So, what’s a “UQ” and why are we holding it?
Yesterday, manga artist Ken Akamatsu took to Twitter to announce that a UQ Holder! anime series is in the works. The full announcement will appear in this week’s issue of Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine.
本日発売の週刊少年マガジンで、いよいよ『ＵＱホルダー』のアニメ化が発表されました！詳細はまだですが、ＵＱホルダーは「魔法先生ネギま」の続編に相当しますので、ネギま時代から続けて登場しているキャラクター（エヴァンジェリンなど）は可能な限り同じ声優さんに演じて頂きたいと考えています。
— 赤松 健 ⋈（参議院議員・全国比例） (@KenAkamatsu) June 21, 2016
Rough Translation: The new Weekly Shonen Magazine, which hit stores today, finally announced that a “UQ Holder” anime is in the works! While no details are available right now, since UQ Holder! is seen as a sequel to Mahou Sensei Negima!, I’m hoping that the characters who’ve appeared since Negima! (like Evangeline) will be played by the same actresses. Well, as many as possible.
Akamatsu also revealed that UQ Holder! is jumping publications. In the near future, the series will be published in Monthly Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. Akamatsu cited his age, as well as a desire to make room for younger talent as a reason for the change.
そして『ＵＱホルダー』の連載は、発表場所を月刊の「別冊マガジン」に移します。もう私も４８才ですし(^^;)、２３年間もマガジンでやってきて、体力的には相当厳しくなってきました。そろそろ後進に席を譲り、今後は６割くらいの仕事量で、少し余裕を持って作家活動をやっていければと思います。
— 赤松 健 ⋈（参議院議員・全国比例） (@KenAkamatsu) June 21, 2016
Rough Translation: Also, “UQ Holder” is moving its serialization to Monthly Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. I’m already 48 years old (^^; ), and I’ve been working on weekly serialized projects in the magazine for 23 years. The job has become too strenuous for me, physically. I’d like to yield my seat to my juniors. I hope that, with roughly 60 percent of my current workload, I can keep working as an artist with a bit more leeway in my activities.
UQ Holder! began publication in Weekly Shonen Magazine in August 2013. The series currently spans 10 collected volumes, with the next collected book due to hit Japanese book stores on July 15.
Ken Akamatsu kicked off his career in 1994, with A.I. Love You (A.I. ga Tomaranai!). The series, which ran through 1997, spanned nine collected volumes. After his success with the title, Akamatsu made his grand splash on the global stage with Love Hina. The title, which ran from 1998 through 2001, spanned 14 collected volumes, and sold over 6 million books over the course of its run. Love Hina received received a 25-episode anime series in 2000, as well as a pair of OVAs in 2001 and 2002.
In 2003, Akamatsu kicked off Negima! Magister Negi Magi. The series ran in the pages of Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 2003 through 2012, and spanned 38 collected volumes. Negima! spawned several anime adaptations, including a 3-episode OVA series in 2004 , a 26-episode anime series in 2005, numerous OVAs (which were directed by Monogatari director Akiyuki Shimbo), a film in 2011, and a live-action drama series in 2007.
Several spinoffs from the project, including 2006 series Negima? and 2010 manga Negiho, have also been released.
Source: Twitter (KenAkamatsu)
