To Aru Majutsu Final Episode
Episode 24 of To Aru Majutsu no Index was pretty satisfying. Looking back at the anime, I’d give the series probably a B+, with a number of story arcs that would rate much higher. I enjoyed the initial arc best and any story arc that involved Touma fighting magical foes, which fortunately was the bulk of the episodes. The series did have some duds however. I didn’t find the two episode arc starring the Accelerator and the loli Biri Biri that interesting nor did I care much about the one where everyone switched bodies. However, like any good anime series, the series ended on a high note with some of the best coming in the last four episodes.
Like I mentioned in my post about Toradora, I hadn’t blogged much about anime on this site due to the fact that I got really busy with real life issues and for a while there was just a lot of worthwhile gaming news. So yesterday, like I did with Toradora, I marathoned episodes 21 to 24 of Index.
The last four episodes reminded so much of why I liked this series. You have a great protagonist in Touma, who because of his unique nullifying ability is both really strong and weak at the same time. I also liked the fact that the series highlights his cleverness. He remembers clues, figures out a way to use his power to maximum advantage and at the same time remain true to his values: loyalty, friendship and perseverence against tough odds.
The other thing that I haven’t realized up to this point that the show has become sort of a harem anime with Touma surrounding himself with a group of attractive females that have varying levels of romantic interest in him. Index treats Touma not only as her meal ticket, but also a cross between a big brother and boyfriend. Mikoto clearly has romantic feelings for Touma though she, in typical tsundere fashion, denies it. Aisa and now Hyouka also seem to have an interest as well.
This gets me back to episode 24. As we begin the episode, Hyouka, who is revealed to be a manifestation of esper powers given human form, races to save Index who has become a target of Ellis, a golem controlled by magician Sherrey Cromwell. As Hyouka faces off against Ellis, Touma is intercepted by Sherrey.
I loved the fight scene between Touma and Sherrey even though the outcome was obvious from the onset. I also liked the fact that it was Touma recalling a snide piece of knowledge from Index which determined the outcome. Touma realizes that one of the seals set up by Sherrey is for her own protection. By canceling that particular seal, Sherrey is exposed not only to her own earth-controlling powers but also becomes vulnerable to Touma’s Imagine Breaker.
Meanwhile, Index is having a rough time against Ellis, even though she was able to hold it off by altering the way the magic was being cast. I rather enjoyed that aspect of Index and wished the series had more fully highlighted the fact that Index is more than a human encyclopedia of magic; that while she can’t necessarily cast spells, she can put the knowledge she has to some incredible use.
However, Index’s knowledge isn’t enough to hold off Ellis for long and she soon finds herself in a deadly situation. Hyouka arrives just in time and demonstrates that as an esper manifestation she has super human strength and leaping abilities. Still, Ellis almost manages to overcome Hyouka as well. Touma then arrives on the scene (looking pretty heroic I must say) and cancels out the golem using his Imagine Breaker.
The rest of the episode concludes with a touch of romance, sadness and comedy. After the fight with Ellis, Hyouka uses Touma as a shoulder to cry on as she laments the necessity of returning to her own world. Index reaffirms their friendship and Hyouka disappears to where she came from, promising to return.
The story then shifts to a few different scenes. In one scene, you see Matoharu speaking with Aleister Crowley warning him to keep Touma out of his future schemes. In the next scene, Touma is having a conversation with the frog-faced doctor, telling him that this time he actually escaped injury. This of course prompts Komoe-sensei and Aisa to injure him. Next you see Mikoto “attacked” in the shower by Kuroko who uses a distracting ribbon to move Mikoto into a vulnerable position. Then the scene abruptly shifts to England where Laura Stewart, head of the Necessarius Church, enigmatically asks Stiyl-Magnus to recall Index and “her keeper” to England. Finally, you see Index chastising Touma for forgetting to make her lunch and of course biting him on the head.
Overall I liked this ending. It didn’t try to tie up all the loose ends, and it left a few cliff hangers as well. I’m rather thankful they didn’t go for an anime-only ending that deviated away from the source material. I’m looking forward to the next series, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun where we’ll see a little more of Biri Biri.
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