A Certain Scientific Railgun OVA: Since Misaka-san is the Center of Attention Right Now...

For some reason, I've always liked Railgun side-story more than Index. It's good to see Misaka Mikoto in all her glory since she doesn't appear that often (or as often as I like) in the main series. So for all "biribiri" fans out there, J.C. Staff gave us a wonderful present in the form of an OVA. Story: 9 The story itself has the elements you would expect in a typical Railgun story arc, only just one episode long. Again, Misaka and her friends are faced with a mystery and it is up to them to solve it. That being said, even though it feels like atypical Railgun story, it feels somewhat refreshingly new. There were a few instances that I had to go back and re-watch a scene, just because it was too funny. If you liked the Railgun series, you'll certainly be pleased with the story of this OVA as well. Art: 9 As with all J.C. Staff productions, the quality of the animation is top notch. Smooth, free-flowing movement and well-detailed character designs along with a great background. Nothing feels out of place, or rushed and I couldn't find a single thing that would probably make my eyes hurt. You would have to watch this with in HD to really appreciate it. Sound: 8 The OVA has a new OP (this one by fripSide who sang the OP in Railgun, "My Only Railgun") and a new ED (courtesy of ELISA who also sang ep 2-3's ED, I think it was "Dear My Friend"). These songs nice to listen to and it feels like it really belongs in this episode (I hope that made sense). Other than that there's nothing new to report, which isn't always a bad thing. All Voice Actors return for their roles, and as expected the voices are top notch. Kuroko's voice may finally be growing on me... Character: 9 The story focuses on the main cast, so expect that there will be few side characters appearing. Though I have to admit, seeing a being of such misfortune was a welcome treat. I've said too much... Enjoyment: 9 Fans of the series and fans of Misaka Mikoto (which are separate groups) will definitely enjoy this latest helping of biribiri. Nothing felt old or reused and there will be moments that you will laugh, hard. So the score is an astounding: 9/10. edit 11/29/2010: Changed the part about who sang the OP and ED. Seems I got them mixed up.

So far, I watched the series a while back when it was airing, and just watched it recently, and yes, it was interesting, an OVA added to the series block, it never failed me to expect something new to this, no comedy was cliche and somehow connected to the story of the biribiri season so far.

TL;DR, Showcases the absolute best of what the show has to offer, shame it's only a side story. Misaka's character is very well demonstrated through this story, showing how her racing mind is always worried about perceptions pertaining to her, both tangible and intangible. It becomes a physical impairment which is followed through with successive scenes of very cool transitions through time, coupled with paranoia and steadily deduced problem solving. Sure, the ending is conjured from nothing, but the general tone of the series is kept throughout the ride. The character interactions are at their best here without being crammed in like many other short specials. Itreflects on the series so well without just retelling events which already happened, a problem which Index ran into at the end of its first season. Really though, I like it mainly because it plays with the concepts of esper powers in a way that the series should really strive for. There were great scenes of Misaka's utilization of it and though the special has some extra length, it never feels like it's plodding along to nowhere. This episode can really be watched at any time, though after Season 1 would be preferable, due to some very minor references to past events. If the rest of the show maintained this standard all the time, it would be the truly interesting shonen it's got the potential to be.

How many extras does the Railgun anime have? Ok, at least this is a full episode with a completely new story by itself. I'm not sure if this story is present in other forms of the Railgun media though. There isn't any real difference in animation quality compared to the main series, but it's still very good. I didn't pay full attention to the OP and ED songs but they have a similar feel to them since the songs are by the same singers... JC Staff must have a good budget to use new songs just for a 1 episode OVA. The episode's also slightly longer(34 minutes) but that about it; it feel just like any other Railgun episode. I don't wanna spoil the story, but I like the pacing even though there's a full plot in just one episode. The story quickly goes into the problem Misaka faces and it's pretty cool to see her awesome abilities in all her glory. I actually wished that episode could be longer. I liked it, but I could only recommend it as much as the original season.