DD: Negima: Child Teacher Arc

This story arc is going to be a little difficult for me to cover. Not that it's complicated or anything. Far from it; the problem is that this arc is nothing but humorous one-shot stories that help develop the characters – okay. When I phrase it like that, it sounds like it is pretty important, but it's largely inconsequential. I wouldn't say it's filler though. With that said, I apologize if this review is disjointed and confusing…I also apologize for being redundant.

The series continues with Asuna finding out that Negi always sleepwalks into sleeping in another person's bed with them – firsthand. He apparently picked up the habit from him being so used to sleeping with his cousin Nekane. For those thinking it, get your heads out of the gutter. It also doesn't help that Asuna looks a lot like Nekane. The next class, everything went well enough for Negi, but he embarrassed Asuna yet again by blowing off her clothes with a sneeze. Luckily for me, I have a certain drinking game when reading this series. Take a sip every time Negi causes some sort of fan service or is subject to perverted situations that we all envy him for. Take two sips if it's due to a sneeze. Take three if it involves Asuna. Take four if it's a combination of the last two! We also find out that Asuna is among the most poorly-graded students in Mahora. There is a good reason for that, by the way. But, again, I'll cover that later. Much later.

After class, Negi is feeling bad about Asuna and then we get Nodoka's proper introduction. Nodoka is one part of the library trio, consisting of her, Yue Ayase and Haruna Saotome. She's a very shy girl who loves books, but seems to dislike men – except for a certain one. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge. Of course, Haruna tries to ship the two, but Nodoka flees in a fit of cute bashfulness. After that strange interaction, Negi finds some magic pills he has that he realizes he could use to make love potion (which he stated earlier would take four months. Just make a note of that for a few dozen chapters later. It gets funny) that will make its drinker irresistible to the opposite sex. He brews it and tries to present it to Asuna as an apology for use on Takamichi. I'm honestly rather surprised Negi would make it since we find out later that love potions are kind of illegal, but I'll just pretend that he's being a kid that doesn't know any better yet. However, Asuna doesn't buy it and forces the concoction down Negi's throat. Of course, all the girls in the class now have the hots for the kid. I repeat: Lucky bastard. Strangely enough, Asuna doesn't seem to be affected. Very interesting…

As Negi is fleeing from his own students that are trying to make him their bitch, Nodoka offers her assistance and hides him in the library. Negi is relieved until Nodoka started getting far too close to him for comfort. Yep, Nodoka is affected by the potion now. Seriously, Negi, shouldn't you have known that? It finally results with the normally quiet library girl atop the poor ten-year-old teacher, about to take a kiss. Luckily, a remorseful Asuna busts into the library (through a lock door, even!) and renders Nodoka unconscious before anything happened. The love potion finally wore off and everything returned to normal. Negi makes a note in his class roster that Asuna has a strong kick and that Nodoka was…very cute. Aww…

The next story is a fan service-filled one as Negi reveals that he dislikes bathes. Asuna, being the child-hater she is, gets annoyed and forces him into the girls' dormitory bath area for a cleaning. Not that it matters, but the girls' bathes is a huge spa-like area, which Asuna explains is due to it having to service 100 girls. Man, girls get all the good stuff. As Asuna is washing the little kid, she tells Negi how she takes up an early-morning paper-route job to help pay for school since both of her parents are dead. Konoka's grandfather took her in and she wanted to repay him even though he assured it was all right. This makes Negi get all teary-eyed, stating that he completely misjudged her, much to Asuna's annoyance. Their little moment gets interrupted, however, when the rest of the class enters. Hilarity ensues! I'm not covering this part since it's not really important, though we do learn Ayaka is just as…"affectionate" about Negi without him around.

The next chapter shows for the first time that Negi is able to fly by riding on his magic staff, and we're introduced to the Baka Rangers. No. Really. They're five students in Negi's class that get the worst grades. Asuna is Baka Red! One part of the library trio, Yue Ayase is Baka Black! She is a very intelligent and philosophical girl who just doesn't like studying. Kaede Nagase is Baka Blue! One of the tallest and older-looking girls, Kaede is kind of sage-like and is very help toward Negi. Oh, and she's a ninja. Kū Fei is Baka Yellow! Kū Fei is a Chinese girl who is still learning Japanese, can come off as a ditz, but is a brilliant martial artist. And Makie Sasaki is Baka Pink! A happy-go-lucky girl who has virtually no problems in life (Remember that for much later!) and loves her gymnastics. And she's pretty handy with a ribbon. Seriously, it's like a far-reaching hand for her.

The girls manage to get through Negi's tutoring session, but Asuna just can't seem to do well. Unable to take anymore, Asuna runs away in hopelessness. Negi chases after her for what seems like several miles. After finally getting tired, Asuna asks Negi why he puts in so much effort when he's just a kid. It is here we find out Negi exactly what are Negi's motivations are. There is a man known as the Thousand Master, because his abilities and magical power are so great that he mastered over a thousand spells with ease. Many people believe him to have died a long time ago, but Negi maintains faith that he's still alive. This is due to a meeting he actually had with him when Negi was even younger, where the Thousand Master gave him the very staff he has with him today. Negi wishes to become a great mage like him one day in order to finally meet him once more. There is nothing he desires more than that. Asuna, being the tsundere she is, agrees to study hard – and she fails anyway. Nice subversion, author-man.

The next story really isn't that important, but it does show that several of the girls (while adoring Negi) doubt he's teacher material. This story was basically how some older girls from the high school are being mean to the middle school girls, so they challenge them to a game of dodge ball. If you can't figure out what happens, I'm assigning you homework that involves lots of sitcom episode viewings. What's important though is that the girls begin to respect Negi more as he gives them a motivational speech. What I found particular amusing, though, was that the only girls in Negi's class that didn't participate in the match were the cheerleader trio and the strongest characters there – except one, but that's a spoiler. Oh, and we're partially introduced to the sports girls of the class. Best to get them out of the way now before their importance to the plot gets in the way. Of course they each get their day-in-the-limelight chapters later, though. Makie I already mentioned. Yūna Akashi is a basketball player who is always pumped for anything she does. Ako Izumi is a soccer player, but she is better known for being a nurse assistant in the nurse office. She's not quite as shy as Nodoka, but she is very self-deprecating and feels very insecure about herself. And Akira (NOT THAT AKIRA!) Okochi is part of the middle school's swim team; she's generally a very kind girl who puts others ahead of herself and worries of them often.

The big story in this arc is about the upcoming ending term exams. Principal Konoe is satisfied with Negi's hard work as a teacher and is ready to officially make him a teacher in the spring, but has one last task for him: Make sure his Class 2-A is no longer the worst class in their grade in the end-of-term exams. Fortunately, three of his students are the best in the school. Unfortunately, a lot of the girls don't really care about the exam since Mahora is an escalator school that allows students to move on even if their grades are complete garbage. Not to mention the Baka Rangers…. Negi requests the class to do their best in studying otherwise "something very bad will happen".  Negi gets especially worried when the girls begin playing a strip-English-studying game that really isn't helping anyone learn. Negi gets desperate enough to want to cast a spell that increases a person's intelligence. Of course, Asuna slaps some sense into him. She reprimands for relying on magic all the time, repeats the "A little bit of courage is the real magic" quote to him, and shows that she has been working really hard (though her grades are still pretty bad). Asuna finally states that she'd feel bad for the students of a teacher that doesn't try his best. Negi, naturally, feels very upset with himself for being so selfish. This is rather interesting since Negi is well known to be incredibly selfless in the latter half of the series. I believe this to be the turning point for Negi. Usually, a lot of comedies show a character learning a lesson and they forget about it right afterward. Thankfully, that is not the case here. It's great to see even these comedy chapters aren't completely meaningless.

Negi performs a sealing spell to lock away his ability to use magic until the exams to make sure he really does help his students. Meanwhile in the bathes (of course), Konoka brings up to the others a possible rumor that the "bad thing" Negi mentioned in class was that the worst class is going to be split up and that the very worst students will be held back. Yue has a possible solution, mentioning to the other Baka Rangers that Library Island (it's exactly what it sounds like, but also holds a lot of secrets within it) has a magic book that makes the reader more intelligent. The Baka Rangers jump at the idea. However, exploring Library Island is very dangerous because it has many booby traps and has an extremely mountainous terrain of library books and shelves. Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Ten-year-old Welsh wizard teaching a class of 31 Japanese school girls? Less ridiculous.

Asuna drags Negi along to help protect them with his magic. But, whoops! He sealed them away! Hilarity! Yue leads the others, being familiar with Library Island since she's a member of the Library Expedition Club. When Negi finds out about what they're here for, he demands to know why Asuna is being a hypocrite now. She explains that they want avoid that "very bad thing" from happening. Negi, thinking they found out about his last task, grows all emotional at the aspect of how much his students care about him. Asuna is notably nice to Negi since he's just a normal kid without his magic, which an assisting Konoka takes notice and Asuna grows annoyed. Negi notices that he can feel a lot of magical energy in the Library. Asuna suggest that it's the book, but Negi believes otherwise. It is suggested at the end of this story that it was due to the dean, but I believe it was something else…. Which I'll cover later!

When they finally locate the book, Negi recognizes the book as magic immediately and says it really can boost someone's intelligence. However, the book is guarded by a stone golem that will only allow them to take the book after they've solved his English-related questions…via a game of Twister. Yeah, fan service ensues! But Asuna and Makie accidentally screw up the last question and they're all sent plummeting deeper into the Library's already massive maze-like interior. Asuna protects Negi from the fall and injures her shoulder, and Negi feels very guilty since he also didn't have his magic to help heal her. Negi tries to take leadership by suggesting the girls go study for exams, sure that they'll be able to get out of the library and pass the exam without the book. His optimism helps the girls motivated.

Meanwhile, back at school, the other girls find out the "very bad thing" was actually that Negi will be fired if their class comes in last. Ayaka commands the class to begin studying their butts off, but Nodoka and Haruna run in informing them that the Baka Rangers have gotten lost in Library Island. Well, they're screwed. Back at Library Island, the girls are studying hard. While the two were alone, Negi tries to apologize for all the trouble he's caused, but Asuna assures him it's her fault since she was the one that dragged a magic-less Negi to prevent the class from being broken up. Negi is confused by this admission, and that's when the actual truth comes out. Humorously, Asuna gets annoyed that she really didn't have to risk their lives for the book after all. But then the golem from earlier has found them and the girls flee. Yue notices that the magic book was caught on the golem, and the girls manage to swipe it from it. The girls begin escaping from the Library, but are blocked off by various walls in a corridor with various math and English questions on them. The girls are able to solve the problems, though, thanks to the book. Finally, they reach an express elevator that'll take them to the surface (you're honestly questioning why there's one here now?), but their combined weight is too much and the golem is catching up on them. Negi says he'll stay behind and face the golem so the girls could escape with the book. Asuna pulls him back in the elevator, however, saying that the final exam was for him to pass as well; and tossed the book out so they're light enough to escape.

On the day of the exam, the Baka Rangers arrive late after spending the previous night recuperating and studying until their minds melted. Negi is feeling extremely guilty about the loss of the book and prays for their good grades, but Asuna reminds him it was her that tossed away the book and they'll manage somehow. Unfortunately, the Baka Rangers are still exhausted from their all-nighter and the exploring. Negi casts a refreshing spell that reinvigorates the girls and helps clear their minds, thinking that's the least he could do. The results of the exam came in. The entire class 2-A have their fingers crossed as the announcements came down from the best class to the worst, with their class nowhere in sight. It was down to the second-to-worst class. It was now or never –

They weren't it. They have come in last. Negi runs off, getting ready to return back to Wales. He comforts himself that although he couldn't become a great mage, he's glad everyone had done their very best. Asuna catches up to him and desperately apologizes, saying it was her fault. Negi says it was wrong to use a magic book anyway. He bids her a farewell, but she grabs him and says he mustn't go. She says that she hated that he did stupid, childish things, but admired him for having a clear goal and working hard for it. The other Baka Rangers arrive as well and beg Negi not to go too, and say they'll talk to the dean. Speak of the devil, he shows up. He says he was the one who was to grade their exams, but submitted them late. Shockingly, Asuna somehow got a better grade than the rest of the Baka Rangers. But that's peanuts. The actual grade with the Baka Rangers' grades brings class 2-A to the top class. Negi is shocked, and Dean Konoe pulls out the magic book. He says that it was never magic and it was thanks to all the studying the girls have done that allowed them to answer those questions back at Library Island. Negi realizes that all of that was set up by him. He added that the final test was to see if Negi would act like a teacher even if it meant he failed his test. Negi is expected to do even better next term. Everyone is overjoyed and celebrate.

The last four chapters in this story arc introduce and develop five more of Negi's students. First is Chisame Hasegawa. Her initial introduction really did not flatter her. Chisame was very much the most level-headed and genre savvy amongst the girls. She thought having a ten-year-old teacher was insane, and that her class was insane for thinking he was so great. She often points out the complete and utter logic failures that the characters and plot did, and generally came off as a very bitchy individual that wants nothing more than a normal life. However, outside the public eye, Chisame is known as Chiu in Internet circles and is considered a "net idol". She takes photos of her in her cosplay outfits (and cleans up her pimples and increases her bust size with Photoshop – err, Photoshock) and posts them on her blog. Chisame declares herself the queen of the net. Err, yeah. You're pretty weird too, dear. Negi stumbles across her hobby after feeling concerned for her when she left class earlier, and Chisame is horrified. She was ready to kill the child teacher before her secret net life got out, but Negi says that it was very neat what Chisame does but thinks she looks cute without all the make-up she puts on. Negi tries to bring her to the celebratory party with the others, but she straight out refuses. She finally breaks upon his insistence when he took her glasses. Even she can't resist the old Springfield charm. However, Negi drags her to the party will still in her playboy bunny cosplay outfit, much to her embarrassment. The others are surprised by her appearance and her…appearance. Negi also then accidentally sneezes when she tries to take her glasses back and…yeah. Chapter ends with Chisame pissed with Negi. Again, this isn't a very flattering first appearance, but Chisame really does grow as a character throughout this series and has become one of my favorite characters. We'll cover that as it comes.

We're then introduced to Fuka and Fumika Narutaki, the twins of the class. The two look the youngest in the class, and are even shorter than Negi! The two are very mischievous pranksters. And…that's it. Their chapter really is meant to show off the entire campus of Mahora, which (as I mentioned before) is about the size of small city with just about everything you could possibly find in one. Negi and the readers are also shown the World Tree for the first time. The World Tree is quite possibly the largest living tree in the world, and Mahora legend has it that anyone who confesses their romantic feelings for another there their feelings will be responded.

Next is Ayaka's spotlight chapter. Prepare some tissues for this one. Ayaka receives a note in her huge mansion (Oh, forgot to mention. Ayaka is dirty, stinking rich) informing her that Negi is dropping by for a visit. She is absolutely ecstatic and requests her staff to make sure the visit is as wonderful as it can be. When she goes to greet her beloved teacher, she disappointedly finds Asuna and Konoka accompanying him. Despite this, Ayaka makes the best of it and is overjoyed when Negi says he's here to get to know her a bit better. We get to learn a little bit more of Ayaka and Asuna's relationship. From the very moment they met, the two had a love-hate relationship. They always flung insults at each other while were competitive in whatever every each other did. Negi notices a room full of toys and he asks if it belonged to her younger sibling. She vaguely answers that the room didn't belong to anyone. Ayaka asks Negi if she could be a big sister to him, and Asuna butts in, jokingly calling her a shotacon again. The two argue for a bit until Asuna says that she and Konoka are leaving. Before they leave, however, Asuna apologizes and leaves Negi behind with Ayaka. Ayaka feels bad that all they seem to do is fight and how their relationship is very bad, but Negi says otherwise. Asuna was the one who asked Negi to go see Ayaka on this day and she told him that Ayaka had a younger brother. Through flashback, we're shown a younger Ayaka extremely excited that she was going to become a big sister soon as she told a younger Asuna. However, it seemed that there was some sort complication. Young Ayaka lamented, sitting in her would-be brother's room. Young Asuna however kicks her in the head and tells her to cheer up. Young Ayaka got pissed and the two fought, while it was noted Ayaka seemed to have cheered up a bit. The present Ayaka begins tearing up a little as she notes that the day was her brother's birthday, and thinks of Asuna fondly. Negi says that today he'll be Ayaka's little brother and she is thankful. After returning home later that day, Negi notes in his roster that Ayaka is Asuna's close friend. Excuse me; I think I have something in my eye…

The last chapter for this arc is Konoka Konoe's proper introduction. This chapter begins with Negi receiving a letter from his cousin. Of course, it's a MAGIC letter that projects a video recording of the sender. Huh, Star Wars anyone? Nekane congratulates Negi on becoming an official teacher, and brings up the possibility of him finding a "partner" yet. Asuna teases Negi about this "partner" thing and asks what she was talking about. Negi tells of a legend about the savior of the world. She was a great mage and she had a courageous knight to protect and assist her. In memory of it, mages get partners that help support them; "mage disciples". It is also pretty common for mages to eventually marry their partners, which Asuna proceeds to tease him about. Konoka overhears their conversation, however, and the two freak out. Luckily, she only heard the part about Negi possibly coming to Japan to find a girlfriend, which promises to keep quiet. However, the twins were eavesdropping on the three and rushes off to tell the other girls that Negi's looking for a "partner". The rumor quickly exaggerated to the point that Negi was a prince sent to find his bride. Hilarity ensues!

In-between getting chased around by his students, Negi comes across Konoka all dolled up and dressed in a beautiful kimono. Konoka reveals that her grandfather seems to enjoy setting up marriage interviews (which are a Japanese custom, for those not in the know) for her to find a potential husband, which she thinks she's too young to be doing. Negi agrees, and Konoka jokingly states that she'd rather have Negi as a partner. Konoka then decides to read Negi a fortune about his potential partner, which she once again jokingly describes as Asuna. She does point out that their relationship has gotten rather close.

This story arc was largely inconsequential, but we do get a lot of story developments and learn a bit more about the characters with very good pieces about them. I thought a lot jokes really did work and Ayaka's story was very tear-jerky. Asuna's and Negi's relationship have certain grown from antagonistic to a brother-sister relationship, and it's only going to grow from here. What's noticeable about this series is that the main character Negi doesn't forget his lessons he learns even from rather silly chapters, which really does show in the long run later on.

For the Child Teacher arc, I give a:

3 out of 5

While certainly entertaining, we're still in the romantic comedy part of the manga which is still pretty standard. However, things should be looking up next time as we enter the Evangeline arc.