Cardcaptor’s Blog

In every shounen manga/anime/game that involves a motley crew of do-gooders storming a villain’s hideout, there definitely are scenes in which the hero’s friends would stay behind to hold care of enemies, saying cheesy lines like “Leave this to me” and allowing the main guy to proceed, This is basically what happen in this chapter.

Okay, let us start with the summary. Mana’s so-called Bullet of Compulsory Time Leap (B.C.T.L) hits the trolley, explodes, and makes it disappear. However, Negi and people in the trolley is intact because of Negi’s timely use of Cassiopeia. When Mana asks what he did, Negi simply answers “It’s a corperate secret.” (LOL)

A corperate secret saved their asses.

Leave this to me #1: Kaede tells Negi to go ahead, and Negi readily complies. Before leaving, Yue asks Mana if the cause of Chao’s undertaking has anything to do with the fate of mankind. Mana answers that it’s neither something of that SF-y grandiose, nor any difference from the tragedies in the world nowadays. After the gang leave, Kaede asks why Mana let them go so easily. She answers that Kaede would shoot all the bullets down, and the principle not to waste ammunition.

As the group run along, they are greeted by a group of Chachamaru look-alikes, who attack without hesitation. (See the picture below.) The middle one attacks Ku Fei with her fist, and manages to shock her opponent with her two “tentecles.” (Sorry. I don’t know what to call those appendages.) The other two robots shoot B.C.T.L. to Negi and other girls, but the bullets were blocked by Paru-sama’s ultimate technique “Dancing (Wriggling?) Kamo Grand Parade.”

To be honest, I think they are quite sexy.

Hissatsu: Wriggling Kamo Grand Parade

Leave this to me #2: Negi asks the robot most resembling Chachamaru whether she is Chachamaru. Hearing the answer that she’s just a short-middle range combat program installed into Chachamaru’s new body, not Chahamaru, Ku Fei attacks the Chachamaru look-alike, and sends her flying to one of her sister. (But the damage to them isn’t that great though.) Ku Fei immediately pull the leave-this-to-me line, saying that, if Chao is really doing a bad thing, she wants Negi to stop her best friend. Paru-sama joins the Kung Fu master, calling upon her signature golum, the Blade Queen.

Ku Fei: Well then… Shall we do it in the most flashy way possible, Haruha?

Leave this to me #3: This one is quick. After leaving Ku Fei and Paru, Negi is sniped by a Tanaka robot from the roof of a building. Although Negi manages to react and sends Sagitta Magica the robot’s way, his body becomes stiff after using the technique, unable to dodge the bullet. Nodoka, who has been completely useless since quite a number of chapters ago, pushes Negi away and takes the bullet herself. (This is SOOOO shounen-ish!)

I thought for a moment that she was nopan seeing the first picture. Then I saw the frills just below the knees…

The chapter ends with Negi’s becoming angsty because he thinks he has caused people so much trouble, and Yue’s reminding him that it’s all the reason he has to stop Chao.

Impressions

This chapter is battle intensive, so it was pretty quick to read. The vocabs weren’t that bad either. It seems that I have managed to remember some repeated technical words such as 障壁, 銃弾, etc. Being to read the chapter without having to check the dictionary every now and then makes the chapter more enjoyable although I think that the chapther is just average in terms of enjoyment.

The battle with the Chachamaru three sisters is well done. Ku Fei is as cool as ever, and Paru-sama’s technique is very amusing. I LOLed when Kamo said that he somehow cannot accept the technique.

The I-sacrifice-my-life-for-you scene with Nodoka is too much of a cliche. Why does Akamatsu-sensei decides to kill her off so easily? Nodoka can still be very useful because she can read Chao’s mind and leads Negi to victory. (Well, but that would make the battle too easy for him, wouldn’t it?) Oh, by the way, Nodoka is cute, her clothes too.

Vocab