Review of A Certain Magical Index

Quick take: Magical Index has potential, but misses the mark on being something magical. I was suggested Magical Index based on my review of Railgun. I wasn't sure what to expect and thought it would be very different from Railgun. It was not, so if you like one, you'll like the other. The storyline in Magical Index is broken into relatively separate archs that run around 4 episodes each. Some archs are better than others, but none are unwatchable. Thrown in between are situational jokes that are actually pretty funny. The issue I had was that Magical Index quickly builds a world of depth, but never actuallyexplores that depth. In other words, you have the Church and the scientific community, but most of the archs don't ever go beyond a two dimensional bad guy v. good guy scenario. It's a bit of a let down.

Art is just okay. While many of the scenes and characters aren't bad, occasianlly you get some poor art. In addition the animation is choppy and non-fluid at times. It really leaves something to be desired. Didn't detract from overall enjoyment.

I genuinely enjoyed the characters. They seemed well throughout and portrayed. Interactions with each other were enjoyable to watch and both the harem elements and fan service felt unforced, which to me is always a positive.

Overall, Magical Index is a lot like Railgun - most elements are done really well, but there isn't anything particularly stunning about the show. Oddly, I think the potential from J.C. Staff is there to do so, as they seem to each excel where the other show is lacking. I would suggest Magical Index as the show is genuinely enjoyable and fun to watch.