(Originally published on Livejournal on 11/27/10)
Anime Review in a Minute:
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun Special
Anime Review in a Minute: What this is all about. — Watching all the anime shows so you don’t HAVE to!
tl;dr review: Mikoto and friends investigate another urban legend; Just another average episode.
The Skinny: Mikoto is all, like, “I always feel like somebody’s watching me”, and she gets all weirded out and paranoid. After expressing her anxiety to her friends, they investigate a similar urban legend where others also report feeling like eyes are upon them. After some sleuthing, they come across two people who are impersonating Anti-Skill agents with a special device that affects people who have the power to use electricity (e.g. Mikoto). A short chase ensues, where Mikoto blasts them out of the water with her ‘railgun’. And they all live happily ever after. Well, until the next mini-crisis, that is.
Assorted video captures from the episode – click on each picture for a full-sized view in a new window:
My Thoughts: Railgun is one of those shows that falls into the category of “guilty pleasure” for me (just like My Hime). To be perfectly honest, it’s not that great, follows lots of stupid anime tropes and conventions, and the whole setup and plot is a little bit ridiculous. But I like it, and that mainly has to do with how the all the characters interact with one another. Individual personalities that are fun to watch go a *very* long way for me, even at the expense of other elements in the show that may be lacking.
That aside, this one-shot special is really nothing more than another episode of the series. It does not break any new ground or advance the plot in any way, and the basic premise and story is a carbon-copy of elements lifted from the series itself. So, if you like the original series, you’ll like this special just fine. In fact, if you’ve never watched the original series and are looking for a sampling, you could watch this special and have a really good idea of what the entire is all about.
One thing that I find rather odd is — for as good as “Railgun” is, it’s parent (sister?) show, “To Aru Majutsu no Index” remains as godawful and unwatchable as ever. Can these two shows *really* be related to one another? It’s like night and day. As this one-shot special came out, the second season of “Index” is also airing. I was thoroughly unimpressed with the first episode, and gave it a thumbs-down. But I then went and watched the second and third episodes, and they were absolutely terrible, positively turdtastic in every way. I know I said I’d probably still watch the show without reviewing it, but those two episodes were so crappy I have no interest in going any further with “Index”. Seriously — how on god’s green earth could these two be so different?
For more info:
Random Curiosity Review: http://randomc.net/2010/11/01/to-aru-kagaku-no-railgun-ova/
Classic opening video sequence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opyD2jzzSRg
The Verdict: 
The tally for Fall 2010 season first episodes so far:
Passing Grade: Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru, My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute, The World God Only Knows, Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, Psychic Detective Yakumo, Shinryaku! Ika Musume, Letter Bee Reverse, Bakuman, Otome Youkai Zakura, Yozakura Quartet: Hoshi no Umi, Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge, Kuragehime
Failing grade: MM!, Star Driver, Iron Man, Fortune Arterial, Motto To Love-ru, Tantei Opera Milky Holmes, Yumeiro Patissiere Professional, Tamayura, To Aru Majutsu no Index 2, Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls, Sora no Otoshimono Forte, Yosuga no Sora, Robin With His 100 Friends, Agriculture Girl, Hidamari Sketch x Hoshimittsu Special, You Are Umasou, Hakuouki: Hekketsu-roku
The last of the Fall 2010 shows to review — almost done!: Koe de Oshigoto (Removed from the review list — I thought it would be mostly comedy, but it’s really just porn wrapped in the barest of fig-leaves; also so bad I fast-forwarded through the final third), Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector
