written by Ken Akamatsu

So, you think just because you’ve read about Harry Potter, you know all you need to know about young magician stories? Wrong! You’ve never seen anything like Negima!

This is the story of Negi Springfield, who has graduated Magic Academy at the ripe young age of 9 and has been sent to Japan as part of his wizard training to teach English at a Middle School. There’s only one problem, however: It’s an all-girls school, and Negi isn’t exactly the most experienced teacher on the planet. But that just comes with the territory when you’re a little boy.
 
Bur seriously, a child teaching middle school? That’s what makes this such a fun manga. This may seem like a question of illegal child labor, but you will understand as you learn more about Negi.
 
Not only does Negi need to deal with 31 giddy girls who initially think of him as somewhat of a pet instead of a teacher, but also the anger directed at him by Asuna Kagurazaka, who has a monster crush on their former teacher, whom Negi has now replaced. Then there’s the fact that every time Negi sneezes, it induces a massive wardrobe malfunction on whomever it is pointed at, sometimes even cracking the very ground he stands on! Still, he persists, for it is all for the sake of Negi’s dream: to become a Magister Magi (Master Mage) and find his father, whom the entire magical community believes to be dead.
 
In this first hilarious volume, Negi must get his new students to accept him as more than just a pet, but as a real teacher whom they can come to when they need help, while keeping his magic a secret, which is kind of hard when there’s an accident-prone student. Magic to the rescue, and, wouldn’t you know it, he is subsequently found out by none other than Asuna, who would love nothing more than to see him squirm when he is exposed!
 
Negima! Magister Negi Magi is a true masterpiece by Ken Akamatsu, brilliant creator of Love Hina and A.I. Love You. It combines elements of magic, comedy, and assorted nudity and fan service to create a thrilling series that will only get better as it progresses. The artwork is simple, yet intricate, engaging and attractive. Plus, the magic spells used by Negi are in Latin, complete with translations at the end of the book (however, in the case of this volume, that does not come until the next volume).
 
This is surely one manga series that magic, comedy and action lovers will simply fall in love with…faster than Negi’s students fall in love with him, that is! 

-- David Gromer

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