It’s every man’s dream. Find me a man who won’t ignite the fire on his loins while looking at this picture, and I might gladly kill myself. Wait, Shin’s one. OHSHI-

Why? Why decline a non-realistic show that aims, or at least pretends to be, slice-of-life? Why not settle for it because it passed the Three Tests To Determine If A Show Is Slice-Of-Life? Or maybe not either of those. The real question is this: Does it pay to hate it not because the entirety of the show pretended to be slice-of-life, but because the manliness of the show made it pretend it’s slice-of-life?

Cromartie High School? Slice-of-life? Holy shit, that would kick ass! I would do anything to live in a world where it’s plausible, let alone ordinary, to go to school with a sentient robot, a sushi-making gorilla, and Freddie Mercury. Unfortunately, Cromartie High School is the least realistic anime I have ever seen.

Baka-Raptor (1/10/2010)

Let’s take Great Teacher Onizuka as an example of a show that is both rated as manly and slice-of-life: Onizuka applies as a teacher, Onizuka gets a problem class. Then, Onizuka falls down from the Nth floor of the school building, severely crushing the vice-principal’s poor Cresta below, while being nearly unharmed himself. And oh, did I mention he’s also into BDSM, kidnapping, and suicide? I don’t know if any of that is slice-of-life to you, but that’s plenty manly, if not GAR, to anyone.

Let’s take another example: Golden Boy. We have an intelligent guy who knows a lot of things, who travels the Earth and electric poles using his miracle bicycle that can outrun motorbikes. Speed?  We have it! Electric bio-insulation? Not a problem! Programming and coding of a high-class, thesis-caliber company program BY MERE OBSERVATION? Piece of cake! Harem route? Wait, whatthisissliceofliferightoramirite?

Golden Boy is a story of manliness.

Well, no, not really. It’s a story of life, of the energy and ambition of youth, and-

No, no, it’s not that either. It’s a story of the manliness of youth, the energy and ambition that only true men have.

ETERNAL (1/3/2010)

Men. They have already been known in the past as the gender that never fails to impress… almost. If there’s anything inclined to insanity, murder, or anything that involves the extreme and the absurd, all eyes point their gazes on the man. They think of themselves as someone who thinks outside of the box. They think of themselves as invincible, passionate, juvenile, indestructible, taboo, the pinnacle of anything and everything that will claim everyone’s hearts, especially the girls. Attention whoring, be it direct or indirect, or we can just call mating and procreation instinct bullshit.

Maybe it’s true. Manliness is sometimes what labels a show as  slice-of-life. It shows how the insanity is labeled as something normal, if not something positive, interesting, or impressive altogether. It shows and explores the capabilities of what men, or mankind in general, can do. It may or may not have a plot. It may or may not be what is or was intended to be. It may be stupid, absurd, unbelievable, or something that’s not really going to appeal to the general public. Then again, if there’s so much man in your slice-of-life, wouldn’t it be better to call it slice-of-man instead?

But the sudden twist of the upcoming chapter has broken the traditional relationship between Magistra and Ministra Magi. Why? Take a look at this!

THIS IS SO HAS MIYABI-INDUCING MANY LEVELS!!!ONESEVENELEVEN117

FINALLY! THE PACTIO EVERYONE’S BEEN WAITING FOR IS HERE! The inner Miyabi in me is pleased! I mean, if it weren’t for Asuna’s cockblock before the New World arc, this one’s already pulled off. But thanks to said cockblock, Akamatsu has been given a chance to pull it off with a much more impressive grandioso! KONOSETSU BANZAIIIII!

Considering the Pactio system does not forbid having multiple contracts with multiple ministra Magi (Negi’s initial case with his students), as well as a Magistra Magi becoming a Ministra Magi under another Magistra Magi (Negi’s current case for his Pactio with Theo), the first instance of a Ministra Magi having more than one Magistra Magi finally surfaces, giving light to the fact that the system is indeed probationary. Now, the next thing we need to know is if the previous Pactio is deemed void as the latter Pactio is accepted. If yes, then I’ll have to be justified if Se-chan indeed deserves the Pactio. If no, THEN DO I NEED BE JUSTIFIED?!

Holy shit that’s some LONGASS EMPHASIS kiss for a Pactio. OM NOM NOM!

Furthermore on Pactios, I’ve had a recent debate with Kurogiku here as to how the Eva-chan scroll construct can be able to form a Pactio with Negi. Of course, Kurogiku rejected the theory flat, while I try to convince that it may be possible. Here are some semi-good possibilities:

• If Negi were to make a Pactio with Fake Eva-chan, the possibility of the Pactio getting used outside the New World (remember, Fake Eva-chan is a construct of the original’s scroll, and Akamatsu may or may not have her back on the Old World, so use may be limited) may be possible if the scroll and the real Eva-chan herself have the same “magic readings”. Kurogiku’s counter: The real and the fake ones may or will have different “readings” resulting to different Pactios with incompatible Ministra Magi. But hey, if Fake Eva-chan is Pactio-able, then Negi just needs to use his own Pactio to use whatever artifact Fake Eva-chan has. VERDICT: PLAUSIBLE.
• The scroll has a manifestation of itself, hence the Fake Eva-chan construct. If Negi is able to kiss her, then it’s possible to obtain a Pactio. Kurogiku’s counter: IT’S A FUCKING CONSTRUCT, FROM A FUCKING PIECE OF OLD, WORN-OUT PAPER. No way a magical manifestation is going to have the same essence as the original. It’s like kissing the scroll itself, which is stupid. VERDICT: BUSTED!
• The scroll has a separate manifestation apart from the paper itself, which was proven when Negi and Kotaro trained inside it before the Rakan fight while Fake Eva-chan is manifested. If that is so, then it may mean that Fake Eva-chan is a standalone entity of questionable worth. Kurogiku’s counter: Fake Eva-chan’s still a part of the scroll. Whether or not the scroll can accomodate people is not an issue. VERDICT: PLAUSIBLE.

But okay, let’s face it, fake or no, Evangeline’s not gonna kiss Negi. At least not yet.

So far so good. The rest of us are rooting for the other girls too, especially Makie and Ako (latter one really needs to be done because of all the plot prodding, FOR FUCK’S SAKE). But for now, let us relish the Yuri flag and the route that has been opened before us all. Mahou Ojou Konoka? Possible.

Oh, and we need that Kotaro-Natsumi Pactio too… (thank you Chamo for suggesting that *GJ*)