A Certain Scientific Railgun

A Certain Scientific Railgun (Japanese: とある科学の超電磁砲（レールガン）, Hepburn: Toaru Kagaku no Rērugan)[lower-alpha 1] is a Japanese manga series written by Kazuma Kamachi and illustrated by Motoi Fuyukawa, which began serialization in the April 2007 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh magazine. The manga is a spin-off of Kamachi's A Certain Magical Index light novel series, taking place before and during the events of the main story. Seven Seas Entertainment began publishing the series in North America in June 2011. An anime television series adaptation by J.C.Staff aired in Japan between October 2009 and March 2010, followed by an original video animation released in October 2010. A second season titled A Certain Scientific Railgun S aired between April and September 2013. A spin-off manga series titled A Certain Scientific Railgun: Astral Buddy began serialization in Dengeki Daioh from April 2017 to July 2020. A third season titled A Certain Scientific Railgun T aired between January and September 2020.

A Certain Scientific Railgun
Cover of the first volume featuring Kuroko Shirai (left) and Mikoto Misaka
とある科学の超電磁砲（レールガン）
(Toaru Kagaku no Rērugan)
GenreAdventure, science fiction[1]
Created byKazuma Kamachi
Motoi Fuyukawa
Manga
Written byKazuma Kamachi
Illustrated byMotoi Fuyukawa
Published byASCII Media Works
English publisher
MagazineDengeki Daioh
DemographicShōnen
Original runFebruary 25, 2007 – present
Volumes18
Further information
Anime television series
Directed byTatsuyuki Nagai
Produced by
  • Kazuma Miki
  • Nobuhiro Nakayama
  • Satoshi Fujita
  • Kozue Kaneniwa
  • Kenji Mine
Written bySeishi Minakami
Music byMaiko Iuchi
StudioJ.C.Staff
Licensed by
Original networkAT-X, Chiba TV, MBS, Teletama, tvk, Tokyo MX
English network
Original run October 3, 2009 – March 20, 2010
Episodes24 + 2 OVAs
Game
DeveloperShade
PublisherASCII Media Works
GenreAction-adventure game
PlatformPlayStation Portable
ReleasedDecember 8, 2011
Anime television series
A Certain Scientific Railgun S
Directed byTatsuyuki Nagai
Produced by
  • Kazuma Miki
  • Nobuhiro Nakayama
  • Satoshi Fujita
  • Kozue Kaneniwa
  • Kenji Mine
  • Kentarou Hattori
Written bySeishi Minakami
Music byMaiko Iuchi
StudioJ.C.Staff
Licensed by
  • AUS: Universal/Sony
  • NA: Funimation
  • SEA: Muse Communication
  • UK: Animatsu Entertainment
Original networkAT-X, Tokyo MX
Original run April 12, 2013 – September 27, 2013
Episodes24 + OVA
Game
A Certain Scientific Railgun S Puzzle
DeveloperASCII Media Works
GenrePuzzle game
PlatformiOS
ReleasedJuly 26, 2013
Anime television series
A Certain Scientific Railgun T
Directed byTatsuyuki Nagai
Produced by
  • Kazuma Miki
  • Kozue Kaneniwa
  • Kentarou Hattori
  • Yuuichirou Shiji
  • Michihisa Abe
  • Noritomo Isogai
  • Seihiro Asada
  • Takehiro Nakakura
Written byShougo Yasukawa
Music byMaiko Iuchi
StudioJ.C.Staff
Licensed by
  • NA: Funimation
Original networkAT-X, BS11, MBS, Tokyo MX
Original run January 10, 2020 – September 25, 2020
Episodes25
Game
A Certain Scientific Railgun: Spectrum Story
DeveloperNow Production
PublisherD-techno
GenreAdventure game
PlatformAndroid
iOS
ReleasedMarch 27, 2020
Other

Premise
See also: List of A Certain Magical Index characters

In the futuristic Academy City, which is made up of 80% students, many of whom are espers possessing unique psychic powers, Mikoto Misaka is an electromaster who is the third strongest of a mere seven espers who have been given the rank of Level 5. The series focuses on the exploits of Mikoto and her friends Kuroko Shirai, Kazari Uiharu, and Ruiko Saten, prior to and during the events of A Certain Magical Index.

Media

Manga
See also: List of A Certain Scientific Railgun chapters

A Certain Scientific Railgun is illustrated by Motoi Fuyukawa and started serialization in the April 2007 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh. The first volume was released on November 10, 2007, and as of March 27, 2023, 18 volumes have been published. North American publisher Seven Seas Entertainment began distributing the Railgun manga from June 2011.[2]

Anime
See also: List of A Certain Scientific Railgun episodes

A 24-episode anime television series adaptation that was produced by J.C. Staff and directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai aired in Japan between October 3, 2009 and March 20, 2010.[3] The anime was collected into eight DVD and Blu-ray Disc sets released between January 29 and August 27, 2010, with each volume containing a short story series titled A Certain Magical Index: Kanzaki SS. The series was licensed in North America by Funimation, who released the series on DVD on April 16, 2013.[4][5] A bonus episode was included with a visual book released on July 24, 2010, and an original video animation (OVA) was released in Japan on October 29, 2010.[6]

A 24-episode second season, also directed by Nagai, titled A Certain Scientific Railgun S, aired in Japan between April 12[7] and September 27, 2013. It was simulcast by Funimation, who released the series on DVD in North America in two parts on July 1, 2014 and August 19, 2014, respectively.[8][9] Another bonus episode was released with a visual book released on March 27, 2014.

A third season titled A Certain Scientific Railgun T aired from January 10 to September 25, 2020.[10][11] The third season ran for 25 episodes. Two bonus anime are set to be released from the third season's first and fifth Blu-Ray/DVD volumes.[12] Unlike previous seasons, the season was simulcasted on both Funimation and Crunchyroll, with Crunchyroll streaming the series in Japanese with English subtitles, and Funimation streaming the English dub.[13][14][15] The three seasons, including the OVA, were released on Hulu in Japan on March 24, 2022.[16]

Music
See also: List of A Certain Scientific Railgun albums

The anime adaptation of A Certain Scientific Railgun has five pieces of theme music, two opening themes and three ending themes. The first opening theme is "Only My Railgun" by fripSide, and the first ending theme is "Dear My Friend -Mada Minu Mirai e-" (Dear My Friend －まだ見ぬ未来へ－, lit. "Dear My Friend (Toward a Future We Haven't Seen Yet)") by Elisa. The song "Smile (You & Me)" by Elisa, which uses the same tune as "Dear My Friend (Mada Minu Mirai e)", is featured as the ending theme for episode twelve. The second opening theme is "Level 5 Judgelight" by fripSide and the third ending theme is "Real Force" by Elisa. "Only My Railgun" appears in Konami's arcade music games Pop'n Music 20: Fantasia, Dance Dance Revolution X2 and Jubeat Knit. For the OVA, the opening theme music is "Future Gazer" by fripSide, the single of which was released on October 13, 2010, while the ending theme is "Special One" by Elisa, the single of which was released on October 27, 2010.[17] The opening theme for the A Certain Scientific Railgun PSP game is "Way to answer" by fripSide.[18]

For A Certain Scientific Railgun S, it has six pieces of theme music, two opening themes and four ending themes. The first opening theme is "Sister's Noise" by fripSide and the first ending theme is "Grow Slowly" by Yuka Iguchi, the latter of which was released on May 15, 2013.[19] The song "stand still" by Iguchi is featured as the second ending theme for episodes 11 and 14. The second opening theme is "Eternal Reality" by fripSide[20] and the third ending theme is "Links" by Sachika Misawa.[21] The song "Infinia" by Misawa is featured as the fourth ending theme for episode 23.[22]

For A Certain Scientific Railgun T, the first opening theme is "final phase" by fripSide[23] and the first ending theme is "nameless story" by Kishida Kyoudan & The Akeboshi Rockets.[24] The second opening theme is "dual existence" by fripSide, and the second ending theme is "Aoarashi no Ato de" (lit. "After the summer storm") by sajou no hana.[25]

Video games
Main article: List of A Certain Magical Index video games

A visual novel based on A Certain Scientific Railgun for the PSP was released on December 8, 2011 after facing several delays, and comes in a special edition which includes a Kuroko Shirai Figma figure.[26][18] Fuji Shoji released a pachinko based on the series, titled A Certain Scientific Railgun P, on January 24, 2022.[27]

Light novel

A light novel consisting of four stories about Mikoto, Kuroko, Kazari, and Ruiko was released in Japan on June 10, 2022. It is written by Kamachi and illustrated by Kiyotaka Haimura, Fuyukawa, Chuya Kogino, Arata Yamaji, Yasuhito Nogi, Teto Tachitsu, and Nankyoku Kisaragi.[28]

Reception

Four manga volumes distributed by Seven Seas Entertainment have been featured on The New York Times manga bestsellers list, with the most frequently listed (A Certain Scientific Railgun vol. 7) staying on the list for 4 weeks.[29]

The opening theme music for the first season of A Certain Scientific Railgun, "Only My Railgun", won Best Theme Song at the 2010 Animation Kobe Awards.[30] In September 2020, the anime series garnered over 300 million views in China through the Chinese streaming platform Bilibili.[31]

Nicoletta Christina Browne of THEM Anime Reviews had mixed feelings on the first season of the series. Comparing the series to Aoi Hana, Bodacious Space Pirates, and Inari Kon Kon, she criticized the relationships between the characters but praised the narrative it adds to the Index franchise.[32]

Notes
  1. Official title is A Certain Magical Index Side Story: A Certain Scientific Railgun (とある魔術の禁書目録（インデックス）外伝 とある科学の超電磁砲（レールガン）, Toaru Majutsu no Indekkusu Gaiden: Toaru Kagaku no Rerūgan).

References
  1. "A Certain Scientific Railgun". Funimation. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  2. "Seven Seas Acquires 3 Red Hot Manga From Japan". Anime News Network. July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  3. "Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Light Novels' Anime Green-Lit". Anime News Network. March 18, 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
  4. "Funi Adds Live Action Moyashimon Live Action, More". Anime News Network. July 2, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
  5. "Funimation Reveals A Certain Scientific Railgun's English Cast". Anime News Network. February 7, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  6. "Toaru Kagaku no Railgun OVA Confirmed for October 29". Anime News Network. June 22, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  7. "Crime Edge, Gargantia, Railgun S Premiere Dates Revealed". Anime News Network. March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  8. "Funimation to Stream A Certain Scientific Railgun S Sequel Anime". Anime News Network. April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  9. "Funimation Offers A Certain Magical Index II & Movie on Home Video". Anime News Network. December 18, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  10. "A Certain Scientific Railgun Anime Season 3 Premieres in January 2020". Anime News Network. September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  11. "A Certain Scientific Railgun Anime Season 3 Reveals January 10 Premiere, Ending Song Title". Anime News Network. November 3, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  12. "A Certain Scientific Railgun Anime's 3rd Season to Have 25 Episodes Plus 2 Bonus Anime". Anime News Network. December 25, 2019. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  13. "Stay Cozy with Funimation's Winter 2020 Lineup". Funimation. December 26, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  14. "Funimation to Stream A Certain Scientific Railgun Season 3 Anime's English Dub". Anime News Network. January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  15. "Crunchyroll to Stream A Certain Scientific Railgun Season 3 Anime". Anime News Network. January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  16. とあるプロジェクト公式 [@toaru_project] (February 28, 2022). 【お知らせ】「とあるシリーズ」につきまして、Huluでの配信が決定しました！3/24（木）より全シリーズ同時配信開始となります。とある魔術の禁書目録1～3期＆劇場版 とある科学の超電磁砲1～3期＆OVA とある科学の一方通行 お楽しみに♪ #禁書目録3 #アクセラレータ #超電磁砲T [[News] "Toaru" series will be available on Hulu! All series will be available simultaneously from 3/24 (Thursday). A Certain Magical Index seasons 1–3 & The Movie, A Certain Scientific Railgun seasons 1–3 & OVA, A Certain Scientific Accelerator Enjoy♪ #Index3 #Accelerator #RailgunT] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022 – via Twitter.
  17. "Railgun CD Goods" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 7, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  18. "A Certain Scientific Railgun PSP Game's Promo Streamed". Anime News Network. November 22, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  19. "Yuka Iguchi to Perform Ending Theme for Railgun S Anime". Anime News Network. March 11, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  20. "FripSide Performs A Certain Scientific Railgun S's 2nd Opening". Anime News Network. July 8, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  21. "A Certain Magical Index Film's Comiket Promo Posted". Anime News Network. August 13, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  22. "Dawn Of A Revolution (Silent Party)". A Certain Scientific Railgun S. Episode 23 (in Japanese). September 20, 2013. Tokyo MX.
  23. Harding, Daryl (January 2, 2020). "flipSide Release Preview of Railgun T OP "final phase" Music Video". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  24. "A Certain Scientific Railgun Anime Season 3 Reveals Ad, Theme Song Artists, More Staff". Anime News Network. September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  25. "TV Anime "A Certain Scientific Railgun" New OP&ED Theme Notice of Release Date Change". toaru-project. May 26, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  26. "PSP専用 ガールズトークアドベンチャー『とある科学の超電磁砲＜レールガン＞』" [For PSP Girls-Talk Adventure A Certain Scientific Railgun] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  27. Pとある科学の超電磁砲 [A Certain Scientific Railgun P]. P-World (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  28. とある科学の超電磁砲 [A Certain Scientific Railgun]. Kadokawa (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  29. "Awards and Accolades". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  30. Loo, Egan (October 15, 2010). "Haruhi Film, K-ON!!, Miku Win Anime Kobe Awards". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  31. Harding, Daryl (September 26, 2020). "A Certain Scientific Railgun Has Over 300 Million Views in China". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  32. Browne, Nicoletta Christina. "A Certain Scientific Railgun". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2021.


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