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The Daihasei Festival may be all fun and games (and explosions), but the chaos of the competition also serves as a distraction. A dank conspiracy lurks behind the event, and it ensnares one of Misaka’s "sisters." When Misaka tries to investigate, the enemy proves to be more complicated -- and ruthless -- than she first guessed. Judgment is crippled. Misaka's back may be up against a wall, but some of her other friends prove to be powerhouses in their own right.
245 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 10, 2024
The eighth volume of Railgun dives into the initial segment of the Daihasei Festival Arc, picking up after the sports tournament's kickoff at the end of the previous volume. Taking advantage of its position as the first narrative following the Sisters Arc and venturing into entirely uncharted territory, the manga crafts a mysterious ambiance that keeps both characters and readers on their toes, pondering the direction the plot will take. This imbues the entire volume with the atmosphere of a detective story, as Mikoto endeavors to unravel the mystery surrounding her abducted sister, finding herself increasingly ensnared as she confronts an adversary with control over not only people but also the world's information, including her friends. Opting to steer the plot in this direction, Karachi and Fuyukawa not only effectively curb Mikoto's powers, forcing her to navigate through manipulated civilians she can't simply overpower, but also thrust her into a wholly new scenario: she's no longer just reluctant to involve her friends; she's unable to. However, what stands out to me is how much better this narrative aligns as a natural progression from the anime compared to its presentation in the manga. The manga's specific issue lies in its lack of prior buildup, with Mikoto spending relatively little time with her friend group, and the theme of friendship not receiving any significant emphasis excluding the interlude chapters 40-42. As I hinted during the Sisters Arc, the question of why Mikoto doesn't involve her friends only receives minor attention, barely explored outside of a backstage scene in the extra chapter following the epilogue. Meanwhile, the two major arcs, Poltergeist and Silent Party, which delve into the theme, are exclusive to the anime. Witnessing Mikoto finally lean on her friends, only to have Misaki strip away her ability to seek their support in the next arc, not only serves as an organic continuation of Silent Party with a fresh twist but also resonates emotionally thanks to the considerable buildup within the friend group, making Mikoto's emotions palpable. Although the sequence generally works better in the anime, there are two exceptions that also prove highly effective within the manga's continuity: Mikoto's relationships with Kuroko and Mitsuko.
Mikoto's relationship with Kuroko was portrayed convincingly enough that Mikoto's melancholy and her wistful expression as she reminisced about Kuroko's quirky antics conveyed genuine and relatable emotions. Fuyukawa's portrayal truly captured Mikoto's sense of loss, as if she had parted with something precious in her life. Another standout relationship was Mikoto's bond with Mitsuko, which was built up effectively and comprehensibly in previous chapters. In the last volume, their synergy was made vividly evident. This was further deepened in this section by juxtaposing them with the rest of Tokiwadai: while Tokiwadai's defeat in the balloon battle stemmed largely from their own hubris, believing they must fight alone rather than together, Mitsuko and Mikoto serve as an antithesis of them. After triumphing in the three-legged race, they clinched victory in the balloon race effortlessly without even needing to pay attention to their opponents. Their rapport not only stood out within Tokiwadai but within Academy City as a whole: they understand each other without words to the extent that Mitsuko, the only person without prior knowledge of the Level 6 Shift experiment, is able to tell Mikoto apart from her clone sisters. Because they know and understand each other so well, Mitsuko immediately senses her inner pain when Mikoto tells her about her friends. Mitsuko specifically, who has suffered her whole life from not being able to find friends and had her eyes opened by Mikoto, understands her feelings after she lost her friends better than anyone else and is therefore unconditionally willing to support her. Their relationship comes into full bloom as Mitsuko selflessly defends Mikoto's honor even while crouching defeated on the floor, while Mikoto, upon seeing her injury, leaves her soft human features behind and, with an expression reminiscent of her confrontation with Accelerator when Misaka 9982 was killed, confronts Baba's robot, but still maintains enough control that she can issue a threat to him via the communication device that leaves Baba paralyzed with fear and causes him to faint. This moment felt particularly impactful within the anime's continuity, as Mikoto's prolonged hesitation to involve her friends stemmed from her fear of putting them in harm's way. The fact that things went smoothly during Silent Party, only for both Kuroko and Mitsuko to fall victim shortly thereafter, provided a compelling opportunity to challenge Mikoto's newfound convictions. This pivotal moment is bound to shape Mikoto's character development significantly in the chapters to come.
One thing that should absolutely not be overlooked is how crucial Wannai and Awatsuki are to this storyline. Until now, they've been relatively minor supporting characters, occasionally glimpsed in the background of the Railgun and Index manga, and, in the case of the anime, at least actively assisting during Silent Party. This relative insignificance is reflected in their discussion about their lack of sporting ambition and their admission that they've never really been involved in a fight or experienced true anger (excluding the anime-exclusive STUDY case). Their consistently gentle facial expressions, often seen smiling or looking cute, but never displaying negativity, underscore this. However, everything changes the moment they encounter Mitsuko, depicted by Fuyukawa with a striking shift in their demeanor as their initially hidden eyes beneath their hair suddenly adopt a serious, enraged gaze as they enter a fierce battle against Baba. In this moment, the groundwork laid in their relationship with Mitsuko finally pays off. Despite not spending much time together in the manga, their earlier dialogue about never experiencing true anger effectively emphasizes how significant Mitsuko is to them. Baba assumes an intriguing role in this scenario: introduced as an intelligent strategist, he devises a plan to undermine Tokiwadai during the sports festival, factoring in their own arrogance into his calculations. However, his downfall comes from underestimating the abilities of Wannai and Awatsuki dramatically. Similarly, he underestimates Mikoto towards the end, mistaking her for one of her clone sisters. While Baba may excel in crafting strategies, he proves weak in devising contingency plans or reacting to unforeseen circumstances. This highlights both Baba's strength and his considerable weakness, and, juxtaposed with Tokiwadai who also lose due to their own hubris, elucidates why he ultimately fails.
One aspect I found particularly appealing beyond the ways in which the characters develop was how seamlessly the manga ties into both Railgun and Index. On one hand, it feels like Railgun, as a series, has finally carved out its own identity, evident in Fuyukawa's stronger emulation of the anime. There's a heightened focus on the interactions within the Railgun crew (Mikoto, Kuroko, Kazari, and Ruiko), with the latter two embarking on their own adventure involving the black crystals beyond Mikoto's perspective. On the other hand, the manga still maintains a strong connection to Index due to its setting, albeit without giving those scenes as much space as in the earlier volumes. Many slice-of-life moments from the Index volumes OT9 and OT10, such as Mikoto's bet with Touma or their joint race, are merely alluded to during the introduction of Misuzu, without further elaboration. The core dynamics, like Mikoto and Kazari taking turns pushing Kuroko in a wheelchair, are smoothly integrated with the way they were setup in Index, with the inclusion of Ruiko into the mix. Thematically, Railgun closely mirrors Index through the theme of fun: the Daihasei Festival in Index underscored the importance of everyone having fun – or at least, that was Seiri's wish – and Oriana's attempt to sabotage it prompted Touma to intervene. Mikoto's dialogue with Misaka 10032 taps into this theme, as Mikoto reassures her that their switch-up was fine as long as her clone sister had "fun." Still, this moment is also imbued with a distinctive Railgun identity: Mikoto handing over the Gekota mask as she says this symbolically recalls her first humanizing moment with Misaka 9982, where she gave her the Gekota button – a metaphorical reminder of Mikoto's deep bond with her clone sisters and her fundamental desire for them to experience joy after their traumatic ordeal. In doing so, Railgun fills a significant gap by further delving into Mikoto's relationship with her clone sisters, an aspect often sidelined in Index. Additionally, moments from the Sisters Arc are seamlessly incorporated into the narrative’s continuity, such as Misaka 10032's combat experience, making her agile in close combat and knowledgeable about the alleys of Academy City, ensuring she's never caught off guard. It's one of the few instances in the franchise where Misaka 10032 shines individually, and the incorporation of established concepts to explain her advantage adds credibility to this connection. Another element from Index that takes on its own identity in Railgun is the black cat, introduced in OT3 but evolving into a quasi-side character in Railgun, poised to become more pivotal within the next volume due to its proximity to the battleground.
Another moment that delves into these diverse layers is the encounter between Touma and Mikoto. Here, for the first time in continuity, Misaki is faced with Touma's memory loss. The scene kicks off with its own self-contained humor as Misaki embraces Mikoto with enthusiasm, introducing herself as "her friend," only to quickly hide behind Touma protectively after Mikoto's swift rejection. This prompts both of them to jest at Mikoto's expense, much to her annoyance. The joke works well enough in isolation and can be easily grasped on it’s own, but with more background knowledge about Touma and Misaki's shared past, it takes on an entirely different layer of significance. Suddenly, we grasp why Misaki is depicted in a typical pose, where we only see her twisted mouth but not her eyes—a pose commonly used in Railgun to symbolize either escalating rage or a deep emotional blow from which the character needs to recover from. With this context, we suddenly see her action as a facade that Misaki constructs to somehow cope with the pain she feels in that moment and to conceal it. The fact that Touma and Mikoto have already forged a connection, which Misaki perceives at that moment, becomes evident when Touma approaches with a handful of drinks just as Mikoto did in their first real conversation in the Sisters Arc at the vending machine, which established a connection between them beyond Mikoto's combat desires. This moment works wonderfully as an exclusive Railgun scene even without any context, but it gains a significantly deeper meaning when viewed in the context of the rest of the franchise. It demonstrates that Railgun, despite some initial difficulties, has now found an organic way to fit into the overall franchise as a spin-off: Railgun's Daihasei thematically aligns with Index's Daihasei and draws on scenes and moments from it without making them pivotal to the plot. At the same time, it introduces its own moments that not only enrich Railgun but also retroactively enrich Index as a whole franchise, by expanding and integrating relationships and characters that only appear further down the line into the narrative. Railgun's Daihasei can stand solidly on its own but is strengthened and deepened by its connection to Index, showcasing what I believe is the ideal way a spin-off should connect to the main series and illustrating how Fuyukawa's vision has grown and become clearer since taking over the Railgun manga.
A few minor aspects I wanted to mention that didn't quite fit anywhere else: I really liked the Touma reference during the balloon battle, where a Tokiwadai student darted away from Misaka 10032 in the classic Touma pose, lamenting her luck at directly encountering a Level 5. It caught my interest when, during her exchange with Misaki and Touma, Mikoto sarcastically pondered if she'd be dubbed "Bug Zapper" next, the anime's take on "Biribiri," while the manga opts for "Sparky." I’m unsure though if that was a deliberate nod or just happenstance. Equally puzzling was the scene where Ruiko, at the stadium, suddenly called Kazari Uiharu by her first name. I'm not certain if that was an intentional emphasis in her speech pattern or simply a slip-up by the dialogue writers. When it comes to the narrative progression, I'm a bit torn on whether the manga provided enough hints for us readers to grasp that Misaki visited her and tampered with her memories. The anime played with this ambiguity more by showing Misaki’s gloves at the door knob, allowing us to speculate on Kazari's motives for hiding her discoveries. In the manga, however, only a "file deleted" window on the PC hinted that she had withheld something, leaving us in the dark about the reasons behind this. Ultimately, I’m undecided if I prefer this uncertainty about Kazari's involvement or if the anime's approach made the process clearer in hindsight, both have their ups and downs. I must also commend how effectively Mikoto's despair was portrayed as she gradually realizes that everyone around her is under Misaki's control, and her growing sense of isolation makes the moment when she opens up to Mitsuko even more poignant. Especially noteworthy comedy-wise was Mitsuko's theatrics during her sports performances, like her "death scene," where she'd actually just lost her balloon but delivered an epic farewell speech to Ekaterina, which I found quite amusing. It's a pity we won't see her in that everyday, competitive role in the next volumes, which I feel is where her character truly shines. So, those were my impressions of this volume thus far, and I'm eagerly anticipating the next one and how the Daihasei storyline will unfold further down the line.
Mikoto's relationship with Kuroko was portrayed convincingly enough that Mikoto's melancholy and her wistful expression as she reminisced about Kuroko's quirky antics conveyed genuine and relatable emotions. Fuyukawa's portrayal truly captured Mikoto's sense of loss, as if she had parted with something precious in her life. Another standout relationship was Mikoto's bond with Mitsuko, which was built up effectively and comprehensibly in previous chapters. In the last volume, their synergy was made vividly evident. This was further deepened in this section by juxtaposing them with the rest of Tokiwadai: while Tokiwadai's defeat in the balloon battle stemmed largely from their own hubris, believing they must fight alone rather than together, Mitsuko and Mikoto serve as an antithesis of them. After triumphing in the three-legged race, they clinched victory in the balloon race effortlessly without even needing to pay attention to their opponents. Their rapport not only stood out within Tokiwadai but within Academy City as a whole: they understand each other without words to the extent that Mitsuko, the only person without prior knowledge of the Level 6 Shift experiment, is able to tell Mikoto apart from her clone sisters. Because they know and understand each other so well, Mitsuko immediately senses her inner pain when Mikoto tells her about her friends. Mitsuko specifically, who has suffered her whole life from not being able to find friends and had her eyes opened by Mikoto, understands her feelings after she lost her friends better than anyone else and is therefore unconditionally willing to support her. Their relationship comes into full bloom as Mitsuko selflessly defends Mikoto's honor even while crouching defeated on the floor, while Mikoto, upon seeing her injury, leaves her soft human features behind and, with an expression reminiscent of her confrontation with Accelerator when Misaka 9982 was killed, confronts Baba's robot, but still maintains enough control that she can issue a threat to him via the communication device that leaves Baba paralyzed with fear and causes him to faint. This moment felt particularly impactful within the anime's continuity, as Mikoto's prolonged hesitation to involve her friends stemmed from her fear of putting them in harm's way. The fact that things went smoothly during Silent Party, only for both Kuroko and Mitsuko to fall victim shortly thereafter, provided a compelling opportunity to challenge Mikoto's newfound convictions. This pivotal moment is bound to shape Mikoto's character development significantly in the chapters to come.
One thing that should absolutely not be overlooked is how crucial Wannai and Awatsuki are to this storyline. Until now, they've been relatively minor supporting characters, occasionally glimpsed in the background of the Railgun and Index manga, and, in the case of the anime, at least actively assisting during Silent Party. This relative insignificance is reflected in their discussion about their lack of sporting ambition and their admission that they've never really been involved in a fight or experienced true anger (excluding the anime-exclusive STUDY case). Their consistently gentle facial expressions, often seen smiling or looking cute, but never displaying negativity, underscore this. However, everything changes the moment they encounter Mitsuko, depicted by Fuyukawa with a striking shift in their demeanor as their initially hidden eyes beneath their hair suddenly adopt a serious, enraged gaze as they enter a fierce battle against Baba. In this moment, the groundwork laid in their relationship with Mitsuko finally pays off. Despite not spending much time together in the manga, their earlier dialogue about never experiencing true anger effectively emphasizes how significant Mitsuko is to them. Baba assumes an intriguing role in this scenario: introduced as an intelligent strategist, he devises a plan to undermine Tokiwadai during the sports festival, factoring in their own arrogance into his calculations. However, his downfall comes from underestimating the abilities of Wannai and Awatsuki dramatically. Similarly, he underestimates Mikoto towards the end, mistaking her for one of her clone sisters. While Baba may excel in crafting strategies, he proves weak in devising contingency plans or reacting to unforeseen circumstances. This highlights both Baba's strength and his considerable weakness, and, juxtaposed with Tokiwadai who also lose due to their own hubris, elucidates why he ultimately fails.
One aspect I found particularly appealing beyond the ways in which the characters develop was how seamlessly the manga ties into both Railgun and Index. On one hand, it feels like Railgun, as a series, has finally carved out its own identity, evident in Fuyukawa's stronger emulation of the anime. There's a heightened focus on the interactions within the Railgun crew (Mikoto, Kuroko, Kazari, and Ruiko), with the latter two embarking on their own adventure involving the black crystals beyond Mikoto's perspective. On the other hand, the manga still maintains a strong connection to Index due to its setting, albeit without giving those scenes as much space as in the earlier volumes. Many slice-of-life moments from the Index volumes OT9 and OT10, such as Mikoto's bet with Touma or their joint race, are merely alluded to during the introduction of Misuzu, without further elaboration. The core dynamics, like Mikoto and Kazari taking turns pushing Kuroko in a wheelchair, are smoothly integrated with the way they were setup in Index, with the inclusion of Ruiko into the mix. Thematically, Railgun closely mirrors Index through the theme of fun: the Daihasei Festival in Index underscored the importance of everyone having fun – or at least, that was Seiri's wish – and Oriana's attempt to sabotage it prompted Touma to intervene. Mikoto's dialogue with Misaka 10032 taps into this theme, as Mikoto reassures her that their switch-up was fine as long as her clone sister had "fun." Still, this moment is also imbued with a distinctive Railgun identity: Mikoto handing over the Gekota mask as she says this symbolically recalls her first humanizing moment with Misaka 9982, where she gave her the Gekota button – a metaphorical reminder of Mikoto's deep bond with her clone sisters and her fundamental desire for them to experience joy after their traumatic ordeal. In doing so, Railgun fills a significant gap by further delving into Mikoto's relationship with her clone sisters, an aspect often sidelined in Index. Additionally, moments from the Sisters Arc are seamlessly incorporated into the narrative’s continuity, such as Misaka 10032's combat experience, making her agile in close combat and knowledgeable about the alleys of Academy City, ensuring she's never caught off guard. It's one of the few instances in the franchise where Misaka 10032 shines individually, and the incorporation of established concepts to explain her advantage adds credibility to this connection. Another element from Index that takes on its own identity in Railgun is the black cat, introduced in OT3 but evolving into a quasi-side character in Railgun, poised to become more pivotal within the next volume due to its proximity to the battleground.
Another moment that delves into these diverse layers is the encounter between Touma and Mikoto. Here, for the first time in continuity, Misaki is faced with Touma's memory loss. The scene kicks off with its own self-contained humor as Misaki embraces Mikoto with enthusiasm, introducing herself as "her friend," only to quickly hide behind Touma protectively after Mikoto's swift rejection. This prompts both of them to jest at Mikoto's expense, much to her annoyance. The joke works well enough in isolation and can be easily grasped on it’s own, but with more background knowledge about Touma and Misaki's shared past, it takes on an entirely different layer of significance. Suddenly, we grasp why Misaki is depicted in a typical pose, where we only see her twisted mouth but not her eyes—a pose commonly used in Railgun to symbolize either escalating rage or a deep emotional blow from which the character needs to recover from. With this context, we suddenly see her action as a facade that Misaki constructs to somehow cope with the pain she feels in that moment and to conceal it. The fact that Touma and Mikoto have already forged a connection, which Misaki perceives at that moment, becomes evident when Touma approaches with a handful of drinks just as Mikoto did in their first real conversation in the Sisters Arc at the vending machine, which established a connection between them beyond Mikoto's combat desires. This moment works wonderfully as an exclusive Railgun scene even without any context, but it gains a significantly deeper meaning when viewed in the context of the rest of the franchise. It demonstrates that Railgun, despite some initial difficulties, has now found an organic way to fit into the overall franchise as a spin-off: Railgun's Daihasei thematically aligns with Index's Daihasei and draws on scenes and moments from it without making them pivotal to the plot. At the same time, it introduces its own moments that not only enrich Railgun but also retroactively enrich Index as a whole franchise, by expanding and integrating relationships and characters that only appear further down the line into the narrative. Railgun's Daihasei can stand solidly on its own but is strengthened and deepened by its connection to Index, showcasing what I believe is the ideal way a spin-off should connect to the main series and illustrating how Fuyukawa's vision has grown and become clearer since taking over the Railgun manga.
A few minor aspects I wanted to mention that didn't quite fit anywhere else: I really liked the Touma reference during the balloon battle, where a Tokiwadai student darted away from Misaka 10032 in the classic Touma pose, lamenting her luck at directly encountering a Level 5. It caught my interest when, during her exchange with Misaki and Touma, Mikoto sarcastically pondered if she'd be dubbed "Bug Zapper" next, the anime's take on "Biribiri," while the manga opts for "Sparky." I’m unsure though if that was a deliberate nod or just happenstance. Equally puzzling was the scene where Ruiko, at the stadium, suddenly called Kazari Uiharu by her first name. I'm not certain if that was an intentional emphasis in her speech pattern or simply a slip-up by the dialogue writers. When it comes to the narrative progression, I'm a bit torn on whether the manga provided enough hints for us readers to grasp that Misaki visited her and tampered with her memories. The anime played with this ambiguity more by showing Misaki’s gloves at the door knob, allowing us to speculate on Kazari's motives for hiding her discoveries. In the manga, however, only a "file deleted" window on the PC hinted that she had withheld something, leaving us in the dark about the reasons behind this. Ultimately, I’m undecided if I prefer this uncertainty about Kazari's involvement or if the anime's approach made the process clearer in hindsight, both have their ups and downs. I must also commend how effectively Mikoto's despair was portrayed as she gradually realizes that everyone around her is under Misaki's control, and her growing sense of isolation makes the moment when she opens up to Mitsuko even more poignant. Especially noteworthy comedy-wise was Mitsuko's theatrics during her sports performances, like her "death scene," where she'd actually just lost her balloon but delivered an epic farewell speech to Ekaterina, which I found quite amusing. It's a pity we won't see her in that everyday, competitive role in the next volumes, which I feel is where her character truly shines. So, those were my impressions of this volume thus far, and I'm eagerly anticipating the next one and how the Daihasei storyline will unfold further down the line.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2013
I was really disappointed with the way the previous volume wrapped up the awesome Sisters arc only to go into a lame plot about school cliques and a sports festival. The first chapter of this volume didn't do much to alleviate my disappointment -- yeah, there were some hints of something more going on, and the big balloon fight event was kinda fun, but it just seems so tired.
And then the plot kicks into gear.
Holy crap, is this awesome. The villains may not be able to match Mikasa in power, but they're smart which is more than we could say of Accelerator or that assassin squad from the start of the Sisters arc. I love that this is the first time Mikasa really needs to turn to someone else for help -- not because here enemy is powerful, but because they're keeping one step ahead of her.
And then the plot kicks into gear.
Holy crap, is this awesome. The villains may not be able to match Mikasa in power, but they're smart which is more than we could say of Accelerator or that assassin squad from the start of the Sisters arc. I love that this is the first time Mikasa really needs to turn to someone else for help -- not because here enemy is powerful, but because they're keeping one step ahead of her.
December 25, 2019
This was an interesting volume and I like the sporting competition, but also that one of the "sisters" was still in this volume.
It was an interesting story and over all well paced. I look forward to the next volume.
It was an interesting story and over all well paced. I look forward to the next volume.
November 9, 2021
I've read so much bad manga lately that I'm willing to give this 5 stars.
This starts slow but by the end is quite good. They introduce a villain who lives up to the name! My one issue is that it's hard to sort out the girls.
This starts slow but by the end is quite good. They introduce a villain who lives up to the name! My one issue is that it's hard to sort out the girls.
June 18, 2018
My least favorite of the entire series so far.
A ton of relay games, and fan service.
Didn't care for it at all.
A ton of relay games, and fan service.
Didn't care for it at all.
December 7, 2021
Continues the same story as Season T (3) of the anime. We get more insight into the villain's character than in the anime. Lots of action. If you enjoyed the anime, you will like this.
November 2, 2023
1.5 stars.
August 6, 2024
2.5 stars
I dislike when people's memories are manipulated.
I dislike when people's memories are manipulated.
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