To Aru Majutsu no Index - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

is a Japanese light novel

Light novel

A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...

series written by Kazuma Kamachi and illustrated by Kiyotaka Haimura

Kiyotaka Haimura

is a Japanese game character designer and manga style artist best known for his work on the Toaru Majutsu no Index.- Character design :*Hotel ergriffen *Kokyu Shohu *Minato Genso...

, which has been published by ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...

under their Dengeki Bunko
Dengeki Bunko
is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...

imprint

Imprint

In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...

since April 2004. The series was made into a manga, beginning serialization in Monthly Shōnen Gangan
Monthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...

from May 2007, and a 24-episode anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

which aired between October 2008 and March 2009, followed by a second season which aired in Japan between October 8, 2010 and April 1, 2011. A film adaptation has also been announced. A side story manga series, , began serialization in Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...

from March 2007. Seven Seas Entertainment

Seven Seas Entertainment

Seven Seas Entertainment is a publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original manga, but now publishes licensed manga and novels, as well as select webcomics...

began releasing the manga in North America in June 2011. The manga has been adapted into a 24-episode anime, which aired from October 2009 to March 2010 in Japan, and an original video animation

Original video animation

, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...

released on October 29, 2010. Funimation Entertainment

Funimation Entertainment

Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...

has licensed the first anime season of Index and Railgun.

Plot and characters

Toaru Majutsu no Index is set in Academy City, a technologically advanced Academic city located at western Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

which studies scientifically advanced superhuman students with powers, but is also set in a world where magic is real. Tōma Kamijō is a student in Academy City whose right hand, the Imagine Breaker, has the ability to negate any supernatural powers, but also his own luck. One day he finds a young girl hanging on his balcony railing named Index. She is a nun from Necessarius, a secret magic branch of the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

, and her mind has been implanted with the Index Librorum Prohibitorum
Index Librorum Prohibitorum
The Index Librorum Prohibitorum was a list of publications prohibited by the Catholic Church. A first version was promulgated by Pope Paul IV in 1559, and a revised and somewhat relaxed form was authorized at the Council of Trent...

—103,000 forbidden magical books the Church has removed from circulation. His encounter with her leads him to meet others from the secret world of science and magic and an adventure with his friends where science and magic collide. Tōma's unusual power places him at the center of conflicts relating magicians and science-based espers in Academy City. As Tōma tries to help and protect his friends, he learns the people he knows are not as they appear and begins to attract the attention of magicians and espers alike as they try to unravel the secrets of Academy City and Index.

The side-story, A Certain Scientific Railgun, focuses on Mikoto Misaka, an electromaster who is the third most powerful of the seven Level 5 espers in Academy City. Set before and during the events of the novels, the manga tells the adventures of Mikoto and her friends during that time period from their point of view.

Terminology

Also known as psychics or espers, they are people who can use psychic powers or supernatural powers. Very few power users are born with supernatural powers while most are ordinary people who have the potential to develop them. Participating in Academy City's Power Curriculum Program is one means of developing psychic powers for ordinary people with potential. Most power users are able to use their powers just by thinking. They are able to use magic, but due to their natural powers, they suffer extreme damage to their body if they do so.

Magic was created by people who wanted to have powers just like their psychic counterparts. Although magic was designed so that most ordinary people can learn and use it, regardless of what type of magic it is, people with psychic powers are unable to use it without suffering severe injury. Likewise, magicians cannot use psychic powers without grievous harm. Once a path is chosen, one is stuck on it. European sorcerers have a magical name, which is a combination of Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

and a numerical code which serves as a power limiter as saying their magical name to their opponents will unlock their full powers.

A grimoire is a book containing knowledge about magic that is harmful even to those that are trained to handle them. The knowledge is "poisonous" in the sense that it is too "pure" for the human mind to handle and must be "watered down"—i.e. written in such a way that many of its meanings are obscured—in order for people to be able to read it without their minds being destroyed. Even then, it can severely damage a person's mind if not properly handled. Grimoires often contain powerful spells or magic and can be very dangerous. Many Christian magic organizations like Necessarius were set up to prevent grimoires from spreading in the first place.

A grimoire is practically "eternal" in the sense that it cannot be destroyed with current human methods, and can only be sealed away. It absorbs natural mana from the Earth itself, in addition to the minuscule mana magicians release unconsciously, to keep functioning. According to Orsola Aquinas, the only theoretically known way to destroy a grimoire is to write data that will force it to destroy itself into it, though Imagine Breaker may have the ability to destroy them.

A grimoire also has a "mind" of its own, seeking out suitable owners that can spread its knowledge and improving itself by letting its owners add more knowledge into the grimoire. If the grimoire judges its current owner to be unsuitable, it will kill him/her and seek out the next one. A grimoire doesn't have to be in the shape of a book- for example, Aztec grimoires are written on animal skins and stone tablets, and Oriana Thomson's grimoires are written on disposable flashcards, which allows her to use many different kinds of magic, with the drawbacks that it cannot cast the same spell twice and its instability makes it destroy itself after a few weeks.

Only those able to handle a high number of grimoires have the potential to become , whose magical power has reached the level of divinity and can bend all natural laws. So far, only two powerful magicians—Index and Ollerus—have shown such a level of talent.

Power Curriculum Program

The Academy's City Power Curriculum Program is a large-scale program designed to advance a person's psychic or supernatural powers. The program is a series of tests, studies, lectures, medicines, body simulations and hypnosis used to unlock a person's powers. Most students are Level 0, normal people with no powers, but may have the potential to develop powers and are encouraged to participate in the program to help them train or acquire their powers artificially. While most students fail the program as they never had powers to begin with or failed to increase their power, some are able to advance theirs powers from Level 0 to Level 1 and possibly further. One of the program's success stories is Mikoto Misaka, as she started from Level 1 and worked her way up to Level 5; she is a proof that with enough hard work and determination, anyone can become a powerful psychic.

However, unknown to the public there is a dark side to this program. Some of the scientists who research psychic powers try to increase a person's powers—especially those with unique powers—using other unethical methods, including dangerous drugs and experiments. Some of these methods achieve their desired results, while others fail with trauma or injury to the participant or, in the worst cases, death. In fact, some of the most powerful psychics in Academy City are the result of these dark programs. It is revealed that the board of directors of the city are aware of these experiments, but choose to turn a blind eye to them, and in some cases even officially approve them as they allow those scientists to do what they want to do as long as the public does not know and it has achieved its desired result.

Psychic Rank

Every psychic has a rank that determines how powerful their powers are and how much they can control it. There are six levels, with level 0 being the lowest for no powers or having passive powers with no control over them. Those at level 1 have realized what their powers are and are learning how to control them, despite using a small amount of power. The users train to use their powers more under the Power Curriculum Program, and their level ranks can increase based on how much their control and use of their powers have progressed. There are no known level 6 psychics as according to the Super Computer Tree Diagram, it would take about 200 years for someone to achieve it under the Power Curriculum Program. As a result, Level 5 is currently the highest level. There are seven known level 5 psychics, but only six have been disclosed in the series so far.

The ultimate goal of Academy City's research. It is the code name for . It was mentioned by Komoe Tsukuyomi in volume 3 of the light novels while explaining what the esper development program was to Index and Aisa Himegami. As a normal person cannot understand God's will, SYSTEM's purpose is to create something beyond a Level 5. The SYSTEM theory is similar to the Magic's Qabalah

Hermetic Qabalah

Hermetic Qabalah is a Western esoteric and mystical tradition...

theory, which states that the heavens are not described on the Tree of Life

Tree of life (Kabbalah)

The Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim in Hebrew, is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to God and the manner in which he created the world ex nihilo...

, Sephiroth, even though entities such as humans and angels are clearly described. As a result of this, various magic factions theorize if ordinary humans are unable to comprehend the will of God, then they only have to obtain a body that's beyond humanity. Those factions' theory is that humans are actually immature gods that have the potential to ascend to a divine existence and obtain God's power, with enough time and training. The theory behind it is 'to purify the murky, lead-like soul of a human into a pure golden soul of an angel'.

The reason both the SYSTEM Theory and Qabalah Theory are similar is because the former was created by the founder of Academy City, Aleister Crowley, a former magician. While both theories are similar, the former uses science while the later uses magic to achieve the desire result. However, some Academy City scientists would go to extreme lengths with this theory, such as as the 'Level 6 Shift' project and SYSTEM projects, which both cost human lives.

An invisible energy field that espers involuntarily produce. AIM is very hard to detect without special equipment and the closest thing to seeing AIM with the naked eye is Accelerator's power; Accelerator's body is surrounded by a thin invisible shield of AIM which allows him to control vectors. AIM is very important as the more an esper emits AIM, the more powerful his/her Power Levels are. AIM is also the reason why espers cannot use magic because AIM causes a negative reaction when it mixes with magic which explains why an esper's body gets hurt when using magic. The reverse is also true for magicians if they enter an area with a very high concentration of AIM, a feat that can only be achieved under certain circumstances.

The "Imaginary Number District" is another plane of existence that exists within Academy City, created by the mass of AIM fields emitting from the thousands of espers within Academy City's walls. This plane houses Hyōka Kazakiri, an "artificial angel" also created by the mixing of AIM fields, when she is not physically present. This realm, which exists outside of our own, is not viewable or detectable by ordinary humans as they cannot feel or see AIM. Those within this plane of existence are able to view ordinary people outside of the realm but cannot interact with them in any way, whether it be through touch or talking. This realm has been said to be key in Aleister's plans to create an "Artificial Heaven", or a gigantic mass of AIM fields, that extends throughout the entire world.

Imagine Breaker is the name of Tōma's ability, which manifests in his right arm. It holds the ability to negate all supernatural powers, including the effects of psychic, magic, and divine powers. It has been speculated by Index that in addition to negating supernatural powers it also negates all of God's blessings, which is supposedly why Tōma has such a bad luck streak. The true origins of Imagine Breaker are only known by a few, and those who do know have stated it is of divine origin. Fiamma of the Right, leader of God's Right Seat, has stated that it is the "Holy Right" used by Archangel

Archangel

An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...

Michael

Michael (archangel)

Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...

to seal away 'The Envoy of Light', Lucifer

Lucifer

Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...

, for a thousand years and also holds the power of "Miracles", being able to erase the "Original Sin". Terra of the Left, another member of God's Right Seat, has also hinted that Imagine Breaker's full capability has not been unlocked yet and stated that when it is it will extend to Tōma's whole body and beyond.

Italian for "The Person Superior to God". The purpose of God's Right Seat is to achieve this status and is stated as being the highest form of existence in the Toaru Majutsu no Index series. It is stated that Lucifer once tried to achieve this position after sitting at God's Right Seat, which symbolizes equality with God in Christian doctrine, but was defeated and banished to Hell

Hell

In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...

by Archangel Michael, who now holds the position of God's Right Seat in Lucifer's place. It has been stated that Tōma's power, Imagine Breaker, is the most important part in achieving this status as it is able to erase the "Original Sin", which was eating the "Fruit of Wisdom". It has also been noted by Kaori Kanzaki and all members of God's Right Seat that Tōma's last name, "Kamijō", holds the same meaning as "La Persona Superiore a Dio" when translated into Japanese.

In Toaru Majutsu no Index, the term "Angel" refers to beings of either divine origin, such as the Archangels Gabriel and Michael of Christian doctrine, or artificial existences consisting of masses of highly concentrated AIM fields built-up from the thousands of espers within Academy City. One example of an "artificial angel" is Fuse Kazakiri, the "artificial angel form" of Hyōka, an existence that manifested from the mixing of AIM fields throughout Academy City and resides in the "Imaginary Number District" when not physically manifested. Angels, both divine and artificial, have been described as possessing halos above their heads and various forms of wings manifesting from their backs, as well as speaking in a language that sounds like high-pitched gibberish to normal humans. Aiwass, the entity that Aleister Crowley supposedly summoned and the true author of the "Book of the Law", has also shown the characteristics of an Angel, possessing a halo above its head and a divine form. Accelerator and Kakine Teitoku, the two most powerful espers within Academy City, have also shown the characteristics of angels when in their "Awakened" forms, developing wings against their backs and, in Accelerator's case, speaking in the language of the Angels when in extremely tense situations. In order to be "summoned" or take a physical form on Earth, Angels must have a medium, or "core", to keep them bound to the Earth. Likewise, if the core that binds them is destroyed their physical form will leave the Earth.

Angels are immensely powerful beings and have been referred to as the most volatile existences in the Toaru Majutsu no Index series. Archangel Gabriel has been shown to possess the ability to manipulate any celestial body through the use of "Astral in Hand", allowing it to do impressive feats such as, removing all the stars in the sky, to create a starless night sky in volume 21. Fuse Kazakiri, an existence that is considered considerably less powerful than an a Christian archangel, has displayed the ability to fire beams of energy that can reach several kilometers in length, project an AIM barrier that protects all those around her, flying at supersonic speeds and manifest a powerful energy sword.

Awakening

"Awakening" is the term used to refer to the evolution of high level espers. Its true meaning is unknown, but so far two characters have been confirmed to have "awakened", Accelerator and Kakine, the two strongest espers within Academy City. When in their "awakened" form, both Accelerator and Kakine grow "wings".

Aleister has stated that "Awakening" is an important step in getting evolve into a Level 6, a being with power equivalent to God. It has been stated that not just anyone can "awaken" and only a few can achieve this status. Besides Accelerator and Kakine, it is hinted that Tōma also has the potential to "awaken", although it is unknown unclear whether it means the Imagine Breaker, Tōma himself, or both.

Light novels

Toaru Majutsu no Index began as a light novel

Light novel

series published by ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

collections were published. A sequel series of light novels titled New Testament: Toaru Majutsu no Index began publication on March 10, 2011.

Drama CD

A drama CD

Radio drama in Japan

Radio drama in Japan has a history as long as that of radio broadcasting in that country, which began in 1925. Some consider the first Japanese radio drama to have been "" which was a radio broadcast of a stage play. Others consider the Japanese translation of Richard Hughes's "Danger" or to be...

was released as a mail-in order of Dengeki hp
Dengeki hp
was a Japanese seinen magazine published by MediaWorks centered on publishing light novels. The first issue was released on December 18, 1998, and for the first eight issues was published quarterly; after this, it is being published bimonthly...

volume 48 and was released later in November 2007. There are two parts of story, the first part originally aired as a radio drama in Dengeki Taishō
Dengeki Taisho
is a Japanese radio program broadcast by Nippon Cultural Broadcasting, Radio Osaka, and Tokai Radio Broadcasting which first aired in October 1994, and is produced by ASCII Media Works . The program airs late at night on the weekend ranging between either 1:00-1:30 AM, 1:30-2:00 AM, or 2:00-2:30 AM...

starts with an encounter with mysterious self-proclaimed "former" magician by Tōma Kamijō and Index in the family restaurant after Misaka decides to go back due to urgent business. The second part involves around Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai with their "urgent business", and a duel request by a Level 3 Psychic girl from Tokiwadai.

Manga

The series has been adapted into two manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

series. The one based on the novels is illustrated by Chuya Kogino and started serialization in the May 2007 issue of Square Enix

Square Enix

is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...

's Monthly Shōnen Gangan
Monthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...

. The first tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

volume was released on November 10, 2007 and as of November 26, 2010, seven volumes have been published.

A spin-off

Spin-off (media)

In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...

manga titled is illustrated by Motoi Fuyukawa and started serialization in the April 2007 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...

. The story tells of the events of Mikoto Misaka and her friends before and during the time of the novels. The first volume was released on November 10, 2007 and as of February 26, 2011, six volumes have been published. North American publisher Seven Seas Entertainment

Seven Seas Entertainment

began distributing the Railgun manga from June 2011.

Anime

A 24-episode anime

Anime

adaptation of Toaru Majutsu no Index was produced by J.C.Staff

J.C.STAFF

, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...

and directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori, and aired in Japan from October 4, 2008 to March 19, 2009. The anime was collected into eight DVD and Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...

sets which were released from January 23 to August 21, 2009. In addition, three mini bonus

Omake

means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...

episodes depicting Index super deformed

Super deformed

Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...

, titled Toaru Majutsu no Index-tan, were bundled with limited edition copies of the first and fifth DVDs of the first season, and the first BD/DVD release of the second season. The anime covered the first six novels in the series. A second season, titled Toaru Majutsu no Index II, aired in Japan between October 8, 2010 and April 1, 2011, and was also streamed on Nico Nico Douga

Nico Nico Douga

is a popular video sharing website in Japan managed by Niwango, a subsidiary of Dwango. Its nickname is "Niconico" or "Nico-dō", where "nikoniko" is the Japanese ideophone for smiling. Nico Nico Douga is the thirteenth most visited website in Japan...

. The limited edition of the first BD/DVD volume of Index II, released on January 26, 2011, contained a Toaru Kagaku no Railgun mini-novel.

An anime adaptation of the spin-off manga series A Certain Scientific Railgun was also produced by J.C.Staff and directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai, and aired in Japan from October 3, 2009 to March 20, 2010. The anime was collected into eight DVD and Blu-ray Disc sets which were released from January 29 to August 27, 2010. In addition, a short story

Short story

series starring Kaori Kanzaki, titled Toaru Majutsu no Index: Kanzaki SS, was bundled with every DVD release of Railgun. An original video animation

Original video animation

, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...

episode of Railgun was released on October 29, 2010. At Anime Expo 2010, North American anime distributor Funimation Entertainment

Funimation Entertainment

Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...

licensed the first season of Index and Railgun.

Other media

The world of Toaru Majutsu no Index is featured in the video game Dengeki Gakuen RPG: Cross of Venus
Dengeki Gakuen RPG: Cross of Venus
is a Japanese action role-playing video game developed by Pegasus Japan and published by ASCII Media Works for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console, and was first released in Japan on March 19, 2009 in limited and regular editions. The game was produced in commemoration of the fifteenth...

for the Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

. Index appears as a support character, while Mikoto is a playable character which can be made accessible through playing the game and Accelerator is featured as a boss. A fighting game

Fighting game

Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...

titled Toaru Majutsu no Index, developed by Kadokawa Games

Kadokawa Shoten

is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...

and published by ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

for the PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Portable

The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

(PSP), was released on January 27, 2011. A visual novel

Visual novel

A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...

based on A Certain Scientific Railgun for the PSP will be released on December 8, 2011 after facing several delays, and will come in a special edition which includes a Kuroko Shirai Figma

Figma

is a Japanese action figure line produced by Max Factory and distributed by Good Smile Company. A large number of the figures are based on bishōjo anime characters, and are available with various accessories, such as exchangeable faces...

figure. Index also make a cameo appearance in the Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai
Ore no Imoto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai
, also known as or for short, is a Japanese light novel series written by Tsukasa Fushimi, with illustrations provided by Hiro Kanzaki. Nine volumes have been published since August 2008. A manga adaptation drawn by Sakura Ikeda was serialized in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Magazine. A...

PSP game.

Weiß-Schwarz has adapted Index and Railgun into a playable/collectible card game. An official visual book of A Certain Scientific Railgun was released on July 24, 2010, bundled with a DVD containing a five-minute bonus episode.

Music

Maiko Iuchi of I've Sound

I've Sound

I've Sound, or simply called , is a Japanese techno/trance music production group based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Led by Kazuya Takase, it features the talents of seasoned "sound creators" and many different female vocalists, known as to their fans....

was in charge of the music in the Toaru Mujutsu no Index anime. Four pieces of theme music

Theme music

Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...

are used for the episodes: two opening themes and two ending themes. The first opening theme is "PSI-Missing

Psi-missing

Psi-missing may refer to:*Psi hit, the parapsychological experimentation term*Psi-missing , the Opening Theme for the anime series Toaru Majutsu no Index...

" by Mami Kawada

Mami Kawada

is a J-pop singer who is currently signed to Geneon Entertainment Inc. She is also a member of the I've Sound who performs soundtracks for some eroge. Mami was usually paired up with co-I've member Kotoko when making soundtracks for anime...

, and was used for the first sixteen episodes during the television broadcast, but was changed to the first fourteen episodes in the DVD releases. The second is "Masterpiece

Masterpiece (Mami Kawada song)

masterpiece is the 7th single released by the J-pop singer, Mami Kawada, and was released on February 4, 2009. The titular track was used as the second opening theme for the anime series Toaru Majutsu no Index which is her third tie-in with the anime series...

" by Mami Kawada, and is used in the subsequent episodes. The first ending theme is by Iku, and is used for the first nineteen episodes. The second is by Iku, and is used in the subsequent episodes. A single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

for "PSI-Missing" was released on October 29, 2008. A single for "Masterpiece" was released on February 4, 2009.

The anime adaptation of A Certain Scientific Railgun has five pieces of theme music, two opening themes and three ending themes. The first opening theme is "Only My Railgun" by fripSide

FripSide

FripSide a Japanese trance and pop duo, originally formed by composer Sat and singer Nao in February 2002.In a 2008 interview, Sat said that he was a fan of TM Network and its member Tetsuya Komuro in his elementary and junior high school days and began to produce his music at the age of 14.When...

, and the first ending theme is by Elisa

Elisa (Japanese singer)

is a Japanese female singer and model from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She is signed to Geneon Universal Entertainment label not as a singer but as a model. She is also signed to Elite Model Management....

. The song "Smile (You & Me)" by Elisa, which uses the same tune as "Dear My Friend (Mada Minu Mirai e)", is featured as the ending theme of episode twelve. The second opening theme is "Level 5 (Judgelight)" by fripSide and the third ending theme is "Real Force" by Elisa. "Only My Railgun" appears in Konami's arcade

Arcade game

An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...

music games Dance Dance Revolution X2
Dance Dance Revolution X2
Dance Dance Revolution X2, abbreviated DDR X2 or simply X2, is a music video game, and a part of the Dance Dance Revolution series. The arcade version of DDR X2 was revealed by Konami on November 20, 2009. A sequel to the Dance Dance Revolution X, X2 began public beta testing on November 25, 2009...

and Jubeat Knit
Jubeat
is a series of arcade music video games developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, and is a part of Konami's Bemani line of music video games...

. For the OVA, the opening theme music is "Future Gazer" by fripSide, the single of which was released on October 13, 2010, while the ending theme is "Special One" by Elisa, the single of which was released on October 27, 2010.

The first opening theme song of Toaru Majutsu no Index II is titled "No Buts!

No Buts!

"No buts!" is the ninth single released by the J-pop singer, Mami Kawada, and it was released on November 3, 2010. The titular track is used as the opening theme for the second season Toaru Majutsu no Index II. Overall, this is Kawada's fifth tie-in with said anime series.The single came in a...

" by Mami Kawada and the single was released on November 3, 2010. The second opening theme is titled "See Visions

See Visions

"See visionS" is the tenth single released by the J-pop singer, Mami Kawada, and it was released on February 16, 2011. The titular track is used as the second opening theme for the second season Toaru Majutsu no Index II. Overall, this is Kawada's sixth tie-in with said anime series.The single came...

" by Mami Kawada and was released on February 16, 2011. The first ending theme song is titled "Magic∞World" by Maon Kurosaki

Maon Kurosaki

is a female Japanese singer-songwriter from Tokyo signed to Geneon Universal Entertainment. She released her debut album H.O.T.D. in September 2010, which features the ending themes of the anime series Highschool of the Dead. Her two singles that followed, "Magic∞World" and "Memories Last", were...

and the single was released on November 24, 2010, and was used for the first 13 episodes of the season. The second ending theme is titled by Maon Kurosaki and was released on March 2, 2011, and is used for the subsequent episodes of the season. Maiko Iuchi is once again in charge of music direction and composition for Index II.

The opening theme for the Toaru Majutsu no Index PSP game is "Answer" by Maon Kurosaki, the B-side

A-side and B-side

A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...

song included on her single "Magic∞World". The opening theme for the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun PSP game is "Way to answer" by fripSide

FripSide

Reception

In October 2009, the Toaru Majutsu no Index light novels were reported to have sold 5.2 million copies. In May 2010, it was reported that Toaru Majutsu no Index had sold over 7.7 million copies and became Dengeki Bunko's No. 1 bestseller. Later that year, in August 2010, it was reported that the novels had hit 9 million copies sold and became the fifth best selling light novel in Japan, beating other popular series such as Full Metal Panic!
Full Metal Panic!
is an ongoing series of light novels written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji. The series follows Sousuke Sagara, a member of the covert anti-terrorist private military organization known as Mithril, tasked with protecting Kaname Chidori, a spirited Japanese high school girl.Individual...

, Shakugan no Shana
Shakugan no Shana
, also known simply as Shana, is a Japanese light novel series written by Yashichiro Takahashi, with illustrations by Noizi Ito. The series includes 25 novels released between November 2002 and October 2011 published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint...

, and Haruhi Suzumiya
Haruhi Suzumiya
is the general name for a series of light novels written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito which were subsequently adapted into other media. The story follows the title character Haruhi Suzumiya, a high school girl who can unconsciously change reality, and her strange antics with her...

. In November 2010, it was reported that the novels had sold over 10 million copies.

In Kadokawa Shoten's Light Novel Award

Light Novel Award

The was a literary award handed out by the Japanese publisher Kadokawa Shoten for light novels, and was only held once in 2007. The novels which were applicable to receive the award were either published by Kadokawa Shoten under their Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko light novel label, or by three other...

contest held in 2007, Toaru Majutsu no Index was a runner-up in the action category. The light novel series has ranked three times in Takarajimasha's light novel guide book Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!
Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!
is an annual light novel guide book published by Takarajimasha. The guide book publishes a list of the top ten most popular light novels and their characters according to readers polled on the Internet. An introduction to each of the works comes with each listing, along with an interview of the...

published yearly: fourth in 2009, ninth in 2010, and first in 2011. In the 2010 and 2011 issues of Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!, Mikoto Misaka was voted the No. 1 ranked female light novel character. Tōma Kamijō was voted the No. 1 ranked male light novel character in the 2011 issue.

In August 2010, it was reported that the A Certain Scientific Railgun manga had sold 2.45 million volumes. The opening theme for Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, "Only My Railgun", won Best Theme Song at the 2010 Animation Kobe

Animation Kobe

The is an event created by Kobe city in 1996, to promote anime and other visual media. In the event, the are awarded annually by Kobe and the Organizing Committee of the event, to creators and creations.-Event:...

Awards.

External links

Toaru Majutsu no Index official website
A Certain Scientific Railgun official website
Toaru Majutsu no Index at ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
Toaru Majutsu no Index at Gangan Comics

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