First Impressions / To Aru Kagaku no Railgun

Summary:

At the request of two of Kuroko’s classmates, Mikoto agrees to be a swimsuit model. In fact, all the girls go, including Uiharu, Saten, and even Kongou Mitsuko and Konori Mii. When they’re choosing swimsuits, Mikoto finds a frilly one that she likes, but after Konori calls it childish, she goes with a normal one-piece instead. Once everyone’s put on their chosen swimsuits, they’re led to a special studio room that can simulate any environment, and the girls are told to act naturally. They thus start to play and relax in the environments presented, and after some errors occur in the studio’s system, they get a break in a camp environment with some real food. The girls decide to make curry, and because of Kongou’s bluster, she gets stuck making a curry even though she doesn’t know how to cook. Fortunately, Konori helps her, and the girls end up with two types of curry. The studio’s system is eventually fixed, and they finish the day without further incident. Mikoto, however, stays behind afterward to try on the frilly swimsuit she that had her eye on earlier. She goes back to the studio to enjoy it by herself, but she inadvertently broadcasts everything onto a billboard in the city, a billboard that Touma just happens to be walking past.

Preview

So there’s not much to this episode in terms of plot. It’s mostly just fanservice of the girls modeling swimsuits and making curry, with a bit of minor character development for Kongou Mitsuko. The one notably bright and very amusing spot was the final scene with Mikoto accidentally broadcasting herself having fun and Touma seeing it. In fact Komoe is in the preview for next episode, so maybe we’ll be seeing more of Touma now. There’s no new episode next week though, and episode 14 will air on January 8, 2010. The new OP and ED should start soon as well: the new OP will be LEVEL5 -judgelight- by fripSide, and the new ED will be Real Force by ELISA.

43 Comments

  13. @Phocus: That bit is almost certainly a reference/parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Go look it up on Wikipedia or IMDb – or better yet, go rent it. It’s a classic scifi movie – though about 75% of it is made up of WTF moments.

    DMetroneis
    Reply

  25. I got so distracted by Saten’s bikini that it took me time to figure out what to comment on. XD

    I don’t know which is more amazing, Kongo carrying a pet snake with her, or Uiharu being totally not afraid of it.

    First LOL at the 2001 Monolith, second LOL at Biribiri unwittingly broadcasting her fun bikini time in public, and seen by Touma of all people.

    BTW, that sure is some awesome holodeck, on par with those on Star Trek.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

  26. B, b, b, broadcast herself having fun in a swimsuit on a billboard on the street?! Knowing her, Mikoto could seriously consider suicide if she came to know of that.

    I don’t think the Sisters’ arc is going to be shown in the anime. Not only is the manga (likely) less than halfway through, I doubt they’ll be able to show it in less than ten episodes. Index took five episodes to do that, and in Railgun there will obviously be much more to show. Which is a COMPLETE disappointment obviously because (I liked the 9982nd clone so much and) it’d have been so awesome to see all her conflict in an anime.

    But I do want more Touma now that he won’t take a secondary protagonist seat. JC removed too much of him. Or maybe they’ll channel what they removed through the next arc.

    Starshade
    Reply

  29. This sure was a holiday ep. as much as I like Saten the black spot bikini (Konori)sure was the winner of them all. Yesh I felt old like hell seeing that 2001 space odyssey refence. I did lol at Kuroko holding the femur bone. For those that haven’t seem the movie that a milestone when the homo sapiens develops and leaves the neanderthals behind. Btw if you don’t like the blue danube song be ready to listen to it over and over and over in that movie. yesh that movie is almost 30 years old… time does fly

    Island Esper
    Reply

  30. three things

    I watched the movie in my brand new VHS system cutting edge technology.

    oh I said song and that wrong is a waltz

    Mikoto in that last swimsuit and playing around was moe as only she can be!!!!

    Island Esper
    Reply

  31. @Lero: I wish I could figure out what you’re trying to say, but it’s vaguely reminiscent of the engrish lyrics in the opening song.

    @Island Esper: 2001 is actually 40 years old, but we get the point.

    curious one
    Reply

  43. Fanservice is an essential thing to anime.
    One thing that happened to me last year is that I´ve finally reached the conclusion that I´ll never find time to watch all anime in existence and I must be selective.
    So I´m just downloading stuff I´ll probably see and cute girls and fanservice are very important factor when I´m deciding what I´m gonna see.

    And let´s not forget the essencial thing: piroca de fantasma é geladinha!

    Steve Austin
    Reply

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