Review of A Certain Magical Index

STORY - 6 ART - 8 SOUND - 7 CHARACTER - 7 ENJOYMENT - 7 I'll destroy that illusion of yours. It's a catchphrase belonging to a certain spiky-haired boy who resides in a world conceived by the light novel writer, Kazuma Kamachi. Index is that world, and if you want to know more about it, then I say get ready because we're in for a ride through the depths of hell and heaven. With a lot of punching too, bear in mind. This is the anime adaptation after all. Think about the two great systems that are ingrained deeply within our connection to the universe. Religion and science. The duality,the coexistence, and the friction. It's definitely a story idea of many potentials and this show has utilized it with supernaturalism in mind. We have Touma, a high schooler who possesses a mysterious right hand that can neutralize every supernatural powers. Being a misfortunate guy, he's taken in on a journey split between the magic and the science side. But here's where the main issue arises. The solitary nature of each arc means that there is no core holding everything together. It creates this weary repetition and detaches any sought-out continuation into a bigger story. Exposition is also quite problematic, mostly to do with tediousness, as explanations of religious and scientific concepts can get long-winded. Thankfully, the characters manage to retain interest with the conflicts and entertainments they give to us. Relying on the calm before the storm formula, the slice-of-life scenes have a lot of great humor in the form of witty dialogues, except for maybe the biting gags and some fan services that are sprinkled throughout. During the more serious moments, the magicians and espers complement well in each respective arc and have integrated themselves into some good discussions of ideals, morals, and history. Sure, a lot of them do feel bland with only a couple getting focused developments, but their dichotomies have at least applied to the two great systems of mankind.

And if not for the audiovisual, this world where religion and science coexist as supernatural powers wouldn't have come to life. Academy City is the place where most of the story resides in. As it's a fairly architectural and diverse city, the characters are taken to a lot of different settings that are meticulously designed. Like a metallic tint, the washes of blue, red, and purple fit both the magical aspect of religion and the near-futurism of science. The animation is quite solid on an overall basis although there at times where some minor details are lost. With Touma being a guy that could only rely on his right hand, his way of brute fighting stands out among all the supernatural powers that glow and shimmer with devastating effects. Seeing the punches knock down his opponent can be a satisfying thing in itself. Anyway, something the visual has done to mitigate the boredom caused by numerous expositions is to preoccupy the characters with other actions, usually comical in nature, so they're not like dead presenters. The mix of fast-paced electronic beats and lighthearted soundtracks also help to bring even more enjoyment to this show. While the serious tracks shake things up as conflicts escalate, the cheerier ones supplement the slices-of-life pretty nicely, especially when comedic sound effects are played. Both the opening songs sung by Mami Kawada are really cool to listen to as well.

You know, despite the issues that came with it, the first season treats its adaptation of the Index light novels quite competently. Weariness from how the story is structured and the bland surface of the characters does clash against enjoyment, but overall, the world of religion and science provides a good starting point for more expansion.