Shonen Beam

[scanlation by Animum Mutare]

This is a strikingly effective opening page. If your mouth was left open after this, I’m sure you aren’t the only one. Shiori looks gone, and Dynamis is declaring the victory of their faction. Negi is going out of control, and the girls can barely do anything to stop him.

Surely not the first time Negi was covered in high school girls

Chisame is an incredibly strong character, and this is in stark contrast to having basically zero combat potential. It’s a testament to how well written she is, both that she can stand out among 30 other girls, and that she can remain vitally important to the plot despite not fighting directly.

Shiori barely escaped the fatal blow, and Negi has ceased his advance into being a creature of darkness. I don’t know how I feel about the former. A straight-out death isn’t something expected in Negima, but it might not have been a terrible development. Negi is rendered useless for the foreseeable future; he’s a shell of his former self.

Shiori’s speech cements her as a mainstay of the already gigantic cast of females who have gathered around Negi. In another series with this many characters, it may be seen as too much. In Negima, though, adding another girl seems more like a “why not?” sort of decision.

She has a pretty good point

Negi is out of it, but the girls realize the finality of the situation and decide to press on. I wonder how they’re going to manage without Negi, who according to Dynamis is the only one who could possibly take on Fate.

Final Flash: A climactic buildup to a moment that dodges a climax. Nevertheless, some brilliant characterization.