actress who currently works for I'm Enterprise as of March 1, 2008.- 2001 :* Rabbit in Kokoro Library* Karen in Sister Princess* Kirala Mitsuboshi in Najica Blitz Tactics- 2002 :* Tweedledee in Kiddy Grade...
, Kotomi YamakawaKotomi Yamakawais a female voice actress employed by the Genki Project. She was one of the performers of the opening theme song for Negima! episodes one and eight, and has a role in the Suikoden game Rhapsodia.-TV anime:*Clerk in Fruits Basket 2002...
, and Azumi YamamotoAzumi Yamamotois a Japanese voice actress.-Notable voice roles:*Negima! *Mahō Sensei Negima! : Spring *Mahō Sensei Negima! : Summer *The Story of Saiunkoku -External links:...
("Sayo Aisaka", "Yūna Akashi", "Kazumi Asakura", "Yūe Ayase", "Ako Izumi", and "Akira Ōkōchi"; ep. 1-4) - "Happy Material -More Rock Ver.-" by Shizuka ItōShizuka Itois a Japanese voice actress and singer. She is currently represented by Ken Production. When voicing adult games, she is also known as , , , , or .Itō and fellow voice actress Hitomi Nabatame formed a voice acting unit called "Hitomi Nabatame and Shizuka Itō"...
, Akemi KandaAkemi Kandais a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Aoni Production. She was formerly a member of the voice actor unit DROPS, which included fellow voice actors Ai Nonaka, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi, and of the voice actor unit Aice5 along with Yui Horie, Chiaki Takahashi,...
, Ai Bandō, Akeno WatanabeAkeno Watanabeis a Japanese voice actor born in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. She works at Osawa Office and her nickname is Akenon. She currently stars in Pokémon Best Wishes as Ash's newest rival, Shooti and from Episode 17 onwards has begun voicing Ash's Scraggy.-Anime:...
, and Mami DeguchiMami Deguchiis a Japanese voice actress.-External links:...
("Misa Kakizaki", "Asuna Kagurasaka", "Misora Kasuga", "Chachamaru Karakuri", and "Madoka Kugimiya"; ep. 5-8) - "Happy Material -More Happy Ver.-" by Hazuki TanakaHazuki TanakaHazuki Tanaka is a female seiyū who was born August 12, 1984 in Nagasaki, Japan. She is employed by Haikyo....
, Ai NonakaAi Nonakais a Japanese voice actress. She currently works for Aoni Production and was formerly a member of the voice actor unit DROPS, which included fellow voice actor Akemi Kanda, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi...
, Sawa IshigeSawa Ishigeis a Japanese voice actress who was born in Shizuoka, Japan.-Notable voice roles:*Benika Jūzawa in Kure-nai*Poppu Harukaze in Ojamajo Doremi *Izumi Orimoto in Digimon Frontier*Takako Takakura in Magic User's Club...
, Yū KobayashiYu Kobayashiis a female voice actress from Tokyo, Japan and is affiliated with HolyPeak. She also occasionally works as a key animator.-Anime:*12Riven - Yuyu Hoshino*Air Gear: Kuro no Hane to Nemuri no Mori - Emily Adachi*Amatsuki - Benitobi...
, and Yui HorieYui Horieis a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She is sometimes affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans.She hosts a radio show called and is the founding member of the singing group, Aice5. She is also a member of the band Kurobara Hozonkai, with the name YUIEL...
("Kū Fei", "Konoka Konoe", "Haruna Saotome", "Setsuna Sakurazaki", and "Makie Sasaki"; ep. 9-13) - "Happy Material -More Beloved-" by Akane ŌmaeAkane Omaeis a Japanese voice actress.-Anime:*Azumanga Daioh *Chibi Maruko *Gravion *Hamtaro *I My Me! Strawberry Eggs *Negima!? *Shigofumi...
, Miho SakumaMiho Sakumais a female Japanese voice actress.-External links:...
, Chiaki ŌsawaChiaki Osawais a Japanese voice actress. Her first single, "Power of Love" was released on May 13, 1998.-Notable Voice Roles:* Chao Lingshen in Negima!* Alice in Early Reins* Tamami in Angel Tales-references:...
, Ryōko ShiraishiRyoko Shiraishiis a voice actress from Nara, Japan who works for Aoni Production. Due to her low and gentle voice, she is often cast as either the effeminate-and-kind young man or the sexually mature but sweet-and-sensitive supporting lady...
, and Misa Kobayashi ("Sakurako Shiina", "Mana Tatsumiya", "Chao Lingshen", "Kaede Nagase", and "Chizuru Naba"; ep. 14-17) - "Happy Material -Electric" by Kimiko KoyamaKimiko Koyamais a female seiyū. She was born in Tokushima, Japan.-Notable voice roles:*Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~ - Natsuki Komiya*Asura Cryin' - Reiko Saeki*Asura Cryin' 2 - Reiko Saeki*Doujin Work - Sōra Kitano*Gokujou Seitokai - Maachi Hisakawa...
, Mari Kanō, Mai KadowakiMai Kadowakiis a Japanese voice actress. Her old name , had a different writing from the current one.She is popular as a radio actress who wears glasses. She is also known for portraying meganekko characters on a regular basis. Her nickname is 舞太. It originated from a mail address registration, where she...
, Yumi ShimuraYumi Shimurais a Japanese female voice actress. She is employed by the talent management firm I'm Enterprise.- Anime :* Mahō Sensei Negima! , Chisame Hasegawa* Rozen Maiden: Träumend , Kanaria...
, and Yuki MatsuokaYuki Matsuokais a voice actress from the Hirano-ku ward of Osaka. She graduated from Otemae Women's University in Nishinomiya. She is affiliated with Production Baobab.- 2001 :*Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi *Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san...
("Fūka Narutaki", "Fumika Narutaki", "Satomi Hakase", "Chisame Hasegawa", and "Evangeline McDowell"; ep. 18-21) - "Happy Material -Early Summer" by Mamiko NotoMamiko Notois a Japanese voice actress working under Office Osawa. She was born in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa, and graduated from Hokuriku Gakuen Senior High School.-Voice:...
, Mai AizawaMai Aizawais a female Japanese voice actress. She is employed by Aoni Production.- Television :* Mahō Sensei Negima! , Natsumi Murakami* Air , Girl * Negima! , Natsumi Murakami, Theme Song Performance...
, Junko MinagawaJunko Minagawais a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Haikyo. She is well known for voicing young boys, although she has done "feminine" lady roles, as well as flirtatious women. She has also sang some of the openings and endings of the anime Prince of Tennis as well as vocal tracks and singles for this...
, Naomi Inoue, Yuka InokuchiYuka InokuchiYuka Inokuchi is a female seiyū who is affiliated with Ken Production. She is originally from Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture.-TV anime:* Ai Yori Aoshi * Buso Renkin...
("Nodoka Miyazaki", "Natsumi Murakami", "Ayaka Yukihiro", "Satsuki Yotsuba", and "Zazie Rainyday") - "Happy Material -Now and Oldies" by Rina SatōRina Satois a Japanese voice actress who works for Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.-TV Anime:2004:* Divergence Eve * Maria-sama ga Miteru * Maria-sama ga Miteru ~Haru~ 2005:...
, Masami SuzukiMasami Suzukiis a Japanese voice actress from Chigasaki. She is currently affiliated with Aoni Production.-Notable voice roles:*Lal Mirch in Katekyo Hitman Reborn!*Tachiki Noriko in Kanata kara from far away*Mike "Mac" McField in Legendz...
, and Ryō HirohashiRyo Hirohashiis a Japanese voice actress represented by a talent agency Aoni Production. She originates from Nagaoka, Niigata and is a graduate of Ryukoku University...
("Negi Springfield", "Nekane Springfield", and "Anna Cocolova"/"Anya")
Ending theme
- "Kagayaku Kimi e" by Akemi Kanda, Ai Nonaka, Mamiko Nōto, and Yū Kobayashi ("Asuna Kagurasaka", "Konoka Konoe", "Nodoka Miyazaki", "Setsuna Sakurazaki"; ep. 1-13)
- "Oshiete hoshii zō, Shishou" by Ayana Sasagawa, Natsuko Kuwatani, Akeno Watanabe, Hazuki Tanaka, and Yuki Matsuoka ("Kazumi Asakura", "Yūe Ayase", "Chachamaru Karakuri", "Kū Fei", and "Evangeline McDowell"; ep. 14-22, 24-25)
- "Happy Material" - acoustic version by InstrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
(ep. 23) - "Kagayaku Kimi e ~ Peace" by the Class of 2-A (ep. 26)
Official websites
- Official Negima!? website
- Del Rey's Negima! Magister Negi Magi manga (previous U.S. manga publisher)
- Kodansha Comics USA (new U.S. manga publisher)
- Funimation's Negima! anime (U.S. anime licensee)
- TV Tokyo's Negima!! (live-action) website
- Konami Japan's PS2 Negima!? game
- Marvelous Interactive's Mahō Sensei Negima! GBA game
- Starchild's Negima!! (live-action) website
- Negima: Shiroki Tsubasa
- Negima: Mō Hitotsu no Sekai
- Negima: Anima Final