UQ Holder! Complete Collection

Adapted from a 2013 manga, which was itself a sequel to Negima!—also made into an anime series (VL-9/08)—UQ Holder! is set a couple of generations after the initial story about Negi Springfield, a boy who goes through a series of adventures in his quest to become a full-fledged mage. Here, the focus is on Tōta Konoe, an orphan adopted by Yukihime, who turns out to be a centuries-old vampire mage. When Tōta is injured, she turns him into a vampire, and together the pair travel from their village to a version of Tokyo, where Yukihime is revealed as a leading member of the titular society of immortals, bringing along with them Kurōmaru Tokisaka, another youth they convince to become their ally (who is eventually shown to be a girl enamored of Tōta). Over the course of the series, Tōta is revealed as the grandson of Negi, and he faces off against a raft of opponents, some contemporary along with others returned from his grandfather’s world; Negi himself appears as well, though not in completely friendly guise, and the run ends with Tōta determined to save Negi from his foes, setting the stage for a possible sequel. UQ Holder! presents a mixture of rather benign fantasy (complete with some syrupy music), teen romance, and action, and while the combination is not always smoothly managed, overall the series is colorful and reasonably engaging. Compiling all 12 episodes from 2017 in a dual-language Blu-ray edition, rated TV-MA, extras include three bonus OVAs and Japanese promos. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)