Misaka's cynical, pessimistic inner monologue is abruptly cut short with the arrival of our favourite idiot, Kamijou Touma. Here, we come to see the circumstances under which they first met, as well as how Touma never ceases to put himself on the line for others, regardless of the situation. By this point, in spite of being a Level 0 Esper, he has shown himself to be removed from the norm, as well as helping a stranger in a situation where he would probably have nothing to gain other than a harsh beating. As negatively outlined, people generally come to accept the status quo, and accept their mere quantity in life. Touma is an exception to this rule, being unable to ignore any damsel in distress. He's the quintessence of a completely normal hero who demonstrates their worth through reckless determination, and courage. Nevertheless, this establishes the core behind a strange, albeit close friendship.
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| "If there’s anyone willing to stand up for a stranger, they’re either an idiot or...” a wild Touma... |
In this episode, Misaka reunites with Touma, in a chance, and rather comedic venture. So, Touma's 20,000 yen bill gets eaten up by a wild vending machine. What should BiriBiri do? Misaka kicks out the equivalent of money... in cans. That's right, she took her anger out on an inanimate object, and this won't be the last time either. While Touma seems to get dragged into yet another unfortunate occurrence within Academy City, Misaka has unwittingly found an ally, and potentially the only person who can stop the Level 6 Project. Strangely, she hasn't even paused to consider the possibility herself, mainly since she has yet to identify the true powers of the Imagine Breaker. Touma's growing involvement will set him up to become a more important character in Railgun, just as his misfortune with the vending machine served to set him up for multiple unfortunate events.
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| 'FUKOU-DA!!!' - Touma on being the unluckiest guy |
Saten-san's incredible perception continues to strike gold, since technically speaking, guys are the cause of Misaka's problems (i.e. The Scientists behind Level 6, Accelerator etc...) but Kuroko decided to take the literal meaning a step further. She gets a rather nasty surprise upon teleporting to Misaka, and can only look in disbelief at what's in front of her. Of course, Kuroko’s suspicion that Touma and Misaka have something between them is not completely off, though it's not like our BiriBiri tsundere would ever admit it. This is just a blatant misunderstanding, but the way Kuroko reacted really milked the comedy out of this episode.
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| Couldn't get enough of Kuroko!!! |
Speaking of reactions, Misaka's reaction to the fact that Level 6 Shift was still continuing restores the darker atmosphere. From the events that have transpired, Academy City is apparently being behind the entire scheme. There is almost nothing she can do, but helplessly look on as her sisters are slaughtered. Her attempts to destroy facilities are negligible, with 183 new ones sprouting overnight, in order to accommodate the shortages. Her morale utterly blown, she starts asking herself 'What should I do? What can I do?'. To answer that short and bluntly, there is nothing she can do. Misaka's pain can only get worse, especially how she finds this out while being face to face with a sister that knows nothing of her feelings, and will likely die before the end of the day. So, Misaka takes her anger out on a nearby lamp post, this time without anything light hearted to offset the mood.
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| Poor lamp post.... |
Gradually, the darkness of this episode deeply increments itself; Accelerator kills Misaka Imouto, in a senseless and cruel fashion. Not much of the scene is shown, with the sheer inhumanity being left to the devices of our imagination, in wake of the corpse lying in a pool of blood. But anyhow, this only makes me desire to see the Level 6 Shift end once and for all. Accelerator's motives are pretty screwed up, merely desiring to be 'omni-potent' in such a way that no one can even touch him. The Scientists have a role in advocating this entire fiasco, but I don't blame them. Many people would make 'small' sacrifices to create historically overwhelming achievements. However, absolute power causes absolute corruption, as great powers come with great responsibilities.
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| Darkness of Academy City |
The guilt associated with being the causation for the deaths of 10000 clones is no light burden to carry. Misaka really wants to end the project, and she’ll really put her life on the line. This episode illustrated her solidarity, and determination to set things straight. She’s noble in that she won’t get her friends involved, either because she believes it’s her own problem, or she doesn’t want her friends to get caught up in her trouble. She's like Touma in that respect, in that even though she has power, she will still strive to fight for her beliefs even in the event she's severely outclassed. This raises the question just how much an espers power builds their personality in the ToAru universe, especially considering most of the Level 5 are psychopaths who by normal standards should be locked in a mental asylum. I already know the inevitable outcome, and writing this review without crossing over to Index was incredibly difficult. However, I highly anticipate next week, as it brings about the finales of many other animes. I'm glad Railgun S will be continuing on for another season, but I have to say, this season looks like it will draw into a spectacular close, with the next season having a lot to live up to.
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| Being haunted by the spirits of 10000 clones isn't pleasant |
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