A Certain Scientific Railgun T 03
とある科学の超電磁砲T

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis

The Balloon Hunter competition is on. Since the girls from Tokiwadai Middle School are so powerful, their opponents have employed strategy, thanks to Baba-kun. As such, they are able to get the advantage over Tokiwadai. However, they are concerned since Tokiwadai has the Level 5 MISAKA Mikoto.

Meanwhile, MISAKA Imouto fills in for Mikoto. Since she is well versed in the area due to all of the experiments on the Sisters, she’s able to take out her opponents easily. Everyone thinks she’s Mikoto, so Baba comes up with a strategy to take her down. As such, she’s lead into a trap, designed to make sure Mikoto wouldn’t be able to use her electrical attacks. However, since this isn’t Mikoto, Imouto uses her well honed combat skills to easily overcome her opponents.

Baba uses an insect drone to sting Imouto, allowing her to be defeated. Later, Imouto and Mikoto meet. Imouto apologizes for not fulfilling Mikoto’s role. However, Mikoto is only concerned on whether Imouto had fun or not. Mikoto gives her clone sister food coupons to use at the festival. She goes to join her mom for lunch, where “make it yourself” cheese fondue is on the menu. Mikoto goes to buy drinks when she runs into Touma. After he embarrasses her, he offers to get her and her mom beverages.

Misaki shows up, much to Mikoto’s annoyance. When Touma returns, Misaki introduces herself and begins flirting with him. Mikoto gets irritated with their conversation and attempts to fry Touma. Meanwhile, Uiharu agrees to help Saten look for Shadow Metal. Elsewhere, Imouto succumbs to the sting of the insect drone and is found my Misaki and her male associate.

Thoughts/Review

The nonsense of school competition is about over with A Certain Scientific Railgun T 03. That’s because the actual plot is now starting to fire up.

Changes From the Source Material

The episode covers half of chapter 45, all of 46, and half of chapter 47 from the source manga. There’s a fair amount of padding added to A Certain Scientific Railgun T 03.  Sadly, all of it is filler that adds nothing to the story. As such, any scene in the first half of the episode with anyone from the main cast who’s not Mikoto, Imouto, Misaki, or Mitsuko is filler.

I do admit that Kuroko’s Judgement work taking down some petty crook was humorous, especially since she’s wheelchair bound. But it was still filler.

After Touma shows up, the stuff with Saten and Uiharu is not filler. That’s progressing the Shadow Metal plot element. And the scene with Mikoto meeting her mom isn’t filler, although it comes off somewhat as filling.

There were changes to the order of things as well. For example, in the manga, Imouto collapses almost immediately after Mikoto leaves her. And she’s found by Misaki. Thus Misaki’s encounter with Mikoto isn’t a chance one in the manga, unlike how it is portrayed in the anime. As such, I feel that this removes a sinister element from Misaki in the anime that was present in the manga.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Since I’m way behind, let me wrap up my review of A Certain Scientific Railgun T 03 with some bullet point thoughts.

• FUNimation subtitles continue to suck.
• Did Baba know that the person he attacked wasn’t Mikoto, but rather Imouto?
• What is Misaki going to do with Imouto, now that she’s found her?
• What is going to happen regarding this Shadow Metal? Is it tied to whatever MEMBER is up to?

In the end, A Certain Scientific Railgun T 03 was a fun episode. I enjoyed seeing Imouto get a chance to have some fun. But now the plot is about to pick up in earnest.