Anime Hajime Review: A Certain Scientific Railgun

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for A Certain Scientific Railgun. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Academy City boasts a thirty-year technological gap when compared to any other city in the world. It's the leader in every conceivable field. This thanks in large part to a population comprising of 80% students. If that wasn’t enough, many of these students are espers possessing a variety of psychic powers.

One of these students is Mikoto Misaka (voiced by Rina Sato). Though she looks like a typical middle school girl, she is anything but. Mikoto is one of the most powerful espers in the city. Being designated as one of a handful of rank five power levels. The one and only Railgun. Harnessing a tremendous ability, she doesn’t consider herself any better than her fellow students.

That said, having such remarkable power attracts certain attention. Mikoto is often investigating incidences with her close friend, Kuroko Shirai (voiced by Satomi Arai).

Together, these two make a formidable pair. Adding to their strength, they're supported by their friends Kazari Uiharu (voiced by Aki Toyosaki) and Ruiko Saten (voiced by Kanae Ito). When all four are working together, they are a near undefeatable team.

Helpful since Academy City is filled with people seeking to unlock power. Powers that could destroy everything.

Series Positives

I’ve gone and f@#$ up, guys. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but sometimes things like this slip through the cracks. After a quick reshuffle of the upload schedule, I think we’ll be okay.

Mikoto

I didn’t realize that A Certain Scientific Railgun wasn't the first entry in the series. That distinction belongs to A Certain Magical Index. Granted, Railgun is a side story, not a sequel; I believe. Again, I can’t be too sure since I have yet to look at Index.

Kuroko

Now I've almost made this mistake before and there are certain steps that come into play. The main being, pausing the show immediately and getting caught up. Except, certain factors prevented me from doing this-this time.

Uihara

The first was noticing the mistake a little too late. Perhaps that’s not a good enough reason, but it got compounded. A bad mixture of time constraints and perpetual procrastination. It was doubtful if a review could've gotten released on time. This became a bigger problem when dealing with series that have twenty-four episodes a piece. There aren't enough hours in my free time and exhaustion is a son of a bitch.

That in mind, it pales in comparison to the larger issue. I know I could've figured something out, rendering the limited time argument moot. I would've stopped watching. Yet, I couldn’t stop watching. I was hooked.

A Certain Scientific Railgun is fantastic.

Saten

Although I plan to review Index as soon as possible, this panic's an exaggeration. While the two series occupy the same space and time, they're separate. You don’t need to watch the first to watch this one. References existed, but they were either rare or negligible. Only because of my realization did it even register when a cameo was happening. Sure, I couldn’t enjoy them as much as I otherwise would have. However, they did not and will not take away enjoyment from this show.

 

I see it as a blessing in disguise. Not only is there a second season of Railgun, there are also two seasons of Index. All twenty-four episodes a pop. We’re going to be with this universe for a while and I cannot be more thrilled.

Academy City

Just the premise of this world was enough to get me on board. An entire city dedicated to scientific advancements and academics. And the vast majority of its residents are students. Plus, many of those students have superpowers. And some of those powers are sick as f@#$. Okay, I’m intrigued.

What can a story do with that kind of setup? Well in the case of Railgun, something pretty amazing.

I except Academy City as a place that exists. It behaved exactly how a metropolis of super smart super powered people would behave. Yes, some ridiculousness happened. There were a lot of over the top antics. But you buy it under these circumstances. If there's a point where something is too farfetched, I don’t see it.

It was more than that, though. The social dynamics of the city made it more believable. Think about it. You have individuals with either great physical power or are in positions of high authority. Most of them aren't bad. Prejudices might form and with that animosity. Yet, big lines don't often get crossed.

Too bad there are those who do abuse their status. Pure contempt for those lower than them. Imagine if you’re a rank one esper who's always belittled by some asshole-ish rank threes. It’s not a stretch to see how some people might feel a little inferior.

Now I want you to imagine this again, but as a level zero. That’s right, no power. You’re just an average human in a place filled with superhumans. I bet some days will be a bit harder than others.

Railgun did a great job of illustrating all this. But, it not only had this tension exist, it showed time and time again that it could be overcome.

Power Balance

So the social political make of Academy City is all well and good. But there was something this series did that I need to praise. Because not enough shows do it.

 

Power balance. What do I mean by that?

Mikoto, despite how awesome she is, is an oddity. Level fives are rare. You can count on your fingers how many exist. They're the exception, not the rule. It’s great to have them on your side, but odds are you’re not going to have them. Who do you turn to then?

You go to the more abundant level fours. And level fours are not pushovers. They're powerful combatants and can hold their own in a fight. They're not plot devices that can get nerfed whenever it’s convenient for the story.

Mikoto didn’t solve every single problem. She had to rely on her friends. When Mikoto and her group faced-off against someone, Mikoto dealt with the biggest issue. Yet she could focus all her attention on that issue. Her teammates, particularly Kuroko, could handle wave after wave of grunts. All without breaking a sweat.

It wasn’t something like in Dragon Ball Z were if there was a problem Goku was the only one who dealt with it. Despite handfuls of other fighters more interesting than Goku who could've handled the situation.

The Characters

I’m shocked Railgun was twenty-four episodes. It could've been thirteen. Would it still have been good? I think so. Would it have been as good? No way in hell.

This was an example of a show with a long episode count, that made every episode count. By the end of the season, we knew the four mains from top to bottom.

There were things that needed to get dealt with. But when that wasn’t happening, the series gave us time to get to know the characters. Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten were the main reason why this show was as fun as it was.

The incredible action was because of them. Railgun’s comedy was funny because of them. The story’s deeper moments came from them. They were able to be goofy and silly. But when they had to focus, they meant business. And since we got to know them so well, they could mix the two ends together whenever.

Throughout the show, Kuroko's unashamed perverted crush on Mikoto was a running joke. She would go to extremes. At every opportunity, this was established. One time when Mikoto was in the bath, she and Kuroko were having a real discussion. They were trying to decide their next move and weighing what consequences would come of it. As they continued their talk, Kuroko walked into the bathroom. Only to be instantly reprimanded by Mikoto for crossing yet another line.

It was hilarious. But it didn’t kill the mood. It didn’t break the tension. That bit of humor didn’t undermine the seriousness of the situation. Why? It’s because that was how these characters would react.

Series Negatives

Even though I loved this show, I’ve got one complaint right off the bat. There was way too much pseudoscience speak in this series.

Explanations spiraled into incomprehensible nonsense real quick. It got a little obnoxious at points. These moments were also rendered meaningless. All problems got taken care of the same way. Just beating the s@#$ out of it. Two plus two equals four is as straightforward as a fist to the face was effective.

While Railgun did go a tad overboard, it was few and far between. It also didn’t last long. Good thing too because that was a straight shot path to insufferable.

Too Big Too Early

This setup's nothing new. For shows as long as this, it normally means two major crises at the middle and end.

The mistake Railgun made was that it went too big in the middle one. The finale did step it up, but the damage was done. Following the events of the mid-season, it made it impossible for the show to set up surprises.

Villains stuck out like a sore thumb. You could see them coming a mile away. The story did try to play it up. It tried having twist moments. It didn't work because any twist was apparent from the moment of introduction.

What an odd and convenient place for you to show up. I, without out a shred of sarcasm, believe you’re on the up and up.

Though disappointing to see, how did it affect the ending? Like I said, the show stepped it up. The finale was quite badass.

Final Thoughts

If I could turn back time, I would want to see A Certain Magical Index first. On the few occasions when a reference was noticeable, it would've made this show just a tad more enjoyable. It’s fine, though. A Certain Scientific Railgun did a pretty damn good job doing that itself.

The story's great. The action's awesome. The characters are fun. This was great. If anything, it’s putting a higher standard for Index to meet. I hope that it does and Railgun doesn’t turn out to be the one and only gem.

There's no issue with watching this one first. If Index does turn out to play a bigger role than I thought, it doesn’t matter. This series is strong enough to stand firm on its own.

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