Review of A Certain Magical Index

Ah, the To Aru series. Back in the late 2000s, I was curious to give this a watch, and I was hooked instantly for what the premise was. An anime where science and magic cross paths? Yes, please. This, along with Sakugan no Shana and Food Wars, is one of the most known works done by J.C. Staff. The older I get, the more I realize that the franchise is more about guilty pleasure in my perspective. I mean, I understand the problems that this series has, whether I find it through videos, through reviews, and good old fashion getting old and a little morewiser. I know, the way I ended that sentence didn't sound right, but I was throwing my hat at what I would say about the franchise. I will look into every anime series as a whole one at a time to see if the franchise still had it, improved, or became a step backward. I'd never read any of the light novels or the manga, though. Yet I couldn't help but think that folks would say the manga had a better premise, according to some YouTube videos. For now, we're gonna cover the one that started it all. A Certain Magical Index.
The story revolves around Touma Kamijo, who is an unlucky student who is Level-0 of Academy City. Academy City is a city where several schools and institutions reside from kindergarten to university who attend to learn while scientists study from pursuing ambition to higher grade technology to researching upon psychic powers. It's also where special kinds of folk known as espers reside within the city walls whether to commit crimes or prosper for the greater good. One morning, after Touma's encounters with a Level-5 esper named Misaka Mikoto, all of the appliances within his current residence have short-circuited under a hot summer day and decides to take out his futon for fresh air. Upon entering the balcony, a nun who goes by the name Index Librorum Prohibitorum, yes, that's her full name, was hanging at the railing, escaping from pursuers who pledge under the Church of England's Necessaruius as she holds one hundred and three thousand grimoires in her mind due to having a photographic memory. As Touma nurses Index back to health, they exchange information about Index's belief in magic but don't believe in magic. During that exchange of information, he shares the secret of his right hand, which is later dubbed the Imagine Breaker, but Index doesn't believe it either. Index dares Touma to stab her since she cannot be harmed due to the robes and habit she wore called the Walking Church yet Touma decides to show proof that the Imagine Breaker can negate not only an esper's ability, but magic, as well. Resulting in her robes being torn to shreds.
Later that time when Touma had got home from a summer class as well as running into Misaka again, he stumbles upon an injured Index while also running into one of Necessarius' members, Stiyl Magnus, who was pursuing Index to both take her back as well as resetting her memories by order of the church until Touma stood up to him and foiled his pursuit. Along with canceling out Inocentius, Stiyl's magical ability. Who also came into Academy City is Kaori Kanzaki, who had to explain the situation to Touma involving Index and her current situation. After learning about the situation he's got himself into, Touma has found a way to save Index from her fate while also losing some of his memories in the process. Afterward, now Index lives with Touma while they deal with other things that happen in Academy City with or without Necessarius' involvement. I would share all of the arcs, yet that would mean I'd list them all. What's important is to know that every arc Touma, Index, and even Misaka would get themselves into. Just a heads up, this is a twenty-four episode season.
Now the concept is cool and all, yet I can admit that there was more magic involved with this than how much science was throughout this season. If you want a more science approach, there is a series called A Certain Scientific Railgun that can do so. However, there is one concept that takes it all away, and that is the Imagine Breaker. If memory serves, the Imagine Breaker was explained more down the road. For this season, it was known to negate anything whether it involves magic and science related threats. Yet it also negates anything that isn't so much of a threat. The arcs that Touma tends to be subtle yet the most bizarre for me was the Angel Fall arc. I mean, the way that arc goes, it's just beyond the spectrum for how it goes. The world-building within Academy City, as well as how the magic and science crossing paths continue to be impressive despite one side getting more displayed than the other. In fact, it's one of my favorite kinds of world-building, like how DanDaDan does with the concept of both yokai and aliens crossing paths with one another.
I've talked enough about the story and its concept. Let's talk about the comedy and the action. The comedy runs on some gags, which can be funny. The fanservice involved does play with the comedy as well. On one take, some of them can be funny like when it involved Index's cat, Sphynx, Misaka with shorts under her skirt gag, which thankfully isn't done too many times otherwise it's be done to death, and back when Touma had to prove it to Index by touching her Walking Church with his Imagine Breaker. The second take that involves the fanservice, some of them are the worst. There are a fair amount of awkward fanservice moments but not too heavy on such, to be honest. The action is fun as you'd see both magic and science combating one another, especially with Touma. You could make the argument that he doesn't do too much aside from throwing punches while negating any ability. I wouldn't counterpoint anyone else's take as I will hand it to him that in some situations, he'd have to use his brain like how he'd done against Styil, Sherry, and even Aureolus. We can all agree that the best fight that has happened is when Touma confronts Accelerator. The weakest Level-0 versus the strongest Level-5 is honestly one of the best fights in my books.
Now for the characters. Sure, they are as cliched as folks would see them as. I know the zero to hero moment has been done to death, yet I'm kind of a sucker for these kinds of characters as much as I do relate to his character. Index is a caring character when it comes to being with Touma while also having a biting fit when it comes to whatever upsets her. Yet I'd have to admit that at times, she can be an idiot. She does help once in a while with the help of her one hundred and three thousand grimoires. However, Index often, at times, gets herself in trouble. Okay, she got herself kidnapped once or twice, yet you get the idea why when it comes to the character. Misaka is your resident tsundere, yet she does have a caring nature when at first she bickers with Touma until later in the series when she does open up to him a bit. I find it fun to see both Index and Misaka going at each other nearing the end because you'd know for sure that this would be a love triangle situation aside, Touma being dense at most times. The other characters are likable with their given roles despite the cliche that you'd see them have, like Koroko being thirsty towards Misaka. More about that when we tackle A Certain Scientific Raingun. Each member of Necessarius are okay with how they share their backstory. Accelerator being one of my favorite anti-heroes with how we see him before and after fighting Touma. Tsuchimikado is an interesting character after knowing him a bit. Aleister, a key figure, was shown a few times, yet we don't know much about him. Same goes for the frog-faced doctor in the hospital that Touma always goes to, and I do like him since he is in every season of the franchise.
For the voice acting, they are pretty mixed. Touma, Accelerator, and Misaka's voice acting are the better of them all in both Japanese and English. Well, except for the Japanese version of Accelerator whenever he laughs. Just sounds out of place, to be honest. But I digress. I enjoy Monica Rial as a voice actress, but given the writing on Index, I'm in the middle with how she's cast. Then again, I'd say the same with the Japanese voice actress, Yuka Iguchi. No disrespect to both sides of Index' voice acting, but the character writing doesn't help too much on how she behaves. As for the animation, the animation is clean with how the world-building goes and the designs of the characters as they should. From students to scientists to priests to espers to magic users. The animation also does great with how the action goes. Some did say that there were some choppy moments, and I kinda spotted a couple of them unless an expert would feel free to share something about the moments when the animation gets choppy.
Sure, this series is not perfect yet it's still fun, in my opinion. Despite some things that might be a little outdated since this came out in 2008, this was watchable when it came to seeing science and magic crossing paths. Some characters are fun while some make one too many mistakes. A series of cliched characters going against more magic than science while the world-building of Academy City is something that I would watch every once in a while if I don't anything on my watch list either on Crunchyroll or on Hulu. Worth checking out if you're bored. I won't be jumping onto the second season right away as I'd like to jump into the other side of the franchise. That being A Certain Scientific Railgun. For now, I give the first season of A Certain Magical Index seven Index eating a yakisoba sandwich along with Touma's hand out of ten. 7/10.