Negima, Vol. 1: Magic 101 - The Basics of Magic (Limited Edition Starter Set)
The fantasy-comedyNegima!(2003) is based on a manga by Ken Akamatsu, the creator of the popularLove, Hinaseries. Not suprisingly,Negima!is another harem comedy: The hero and object of the girls' affection is Welsh wizard-in-training Negi Springfield, a 10-year-old prodigy. To complete his training, he has to spend a term as an English teacher at Mahora Academy, a girls' junior high school in Japan. His students initially refuse to believe the pint-sized Negi is their professor, then they decide he's adorable. But many of the girls are difficult, to say the least. Hot-tempered Asuna yells and hits him; when Negi sneezes, he somehow manages to blow her panties or her blouse off. Ayaka, a mean-mouthed blonde, fights with Asuna; Evangeline is a vampire and Chachamaru is her robot-familiar. As the characters inLove, Hinawere college students, the endless romantic contretemps provided effective comedy. But the sight of dozens of barely pubescent girls chasing an often naked little boy is more than a bit off-putting. The Limited Edition comes in a maroon chest with a page of stickers and a small plastic figure of Asuna. (Rated TV PG, suitable for ages 14 and older: nudity, risqué humor, cartoon violence, tobacco use)--Charles Solomon