To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 21

Though the girls in Railgun are a tight-knit bunch, it is indisputable that some members of the group are closer than others. Needless to say, Kuroko serves as being the closest girl to Misaka, and what I really love about her is that she can detect any change in Misaka's vibe. Not only that, but she goes out of her way to cheer Misaka up, without necessarily pushing to know all the facts. She understands that sometimes, the best course of action to take is no action, but to patiently wait out. 

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 20

First of all, it would seem that our beloved, moeblob Febri-chan isn't exactly human... and while this remains to be discerned, a certain fact would be that she hold the secrets that supply the foundation for the entire arc. While this won't burgeon my opinions on Febri at all, Railgun S is beginning to veer towards yet another action-packed season, and I really hope JC Staff won't fall short of my expectations.

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 19

The temptation almost completely overwhelmed me: to make this review solely based around Febri-chan, our latest addition to the cast. While I have resisted outrightly doing so, I can't promise there won't be a heavy inclination in her direction. Other than that, I'm starting to grow really attached to the new OP theme, in spite of my initial distaste.

PSA - To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S

Don't worry, all of the reviews will be going up by tomorrow at the latest. Just have to motivate myself into getting screen caps for the episodes I forgot to get screencaps for. Here are the priority orders for the reviews that I'll be following, and I must apologize to my colleagues for prioritizing the ones I usually cover over theirs.

1. Kiniro Mosaic
2. To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S
3. Free!
4. The World God Only Knows: Goddesses Arc
5. Danganronpa
6. Gen'ei Kakeru wo Taiyo (<-- Dead last for being a dead disappointment)

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 18

You know last time when I mentioned my concern over how they were going to fit the entirety of the next arc into the final few episodes? Well, that has now been answered, with a dreaded filler arc. They never intended to animate the Daihasei Festival Arc, making Shokuhou Misaki's prior introduction utterly useless. Consolation was delivered, with our less stellar replacement Mugino Shizuri taking the spotlight as the fellow Level 5 in this filler, not to mention Kongou-Sama seems to be retaining a fair proportion of involvement, making me excited for the upcoming future prospect. If anything, I truly believe this arc has potential to exceed that of the original material... a statement I'll revoke after careful consideration.

Railgun S - No Episode 18 this week

In regards to this week: a special broadcast was shown. A preview (22 min preview, that is) of the Index movie was shown instead of a new Railgun episode, therefore, Railgun won't be reviewed this week. Thank you for reading this.

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 17

'Study Group'

New OP, New ED, New Arc. With the legacy the Sisters Arc left behind, it'll be hard to follow up, or even live up to the standards Railgun S has set so far. However, this is JC Staff, who can be really good when they want to be. Hopefully, this might be even better than the Sisters Arc, though it's almost certain to be better than Index (what am I saying? I've already read the manga...)

My favourite panel from the OP

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 16

'Sisters'

Though the arc has arrived to its final destination, what a way to end it! Firstly, Misaka and the Sisters band together in order to thwart Accelerator's rampage, which probably would've destroyed Academy City. How they did it was unquestionably smart, and worthy of any genius tactician/strategist. Yet again, there were many philosophical, and ethical undertones, something we won't see again for a long time with the problem now entirely resolved.

He really looks more dead than alive

'I couldn't care less about being a God. And I don't think I can make up for my sins by doing this either. She's my sister. They're all my sisters. That's all there is to it.'

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 15

Immediate reaction: Please get rid of the director for Index, and replace him for Railgun's director: Tatsyuki Nagai. Honestly, despite being one of the greatest moments in all anime, I've come to understand Index completely rushed (hence ruined) this scene in the anime. I had come in ready to get bored by the endless deja vu, and disappointed due to the lack of new material. Suffice to say, Railgun S outclassed Index by lightyears, and took me to a completely new world. If one thing's certain, it's that the Plasma scene was 100x better than the original, as shown below.

It doesn't take a chump to guess which one is which

To Aru Kagaku Railgun S - 14

'Promise'

She is not alone, no matter how one looks at the situation. However, though weighted down by her own plight, along with her Sister's, Misaka continues to make the moral decision of leaving out her friends. Whether she's worried about them getting hurt (possibly killed) on her behalf, I can't help but notice her every action is driven by the sheer belief she herself is responsible for everything, and only the Railgun can be allowed to solve the problem. Fortunately, a certain, amnesiac idiot manages to instill some common sense, and lateral thinking into her. Fate brought the two together, and a sequence of coincidences may lead to the ultimate, and unlikely resolution to Misaka's long running problems.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S Episode 13 - Narrowing Paths

To begin, I need to say that this episode was almost the same as watching Index's corresponding scenes. This, however, was no let-down, due to the improved art, and in-depth story J.C. Staff has put their effort into. Starting with Accelerator's face-off (could be counted as one-sided slaughter, you can decide) with Clone #10031 (the individual clone which was the first to appear before Kamijou), the episode covers only from the 10031st experiment and Kamijou finding the truth of his acquaintance's 'Sisters'.

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 12

The Loss of the Diagram

Our commoner hero makes an appearance, which is not much of a change in situation for our heroine (who isn't quite yet in love). The episode begins with a childhood memory of Mikoto, when she was very young (biologically younger than Last Order, I presume). Misuzu, her mother, fixes her thumbless Gekota plushie (which I found strange, as Mikoto was supposedly attached to a different merchandise series called 'Kiruguma' according to an episode in season 1) in her sleep to cheer her up. Mikoto knows that this heartwarming scene is nowhere near a depiction of the real world she faces, but wishes that all of the past few weeks was all a dream. She declares to herself that she will end it all.

The more wild-looking Misuzu with Mikoto in Last-Order form.

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 11

Misaka's cynical, pessimistic inner monologue is abruptly cut short with the arrival of our favourite idiot, Kamijou Touma. Here, we come to see the circumstances under which they first met, as well as how Touma never ceases to put himself on the line for others, regardless of the situation. By this point, in spite of being a Level 0 Esper, he has shown himself to be removed from the norm, as  well as helping a stranger in a situation where he would probably have nothing to gain other than a harsh beating. As negatively outlined, people generally come to accept the status quo, and accept their mere quantity in life. Touma is an exception to this rule, being unable to ignore any damsel in distress. He's the quintessence of a completely  normal hero who demonstrates their worth through reckless determination, and courage. Nevertheless, this establishes the core behind a strange, albeit close friendship.

"If there’s anyone willing to stand up for a stranger, they’re either an idiot or...” a wild Touma...

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 10

Passing the Baton

Our 10^th week into this series ties its ends into the 3^rd arc of Index. The complete reversal of roles in attack and defence between the two Level 5 espers appeared to me as if it was portraying their mental states; Mikoto attacks the facility out of desperation, doing whatever it takes to avoid her clones being killed like lab rats, whereas Mugino defends for money, and treated it like one of her many jobs, in which she is likely to have killed her opponents in battle. Also, Mikoto chose clothes which give her the mobility she needs, however Muginowears some casual, fashionable clothes, which also shows the plans both had prior to encountering her enemy. Just as I felt last week from Frenda’s line on all of her victim’s life becomes void as soon as she kills him or her, what you fight for does not contribute to the outcome of the struggles faced to achieve the goal. In the end, winner takes all.

The battle continues, and Misaka decides to take advantage of the explosive dolls Frenda carelessly left behind by placing metal pieces in them and using her electrical powers to manipulate them in the air. Mugino responds by showing she has the tools to cover the weakness of her skill, that is, the fact she cannot shoot many rays at once. She shows off her ‘Silicon Burn’ plates by turning a single one of her beams into a spray of green, exploding most of the dolls in mid-air. Mugino’s speech becomes slightly ruder, and she refers to Mikoto as a ‘shitty brat’ (くそガキ Kusogaki) and a 'scuttling cockroach'.

How ironic. She uses many copies of a man-made item in a fight to save her artificial clones

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S Episode 9

Data and Facility

Mikoto’s desperate fight against Frenda and her assorted tricks and traps has ended, only to be confronted by Academy City’s 4^th most powerful esper, Shizuri Mugino. It seems that the existence of the Level 5's in Academy City is well known, but their details aren't as famous (although Mikoto’s name, school and ability seem to be, as are Accelerator’s), as neither of the Level 5's identify each other. Mugino picks up from where Frenda left at cornering Mikoto.

Meanwhile, Shinobu, managing to sneak out of the room she was asked to stay in, climbs down the ladder into the basement of the facility, scheming to free the Sisters by overwriting the emotion data installed to their minds using the Testament. Her knowledge of the project and her lack of destructive powers make her take a different approach to seize the project.

The different ways the two try to stop the Radio Noise Project reflects their places in Academy City’s society: scientist and test subject, theory and practical, connections and force. Academy City’s dark side is proved to be a place where anything can and will happen for those who dare oppose it.

KA-ME-HA-ME-HAAAAAA!

A Certain Scientific Railgun S – 08

Explosives Expert vs The 'Railgun'

Frenda Seivulun looks quite innocent here...

This week, underground esper group ITEM make their flashy entrance in style, taking out an armed unit of 'Men in Black' unscathed. Led by Academy City's 4th strongest Esper, Mugino 'Meltdowner' Shizuri, this mean bunch of girls receive the mission to stop an unknown attacker from destroying facilities involved in the Level 6 Shift Project. Regardless of the clients goals being good or bad, they will take the job, as long as there is a hefty pay check at the end.