One of the franchises I follow (and probably my favorite Light Novel of all time) is A Certain Magical Index series. (Japanese: Toaru Majutsu no Kinsho Mokuroku.) The Light Novel spawned many spin-offs that share the same setting and timeline. Usually referred to by fans as the "To Aru" or "Raildex" universe.
The settings of the series is a world similar to our own except that there are two sides of super powers in conflict with each other. The Magic sides has super powers based on mythology and religion, while the Science side led by Academy City. A city that's technologically advanced 30-years ahead of the rest of the world. %80 of its 2.3 Million residents are students who gained superpowers through science and experimentation. Those children are called Espers.
The story of the original novel follows Kamijou Touma whose right hand has the power to cancel anything supernatural. He meets Index a young nun who is being pursued by magicians to acquire the 103,000 Grimoires (cursed magical books) she has in her head. He tries to save her only to get involved with the magic side of the world.
Kamijou Touma who always finds himself at the center of the conflict between the Magic and Science sides, spends all his time trying to protect the peace to his life and those around him. Saving the world multiple times in the process and getting the affection of every girl he meets. Kamijou also inspires others to become heroes throughout the story.
The series follows many factions of each side, and the antagonists of one arc could be the main protagonists of another. A Certain Magical Index doesn't always follow Kamijou but Academy City is always involved in some way even in the many arcs that doesn't happen at that location.
A manga spin-off called A Certain Scientific Railgun follows Misaka Mikoto, the third strongest Esper and the main heroine of the science side of Index novels. Mikoto is the strongest electricity-user in the city and she's very creative in using her ability. Being able to hack into computer network using electricity, and adept at controlling her own electromagnetic field. SHe also managed to create her own version of the Railgun which became her title and the name of her series.
This spin-off follows her own adventures against the dark side of Academy City. Railgun is overall more light-hearted and down-to-earth than Index, but it can get dark and bloody when the dark side is involved.
Both Index and Railgun stories are canon to each other. (At least in their original Novel/Manga forms as the anime has a different timeline.) Story arcs of both series may happen at the same time, some events is either series have an unexplained effect on the other that you'll only notice after watching both. At one point Railgun and Index converge at one arc where the events are shown from each series' protagonist's perspective.
The third season of Raligun is currently airing in Japan. It has adapts two of the best arcs of the manga and the art/animation quality is amazing. A Certain Scientific Railgun T is one of the reasons I wrote this article.
How to Start Raildex Universe?
With Index and Railgun as the main series and main spin-off, the series has other spin-offs focusing on different characters. There's Accelerator manga/anime (which follows the strongest Esper after the events of the 5th arc/volume of Index novels.) Astral Buddy manga, (which features one of the side characters of Railgun as the main character.) The most recent spin-off is Dark Matter, (which gives a backstory for the second strongest Esper in Academy City.) Since the novels are still on-going and popular, more spin-offs are expected in the future.
So, if you think this series might be for you, I advice you to watch The Fascinating World of Index/Railgun and Why You Should Watch It and if you enjoyed it, here's a video about watch order, because it's confusing to the newcomers! Both videos touch on the appeal of the series better than I could by writing here~
I'll probably write more about this series, but for now I hope you leave your thoughts as a comment on this article.
#posh
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Thanks for reading~
No comments with this post because it leaves me speechless, I love that anime and truly the story of Imagine Breaker I hope it is animated, Kamijo is not my favorite protagonist but he fulfills his role, Index is a bit annoying I do not know what you think, Misaka I love her as characters in every sense and Accelerator (whose name is a mystery I think or do you know if you have seen the visual novel or there because I have no idea) is a character with an impressive development from perspective and retrospectively it is magnificent I love him.
Thank you for sharing this post that I love, I invite you to the hivecon discord server to tell us about this anime if you want or to use our hashtag #hivecon and post in our community if you like it as I have said before.
I hope I can continue to see the science and magic side of Hive.
Thanks for reading!
Yeah, that's my opinion too... Though I read up to New Testament 16 (There are 23 Volumes in New Testament alone, and a new Novel series called Genesis Testament started this year.)
Kamijou character really becomes way better since NT3 (he even became my favorite Index character while reading NT9 and 10 because he gets a good character development there.) By New Testament novels, Kamijou is no longer a generic Shounen hero, despite still being the most heroic one.
Oh, I have to say that in NT14, his status as a "harem" protagonist is giving a big questioning, as one of his enemies problems in that volume is Touma acceptance of the girls he saved to be around him. (Someone actually hates a harem protagonist for being a harem protagonist!)
Yeah, she's annoying, but there's a lot of charm to her. She's not my favorite character in the series but she's still in the top 10 girls. I wish she becomes kinder to Touma though.
I don't think we'll ever know Accelerator real name as even he forgot it. As for Misaka, I really love her. She's my favorite girl of the series, though most of the love comes from her actions in Railgun. She still has a lot of development in New Testament. (She gets an episode worth of action in the current volume I'm reading: NT16.) but she's competing with two new girls that the story focused on more.
I really hope that New Testament volumes gets anime adaption. I really hope the animation studio don't screw them up!
Want to read a post about the ideal girl for Kamijou Touma? (Based on the girl he saved by now and his "tastes" he said in the first season.)
Interesting, I don't usually read visual novels or manga so as not to spoil myself because seeing the speed with which they released the acellerator and misaka spin off I think they will release this in 1 or 2 more years.
I agree with you except for Touma not because it differs with your opinion but because I have not seen his progress as such in the other novel and I want to see it by the way you know I also like Megumi's background a bit because I saw it in a YouTube video how change and development he got after killing mushino :( (1 minute silence for mushino)
The ideal girl: or I want to see that publication and I would like Misaka but she is very Tsundere with Touma and the witch girl also seemed very good for Touma but I do not remember the name well. Hahaha I hate stupid harem but Touma's makes me laugh because Touma doesn't stop any xD
Thanks for taking time to read and reply to my comment. As for the New Testament, I'm pretty sure it'll get anime adapted eventually (I just hope soon and that it turns out good.)
Most of the novel readers think that Index III adaption was very bad. Adapting each volume in only 3 episodes was a very bad decision because the skipped minor details are what made the novel good in the first place.
There are arcs in the future that will be very bad if they skipped the characters internal struggles.
Just a heads up, I wrote another Index post and I think you'll like it: https://peakd.com/hive-158489/@ahmadmanga/index-and-railgun-difference-of-style-and-why-novel-readers-love-both
This is among my favorite anime, I think it was one of my first exposures to an expanded universe.
The Concept of several anime series all existing in the same universe and tied into one another was fascinating to me.
Accelerator was one of my favs, probably because I liked how he was presented to be so powerful yet he seemed to change as the story progressed. In a way he kinda reminds me of Hyoubu Kyousuke from Zettai Karen Children. The way he is presented as a powerful antagonist but has a lot of potential as a protag.
Unfortunately I fell behind on the series, Didn't see much beyond index II and railgun II.
I would need a roadmap to figure out what order to rewatch everything again....
My favorite season in the franchise (anime-wise) is Railgun T and while some parts of it happen at the same time as Index Season 3 you don't need to watch that first... Actually there will be a big surprise if you watch Railgun T before Index 3 because of the retrospective foreshadowing.
Haven't seen it yet, the only thing I know about what I haven't seen yet is there is a girl with a name that is similar to railgun who has a remote control that she bludgeons people to death with..... I think....
Yeah, Shokuhou Misaki. The other Level 5 in her School... She actually appears in the first episode of Season 2, and she's not a friend of Misaka Mikoto. She plays a big role in Season 3, and even the Manga arc that follows that.
She appears in Index second novel series: "New Testament" and she has a full arc dedicated to her there. So she's quite popular, and one of my favorite characters. (Not the top though.)