To Aru Kagaku no Railgun 04
とある科学の超電磁砲」
I probably shouldn’t have watched this episode right after the recent Darker than Black episode; the season’s biggest success pitted against it’s most disappointing - I just hope my judgement hasn’t been clouded. It’s worth noting that although I say this is the most disappointing show of the season doesn’t mean I think it’s the worst - it definitely isn’t. it’s just that, once again I finished this episode with that sad feeling that the truly excellent seinen manga has not nearly been done justice by this anime adaptation. I’m not about to jump ship though. By not being nearly as shit as last episode this episode has pulled me back from the doomsaying stage. Rather than being a disposable waste of time about a story-of-the-week, the episode traded story instead for some appreciable character development and some fleshing out of strange and interesting the Misaka/Touma relationship. Maybe one day an episode of Railgun will be able to deliver story AND character development.
So, although not much happened again, what did happen was at least entertaining enough to be called worthwhile. For Misaka fans it was good seeing her in full-throttle Biri-biri mode. If you look at her character from two perspectives you could say her Railgun side is her cool, composed and sassy, and her Biri-biri side is her tsundere mode. Her crush on Touma brings out her fragile emotions, causing her to flicker between a dangerous bully and a stuttering, blushing young maiden. Her dialogue with Touma is always lots of fun, and accounted for all of the best moments of the episode. I admit I really cracked up during the flashback to their first meeting, when Touma showed up to save her from the forceful advances of a gang of delinquents, only to have his plan of pretending to be her boyfriend thwarted. That and his subsequent humiliation of Misaka by calling her childish is classic Touma/Biri-biri material. Their later moonlit duel was well-animated and featured some interesting tactical use of Biri-biri’s abilities. One consistent plus for Railgun is that, when it does have an action scene, there is little risk of it being choked by a spiel of invasive exposition.
On the other hand, these highlights are kind of worrisome because those scenes are essentially lifted from the manga intact. The original content of the series remains comparatively mediocre. I’m already wishing this had been a 12 episode series - the less stuff these writers have to slip in the better. The introduction of Academy City researcher, Harumi, was taken from the manga and altered a bit to fit it into this episode. Harumi’s character is suitably mysterious and quirky, but this seemed like a really odd way to introduce her - just an arbitrary coincidence. In the manga, they met her while investigating a Judgement matter relevant to the Level Upper case .. not just because she was wondering around trying to find a car park. It seems that’s consistent with the more comical tone of the anime over the manga :\
And while I’m on a downhill rant, I have to bring up the portrayal of Kuroko’s character again. For all the cute, moe fun we got with Biri-biri this episode, Kuroko’s was pushed further done the route of a shallow gag-character. Her extreme reactions to Saten’s urban legend murmurs were just .. inexplicable. Believe me when I say that Kuroko from the manga would never have reacted like that. She may have strong perversions when it comes to Misaka, but she also has a sharp wit that would lend her the ability to delineate fact from fiction. And I don’t think Misaka would ever have had to tie up the manga Kuroko (maybe coming close to though XD).
This was an enjoyable episode because there was a hefty amount of Misaka goodness to be had, and because the interactions between her and Touma are great fun. There were a few brief smatterings of fanservice as well.
-
● Harumi’s public stripping was not quite as good because Kuroko wasn’t there to react by lecturing her on being more lady-like XD. That was definitely a lot more fun in the manga. But if she managed to get an urban legend started about her, maybe we’ll get more regular Harumi strippings?
● Her taste in drinks is truly terrible. But I bet that was a drink Yue would love!
♡ Wasn’t that a fantastic episode for Misaka fanboys? We haven’t had a hit of cute Biri-biri in anime form for far too long! She’s just so moe when she blushes and gets flustered! I especially loved when harumi was trying to call her a tsundere this episode. Come on, Biri-biri, admitting you’ve got a problem is the first step!
Okay, I might complain about Kuroko being extreme, but in one way it’s a good thing: she gets into some pretty sexy situations with Misaka XD. Superb! I like the fact that she saw fit to wear a pair of Misaka’s panties. FIGHTO, KUROKO, PANTSU WARRIOR!
Harumi gets away with a lot too. Kuroko is guilty of private indecendy but Harumi takes it public ^^. Her random stripping is fun mostly to see the reactions of people around her.
MOEEE~~!!! ♡♡ How can anyone resist he charms of this beautiful and mischievous girl? Biri-biri forever!
It’s a pleasure to read another accurate review of a fantastic series on a very moe and tsundere (“tsundara” – lol) girl. I don’t want to be a doomsayer either, and I agree with what you’ve said on all points; the jerky nature of the episodes thanks to the clash between storytelling and character development; and the not-so-elegant approach to transplanting scenes from paper to the screen is disconcerting.
From what you’ve said and my own reflections on episode four, the writers seem as tsundere as Misaka, although it’s not very moe at all! The injection of manga scenes into anime is not a seamless transition. The fight scene between Touma and Misaka was pretty much as it was in the manga, but there wasn’t the same kind of tension. The tension should have been built up in the earlier episodes. And the introduction of Harumi was, completely random. Kuroko too is increasingly less like herself in the manga – if only she was there to lecture Harumi, there would be an ounce of respect for Kuroko as a member of the Judgement. It seems like the writers have a ‘rough’ plan of pushing the story forward on the theme of ‘happenstance’ and try to patchwork a coherent story together in the latter episodes. It’s a pity that we might end up appreciating these early episodes only in hindsight of all twenty-four episodes being released.
The three stars rating is so true – ‘not memorable’. It’s a good thing that I took your advice and read the series beforehand and I might also start watching multiple series at the same time, although I find multi-tasking difficult lol. As with episode two (the pool ending), the writers are contracting the manga series in the next episode – A Certain Two People’s Training, parts 1 & 2. I hope this would be an interesting episode, might be further character development of Kuroko and Uiharu. Or maybe the writers will butcher the story again and be more random and tsundere about it all.
And thanks for the comment :)
I’m glad I’m not the only one who wasn’t swayed by one entertaining episode. A lot of other people have been saying that this episode was the best yet and redeems the poor episodes before it, etc. But I still think it shows symptoms of the problem that the adaptation has overall. Especially the Kuroko thing. Poor Kuroko ;_;, what have they done to you!
>>A Certain Two People’s Training, parts 1 & 2
I’m looking forward to that! Elementary school Kuroko and Uihara are utterly adorable, and it does show Kuroko at her best. Mind you, Satomi Arai already sounds a bit old for Kuroko’s age, how is she going to sound as an even younger Kuroko I wonder? Should be interesting ^^
Also, with those two chapters brought forward they’ve borrowed all of the “filler” material between arcs. Strange way to do things..
>>I might also start watching multiple series at the same time, although I find multi-tasking difficult lol
I’m sure you’ll manage! XD
This is actually the first series I’m watching as it comes out. Usually I ‘take’ my friends’ dvd collections etc. and do a marathon run on a spare weekend afternoon. So I’m actually quite prepared to watch the rest of the series whether it turns out crap or not lol.
I love all four girls, but Uihara is definitely one of the most adorable characters. The flowers in her hair are so cute lol … although I did notice that in the manga she had more of a crush-complex on Misaka - which Kuroko often reacted competitively to. In the anime it just seems like Uihara is infatuated with a ‘bourgeois’ lady/private school fetish.
>>although I did notice that in the manga she had more of a crush-complex on Misaka - which Kuroko often reacted competitively to. In the anime it just seems like Uihara is infatuated with a ‘bourgeois’ lady/private school fetish.
Yeah that is so true! They kind of changed that aspect of her a bit didn’t she. From the manga I always got the impression that she was just infatuated by cool and succesful girls like Misaka as role models. But now she has a rich-girl fetish .. oh well ^^
Uihara is really adorable but I think I like Saten more (and (manga)Kuroko + Misaka too!). Uihara needs a bit of fleshing out I think. Volume 4 of the manga came out recently. It looks really cool as it deals with the Sisters Arc. So it should be a bit more violent and personal for Misaka XD
Volume 4? Ooo must… google… it…