What do you think?
Rate this book
とある魔術の禁書目録 [Toaru Majutsu no Index] (Novel) #3
A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 3
(Volume 2) In Academy City, magic and science coexist in an unwavering power struggle--and Toma Kamijo has been caught up in the middle of it ever since he met Index, a magical nun who has been implanted with 103,000 ancient texts. When Toma learns from magician Stiyl Magnus that a shrine maiden is being held captive at an Academy City cram school, and that someone from the magical realm might be involved, the one-time enemies team up to save the girl. But it isn't long before the rescue mission takes a turn--will Toma be the one who needs rescuing?!
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2004
25 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Kazuma Kamachi
239 books153 followersKamachi Kazuma (鎌池和馬) is a Japanese-born light novel author and the original creator of the Toaru Majutsu no Index light novel series and Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, its spin-off manga series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 5, 2024
Part 3 of my chronological journey through the light novels, and we have finally reached OT3. Reading this for the first time in novel form was certainly an emotional journey for me, and I was so invested that, unlike OT1 and OT2, I finished it in two long sittings. Now, I will say this: of all the volumes, this one in particular suffers from the fact that it has been reworked ad nauseam, not only in the Index manga and anime, but also in the Railgun manga and anime, and the Railgun versions of the events simply pack a heavier punch because it is, after all, Mikoto's story and is thus greatly enhanced by being told from her perspective. It kind of felt like going back to the original King Kong or the original Batman after seeing so many different iterations that improved on the original premise. Still, this is the origin of it all, and without OT3 none of these other versions would have existed, so it deserves a proper examination. Now, before I get into the more analytical side of things (and I promise I'll look at the pros and cons as I have in every other review so far), I want to take a little time to explain what this story means to me personally and why, no matter what I say about this volume and how harsh I may be, nothing in the To Aru verse can compare to the impact this story has had on me. It's the main reason why I'm so invested and why I consider this to be my peak experience with art. If you're not interested in my personal incursions into art and how it has affected me, feel free to skip the following section.
Rant about art, beginning: When it comes to art, I have always taken more of an analytical approach. I'd look at a piece of art and analyse its themes, its composition, its form, and give a final verdict on how all these elements came together to form a huge gesamtkunstwerk. I had very little emotional connection to art, and when it did affect me personally, it did so by making me think more deeply about certain issues, but I rarely, if ever, felt anything when analysing art. However, in trying to understand what art really means, I came across one of my favourite poems of all time: Fahrt über die Kölner Rheinbrücke bei Nacht by the German poet Ernst Stadler, written in 1912, which literally translates as Ride over the Cologne Rhine Bridge at Night and belongs to the period of Expressionism. In it, a lyrical subject crosses the Rhine Bridge in Cologne, travelling from pure and picturesque nature to the industrial metropolis with all it's ugly factories and pollution. As it travels, the lyrical subject slowly escapes the outside world and journeys into its inner self, which allows it to find an inner, mystical, almost divine kind of peace. What I wondered about in trying to understand the implications of this poem was the meaning behind the bridge. Why was it important that the lyrical subject crossed a bridge? And I finally found my answer when I read about the images the expressionists used to explain their art. In the publications of the artists Marc and Kandinsky, known as Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), art is described as follows: Nature is everywhere, within us and outside of us. There is only one thing that is not entirely nature, but rather the management and interpretation of nature, and that is art. Art in its purest form is [...] the bridge to the spiritual world.
This finally made me understand the meaning of the Cologne Rhine Bridge: The bridge acts as an intermediate space, connecting the inside of the lyrical subject with the outside world. The poem itself, as a work of art, is the bridge through which this connection takes place. Like a bridge, art reveals the inner, subjective feelings and images of a person by traversing them to the outside world by using objects, such as letters, colours, sounds, animations, voices, and so on. But it can also act as a bridge between the person looking at the art and the work of art, where the art touches the inner self of the person looking at it. This was a wonderful concept and explanation of what art really is, but although I understood it, I was never able to experience it as such a bridge. Until a few months ago.
You may already know where this is going. But just to reiterate a point I made in my essay explaining why Mikoto means so much to me personally, for the past 30 years I have struggled with trust issues, not being able to ask for help and suffering greatly when forced to do so. I hated the thought of being a burden to other people, of passing on my problems and issues to them, and also had an incredible fear of relinquishing control, to the point that when I became a teacher, this was my biggest issue that I just couldn't overcome. Until I reexperienced the climactic scene between Touma and Mikoto. All of Mikoto's guilt, her self-hatred, her refusal to accept help, her fear of relinquishing control, it all felt so close to me, confronting me with emotions buried so deep that I didn't even know they existed. It was then that I realized: This bridge at night, where the scene between Mikoto and Touma takes place, is literally my Cologne Rhine bridge at night. For the first time, art was able to penetrate my heart and, in confronting my with these feelings, heal me of a burden I had carried around with me all my life. Something that had weighed on me for 30 years is now gone. And that is why nothing that will ever happen will be able to destroy what this story means to me. It has changed me as a person and is the most powerful experience I have ever had with art. So no matter what I think of it analytically, it is my favourite Kamachi work and something for which I am eternally grateful. Rant about art, end.
So, to move on to the more analytical part of this essay, despite what I said about it being overshadowed by its Railgun counterparts, I think there are a few things that this version does better than the others. One of them is the strong mirroring of Touma and Mikoto, a narrative element that Kamachi really is an expert at. At the beginning, Mikoto refuses to accept any help and decides to take the whole burden upon herself, even though she is innocent in this situation: she was lied to and deceived as a child and from that point on, she gave no consent to anything that happened. It is natural for her to feel guilty, but it would be unreasonable to blame a child, who is naturally more trusting of adults, for the consequences that followed. Still, she wants to save the sisters and is willing to sacrifice her life to do so. Eventually, she reluctantly accepts Touma's help, at which point the roles are reversed: Touma now refuses to accept any form of help from Mikoto, because otherwise his plan wouldn't work. Even during the period when Accelerator is charging the plasma, Touma still deplores Mikoto to not step in, suggesting that he was as willing to die for the Sisters, as Mikoto was. Despite these parallel structures, however, there is one difference between the two: from the moment he meets her on the bridge, he is willing to risk his life not only for the Sisters, but also for Mikoto. Therefore, he stands in her way, despite everything she throws at him to get Touma out of the way. However, this changes when Mikoto steps in to save Touma, willing to blow herself to pieces with her Railgun to save not only the Sisters but also Touma. This moment not only highlights how much the two mirror each other narratively, but also shows their relationship developing.
While it is in character for Touma, having rediscovered his convictions in OT2, to save everyone and everything and to have no problem risking his life in the process, it is made abundantly clear how much Mikoto fears losing her life. And yet she was willing to put all that aside and sacrifice herself not only for her Sisters, but ultimately for Touma as well. In the end, both save the Sisters, but also each other: Mikoto by coming up with the idea to reverse the flow of the windmills, and Touma by delivering the final blow to Accelerator. This conflict could not have been won without both of them working together, and also without both of them learning to care for each other to the point where they were willing to sacrifice their lives for each other. I think this is a wonderful starting point for their relationship and shows how much they really care for each other. Despite all the bickering. Even if you don't agree that there's any romantic tension between them, I think it's hard to deny that OT3 establishes a close bond between the two, first through the Sisters as intermediaries because they both care for them, and then between each other.
Another really nice theme that OT3 touches on is the theme of purpose, which it uses to hark back to OT1. If you remember, Touma originally woke up from his amnesia with no memories and therefore no real purpose in life to hold on to. It wasn't until he saw Index for the first time after his memory loss that he decided his purpose was to keep her from crying and to keep a smile on her face, even if he didn't know why. In the final confrontation, Misaka 10032 is in a similar situation. She doesn't have amnesia, but she lacks any context for why her life should be valuable. It is only when she sees Mikoto crying that she decides that her purpose is to prevent her from crying and to keep a smile on her face, even if she doesn't know why. So, you could say that OT3 was as much a novel about the growing bond between Mikoto and the Sisters as it was about the growing bond between Touma and Mikoto. However, this also highlights an aspect I personally felt a bit lacking: the relationship between Mikoto and her Sisters was, in my opinion, a little too underdeveloped for this scene to have the impact it had in other versions of the story. While I understand that Kamachi didn't want to give too much away about their relationship in order to maintain the mystery surrounding Mikoto's involvement, perhaps an interlude before the final confrontation, which was often used in OT2, would have helped to contextualise how Mikoto's relationship with her sisters organically developed to the point where she not only saw them as human beings, but also accepted her role as their big sister. Especially as it felt like we got more dedicated scenes establishing the relationship between Himegami and Index in this volume, even though they were far removed from the plot.
One part that I imagined was quite difficult to write was finding a way for Touma to know exactly the amount of information he needed to find Mikoto without things seeming too contrived. For all intents and purposes, OT3 did a pretty good job at doing so. First, by putting Touma in a situation where he ended up in Mikoto's dormitory and found the secret documents, and then by hiding the exact amount of information in them, he needed to draw the natural conclusion that Mikoto wasn't involved in the experiment. This was a perfect middle ground: the discrepancy in the authorisation levels revealed that she had obtained the documents illegally, while her comments about the blimp next to the companies crossed on the map and their subsequent bankruptcy revealed that she most likely had a grudge against them. From that point on, Touma knew enough to conclude that she wasn't involved, which made him worry about her as much as he wanted to. However, a lot of information was not revealed to him, e.g. how they acquired her DNA, because finding the entire backstory by scanning the documents alone would have felt contrived, but also not necessary for him to care about Mikoto's safety. I do really like that he had to be convinced to trust her first. After all, he is still in the early stages of his amnesia, he hardly knows her and from the information he could gather, it was reasonable to be skeptical about her. Once again, the way Touma's thoughts develop organically carries a large part of the narrative.
The scene on the bridge also works excellently, as it creates a scenario in which both characters are forced into a situation where their confrontation feels like an inevitable conflict due to their beliefs and the situation they find themselves in. Touma doesn't have a grand plan, and it works to the story's advantage that he only comes up with one once Mikoto breaks down in tears. Despite being extremely intelligent in battle, Touma has so far been more of a seat-of-the-pants type. He rarely prepares for fights, but rather throws himself into them and figures things out as they go along. Of course, this is largely due to his ability, which essentially gives him a perfect defence once he's figured out how to nullify his opponent's attacks, which is best done by experiencing them up close. However, this is a luxury most other characters don't have: sorceress like Stiyl need to prepare the battlefield in order to use their magic effectively, and espers like Mikoto or even Accelerator can't just turn a situation around when the odds are stacked against them by nullifying their opponent's ability. There is no possible scenario in which Mikoto could have won this battle, so she had to find a plan other than winning by brute force. So far, however, all of them have failed, and each failed plan has resulted in the death of a Sister. So, from her point of view, there was no other option. She couldn't just jump into battle and hope to find an opening on Accelerator like Touma could, and she couldn't come up with another plan either, because there was no time left. Considering that it was a matter of life and death, her aggressive behaviour towards Touma seems not only appropriate to her character, but also reasonable. It is also important to note how slowly she escalates the situation, trying to do as little damage as possible: first by firing a warning shot that misses, then by firing a shot she thought Touma would block, then by using a high voltage but low amperage blast so as not to kill him, until she goes all out and finally collapses in defeat. She tried everything to save her Sister, but killing Touma was a step she could not take. This whole situation is so tragic because both characters are relatable, we understand their beliefs and emotional state, and thus the conflict seems impossible to avoid.
Now, a couple of gripes I had: the scenes between Himegami, Index and Komoe were interesting character moments, but had very little narrative relevance, so they felt like a distraction from the plot. Also, it was probably the weirdest random fact Kamachi has built into his light novels, having Komoe say something along the lines of one of the main reasons the Roman Empire ended was because they used too much metal, which made me raise a few eyebrows. I also found the way scenes lead into each other in the first few chapters a little uncreative. Basically, Touma first meets Mikoto, then one of her Sisters and then another one of her Sisters. While the chapter where she helps Touma carry his drinks and helps Sphinx was very important for establishing their relationship, the next encounter with a Sister could have been a bit more paced narratively. I also felt that the ending was a bit rushed. While we got extended dialogues between Stiyl/Touma and the frog-faced doctor/Touma in OT1 and OT2, the meeting between Mikoto and Touma felt like it was cut short for no real apparent reason. One thing I would still like to mention is that OT3 does a better job than any of the other adaptations at conveying how much the damage Mikoto did to Touma weighed on him, something that wasn't really apparent in the other adaptations. I don't agree that he would have easily wiped the floor with Accelerator otherwise, because Accelerator dealt a lot of damage at the beginning of the fight with ranged attacks that Touma couldn't really counter and he would still have probably used the attack that knocked Touma unconscious, but it's still something that's apparent during the fight.
All in all, as I said, I love, love, love this volume, despite some of the narrative gripes and flaws I mentioned. Not only because of the personal impact it had on me, but also because of the wonderful themes it establishes and returns to, the way it builds up Touma's and Mikoto's relationship, and the way it creates a relatable and tragic conflict between the two main protagonists of this volume. As I said, I am eternally grateful that this volume came about back in 2004, and I would like to thank Kamachi for creating a work of art that has had such an impact on my life and means so much to me. See you all in OT4.
Rant about art, beginning: When it comes to art, I have always taken more of an analytical approach. I'd look at a piece of art and analyse its themes, its composition, its form, and give a final verdict on how all these elements came together to form a huge gesamtkunstwerk. I had very little emotional connection to art, and when it did affect me personally, it did so by making me think more deeply about certain issues, but I rarely, if ever, felt anything when analysing art. However, in trying to understand what art really means, I came across one of my favourite poems of all time: Fahrt über die Kölner Rheinbrücke bei Nacht by the German poet Ernst Stadler, written in 1912, which literally translates as Ride over the Cologne Rhine Bridge at Night and belongs to the period of Expressionism. In it, a lyrical subject crosses the Rhine Bridge in Cologne, travelling from pure and picturesque nature to the industrial metropolis with all it's ugly factories and pollution. As it travels, the lyrical subject slowly escapes the outside world and journeys into its inner self, which allows it to find an inner, mystical, almost divine kind of peace. What I wondered about in trying to understand the implications of this poem was the meaning behind the bridge. Why was it important that the lyrical subject crossed a bridge? And I finally found my answer when I read about the images the expressionists used to explain their art. In the publications of the artists Marc and Kandinsky, known as Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), art is described as follows: Nature is everywhere, within us and outside of us. There is only one thing that is not entirely nature, but rather the management and interpretation of nature, and that is art. Art in its purest form is [...] the bridge to the spiritual world.
This finally made me understand the meaning of the Cologne Rhine Bridge: The bridge acts as an intermediate space, connecting the inside of the lyrical subject with the outside world. The poem itself, as a work of art, is the bridge through which this connection takes place. Like a bridge, art reveals the inner, subjective feelings and images of a person by traversing them to the outside world by using objects, such as letters, colours, sounds, animations, voices, and so on. But it can also act as a bridge between the person looking at the art and the work of art, where the art touches the inner self of the person looking at it. This was a wonderful concept and explanation of what art really is, but although I understood it, I was never able to experience it as such a bridge. Until a few months ago.
You may already know where this is going. But just to reiterate a point I made in my essay explaining why Mikoto means so much to me personally, for the past 30 years I have struggled with trust issues, not being able to ask for help and suffering greatly when forced to do so. I hated the thought of being a burden to other people, of passing on my problems and issues to them, and also had an incredible fear of relinquishing control, to the point that when I became a teacher, this was my biggest issue that I just couldn't overcome. Until I reexperienced the climactic scene between Touma and Mikoto. All of Mikoto's guilt, her self-hatred, her refusal to accept help, her fear of relinquishing control, it all felt so close to me, confronting me with emotions buried so deep that I didn't even know they existed. It was then that I realized: This bridge at night, where the scene between Mikoto and Touma takes place, is literally my Cologne Rhine bridge at night. For the first time, art was able to penetrate my heart and, in confronting my with these feelings, heal me of a burden I had carried around with me all my life. Something that had weighed on me for 30 years is now gone. And that is why nothing that will ever happen will be able to destroy what this story means to me. It has changed me as a person and is the most powerful experience I have ever had with art. So no matter what I think of it analytically, it is my favourite Kamachi work and something for which I am eternally grateful. Rant about art, end.
So, to move on to the more analytical part of this essay, despite what I said about it being overshadowed by its Railgun counterparts, I think there are a few things that this version does better than the others. One of them is the strong mirroring of Touma and Mikoto, a narrative element that Kamachi really is an expert at. At the beginning, Mikoto refuses to accept any help and decides to take the whole burden upon herself, even though she is innocent in this situation: she was lied to and deceived as a child and from that point on, she gave no consent to anything that happened. It is natural for her to feel guilty, but it would be unreasonable to blame a child, who is naturally more trusting of adults, for the consequences that followed. Still, she wants to save the sisters and is willing to sacrifice her life to do so. Eventually, she reluctantly accepts Touma's help, at which point the roles are reversed: Touma now refuses to accept any form of help from Mikoto, because otherwise his plan wouldn't work. Even during the period when Accelerator is charging the plasma, Touma still deplores Mikoto to not step in, suggesting that he was as willing to die for the Sisters, as Mikoto was. Despite these parallel structures, however, there is one difference between the two: from the moment he meets her on the bridge, he is willing to risk his life not only for the Sisters, but also for Mikoto. Therefore, he stands in her way, despite everything she throws at him to get Touma out of the way. However, this changes when Mikoto steps in to save Touma, willing to blow herself to pieces with her Railgun to save not only the Sisters but also Touma. This moment not only highlights how much the two mirror each other narratively, but also shows their relationship developing.
While it is in character for Touma, having rediscovered his convictions in OT2, to save everyone and everything and to have no problem risking his life in the process, it is made abundantly clear how much Mikoto fears losing her life. And yet she was willing to put all that aside and sacrifice herself not only for her Sisters, but ultimately for Touma as well. In the end, both save the Sisters, but also each other: Mikoto by coming up with the idea to reverse the flow of the windmills, and Touma by delivering the final blow to Accelerator. This conflict could not have been won without both of them working together, and also without both of them learning to care for each other to the point where they were willing to sacrifice their lives for each other. I think this is a wonderful starting point for their relationship and shows how much they really care for each other. Despite all the bickering. Even if you don't agree that there's any romantic tension between them, I think it's hard to deny that OT3 establishes a close bond between the two, first through the Sisters as intermediaries because they both care for them, and then between each other.
Another really nice theme that OT3 touches on is the theme of purpose, which it uses to hark back to OT1. If you remember, Touma originally woke up from his amnesia with no memories and therefore no real purpose in life to hold on to. It wasn't until he saw Index for the first time after his memory loss that he decided his purpose was to keep her from crying and to keep a smile on her face, even if he didn't know why. In the final confrontation, Misaka 10032 is in a similar situation. She doesn't have amnesia, but she lacks any context for why her life should be valuable. It is only when she sees Mikoto crying that she decides that her purpose is to prevent her from crying and to keep a smile on her face, even if she doesn't know why. So, you could say that OT3 was as much a novel about the growing bond between Mikoto and the Sisters as it was about the growing bond between Touma and Mikoto. However, this also highlights an aspect I personally felt a bit lacking: the relationship between Mikoto and her Sisters was, in my opinion, a little too underdeveloped for this scene to have the impact it had in other versions of the story. While I understand that Kamachi didn't want to give too much away about their relationship in order to maintain the mystery surrounding Mikoto's involvement, perhaps an interlude before the final confrontation, which was often used in OT2, would have helped to contextualise how Mikoto's relationship with her sisters organically developed to the point where she not only saw them as human beings, but also accepted her role as their big sister. Especially as it felt like we got more dedicated scenes establishing the relationship between Himegami and Index in this volume, even though they were far removed from the plot.
One part that I imagined was quite difficult to write was finding a way for Touma to know exactly the amount of information he needed to find Mikoto without things seeming too contrived. For all intents and purposes, OT3 did a pretty good job at doing so. First, by putting Touma in a situation where he ended up in Mikoto's dormitory and found the secret documents, and then by hiding the exact amount of information in them, he needed to draw the natural conclusion that Mikoto wasn't involved in the experiment. This was a perfect middle ground: the discrepancy in the authorisation levels revealed that she had obtained the documents illegally, while her comments about the blimp next to the companies crossed on the map and their subsequent bankruptcy revealed that she most likely had a grudge against them. From that point on, Touma knew enough to conclude that she wasn't involved, which made him worry about her as much as he wanted to. However, a lot of information was not revealed to him, e.g. how they acquired her DNA, because finding the entire backstory by scanning the documents alone would have felt contrived, but also not necessary for him to care about Mikoto's safety. I do really like that he had to be convinced to trust her first. After all, he is still in the early stages of his amnesia, he hardly knows her and from the information he could gather, it was reasonable to be skeptical about her. Once again, the way Touma's thoughts develop organically carries a large part of the narrative.
The scene on the bridge also works excellently, as it creates a scenario in which both characters are forced into a situation where their confrontation feels like an inevitable conflict due to their beliefs and the situation they find themselves in. Touma doesn't have a grand plan, and it works to the story's advantage that he only comes up with one once Mikoto breaks down in tears. Despite being extremely intelligent in battle, Touma has so far been more of a seat-of-the-pants type. He rarely prepares for fights, but rather throws himself into them and figures things out as they go along. Of course, this is largely due to his ability, which essentially gives him a perfect defence once he's figured out how to nullify his opponent's attacks, which is best done by experiencing them up close. However, this is a luxury most other characters don't have: sorceress like Stiyl need to prepare the battlefield in order to use their magic effectively, and espers like Mikoto or even Accelerator can't just turn a situation around when the odds are stacked against them by nullifying their opponent's ability. There is no possible scenario in which Mikoto could have won this battle, so she had to find a plan other than winning by brute force. So far, however, all of them have failed, and each failed plan has resulted in the death of a Sister. So, from her point of view, there was no other option. She couldn't just jump into battle and hope to find an opening on Accelerator like Touma could, and she couldn't come up with another plan either, because there was no time left. Considering that it was a matter of life and death, her aggressive behaviour towards Touma seems not only appropriate to her character, but also reasonable. It is also important to note how slowly she escalates the situation, trying to do as little damage as possible: first by firing a warning shot that misses, then by firing a shot she thought Touma would block, then by using a high voltage but low amperage blast so as not to kill him, until she goes all out and finally collapses in defeat. She tried everything to save her Sister, but killing Touma was a step she could not take. This whole situation is so tragic because both characters are relatable, we understand their beliefs and emotional state, and thus the conflict seems impossible to avoid.
Now, a couple of gripes I had: the scenes between Himegami, Index and Komoe were interesting character moments, but had very little narrative relevance, so they felt like a distraction from the plot. Also, it was probably the weirdest random fact Kamachi has built into his light novels, having Komoe say something along the lines of one of the main reasons the Roman Empire ended was because they used too much metal, which made me raise a few eyebrows. I also found the way scenes lead into each other in the first few chapters a little uncreative. Basically, Touma first meets Mikoto, then one of her Sisters and then another one of her Sisters. While the chapter where she helps Touma carry his drinks and helps Sphinx was very important for establishing their relationship, the next encounter with a Sister could have been a bit more paced narratively. I also felt that the ending was a bit rushed. While we got extended dialogues between Stiyl/Touma and the frog-faced doctor/Touma in OT1 and OT2, the meeting between Mikoto and Touma felt like it was cut short for no real apparent reason. One thing I would still like to mention is that OT3 does a better job than any of the other adaptations at conveying how much the damage Mikoto did to Touma weighed on him, something that wasn't really apparent in the other adaptations. I don't agree that he would have easily wiped the floor with Accelerator otherwise, because Accelerator dealt a lot of damage at the beginning of the fight with ranged attacks that Touma couldn't really counter and he would still have probably used the attack that knocked Touma unconscious, but it's still something that's apparent during the fight.
All in all, as I said, I love, love, love this volume, despite some of the narrative gripes and flaws I mentioned. Not only because of the personal impact it had on me, but also because of the wonderful themes it establishes and returns to, the way it builds up Touma's and Mikoto's relationship, and the way it creates a relatable and tragic conflict between the two main protagonists of this volume. As I said, I am eternally grateful that this volume came about back in 2004, and I would like to thank Kamachi for creating a work of art that has had such an impact on my life and means so much to me. See you all in OT4.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2019
The Sisters arc has always been my favourite, and I guess one of the big reasons is because Misaka is my favourite character, but I also really enjoyed this arc because it sets things up well and it built up to an emotionally wrenching but nicely done clash with Misaka and Touma. I really liked how Touma interacted with Misaka imouto in such a natural but cute way which showed how even though the Misakas thought they had no independent thought processes or emotions, I think it already kinda showed that they actually did.
I always thought it was so cruel that young Misaka thought her cells were benefiting people, only to realise that she had allowed the recreation of so many of her clones running around to be killed by Accelerator, and I think in the short span of time in the novel, it really showed Misaka's torment and her wish to save them all very well. You could really see what type of person she was and how kind of a person she is. As usual, Touma continues to fight for and hope for a world where no one should be dying and I'm glad he helped Misaka, because she really wanted the help, so this is one of the times I really appreciated Touma's hardheaded attitude and stubbornness haha.
As for Accelerator, I thought it was rather cute how his fight with Touma ended up being like. I kinda forgot how it went so I think it was a pretty refreshing fight where essentially, Accelerator didn't lose because his abilities weren't powerful enough, he lost because he's always been winning so easily, he never thought about the need to improve on his own weaknesses and I liked that.
Overall, I think this volume really balanced out the emotions you'd have for it and the fighting aspects well, so I enjoyed it😊
I always thought it was so cruel that young Misaka thought her cells were benefiting people, only to realise that she had allowed the recreation of so many of her clones running around to be killed by Accelerator, and I think in the short span of time in the novel, it really showed Misaka's torment and her wish to save them all very well. You could really see what type of person she was and how kind of a person she is. As usual, Touma continues to fight for and hope for a world where no one should be dying and I'm glad he helped Misaka, because she really wanted the help, so this is one of the times I really appreciated Touma's hardheaded attitude and stubbornness haha.
As for Accelerator, I thought it was rather cute how his fight with Touma ended up being like. I kinda forgot how it went so I think it was a pretty refreshing fight where essentially, Accelerator didn't lose because his abilities weren't powerful enough, he lost because he's always been winning so easily, he never thought about the need to improve on his own weaknesses and I liked that.
Overall, I think this volume really balanced out the emotions you'd have for it and the fighting aspects well, so I enjoyed it😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2019
Probably the most pivotal volume of the Magical Index series, this volume expands the world of Academy City a lot with the proper introductions of the Level 5's Misaka Mikoto and Accelerator, both eventually ending up with spinoffs of their own right.
The basic gist of the story remains unchanged, with Touma encountering injustice and a tragic heroine(s) and punching the crap out of it, but this time, with a much proper build-up and focus, the conclusion of this volume leaves me satisfyingly pleased.
I'd say it was this volume and switch of tone that eventually makes the Index series enduring popularity happens, so for those who have read 1 and 2 leaving unsatisfied, this volume may provide an answer as to why.
The basic gist of the story remains unchanged, with Touma encountering injustice and a tragic heroine(s) and punching the crap out of it, but this time, with a much proper build-up and focus, the conclusion of this volume leaves me satisfyingly pleased.
I'd say it was this volume and switch of tone that eventually makes the Index series enduring popularity happens, so for those who have read 1 and 2 leaving unsatisfied, this volume may provide an answer as to why.
May 16, 2025
So far the best volume, so good in fact I think we lose people following this series over the Misaka spin-off (big sad).
This volume covers the other side of the story: the science side and explores more about the inner workings of the setting, establishing threats removed from the magic side presented in previous volumes.
Also, Kamachi keeps building up the world and plot (which I promise will pay off eventually), and this time is no exception. The incident covered in this volume is one of the big pivots in the ToAru timeline, and because of that it has been shown and reinterpreted in many adaptations and perspectives, and has proven to be essential to future events.
This volume covers the other side of the story: the science side and explores more about the inner workings of the setting, establishing threats removed from the magic side presented in previous volumes.
Also, Kamachi keeps building up the world and plot (which I promise will pay off eventually), and this time is no exception. The incident covered in this volume is one of the big pivots in the ToAru timeline, and because of that it has been shown and reinterpreted in many adaptations and perspectives, and has proven to be essential to future events.
October 18, 2017
A bit more bloody, but I'll take a chance on it.
**Is this meant to be the attitude I'm taking towards books- I'll just settle?! (Hmmm, it's making me think if I really should continue this...)
**Is this meant to be the attitude I'm taking towards books- I'll just settle?! (Hmmm, it's making me think if I really should continue this...)
March 1, 2025
This was pretty great and definitely the best of the index series so far. To me the esper and sci-fi part of the world has just been so much more interesting so far, like magic just feels like any classical magic system but the esper system is awesome. Misaka and her sisters have awesome abilities, but it’s really accelerator that shines the most. Such a great twisted villain, actually scary while having one of the most coolest powers I’ve ever seen. Like the amount of different things he did was so cool especially when he realised something about his powers was really exciting to read. The book was maybe a little slow in the first half but when it gets running with the shocking alley scene it just gets so so good. Also really liked Touma and Misakas interactions in this, a really fun pair can’t wait for them to get more development in the future. Great book I liked it a lot.
January 31, 2021
This is a really good story that develops Misaka's character well and introduces the 2nd main character of the series, Accelerator. It develops the science side this time rather than the magic side, keeping the series in good balance between science and magic. The only aspects of this volume that keep it from getting a 10/10 are that it doesn't really progress Touma's character at all, and Accelerator as an antagonist is quite generic (though he later becomes one of the best characters in the series).
November 7, 2022
what an entertaining arc. the sisters were my favourite in railgun and the same goes for here so far. wish there was more misaka or index scenes. I'm starting to notice a pattern with touma finding a girl, then saving the girl from a bad or evil thing- and then waking up later in a hospital again in the epilogue. seriously how is this guy not dead yet?
don't know when this pattern is gonna stop and more variety of story structures get introduced, but so far. i've really enjoyed my ride so far. onto 4!
don't know when this pattern is gonna stop and more variety of story structures get introduced, but so far. i've really enjoyed my ride so far. onto 4!
April 13, 2021
A great finish does not justify slow start
My review is not biased from watching anime as I have never watched the anime. I approach most ln’s with fresh eyes with not having seen their anime adaptions. With that being said, compared to the good pacing in volumes 1&2, this one felt like a slog. Yes, the final confrontation was excellent but it did not make up for the slow slow slow build up to it. Worst, the “matter-of-fact” worldbuilding the writer does is more prevalent than ever compared to previous volumes and dare I say, make up for most of the book. Gonna try next volume before I dump this series.
My review is not biased from watching anime as I have never watched the anime. I approach most ln’s with fresh eyes with not having seen their anime adaptions. With that being said, compared to the good pacing in volumes 1&2, this one felt like a slog. Yes, the final confrontation was excellent but it did not make up for the slow slow slow build up to it. Worst, the “matter-of-fact” worldbuilding the writer does is more prevalent than ever compared to previous volumes and dare I say, make up for most of the book. Gonna try next volume before I dump this series.
February 10, 2020
廉恥河馬的文字確實有「話癆」的現象，常常在一兩頁之內，便讓角色們不斷重複講著某句話；不過那或許可以當作一種吐嘈式的笑點吧。
March 3, 2025
Arguably the peak of the series. I was an anime only before but I don't think anything in OT is gonna top this. I'm hoping to be wrong though.
September 2, 2025
it was the third time I got to know the Sisters Arc and each time it was equally captivating
September 13, 2018
The Graphic novel “Toaru Majuysu no index Light Novel”by Kazuma Kamachi , Kiyotaka Haimura is about some people to save the world.
At the beginning of the story,is about One of school city has some small trouble. Misaka Mikoto and her friends to solve the small troubles .But she found some strange things.
In the middle of the story is about Misaka Mikoto want to solve the trouble thing . But she failed.
At the end of the story is Misaka Mikoto’s friends and the Misaka Mikoto to deal with the trouble.
This story show us that: we should believe our friends, don’t think this is give friends some trouble, we can rely on each other, because we are friends.
At the beginning of the story,is about One of school city has some small trouble. Misaka Mikoto and her friends to solve the small troubles .But she found some strange things.
In the middle of the story is about Misaka Mikoto want to solve the trouble thing . But she failed.
At the end of the story is Misaka Mikoto’s friends and the Misaka Mikoto to deal with the trouble.
This story show us that: we should believe our friends, don’t think this is give friends some trouble, we can rely on each other, because we are friends.
August 24, 2015
my original review: http://pokemaster12.blogspot.com/2015...
While I enjoyed the other two volumes of A Certain Magical Index, I have to say that I think volume 3 is definitely the best one so far. The story is deeper, the plot is darker, and the struggle that both Touma Kamijou and Mikoto Misaka undergo feels a lot more intense and real. Thus far, I feel like volumes 1 & 2 were a glimpse into this world, but very shonen in their execution: bad guys appear, good guy defeats bad guy, bad guy is no longer bad. That sort of thing.
This particular volume introduces the sisters to us - no, not that kind of sister. We've already met Index, the nun that Toma lets freeload at his home. I mean Misaka's sisters, all 20,000 of them... wait, what? That's probably what you're thinking right. 20,000 is a lot, so having 20,000 sisters is insane. Her mom must have been popping at least twelve kids out each day since she was, what? Sixteen?
Before you let your mind fall into the gutter, these aren't those kind of sisters either. I'm not gonna tell you what kind of sisters they are, though. I'm not one for giving out spoilers like that. If you wanna find more out, then you can read the book.
20,000 sisters aside, I felt like this novel had a lot more depth than the last one, which is understandable, since the last one felt like just about every other shonen-esque story out there. It was also all about Toma, and since he is the epitome of a shonen hero, it's hard to have a story that doesn't feel cliched. This one is more about Misaka and her struggle, even though Toma is still the main character, and because it features the struggle that she goes through, we're given a much deeper and more meaningful story here. It was truly a pleasure to read this volume.
My only real complaint is with the artist who illustrated this series. I haven't mentioned it yet, but I almost feel like the artist has a really skewed level of skill. Sometimes it seems like Kyotaka Haimura has really strong illustrations, while other times I wonder if he's just a lazy hack. Almost half of his illustrations look like they were half-finished, while the other half were really good. It really bothered me to see artwork that made me wonder if someone had started something, then decided it was good to go halfway through. I don't know. Call me picky, but I would have preferred at least uniform level of artistic talent all the way through. Heck! I wouldn't have been bothered as much if all of his drawings sucked rather than just a few of them. At least then it wouldn't be so jarring.
Strange artwork aside, I really did enjoy this story. It had a lot going for it, and I felt a lot more emotionally connected to the characters here. I'm looking forward to reading volume two when it comes out.
While I enjoyed the other two volumes of A Certain Magical Index, I have to say that I think volume 3 is definitely the best one so far. The story is deeper, the plot is darker, and the struggle that both Touma Kamijou and Mikoto Misaka undergo feels a lot more intense and real. Thus far, I feel like volumes 1 & 2 were a glimpse into this world, but very shonen in their execution: bad guys appear, good guy defeats bad guy, bad guy is no longer bad. That sort of thing.
This particular volume introduces the sisters to us - no, not that kind of sister. We've already met Index, the nun that Toma lets freeload at his home. I mean Misaka's sisters, all 20,000 of them... wait, what? That's probably what you're thinking right. 20,000 is a lot, so having 20,000 sisters is insane. Her mom must have been popping at least twelve kids out each day since she was, what? Sixteen?
Before you let your mind fall into the gutter, these aren't those kind of sisters either. I'm not gonna tell you what kind of sisters they are, though. I'm not one for giving out spoilers like that. If you wanna find more out, then you can read the book.
20,000 sisters aside, I felt like this novel had a lot more depth than the last one, which is understandable, since the last one felt like just about every other shonen-esque story out there. It was also all about Toma, and since he is the epitome of a shonen hero, it's hard to have a story that doesn't feel cliched. This one is more about Misaka and her struggle, even though Toma is still the main character, and because it features the struggle that she goes through, we're given a much deeper and more meaningful story here. It was truly a pleasure to read this volume.
My only real complaint is with the artist who illustrated this series. I haven't mentioned it yet, but I almost feel like the artist has a really skewed level of skill. Sometimes it seems like Kyotaka Haimura has really strong illustrations, while other times I wonder if he's just a lazy hack. Almost half of his illustrations look like they were half-finished, while the other half were really good. It really bothered me to see artwork that made me wonder if someone had started something, then decided it was good to go halfway through. I don't know. Call me picky, but I would have preferred at least uniform level of artistic talent all the way through. Heck! I wouldn't have been bothered as much if all of his drawings sucked rather than just a few of them. At least then it wouldn't be so jarring.
Strange artwork aside, I really did enjoy this story. It had a lot going for it, and I felt a lot more emotionally connected to the characters here. I'm looking forward to reading volume two when it comes out.
July 26, 2025
This arc really shows how the series got popular back in the day. There are still some moments that kinda drag on for a while but overall a good read with a really good premise that truly sets the greater mystery behind the main setting.
June 26, 2015
I cannot shake my knowledge that A Certain Magical Index is a dumb and cliched series. All three volumes so far have been about Touma meeting a pretty, but strange girl, discovering that she has a grave problem, and then, against all odds, saving her with the power of his own unparalleled determination. That being said, it's also really well done. The writing in these books is sharp and breezy, with a good mix of bizarre, violent plot contrivances and airy slice of life comedy. It's engaging and fun, despite the fact that thinking about the whole thing too hard could probably unravel it like a ball of yarn.
This volume focuses on Mikasa, who pops up in the first novel and is completely forgotten by the next, while Index is relegated to the background. I like Mikasa a bit better, so I wasn't bothered by that, and it was interesting to have the book focus on Academy City's machinations rather than those of the Church. Ignoring the Church means that the entire supporting cast from the past two books is absent, but having the focus so sharply on Touma and Mikasa is good for the series. There's still some fight scenes in this, and fairly intense ones at that, but I felt this book was more interested in looking at why Touma was such a shonen stereotype and what life is like for Mikasa, the series' future spin-off queen. It's not that the action sequences are bad, but the relationship between Mikasa and Touma is so believable, even under the insane circumstances, that the everyday scenes outshine the supernatural ones.
I can't say that this volume of A Certain Magical Index is a shining example of deep, meaningful literature, but I had a great time reading it. In the case of a light novel, I think that might be what counts.
This volume focuses on Mikasa, who pops up in the first novel and is completely forgotten by the next, while Index is relegated to the background. I like Mikasa a bit better, so I wasn't bothered by that, and it was interesting to have the book focus on Academy City's machinations rather than those of the Church. Ignoring the Church means that the entire supporting cast from the past two books is absent, but having the focus so sharply on Touma and Mikasa is good for the series. There's still some fight scenes in this, and fairly intense ones at that, but I felt this book was more interested in looking at why Touma was such a shonen stereotype and what life is like for Mikasa, the series' future spin-off queen. It's not that the action sequences are bad, but the relationship between Mikasa and Touma is so believable, even under the insane circumstances, that the everyday scenes outshine the supernatural ones.
I can't say that this volume of A Certain Magical Index is a shining example of deep, meaningful literature, but I had a great time reading it. In the case of a light novel, I think that might be what counts.
May 24, 2015
"Sigh. Man, Touma, your encounter rate with problem girls is too high! And besides, you wouldn't listen if one told you not to get involved anyway. So who is this girl, where's she from, and what's she do?"
Much like the first two vols Touma meets a damaged girl and unable to leave her alone decides to save her so there'll be an ending where everyone smiles at the end.
What I love about this series is how easy it is to emphasize with all the characters. Even the villains. Sure the villain did horrible things, but he wasn't a monster deep down, probably.
Of course my impression of Accelerator is biased since I read the spin off railgun manga which showed the first time he participated in the experiment, which was not shown in the book.
In fact, Accelerator was described less as a human, and more as a monstrous presence.
As for the heroines from the first two vols, they show up, but as Himegami (or Index?) said
"Like this. The older characters disappear. Ha-ha-ha. We really are beyond salvation.
Final Rating: I really liked learning more about the world in the story and that the way the conclusion occurs makes sense. Looking forward to the next boo which may not be about Touma saving a girl.
Much like the first two vols Touma meets a damaged girl and unable to leave her alone decides to save her so there'll be an ending where everyone smiles at the end.
What I love about this series is how easy it is to emphasize with all the characters. Even the villains. Sure the villain did horrible things, but he wasn't a monster deep down, probably.
Of course my impression of Accelerator is biased since I read the spin off railgun manga which showed the first time he participated in the experiment, which was not shown in the book.
In fact, Accelerator was described less as a human, and more as a monstrous presence.
As for the heroines from the first two vols, they show up, but as Himegami (or Index?) said
"Like this. The older characters disappear. Ha-ha-ha. We really are beyond salvation.
Final Rating: I really liked learning more about the world in the story and that the way the conclusion occurs makes sense. Looking forward to the next boo which may not be about Touma saving a girl.
August 18, 2013
In my opinion, this is so far the best of the index franchise. Very emotive and dark, yet humorous. However it has one flaw: You only see what the main character saw and felt, to truly enjoy it and understand it its needed to either read the To Aru Kagaku Railgun manga or watch To Aru Kagaku Railgun S anime, as they narrate this history from the point of view of the female lead Misaka, who is ultimately the true protagonist of this tale.
January 12, 2016
This novel series "A Certain Magical Index" by Kazuma Kamachi has 24 novels in it. I have to say this volume 3 is one of my favourite because it focused on "Misaka Mikoto", my favourite character and her interactions with the main protagonist, "Kamijou Touma".
January 8, 2018
A Certain Magical Index Vol. 3 tells the continuing story of luckless level zero esper Touma Kamijou, the nun who memorized 103,000 grimoires, Index, and the third-ranked level five esper Mikoto Misaka.
The short review
The short review
January 13, 2023
Tuyệt vời huhu, quả nhiên Index mấy tập đầu là tuyệt vời nhất
Đọc tương tác của Kamijou với Mikoto thời gian đầu tạo cảm giác mới mẻ hơn nhưng tương tác bây giờ (vì lúc đó chị Misaka của tôi chưa bị nạp vào harem, và cũng không đóng vai thôn nữ không biết gì)
Đọc tương tác của Kamijou với Mikoto thời gian đầu tạo cảm giác mới mẻ hơn nhưng tương tác bây giờ (vì lúc đó chị Misaka của tôi chưa bị nạp vào harem, và cũng không đóng vai thôn nữ không biết gì)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2015
One word - Accelerator.
April 7, 2020
Mikoto Misaka is best girl. No questions.
December 5, 2021
One of the better books in the original series. Accelerator's introduction is insane, and the start of Touma's emotional depth is shown here. Also there's a cat named dog, pure comedy really.
June 6, 2022
Accelerator te quiero
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews