To Aru Kagaku no Railgun
| To Aru Kagaku no Railgun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Original Manga | Motoi Fuyukawa |
| Director | Tatsuyuki Nagai |
| Format | Anime (TV) |
| Made By | J.C. Staff |
| # of Episodes | 48 over two seasons |
Contents
Genre
Sum it up in a Sentence:
The day-to-day adventures of a walking electric superweapon as she fights bad guys and chills with her friends.
Main Description
Academy City is a sprawling metropolis where science and technology are said to be decades ahead of the rest of world. Of its 2.3 million residents, most of Academy City is comprised of students. However, the students of Academy City don't learn reading, writing, and arithmetic, they learn to cultivate esper powers. Psychic abilities which manifest in a variety of types and magnitudes. One of the most powerful of these espers is Misaka Mikoto, The Railgun. A tomboyish middle-schooler with the ability to generate powerful electric currents. Together with her teleporting roommate and member of student-run peace-keeping organization Judgment Shirai Kuroko, fellow Judgment officer and resident hacker wiz Uiharu Kazari, and non-esper everygirl Saten Ruiko, Misaka defends Academy City against criminal espers, gang warfare, and the machinations of more than a few mad scientists.
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Personal Opinions
Redcrimson
Railgun is somewhat unconventional for a shounen action series. Most obviously, it is a spin-off side-story based on the To Aru Majutsu no Index Light Novels. Thankfully, Railgun more than stands on its own, as its parent series is generally underwhelming. Secondly, the cast is 99% female, from the heroes to the villains. Which frames the characters and their struggles from a somewhat different angle(for both good and bad) than the show's mostly male-centered contemporaries. Railgun is also much more character-driven than its counterparts. While it does still stick to the arc-based bad-guy-of-the-moment storytelling that is a hallmark of the genre, it also allows itself to slow down and explore its characters. And the cast is what truly sets Railgun apart. Misaka, divorced from role as tsundere love-interest to Index's Touma, stands on her own as a competent but flawed heroine brimming with personality and nuance. The rest of the girls sport equally colorful personalities and a fun group dynamic, while being fully-realized characters in their own right. The animation is mostly solid, particularly in the second season, with imaginative action set-pieces and crisp-looking day-to-day segments. It's not astounding, but it's more than serviceable throughout. Funimation's dub is pretty terrible. With awkward translation choices, flat line-readings, amateurish Japanese pronunciation, and should be avoided if possible. There's also a fair bit of comedic fanservice that while not overwhelming, can definitely be off-putting if your tolerance for that kinda shit is low. Ultimately, Railgun is a solidly entertaining action anime amidst moments of genuinely smart and emotional storytelling, with a cast of likable and dynamic characters.
