Forum - View topicREVIEW: Negima!? DVD Season 2 Part 1
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billborden
 Posts: 73 |
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Opinions will differ, I grant, but to I have to say that saying that Shaft "deviated" from the Manga is a stretch, unless you can find a chupracabra hunting club in the manga that I some how missed (along with an odd couple of scheming magic academy observers and a wandering Star Crystal). Shaft, for all intents and purposes, used the characters from the manga and created a new story out of whole-cloth. Xebec adapted the original story, which does mean that they changed it as always happens when you take a written text and turn it into film (you should hear my rant about Jackson's "Return of the King"), but up to Asuna's death, the original manga was always recognizable in the adaptation.
As neither "Mahou Sensei Negima" nor the manga, pre-festivle, had much in the way of fighting, it would be hard to make any valid comparisons. I will say that Negi vs. Eva in "Mahou Sensei Negima" compares favorably to the manga version as does Negi vs Chao in "Ala Alba", taking into account Negi drastically improved fighting skill--thanks to time-dilating training with Eva. "Negima!?", on the other hand, reminded me of something out of early "DragonBall". As for comparing the animation in general, the excessively dark pallet, generally sharp edged character designs and general distortion or non-existence of structural elements (half the time their classroom seems to have no walls, existing in a spacial void) have no real equal in "Ala Alba". I'm discussing overall feel of the show; given way more time than necessary I'm certain you could find some scenes that support your argument, but given the same amount, I could support mine. The overall visual sense of "Negima!?" is one of carefully constructed design to convey or comment on the mood and action of the scene, that is "background as actor", like many experimental/art house films. Admittedly, we only have one episode of "Ala Alba" to work with, but it seems to going with a much more naturalistic background as a scene against which the actors play--static, not interactive with the story. The difference is similar to that of Stanley Roberts' 1951 "Death of a Salesman" verses one of the more popular live performances that I have scene where the set consists of primarily white backdrops and lines on the floor to indicate rooms, doors etc (I'm sorry, but I don't remember the director of this stage version--I'm hoping you know the one I'm describing). The first is filmed naturally, although they do make excellent use shadow and light in B&W, in the school of "Citizen Kane"; the second uses the starkness of the stage both to focus the audience on the actors, and provide insight to the emptiness of Willy Loman's life. |
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fuuma_monou
 Posts: 1817 Location: Quezon City, Philippines |
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Kei Haneoka is the composer. Guess it was a copy & paste error that listed the character designer's name again for the paragraph about the music.
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Dorcas_Aurelia
 Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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Do you understand what deviate means? It means to turn away from, to change, to be different from. It doesn't just barely different. They took the characters and setting and put them into an entirely different story. That's a deviation.
The stories may have been recognizable, but the rearrangement erased some of Negi's character development. The dodgeball match originally was before his battle with Eva, and showed him growing into his role as an a protector for his students, while in the anime, it coming after a greater threat to them, reduces it's importance to trivial levels.
The manga has plenty of combat pre-festival. About half of the chapters of in each of the three volumes covering the Kyoto field trip were combat, then there was Wilhelm in volume 7. Also, when I was talking about the action scenes, I meant quality and style, not rigid adherence to the images used in the manga.
Point in regards to the tone of the series. Watch out for things like the kimono patterns and the use of non-standard camera angles in White Wings, though. As for character design... Asuna: Series 1, Series 2, White Wings Ayaka: Series 1, Series 2, White Wings Eva: Series 1, Series 2, White Wings Makie: Series 1, Series 2, White Wings Narutaki twins: Series 1, Series 2, White Wings Negi: Series 1, Series 2, White Wings |
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Unit 03.5-ish
Posts: 1540 Location: This space for rent |
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Wow, some of those redesigns are rather...extreme. I must ask, though, how much merit do these alternate retelling/remakes have? It reminds me of the rash of movies based on mech shows that either copypasta'd the animation and glued it back together in super-condensed form or made a sappy retelling of a story that didn't need a remake (like the Escaflowne movie). Even GL got a likely-unneeded remake in the form of two movies. So what's with Japan doing these retellings/remakes, especially since their economy is in the crapper? Seems a bit extreme, to me.
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Showsni
 Posts: 641 |
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Negima!?'s okay, but neither series really hold a candle to the manga, in my opinion. I'd probably prefer a more faithful adaptation; Negima! was reasonably faithful up until the Kyoto arc, and then everything started diverging from the manga until that rather odd ending arc with Asuna. I guess they felt the need to tack on some kind of ending rather than leave it open to another series... The obsession with chupacabras annoys me in Negima!?
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Dorcas_Aurelia
Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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Anyone who liked the manga will probably tell you the White Wings OVA is made of pure win. The character designs are very close to Akamatsu style (Notice that the pictures of Asuna and Ayaka even have the typical flush marks on the cheeks, and this shot is pretty much straight out of the manga) and it's completely faithful in adapting the plot that is present. I kind of hope that SHAFT will get an opportunity to fix the Kyoto arc eventually. The second series has a variety of opinions regarding whether it was a good idea or not. I am strongly in the camp that thinks it was. |
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billborden
Posts: 73 |
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A definate agreement. |
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jr240483
 Posts: 4379 Location: New York City,New York,USA |
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Well i find the obession with the chupacabaras rather interesting.
Also when it comes to visuals season 1 is much better though in season 2 and Both the Spring & Summer was more faithful to the manga when it comes to fanbase which is a good thing. However that ending with Asuna definaely leaves something to be desired.Something tells me that may end up being an ending spoiler for the manga.It's going to piss off a lot of people if it actually happens. |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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I'd say there's a very good chance that won't be the route the manga takes. Asuna's got a big enough storm of lies and deception surrounding her past she doesn't need a spoiler[Faustian contract costing her life to grant her magic cancellation] to make things more interesting. I mean, she's already spoiler[spoiler[a princess with amnesia who was used as/to power a superweapon and is closer to Takahata's age than Negi's.]] |
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Unit 03.5-ish
Posts: 1540 Location: This space for rent |
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Reading that gave me a dose of  and the confirmation I needed that I could never ever take this franchise seriously.
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TheBigN
 Posts: 62 Location: Somewhere in DC |
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Well, I didn't mind Negima!? deviating from the source material because it was supposed to be an alternate retelling of the show in the first place, and I liked what was done at the start, and stylistically in this season (I haven't seen the first season, so I can't compare the two). And apparently Negima is supposed to be a shounen fighting manga wrapped up in a harem manga, and I'm more of a fan of the former than the latter. Which is also why I hope that someone animates all of the festival arc in the future.
My main problem with Negima!? was that it really didn't seem like the show knew where to go when it goes into the main story, and it also seemed like the production crew didn't really care about that. 
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Dorcas_Aurelia
Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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That's kind of a shame, because Negi's decision whether to fight or join Chao in the Mahorafest was one of the few examples I've seen in a shonen series that features an actual moral quandary in determining which side is right. |
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Showsni
Posts: 641 |
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And it's entirely possible the fight against Cosmo Entelecheia will end the same way...
Well, it's not as if it hasn't been foreshadowed for ages. |
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CaptainAvatar
 Posts: 381 Location: Saint Louis, MO |
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Considering my love for the manga and my indifference to Pani Poni Dash!, I really didn't care for this much. I'll rent part 2 as I did this to see where it goes, and I really hope the Ala Alba OVA's gets picked up by Funi too!
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JackBassV
 Posts: 241 Location: Coventry, England |
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How do you work that out? She was under 4 when she first met takahata. 10 years later and she's 14. Negi is 10 so a 4 year age gap. Unless takamichi was under 8 when they met, she is definitely closer to negi in age. I hate the Season 2 part of the title. How many series go back to the start when season 2 starts? (Except Dalas, when JR was killed, and that whole season took place in a dream.) Other than that, I love the new art style, the cat and frog are now where near as annoying as JarJar (I spit on his grave) binks, and the story, while not following the early volumes of the manga, is at least interesting. Please remember, We're only just over halfway through the manga (Akamatsu anounced that vol 18 was "the halfway point".) Even if series 1 was a spoiller, I doubt that it tells the whole story of Asuna. After all, Asuna's got to marry negi and we'll find out that Chao is their grand-daughter! lol!! JBV^_^ |
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