Evaluating Negima!? Spring: The start of a new school term and a magical adventure

"Negima!? Spring": A moving OVA that weaves together a story of magic and friendship

"Negima!? Spring" is an OVA based on Akamatsu Ken's popular manga "Negima! Magister Negi Magi" and was released by King Records on October 25, 2006. This work was produced in the form of an OVA, and although it is short, it has a dense story of about 25 minutes. The general director is Shinbo Akiyuki, the director is Ohnuma Shin, the animation is handled by GANSIS and Shaft, and it is produced by the Kanto Magic Association.

story

The story of "Negima!? Spring" begins with a trivial quarrel between Negi Springfield and Kagurazaka Asuna. Worried about the two not being able to find a way to make up, the class representative Yukihiro Ayaka invites Negi to a private island on a private jet to cheer him up. However, for some reason, all 31 class members end up going with him. Despite the open atmosphere and lively time on the island, the relationship between Negi and Asuna does not improve. The friends try various measures to make the two reconcile, but this ends up making Asuna angry instead. In a panic, Negi drops his precious glasses into the sea. The glasses were a precious keepsake given to him by his sister Nekane. When Asuna finds out, she goes alone to the sea at midnight to look for them...

Commentary

"Negima!? Spring" is an OVA produced prior to the broadcast of the new TV anime "Negima!?". It was screened at events held at the Koseinenkin Kaikan in April and September 2006. This work was produced by a different staff than the first animated work "Negima! Magister Negi Magi", and depicts deeper character emotions and relationships. According to a commentary on Bandai Channel, this OVA reveals "another world of Negima!?", making it a valuable work that allows fans to enjoy the story from a new perspective.

cast

The cast of "Negima!? Spring" includes Sato Rina as Negi Springfield, Shiratori Yuri as Aisaka Sayo, Kimura Madoka as Akashi Yuna, Sasagawa Ayana as Asakura Kazumi, Kuwatani Natsuko as Ayase Yui, Yamakawa Kotomi as Izumi Ako, Asakura Ayumi as Okawachi Akira, Itou Shizuka as Kakizaki Misa, Kanda Akemi as Kagurazaka Asuna, Bando Ai as Kasuga Misora, Watanabe Akino as Karakuri Chachamaru, Deguchi Mami as Kugimiya Madoka, Hazuki as Kofei, Nonaka Ai as Konoe Kinoka, Ishige Sawa as Saotome Haruna, Kobayashi Yuu as Sakurazaki Setsuna, Sasaki Makie as The cast is filled with talented voice actors, including Yui Horie, Akane Omae as Sakurako Shiina, Miho Sakuma as Mana Ryugujo, Megumi Takamoto as Chou Suzune, Ryoko Shiraishi as Kaede Nagase, Misa Kobayashi as Chizuru Nanami, Kimiko Nokoyama as Fuka Narutaki, Mari Kano as Fumika Narutaki, Mai Kadowaki as Satomi Hakase, Yumi Shimura as Chisame Hasegawa, Yuki Matsuoka as Evangeline, Mamiko Noto as Nodoka Miyazaki, Mai Aizawa as Natsumi Murakami, Junko Minagawa as Ayaka Yukihiro, Naomi Inoue as Satsuki Yotsuba, Yuka Inoguchi as Zaji Reneeday, and Masashi Yabe as Chamomile Albert.

Main Staff

The main staff of "Negima!? Spring" is a collection of professionals from various fields, including planner Otsuki Toshimichi, original author Akamatsu Ken, scriptwriter Kanemaki Kenichi, character designer Ota Kazuhiro, art director Kato Hiroshi, color director Hibino Jin, color designer Takizawa Izumi, visual effects designer Sakai Motoi, cinematographer Eto Shinichiro, editor Seki Kazuhiko, sound director Tsuruoka Yota, music composer Haoka Kei, music production by Starchild Records, music collaboration by TV Tokyo Music, director Onuma Shin, producer Nakanishi Go, animation producer Kubota Mitsutoshi, animation production by GANSIS and Shaft, production company Kanto Magic Association, and general director Shimbo Akiyuki.

Main Characters

The main characters of "Negima!? Spring" are Negi Springfield, a boy who is an apprentice wizard and the homeroom teacher of Class 2-A; Aisaka Sayo, a ghost girl who is the number 1 student in Class 2-A; Akashi Yuna, a lively girl who is a member of the basketball club; Asakura Kazumi, a curious girl who is a member of the journalism club; Ayase Yui, a girl who likes the occult and is a member of the Baka Ranger Baka Black; Izumi Ako, a girl who is the manager of the soccer club and whose charm point is her Kansai dialect; Okouchi Akira, a girl who is a member of the swimming club and does things at her own pace; Kakizaki Misa, a girl who is a leader in the cheerleading club; Kagurazaka Asuna, a girl who is a Baka Ranger Baka Red and looks after Negi; Kasuga Misora, a straightforward girl who is a member of the track and field club; Karakuri Chachamaru, a robot girl who is a member of the tea ceremony club; Kugimiya Madoka, a cool girl who is a member of the cheerleading club; Kofei, a girl who is a Baka Ranger Baka Yellow and uses Chinese martial arts; Konoe Kinoka, the granddaughter of the school principal and a member of the fortune-telling research club; and Saotome Haru, a bright girl who is a member of the manga research club. Sakurazaki Setsuna, a swordsman who is Konoka's bodyguard; Sasaki Makie, a girl who is Baka Pink and a member of the rhythmic gymnastics club of the Baka Rangers; Shiina Sakurako, a lively girl who is a member of the cheerleading club; Ryugu Mana, a cool sniper and shrine maiden of Ryugu Shrine; Cho Suzune, a Chinese exchange student who is an all-around athlete; Nagase Kaede, a ninja girl who is Baka Blue and a member of the Baka Rangers; Nanami Chizuru, a poisonous girl who is a member of the astronomy club; Narutaki Fuka and Narutaki Fuka, two girls who love sweets and are members of the walking club; and a university robotics researcher. A wide variety of unique characters appear in the story, including the mad scientist Hakase Satomi who is a member of the Research Society, the internet idol Hasegawa Chisame, the vampire girl Evangeline who is a member of the tea ceremony club, the shy library committee girl Miyazaki Nodoka, the obedient girl Murakami Natsumi, the class representative girl Yukihiro Ayaka who is a little shotacon, the soothing girl Yotsuba Satsuki who is a member of the Cooking Society, the street performer girl Zaji Reneeday, and the ermine Albert Chamomile who adores Negi as his "big brother."

Related Titles

"Negima!? Spring" is connected to many related works such as "Negima!," "Negima!?", "Negima!? Summer Special!?", "OVA Negima! ~White Wings ALA ALBA~", "OVA Negima! ~Another World~", "OVA Negima! Another World Extra Magical Girl Yue♥", "Negima! The Movie Anime Final", "UQ HOLDER! ~Negima! 2~", etc. Through these works, we can gain a deeper understanding of the adventures and growth of Negi and his classmates.

Theme songs and music

The theme songs for "Negima!? Spring" are the OP1 "Dream☆Minnade!" and the ED1 "Good Morning!". The lyrics for "Dream☆Minnade!" are by Arimori Satomi, the music and arrangement by Haneoka Kei, and the vocals by Sato Rina and Kanda Akemi. The lyrics for "Good Morning!" are by Arimori Satomi, the music and arrangement by Okawa Shigenobu, and the vocals by Kanda Akemi. These songs are important elements that add to the atmosphere of the story.

Evaluation and Impressions

"Negima!? Spring" is a short but dense story and carefully drawn characters' emotions. It depicts the relationship between Negi and Asuna, and the friendship between the classmates, leaving viewers in awe. The visual beauty and music that make the most of the OVA format are also wonderful, making it a must-see for fans. In addition, thanks to the power of the stellar voice actors and staff, the worldview of the original work is faithfully reproduced, while the story can be enjoyed from a new perspective.

Recommended points

The reasons we recommend "Negima!? Spring" are as follows:

• Deep character portrayal : The relationship between Negi and Asuna and the friendship between the classmates are carefully portrayed, allowing you to empathize with the characters' feelings.
• Beautiful visuals and music : The beautiful visuals that make the most of the OVA format, and the music, including the theme song, add to the atmosphere of the story.
• A stellar cast of voice actors and staff : A stellar cast of voice actors including Sato Rina and Kanda Akemi, as well as professional staff such as Shinbo Akiyuki and Onuma Shin.
• A service for fans of the original work : While faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work, you can enjoy the story from a new perspective.

"Negima!? Spring" is a touching OVA that weaves together a story of magic and friendship, and is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the original work, but to anime fans in general. Please give it a watch.