A Certain Scientific Railgun T

Episode 11

For a long time my favorite scene from the entire A Certain Magical Index franchise has probably been the second bridge confrontation between Touma and Mikoto, the one that happens during the Sisters arc in both A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun S. Episode 11 of this series has given me pause to reconsider, however, because it has one scene in it which so inverts the norm for the franchise that it has to be considered: Sogiita cradling Touma (whom he has just caught after the latter was sent flying) in a princess hold. I doubt that shot will get old anytime soon.

But that's all just part of what is easily the most fun team-up in recent memory for this franchise. Ever since he was formally introduced at the beginning of this installment, I have thought that he and Touma would make quite the pair should they ever get to fight side-by-side, and I wasn't disappointed when they both converged on the power-overwhelmed Mikoto. Touma's Imagine Breaker allows him to stand side-by-side with Sogiita and whatever the heck his Level 5 power actually is (apparently it's never been specifically defined because Wiki articles don't have any details on it, either), but just as significantly, this is one of the rare times when Touma's force of personality is being overwhelmed by an ally's. He doesn't have a chance to spout of much of his normal righteousness because he's dealing with a clear superhero-wannabe. The scene where he just tosses Touma at Mikoto (a la Asta in Black Clover) was also terribly amusing. I look forward to seeing how these two resolve the fight.

This episode has plenty of other action going on as well. Now that she's not being cast as a villainess, Misaki is really starting to show some likable character, and she seems to know about what Touma can do as well as who he is. Her interaction with Kuroko was also entertaining, as is Kuroko's reasoning out about why she's doing what she is; if a Level 5 is going to trust her to act, those are some big shoes to fill. Her battle with Kozaku's puppet, which starts this episode, should be interesting to follow as well. Probably most significantly, the questions that I was posing last episode about how Kozaku was fitting into this stage of the plan, and how gensei was going to be able to manipulate Mikoto and to what end, have now been answered. The infusion of the Misaka Network is, indeed, providing the back door into Mikoto's mind, and in an addled state where she's so overwhelmed by the power influx that she cannot remember her own name, that certainly leaves her vulnerable to suggestion, which Kozaku is providing. And the target? The heavily-fortified Windowless Building, where Aleister Crowley is located. Even gensei cannot access that, so he needs a fully-powered-up Mikoto to break its defenses. And if this is what Mikoto can do at only 2% of Level 6, her full Level 6 power would have to be city-devastating-level.

The one mystery which still remains at the end of this episode is what Kozaku's goal is in all of this and how it has to do with manipulating Mikoto. I still have to think it might have something to do with Dolly, from Misaki's flashback a couple of episodes back, but we'll see. Overall, this episode has a lot in it to like as it builds towards a dramatic climax.

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A Certain Scientific Railgun T is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.