Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S Episode 06
とある科学の超電磁砲（レールガン）S
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Mikoto attacks Accelerator with an iron dust tornado, but he is unharmed, but amused by a new attack by what he presumes is another Sister clone. She’s taken aback by this, but seeing the severed leg of Misaka-9928, Mikoto becomes enraged, using her ability to magnetically pull the rails from the railroad track and to send them at Accelerator. He’s amazed at the power being displayed, but again, he’s unharmed and sends three rails back in Mikoto’s direction. He suddenly realizes that he’s facing the original and becomes somewhat excited since he figures this will mean less of the drudgery of slaughtering so many of the Sister clones.

Mikoto angrily demands to know why the #1 ranked level 5 esper is doing this since it is clear he’s not being forced. He responds that he wants absolute power and that as a fellow level 5, she should understand that. Thus, he’s justified in killing the clones. That sets Mikoto off as she fires her railgun attack, only to have it vectored back at her, taking out the rails behind her. Accelerator is disappointed that this is all Mikoto has, but before he can come in for a kill, a large group of Sisters stop him, citing how killing Mikoto could affect the experiment. Accelerator leaves, but makes sure to introduce himself to Mikoto before leaving.

Mikoto can’t understand why the clones are going along with this, especially since they are about to methodically go about cleaning up the battle site. They respond that they are merely lab animals, created for this Level 6 Shift project, costing ¥180,000 each. They leave her while back at the dorm, Kuroko calls Saten to see if Mikoto is with there. Morning comes and Shinobu finds the depressed Mikoto alone. Shinobu and Mikoto talk about the situation, where Shinobu explains her own involvement in the original Radio Noise project before the Level 6 Shift project, which she left when she had a change of how she saw the clones after dealing with one. Shinobu says that Mikoto won’t be able to destroy all 20 facilities, but Mikoto reminds her who Mikoto is.

At the dorm, a worried Kuroko stares at her cell phone when the battered Mikoto enters. She has a flimsy excuse for her appearance and goes to take a shower. Kuroko takes calls from both Uiharu (with Erii) and Saten, lying to them by saying Mikoto got home late in the night rather than just now. Mikoto smiles and realizing she’s worried her friends, she invites them all for deserts at a family restaurant. Saten wonders where she’d been, so Mikoto says she went star gazing, but it is a poor lie. As Mikoto remembers the events of the night, she becomes visibly distressed. Seeing Mikoto doesn’t really want to talk about it, Saten reminds her they are there for her, then suggests they hit the arcade, which the group sets out to do, though Mikoto is already planning her revenge on the clone makers.

Thoughts/Review:

For the record, this episode was adapted from chapter 24 and the first half of chapter 25 from volume 5 of the manga.

Changes from the manga adaptation are the additional scenes of Kuroko calling Saten during the night, followed by everything done after Mikoto leaves Shinobu.

I like these additional, “filler” scenes that weren’t in the manga because it helps provide an even greater human face for Mikoto as well as giving the rest of the girls in Mikoto’s circle of friends some face time. Yes, we had Kuroko going off over the mere suggestion that Mikoto might be with a guy, but at the same time, we see that she is genuinely concerned over Mikoto’s absence.  That’s the other element that redeems Kuroko from the stereotypical realms of an obsessed girl wanting to scissor-scissor her “oneesama” to something better. Thus, I can tolerate her outrageous behavior when it happens.

While so far, the anime adaptation has been careful to not add anything that would mess up the manga’s excellent storyline, I am still a tad concerned based on the OP, which shows Kuroko fighting alongside Mikoto.  I really hope that the anime has Mikoto fight the battles she must fight very shortly solo.  Hopefully, the anime will find other ways to use Kuroko, Saten, and Uiharu that don’t change that element.

Shinobu is drawn to appear to be somewhat freakish in the manga (the eyes), so I didn’t really have any great feeling for her. However, her appearance in the anime makes her a more likeable character, enough so that my opinion of her is changed for the better. I’ll save any further comments about her for her later appearance since I’ve read the manga.

I loved seeing Mikoto’s fight with Accelerator animated. I know some of the Sister’s arc was done in the A Certain Magical Index light novels/anime, but the manga’s version of that story arc is fresher in my mind (having just reread everything Seven Seas has published to date). It was awesome seeing how despite her great powers, Mikoto is nothing against Accelerator. It actually makes me wonder about the ranking system and what it is that actually makes someone a level 6 when they’d been a level 5. With Mikoto and others, it is easier to get a feel for power levels, but Accelerator already seems to be beyond the pale when it comes to anyone else, it isn’t even funny.  So why he’s not already a level 6 is what has me thinking.

Regardless, this was a great episode. I’m really loving this new anime series for it being faithful and respectful of the original manga.