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Last year, I randomly started reading the first volume of Negima while I was at my local library. I wasn't all that impressed, it seemed to me like Harem Potter. However, I kept reading, and I am glad I did. This series has turned into something far more epic than could be expected of a manga that starts off as a romantic comedy.

Unfortunately, it starts slowly, with generic character archetypes, deviating only slightly from the typical harem plot progression. Thankfully, this does not last. It morphs from a rom com into a battle shonen, which is a smart move, and I have a feeling ... Ken Akamatsu only started the series off as he did because his editors wanted another Love Hina.

Once the transition is complete, the series immediately becomes far better. The stories are carefully crafted, the abilities of the characters progress believably, and the fight scenes are simply badass. The elements of rom com from the beginning become more of a subplot, and suffice to develop characters and created comic relief.

One of the major strong points of Negima is it's art. Despite being a weekly series, it is richly detailed and extremely clean and consistent. Everything from the panty shots to the magical attacks of combatants shows great attention to detail.

While it is no Vagabond, it is pretty exceptional for a series to be so consistently well drawn while on a weekly release schedule.

In the end, Negima is a delicious blend of well crafted stories, characters, and interesting fights. It is obvious that Ken Akamatsu cares about this work and puts tons of effort into it's execution. I highly recommend this to anyone.