Railgun T has done a great job so far putting a fun esper-y twist on the classic sports festival formula. Like the three-legged race last week, the balloon hunt is made more creative and exciting with the use of abilities. Adding MISAKA 10032 while Misaka Prime takes a rest takes things up a notch.
MISAKA is never not fun to watch as she calmly assesses her environment dodges attackers and adds notches to her belt. Unfortunately the rest of the Tokiawadai team is so confident of victory they don’t bother with any real teamwork and are undone by the scrappy underdogs’ simple tactics.
That said, Kongo’s melodramatic “death scene” was so worth it, and I liked the idea of Tokiwadai’s adult leaders being glad their pompous rich girl students are having their asses handed to them. They intend punish them with extra dorm chores, and hopefully the sting of the loss will make them rethink their strategy next time they face a seemingly easy opponent.
Speaking of stings, MISAKA probably only loses because Baba-kun (the other team’s leader who had intel on all the Tokiwadai students) uses the balloon hunting fracas as a distraction so he could sting her with a tiny robotic bug. When MISAKA meets with Misaka later, the real deal tells her there’s no reason to hang her head as long as she had fun.
This week marks the first Kamijou Touma cameo, as he runs into Misaka quite by chance as she’s in line for drinks. Misaka is uncharacteristically civil with him as he offers to grab drinks for her, but things take a turn when Misaki spots her with him, is momentarily embarrassed, and takes Misaka’s arm like they’re BFFs.
The last straw is when Misaki, seeking to insert herself into their relationship, gloms onto an unwitting Touma, and her much larger breasts press against him, leading Biribiri to shock him—and for him to cancel said shock with his Imagine Breaker, which sports yet another new sound effect.
As packed as this episode was with Misaka, MISAKA, Touma, and the Balloon Hunt, the show doesn’t forget to check in on the rest of the central quartet. Whether it’s Shirai not losing a step with her Judgment duties (thanks to her teleportation) or Uiharu agreeing to help Ruiko locate “Shadow Metal” for the thrill of it, it’s just great to see these characters back in action and in the spotlight.
If all the preceding events make it sound like a lightweight episode, the episode’s conclusion certainly changed that perception, as the effects of the robo-bug hit MISAKA when she’s alone and isolated (aside from her cat) while Misaki and a suited fellow move in to apprehend her.
Earlier, Misaki was watching a big screen and I could have sworn she could tell the real Misaka wasn’t participating in the balloon hunt. She also mentions how her Mental Out ability is another tool she can use to prove someone’s identity.
Either she’s still fooled into thinking MISAKA is Misaka despite all that, or she’s going to use MISAKA as bait to nab the genuine article. Either way, Misaka’s troubles are about to outstrip Misaki glomming on her guy…
RABUJOI - An Anime Blog 
Touma’s run in isn’t entirely by chance. That happens during the family lunch in Index II where the Kamijous and the Misakas are sitting at tables next to each other in the same restaurant. Mikoto excused herself from her mom to buy drinks and Touma excused himself from his folks (and Index) to go to the restroom.
LikeLike
It’s also possible that whatever Misaka wants from Misaka can just as easily be obtained from a Sister…
LikeLike
So we have had three episodes to (re)establish the key cast members with some pretty well constructed fun events revolving around the Daihasei Festival again, with just the ending of this episode hinting at the darkness to come. Of the various arcs and spin offs of the Academy City world, Misaka’s were always the most entertaining, balancing humor, action, and drama competently. I’m hoping it doesn’t go the way of the ultimately tedious Index III, which ended up drowning in its world of international intrigue, or the Accelerator series which was all overpowered action and little else. One of Railgun’s strengths was that it always worked within a relatively tight framework which prevented the excesses of the other series developing.
Keeping Kuroko confined to a wheelchair has also been a good move so far. Her comic relief yuri glomming of Misaka has always been the show’s overdone weak point. No doubt she will be out of the wheelchair soon enough however.
I noticed the change to Touma’s Imagine Breaker sound effect too. But to me that sounded like the old Imagine Breaker Mk 1 sound effect brought back again. :)
LikeLike