Title: 魔法先生ネギま！　１月：闇の福音＆ドール (Magic Teacher Negima! January: Dark Evangel & Doll)
Original Creator: 赤松健 (Ken Akamatsu)
Vocals: 松岡由貴 (Yuki Matsuoka), 渡辺明乃 (Akeno Watanabe), and 白鳥由里 (Yuri Shiratori)
Release Date: 10/27/04
Catalog No.: KICM-3058
Rating: 3/4

The characters represented in this CD are Eva, her doll/servant Chachamaru, and the ghost in the class, Sayo. Up until now, Sayo hasn't had an appearance in the manga besides her profile in Negi's class book.

Their image song, original mix, is styled in heavy metal. Not really my taste. However, I really like the remix which is soft and a bit spooky. I guess for a song that talks about traveling through darkness, both styles can be appropriate. I just prefer the latter.

The drama has Eva and Chacharmaru talking. Eva is apparently concerned about something. Sayo comes to her door and tells her that she felt a fellow spirit disappear recently (Setsuna killed it in Ayaka's CD) and was wondering if Eva knew anything about it. They start talking and Sayo explains that she doesn't want to depart because there's someone here she likes. When she asks Eva if she has someone special, Eva gives a hesitation.

The seiyuu free talk is pretty boring where they talk about their characters and what kind of magicians they would like to be.

First edition comes with an Eva card.

Title: 彼氏彼女の事情 (His and Her Circumstances) Vol. 19
Artist/Author: 津田雅美 (Masami Tsuda)
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 187pp., w/furigana
Volume: 19/21
Original Serialization: Monthly LALA 4/04-8/04
First Printing: 10/10/04
Rating: 3/4

In one of her side columns, the author states that this is book 19 of a 23 volume comic. I hope it ends well, although I'm have some objections to where this has gone. The title of this series is HIS and HER, not HIS and HIS. While it's interesting, I found myself pretty bored with this Reiji's and Souji's story. I want more Yukino!

No real bonuses this time, although I'm surprised that they're releasing a bilingual version of Karekano.

89. ACT89 兄弟 (Brothers): After his falling out, Reiji decided to join a gang. He went as far as being caught by Souji in bed with a girl before running away. Reiji soon meets the gold-digger Ryoko.

90. ACT90 螺旋 (Spiral): Souji goes out and tries to find Reiji, but one day, Reiji decides to come back. He sees Shizune and she tries to convince him that it's not just his problems, but his families problems. After Reiji runs off again, Souji comes back and Shizune explains a bit about why the hatred in the Arima family affected her father-in-law and wonders when it started. Ryoko's ex-boyfriend hates Reiji for stealing his girl and has him beat up. While he's wounded, Ryoko takes advantage of him and sleeps with him. After that, Reiji decides to come back to Souji's and live a normal life.

91. ACT91 息子 (Son): One day, Reiji gets a letter from Ryoko with a picture of his baby. He calls her and she asks him for a name to which he responds "Souichiro." He keeps this a secret from Souji, but sends her alimony despite her saying that it's never enough. He goes to visit Souichiro and finds him out in the snow. He decides to take the 3-year-old home and ask Souji to take care of him so he won't have to suffer the same Arima "curse."

92. ACT92 長い旅 (Long Journey): Souji takes him in but only on the condition that Reiji won't come visit. Flash to current day where Souji takes a break from telling the story to Souichiro. He then continues to explain how Reiji decided to go to New York to establish a life for himself there.

93. ACT93 贖罪 (Atonement): After school, Souichiro meets Yukino and tells her that he understands his past and feels better. With this, Yukino is now afraid to tell him that she's pregnant as to ruin his life again. Later that night, Souichiro bumps into his mom, Ryoko, and then Reiji appears. Reiji pulls out a gun and tells her that the reason he came back is to kill her.

Title: ドラゴンエイジ (Dragon Age) October '04
Issue Date: 10/10/2004
Publisher: Kadokawa (Fujimi Shobo)
Pages: 746

A little late with this magazine this month. This issue features Tsubame Syndrome, Stigma of the Wind, and Supasu-pa. Stigma of the Wind is actually a novel, and is one of the two one-shot manga. The other one-shot manga in here is a story about a tyrannasaurus rex who is reincarnated as a girl in present day. It's a bit long at 100+ pages, but is hilarious. After finishing vol. 3, I'm pretty much caught up on Supasu-pa. Hopefully I'll catch up with Full Metal Panic when I do next month's issue (which I already have in my possession).

The bonus comes with two unique drama tracks to promote the Supasu-pa drama CD, but I already got that CD when the bookstore finally got this magazine in for me, so it wasn't really necessary.

Supasu-pa: ２３すずの決意 (Suzu's Determination): After being told by 倉橋翔子 (Shoko Kurahashi, Itsuki's cousin, new girl) and seeing Itsuki visit his mother's grave the day before, Suzu decides to go to the gravestone herself and talk with his mother. She explains Itsuki's guilty feelings and asks that he be forgiven. Itsuki finds Suzu talking with his mom and thanks her for what she's doing.

Karin: 恥の１８「かりんの初恋と麻希のおせっかい〜First Love〜」 (Karin's First Love and Maki's Nosiness): It's the start of the second semester and Kenta wants to know what happened to Karin during summer break as she had been acting very strange. During lunch, they sit alone and she explains to him that she doesn't remember but she was trying to hold her blood in and her vampire self took over her consciousness. Karin's friends see the two of them alone and suggest that she and Kenta are dating. She says that she doesn't like him, which Kenta happens to overhear. At work later that night, she explains to Kenta that she can't date humans because she's not a human herself. However, in her bedroom, she cries by herself as she does indeed like him.

Maburaho: 第１３話「ふたり、やくそくがなくても」の巻 (Even If We Didn't Have a Promise): Everyone, especially Yuuna, is concerned about Kazuki's apparently loss of memory from 10 years ago. Akai tells them that if he uses his strongest magic, he may be able to recover that memory. Yuuna says it's okay and that he doesn't need to. However, Kazuki finally admits to Yuuna that he remembers everything and has been keeping quiet about his knowledge. He then summons up the snow that he did years ago when he first promised Yuuna.

Taisetsu na Koto: Step 9 明日へのSTEP (A Step Towards Tomorrow): Nami finds out that her little brother has taken a part-time job and is a little envious that he gets to be with Ryutaro. As she's taking photos, she stumbles upon two kids, Shiori and Muneyuki, who ask her to take a picture of them. As Shiori is about to give Muneyuki a letter, the wind blows it out of her hands and into the trees. Without the letter, Shiori explains that she's moving away and leaving his city and Muneyuki. Muneyuki is then determined to get the letter. Nami has thoughts about the first time she failed in retrieving someone from the trees with her magic, but this time, she tries again and gets the letter to fly back into his hands. After the heartful goodbye, Nami's gains some self-confidence to face Ryutaro.

Nodoka Nobody: 四の湯「心の休日」 (4, Day of Rest for the Heart): Nodoka is visiting a client, Suzuki, whom she has designed a hot springs that is dedicated to his deceased wife. Just on that day, his sister-in-law, Masako, is causing a fuss because at the inn Suzuki owns, they won't let her have any electronics including her cell phone and laptop and keep it for her at the front desk. Miki gets ill so Nodoka has to stay there for the night. He finds out that Masako has always felt guilty because her sister died saving her son. Nodoka has Masako take some timeout and enjoy the bath which calms her and makes her feel a little better. The next day, life is back to usual with cell phone calls and work.

Kannagi: 柱之四　記憶の帰還 (4, The Memories Return): Tomoe escapes the hospital and runs out in front of a shrine. Hijiri and Eri find her, but then see her transform into a monster that swallows up Hijiri. The other members of Hijiri's group tell Eri that they have no choice but to kill the monster, which would take out Hijiri in the process. Eri doesn't like that idea because it would kill Hijiri as well as her childhood friend, Tomoe. Hijiri manages to cut himself out of the beast and walks up to Eri. The two of them finally realize their true selves.

Title: 少年マガジン (Shonen Magazine) Vol. 49
Issue Date: 11/17/2004
Publisher: Kodansha
Pages: 482

This week has a feature on Ghibli's new movie, "Howl's Moving Castle." It's based on an English story by Diana Wynne Jones, a student of J.R.R. Tolkien. Looks interesting, maybe I'll read the book first. No Tsubasa this week, but that's becoming less and less of a surprise. Two chapters of King's Sword are in this volume. The comic, "Stay Gold" concludes.

Suzuka: ＃３６発覚 (Revelation): After kissing Honoka, Yamato agrees to be her girlfriend. Miki witnesses this and contemplates telling Suzuka at the hot springs later that night. The next day, Suzuka invites Yamato to go shopping but he declines. She goes to with Miki instead. When Suzuka asks Miki for her opinion on whether the shirt she picked out would look good on Yamato, Miki tells her what she saw last night.

Hamanaka Ai: ０５８ママさん先生 (Mom the Teacher): Ai is studying for her motorcycle license and is seeking the advice of Masahiko's mother. She gets so into pretending to be a student that she arrives one day in a school uniform.

Negima: ７３時間目　外はフンワリ　中はシッカリ (Soft on the Outside, Hard on the Inside): Asuna wakes up especially early today because of the famous dumpling shop that's open during the preparations for the cultural festival headed by the soft-spoken Satsuki Yotsuba, student 30, cooking genius. While consoling Negi after his failed attempt at getting the class to decide on what to do for the festival, Satsuki tells him that she wants to own her own restaurant someday. Eva tells Negi that Satsuki is the only one she respects because she has her act together. Later that night, Negi accidentally gets drunk and wallows in his depressed. The next morning, Satsuki tells him to cheer up and with that, he regains his motivation.

Changing Now: ２７再集結！！　正義のヒーロー (Regrouping, The Heroes of Justice): After his total defeat, Machina VV has become a regular person working as a clerk in a convenient store. However, when a baddie appears at the store and beckons him, he transforms back into a hero of justice.

King's Sword: １０的盧嘶く (Tekiro Neighs): Ryubi fights off the bandits while he tells Kanu to find the door to the castle so he can open it and let the residents back in and run away. In the head of battle, Ryubi is able to get his horse, Tekiro, to jump and dodge an attack.

King's Sword: １１城門を開けろ！！ (Open the Gate!!): Ryubi isn't able to hold all of them off and some of the peasants get killed. Kanu climbs the walls and gets to the inside of the fort to unlock the doors. He sees that the leaders have run off themselves. He opens it and everyone rushes in.

Full Swing: ７おまえがいたからなんだ (It's Because You Were Here): Tama invites Koto to help him pick out some tennis shoes. They then go and play in the tennis equivalent of a batting cage. After they come back, Tama prepares some spaghetti for Koto and thanks her for what she has done for him.