A Certain Scientific Railgun #EX - In-Depth Review and Rating of the Latest Episode

"A Certain Scientific Railgun #EX" - The deepening story of Academy City and the appeal of its characters

■Overview of the work

"A Certain Scientific Railgun #EX" is an OVA released by Geneon Universal on October 29, 2010. It is a spin-off of the "A Certain Magical Index" light novel series by Kamachi Kazuma and Fuyukawa Motoi, directed by Nagai Tatsuyuki and produced by JCSTAFF. This work, which has a short but dense story of 35 minutes in one episode, depicts the daily life of Academy City and the lives of psychics.

■ Story

With the Phantom Hand incident resolved, Academy City has returned to peace. However, Misaka Mikoto, known as the "Dengeki Princess of Tokiwadai," has become even more famous. Meanwhile, she begins to feel an uncomfortable gaze, as if someone is always watching her. Who is this gaze coming from? Mikoto begins to take action to solve the mystery. Together with her friends, the story unfolds as she uncovers the secrets lurking behind Academy City.

■ Characters

The main character of this work is Misaka Mikoto (voice: Sato Rina). She is a psychic in Academy City and a girl with the ability of a level 5 "railgun". Her friends Shirai Kuroko (voice: Arai Satomi), Uiharu Kazari (voice: Toyosaki Aki), and Saten Ruiko (voice: Ito Kanae) also appear as important characters. In addition, characters from the "A Certain Magical Index" series such as Kamijou Touma (voice: Abe Atsushi) and Kobo Mii (voice: Ueda Kana) also appear to liven up the story.

■ Production staff

The director is Tatsuyuki Nagai, the series composition is Kiyosuke Mizukami, and the character design is Yuichi Tanaka. Animation is done by JCSTAFF, and the music is by I've sound/Maiko Iuchi. This work, which brings together the efforts of the production staff, faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original while bringing out new charms.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme is "future gazer" by fripSide, and the ending theme is "Special "ONE"" by ELISA. Both songs match the atmosphere of the work and will captivate the viewers.

■ Evaluation and impressions

"A Certain Scientific Railgun #EX" is a short but dense story and full of charming characters. It depicts Mikoto's fear of being stared at and her actions to solve it, and the story development draws the viewer in. Also, don't miss the bond between Mikoto and her friends and the process in which the secrets hidden behind Academy City are revealed.

The character portrayal is also excellent, with Mikoto's strengths and weaknesses, and her bonds with her friends, carefully depicted. In particular, Mikoto's fear of being stared at and her growth in overcoming it are impressive. The other characters also have their own unique personalities, adding excitement to the story.

The production staff's talent is also evident, faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work while bringing out new charms. The quality of the character designs and drawings is particularly high, pleasing to the eye. The music also matches the atmosphere of the work, drawing the viewer's attention.

■ Recommendation points

"A Certain Scientific Railgun #EX" is recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for those who are experiencing the series for the first time. Although it is short, it is packed with a dense story and charming characters, and has the power to draw viewers in. It also depicts the secrets hidden behind Academy City and the bond between Mikoto and her friends, making it a work that will touch the hearts of viewers.

In particular, Mikoto's fear of being stared at and her growth in overcoming it are impressive and move the viewer. The individual personalities of the other characters also shine, adding excitement to the story. The production staff's skills are also outstanding, faithfully recreating the worldview of the original while bringing out new charms.

The music also matches the atmosphere of the work and draws the viewers in. The opening theme "future gazer" and the ending theme "Special "ONE"" are important elements that enhance the atmosphere of the work.

■ Related works

"A Certain Scientific Railgun #EX" is a spin-off of the "A Certain Magical Index" series. It has been developed in various media, including the original light novel, the TV anime series, and the movie. In particular, the TV anime series "A Certain Scientific Railgun" depicts the daily lives of Mikoto and her friends, as well as the secrets hidden behind Academy City, and can be considered a prequel to this work. In addition, the movie "A Certain Magical Index: The Miracle of Endymion" is also related to this work, as it features Mikoto and Kamijo Touma.

■ Summary

"A Certain Scientific Railgun #EX" is a short work, but it is packed with a dense story and charming characters. Mikoto's fear of being stared at and her growth as she overcomes it are impressive and move the viewer. The individual personalities of the other characters also shine, adding excitement to the story. The production staff's skills are also outstanding, faithfully recreating the worldview of the original while bringing out new charms. The music also matches the atmosphere of the work, drawing the viewer's heart. This work is recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for those who are experiencing the series for the first time.