A Certain Scientific Railgun: The Depth of the Characters and the Appeal of the Story

"A Certain Scientific Railgun": A new battle for Accelerator, the most powerful psychic

A Certain Scientific Accelerator is a TV anime series that aired from July 12 to September 27, 2019, and is based on a manga by Kazuma Kamachi and Arata Yamaji. It aired 12 episodes in a 30-minute slot every Friday from 10pm on AT-X and TOKYO MX. Animation was handled by JCSTAFF, with director Kamanaka Fumiaki, series composition by Kenji Sugihara, and character design by Yaegashi Youhei.

story

The setting is a huge "Academy City" in western Tokyo. About 80% of the total population of 2.3 million are students, and a special curriculum for developing psychic powers is implemented. The students' abilities are evaluated on a six-level scale, from "Level 0: powerless" to "Level 5: psychic powers," and Accelerator is known as the strongest among them. He is the first of only seven "psychics," and he leads a brutal daily life because of his powers. After experiencing repeated harsh "experiments" and his defeat in his quest for absolute power, his fate is greatly changed by his encounter with a girl named Last Order. The story unfolds as Accelerator, known as the strongest and most evil "evil," sweeps away the "darkness" of Academy City.

character

Accelerators

Among the seven "Level 5 espers" in Academy City, he is known as the strongest. He has the ability to freely manipulate any vector (direction of power) and the advanced computing power to realize it, so he usually sets his power to "reflect" at all times. He has white hair and red eyes like an albino because they also reflect ultraviolet light. In order to become "invincible" rather than "strongest" from birth, he participated in an experiment called "Absolute Ability Evolution Level 6 Shift", but the experiment was canceled and he was seriously injured in a related incident as a price for saving Last Order, and is currently hospitalized for treatment.

Last Order

She is the 2000th and final member of the Sisters, and because she was awakened mid-growth, her growth stopped at about 10 years old. As she looks, she has a childlike personality and is the most lively of the Sisters. While she talks like a machine gun, with a characteristic tone of voice saying "Misaka, Misaka, try this...", she also often makes statements that point out the truth, making her a force to be reckoned with. It is unclear whether this personality is due to her being conditioned as a special individual to integrate the Misaka Network. She met Accelerator while on the run from a certain incident, and has grown attached to him for risking his life to save her, and is always there to look after him.

cast

• Accelerator: Nobuhiko Okamoto
• Last Order: Rina Hidaka
• Estelle Rosenthal: Yurika Kubo
• Wicked: Sayumi Watanabe
• Sisters: Nozomi Sasaki
• Aiho Yomikawa: Yuko Kaida
• Hishigata Mikihiko: Osaka Ryota
• Diamond-shaped Hirumei: Ayumi Mano

Main Staff

• Original author: Kazuma Kamachi, Shin Yamaji
• Original character design: Kiyotaka Haimura, Arata Yamaji
• Director: Kamanaka Fumiaki
• Series Composition: Kenji Sugihara
• Animation and character design: Yohei Yaegashi
• Art director: Akira Suzuki
• Color design: Mika Funahashi
• Director of photography: Akihiro Takahashi
• Edited by: Masahiro Goto (REAL-T)
• Sound Director: Aketagawa Jin
• Music: Maiko Iuchi
• Animation production: JCSTAFF

subtitle

• Episode 1: Accelerator, Academy City's Most Powerful
• Episode 2: Necromancer
• Episode 3: The Four Evil Symbols
• Episode 4: Pseudo-Soul: Kato Third Number
• Episode 5: The Dark Side of the Security Guard DA
• Episode 6: Corpse-eating Scavenger Squad
• Episode 7: Time Limit Download
• Episode 8: Hirumi Friend
• Episode 9: 10,031 Deaths - Memory of Death
• Episode 10: Awakening Catastrophe
• Episode 11: Perfect Golem
• Episode 12: Something to Protect

Theme songs and music

The opening theme is "Shadow is the Light" and is sung by THE SIXTH LIE. The ending theme is "Parole" and is sung by Sajou no Hana. Both are used throughout all 12 episodes.

Related Titles

"A Certain Scientific Accelerator" shares the same worldview as the "A Certain Scientific Railgun" series and the "A Certain Magical Index" series. Specifically, the following works are related to it:

• A Certain Scientific Railgun
• A Certain Scientific Railgun S
• A Certain Scientific Railgun T
• A Certain Magical Index
• A Certain Magical Index II
• A Certain Magical Index III

Evaluation and Impressions

"A Certain Scientific Accelerator" is a work that succeeds in portraying the depth of the character Accelerator. Although he is the most powerful supernatural being, his inner thoughts are carefully portrayed, as he is lonely and tormented because of his power. In particular, his meeting and interaction with Last Order are important elements that bring out Accelerator's humanity. In addition, the story that depicts the dark side of Academy City is thrilling and has the power to draw viewers in.

The animation quality is also high, and the intensity of the battle scenes and the detailed expressions of the characters have been praised. The visual effects that express Accelerator's abilities are particularly impressive, providing a visual treat. The music also matches the story, and the opening and ending songs are particularly memorable.

The acting from the cast is also superb, with Okamoto Nobuhiko receiving rave reviews in particular for his performance as Accelerator. His voice perfectly captures the cold-heartedness and fragility of the character, eliciting sympathy from viewers. Hidaka Rina also captures the hearts of viewers with her performance as Last Order, combining cuteness and strength.

Recommended points

"A Certain Scientific Accelerator" is a work that is attractive for its deep character portrayal and thrilling story development. In particular, by following Accelerator's growth and change, viewers will empathize with his humanity and be drawn into the story. In addition, the story that depicts the darkness of Academy City provides viewers with a new perspective and also has elements that make them think.

The animation quality and music have also been highly praised, providing plenty of visual and auditory enjoyment. In addition, the acting by the cast is excellent, conveying the emotions of the characters realistically. The combination of these elements makes "A Certain Scientific Accelerator" a work that leaves a strong impression on viewers.

This is recommended for fans of "A Certain Scientific Railgun" and "A Certain Magical Index", as well as those who like action and science fiction. Watch Accelerator's new battle and feel his growth and change.