[Fall 2017] UQ Holder: our opinion on the first episode of the anime!

The autumn anime are gradually starting to be broadcast, and for the occasion, we invite you to dive into UQ Holder! Mahou Sensei Negima! 2! And more precisely in the first episode, aired this week!

UQ Holder! Mahou Sensei Negima! 2

Original title:  UQ Holder!: Maho Sensei Negima! 2 / ユーキュー ホルダー!

Alternative title: UQ Holder!/ Eternal Holder / Yuukyuu Holder / UQ Holder! Magister Negi Magi! 2

Genres: Action – Adventure – Comedy – Ecchi – Supernatural

Type: Shonen

Period: from 02 September 2017 to ???

Platform: Wakanim

Number of episodes: ???

Animation studio: J.C. Staff (Shokugeki no Soma)

Realization: Suzuki Youhei (Heavy Object)

Original character design: Akamatsu Ken (manga)

Character design: Fuji Masahiro (Flying Witch)

Synopsis

The story takes place 10 years after the world learned of the existence of magic. Following this discovery, great changes ensued.

Tōta Konoe is a young boy who lives in a rural town far from all this magic in charge of Yukihime, a teacher mastering this famous magic. This young boy has a dream: to be able to beat Yukihime with his friends and thus reach the capital and the huge tower there. Following the appearance of an enemy who will mortally wound him and Yukihime, Tōta's life will change drastically.

This review does not contain any major revelations that could spoil your viewing of the first episode of UQ Holder. But it's up to you to see if you want to watch the episode first, before reading some details that you might have liked to discover with the anime.

A catchy anime!

After months of waiting, the first episode of UQ Holder is finally out and we must admit that we are not disappointed! 

First, let's start with the scenario. We follow Tota Konoe, a young boy who has only one desire, to go to the Capital! But things are not so simple since to realize his dream, he must beat Yukihime, his teacher. So we observe Tota lose several times, sometimes quite spectacularly! But their daily routine will not last since an enemy wanting to attack Yukihime will appear. It is from this moment that the action and the fights will enter the scene. And this is very pleasant to look at.

Indeed, the fact that magic is used makes the actions even more appreciable since the fantastic adds a touch, for me, of wonder and admiration. In addition, the fact that one of the main characters is a vampire and that immortal beings exist (I will not tell you who, you will discover it yourself), adds to the desire to learn more and discover the rest of the story. Finally, some elements add suspense and make us want to see the rest without further delay! Who is the man Tota saw? Who is at the top of the tower in the capital? So many questions we want to know the answers to! What adventures await Tota and Yukihime? In short, all the elements are there to have a good shonen!

Regarding the graphics, we have the pleasure to find J.C Staff at the controls, and, we remind you, they took care of very good series. This is already a very good point for Ken Akamatsu's series. In addition, the scenes are very fluid, the design of the characters is very well done as well as the fight scenes. The colors are superb, the scenery is well represented, so for now, on the graphic side, we have only positive. 

Let's go back in more detail about the characters now. First of all, I must admit that I really like the character of Tota. I find this character very endearing, full of life, motivated to achieve his goal, not backing down from any obstacle. Worthy of a shônen hero, don't you think? In addition, because of his past, the relationship he has with Yukihime adds an attractive side to the anime. I can't wait to find out how their relationship will evolve, and what revelations will still be revealed! In addition, the appearance of a "mystery" character lets us imagine many things, including the possible relationship that this character has with Yukihime and Tota. The other characters, I'm thinking in particular of Tota's friends, are not highlighted in this first episode, since they will probably no longer appear in the other episodes.

UQ Holder is therefore, for now, a very pleasant anime to watch which, we hope, will not fail to entertain us with many fights, comic passages, while taking us into an unknown world full of suspense and supernatural!