To Aru Kagaku no Railgun - 08 November 21
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Summary:
Uiharu has gotten sick recently, and while going to deliver some medicine, Saten runs into Mikoto and Kuroko. All three of them go to visit their sick friend, and Uiharu ends up asking about if there’s been any progress on the graviton case. The mystery still is how a Level 2 was able to use Level 4 powers, and Mikoto is reminded of how Saten told her about the Level Upper. Since Saten doesn’t know the exact details of it, they refer to a related BBS, and Mikoto and Kuroko go to investigate a gathering spot to learn more about it. While those two are gone, Saten takes care of Uiharu and wonders what would happen if she herself used the Level Upper. She laments her own lack of power, especially compared to her friends, and while Uiharu can relate to that, she reminds Saten of how much fun they all have together.
Mikoto and Kuroko meanwhile arrive at the restaurant gathering spot, and Mikoto pretends to be an innocent girl who wants to learn about the Level Upper. Her act attracts the attention of a group of thugs, and they take her to a back alley to take advantage of her. Mikoto finds herself with no choice but to fry all of them with her electricity, and she’s then faced with the female leader of the group. This new girl has the ability to control the viscosity of asphalt, but it’s still no match for Mikoto’s ability. Unfortunately, not only does Mikoto not learn anything useful, but she also realizes too late that she unleashed a huge blast right next door to a power station, and it took out power across the city. The next day, Kuroko alerts Mikoto to how the culprit from the previous case has suddenly lost consciousness, and the baffled hospital doctors have brought in an outside specialist: Kiyama Harumi. Back in her own apartment, Saten is still trying to find the Level Upper and stumbles upon a hidden link pointing to it.
Preview
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This wasn’t a bad episode by any means, but the main question on my mind after seeing it was why Touma was completely taken out. As those of you who have read the manga might remember, Touma was supposed to appear and end up facing Mikoto’s wrath in a bridge scene that mirrors the one in the very beginning of Index. I always really appreciated that as a sign of how the two series are connected and parallel, but unless they’ve decided to move it to later (which would feel awkward given the potential need to repeat the circumstances and blackout aftermath), it looks like that connection might be gone. Instead we had here a random girl who made for a decent fight, but that scene didn’t carry anywhere near the same weight as the Touma one would have.
On a different note, I also found it odd that Judgment didn’t have more smart people working on the level mismatch problem in the graviton case. It seems like the kind of thing that would raise a lot of red flags, and surely someone else in Judgment or Anti-Skills has heard of the Level Upper urban legend and put two and two together. And yet here we are, and it’s always Uiharu, Saten, Kuroko, or Mikoto in the lead. It’s not a bad thing because obviously they’re the main characters, and it’s fun to watch them in action, as Mikoto’s innocent act and Kuroko’s reaction this episode clearly showed, but it still bothers me a bit. Oh well… On the plus side, the story is really getting going now, and it looks like next episode should have a lot of Saten and Kuroko.
fullmetalQAF at 5:16 am on November 21st, 2009
First! Aw, no Touma!
Samurai Pumpkin at 5:17 am on November 21st, 2009
I hope that they aren’t trying to avoid tying the two anime’s together. That kind of takes away from the point. Would be disappointing. Although at the beginning of the episode they always start out by showing the date some I still have my hopes up.
Also for those interested in the series like another 6 translated chapters have been made available for this manga over the past 3 days. It has some interesting content.
7 at 5:17 am on November 21st, 2009
no touma? ftl
Fayt at 5:18 am on November 21st, 2009
Slow episode this week, and as mentioned, cutting out Touma and putting that girl in … >_>
Only highlight was Misaka’s act + Kuroko’s headbanging XD
Samurai Pumpkin at 5:19 am on November 21st, 2009
It’s funny how in To Aru Majutsu no Index everybody can’t stand Touma… but here we actually like seeing him from time to time. I can understand why though. His brief appearances have been well done.
I just remember trying to tune him out when he went on his long spiel’s in the original anime.
Rockfest at 5:25 am on November 21st, 2009
In this part of the actual manga, Touma does appear, however it was similar to the episode 1 scene for Index (which was their first meeting). J.C. Staff appears to be trying to combine the two series’ plotlines so that they flow co-currently. So to reduce the amount of confusion, they took him out. There’ll be more Touma to come. Let the Level Upper arc finally begin!
Kinny Riddle at 5:28 am on November 21st, 2009
Hey they changed the scene with Touma. A pity actually, since that was a crossover scene between the two series.
Kuruko continues to demonstrates the durability of her head is by her table-headbanging again. XD
Saten and Uiharu really make a good pair, mirroring Biribiri and Kuroko. I like how Uiharu complained about getting a cold because Saten kept flicking her skirt, which Saten said was to check whether Uiharu had her panties on.
magnumslinger at 5:34 am on November 21st, 2009
It was a decent episode, but I was so disappointed that Touma’s part was taken out.
BTW, has anyone read the manga recently. They’ve finally scanlated the Mikoto POV of the Sisters arc. It’s cute, cool, awesome, badass, funny, bittersweet and so many other things.
Nazarielle at 6:16 am on November 21st, 2009
It would feel a bit weird to have Mikoto’s encounter with him on that bridge in this episode… after she has a full on fight with him in episode 4 out in that field, where she finds out all about him being able to nullify her power. In episode 1 of Index, she has no idea why he’s able to defend against her power, and then she demands a fight with him later in the episode. It doesn’t make sense for her to do that AFTER having already had a fight in episode 4.
kokweng at 7:01 am on November 21st, 2009
i tot touma supose to be hero here >< “
Orphen at 7:04 am on November 21st, 2009
what?!?!? no MikoTou interaction?!?!
D_V_K at 7:23 am on November 21st, 2009
The restaurant scene here and the first scene in Index take place at different times: Touma mentions summer vacation has started in his opening monologue, while this was a school day.
@Rockfest: The bridge scene in Index wasn’t their first meeting, Touma already knows she is one of the level 5’s and has a habit of blasting people that annoy her.
@Nazarielle: Mikoto witnessed Touma’s ability twice already before the fight in episode 4 (in episode 2 and the flashback of the first meeting)
Maximatum99 at 7:53 am on November 21st, 2009
It’s a cover up I tell you! Judgment is actually behind it to protect the scientists while they carry out a massive experiment upon the public. Yes, a conspiracy theory! I have never read the manga so I am just saying random stuff. This is Random Curiosity, no?
Litho at 8:52 am on November 21st, 2009
Hmm…
From the screencaps, seems there’s no Touma appearence this week
Not downloading, then.
magnumslinger at 8:58 am on November 21st, 2009
Has anyone noticed how most people watch Index for Mikoto, and how these same people watch Railgun for Touma?
ToumaxBiribiri FTW!
Ence at 9:25 am on November 21st, 2009
…Well. This episode was interesting in and of itself. Some interesting theories pop up in my head concerning the Level Upper. I’m not certain if this classifies as spoiler since I’ve never read the manga or the novel but I feel they made the “mystery” of the level upper too easy. It’s a song. Remember bomb boy? He was always listening to music. Bet you anything it was the level upper. Perhaps, listening to it more increases your power. My current thoughts concerning it have to do with the matter of personal realities and AIM. They wouldn’t just throw something like that in just so they could ha e Saten get teacher harassed and then a subsequent conversation withUihara. My thought is that the level upper alters oneself through the music by affecting the brain. The usage of the level upper could alter the procceses within the brain causing a trigger in increase in AIM (An Involuntary Movement). Those with strong senses of perception toward the world they live in (whether good or bad) can then increase their powers fairly rapidly. As such, the crimnals harboring strong feelings like hatred or Uihara’s personal obsession with being like Mikoto could trigger such a thing. Basically those with personal realities of substantial size. As for the unconsiousness, I suspect the level upper is not permanent but rather requires the fairly constant dosage of the music to maintain the artificially increased AIM. The lack of that source most likely led to a drop that the altered brain couldn’t follow. Perhaps if they were able to do a before and after brain wave comparison, something like this would show up. However, that would mean that as the Anti-skill doctors said, the body appears fine but they have no consiousness. Whether it’s possible to regress back to normal or not appears dependent on how far along the alteration (level increase) was progressed.
Disclaimer: the above is purely theory alone sprung from my demented head. I have no idea if it’s right or wrong. Please don’t take it at face value and treat it as fact ><
m at 9:36 am on November 21st, 2009
I’ll give them a tomato if they don’t try to attribute magic to quantum mechanics anymore.
Kaminakun at 9:38 am on November 21st, 2009
The Index scene would only cause confusion to the viewers as that was the first time Biribiri had a fight with Touma (which is clearly not the case here in Railgun). I think there was nothing wrong in this episode (except the fight could have been longer…), but overall, well done!
Village Idiot at 9:51 am on November 21st, 2009
@Kaminakun
No, the scene in Index clearly indicates that Touma had met BiriBiri before as he tried to save those delinquints from HER instead of the other way around.
That and it was also the first time BiriBiri fired her railgun at him.
ewok at 11:14 am on November 21st, 2009
Aww, Kuroko love madness!!!
headdesk!
Other than that, I am worried about saten using level upper since all users end up in a coma…