History Literature / ACertainMagicalIndex

''A Certain Magical Index'' (''Toaru Majutsu no Index'') is a series of LightNovels written by Creator/KazumaKamachi and published by Creator/DengekiBunko which began in 2004. The first series of novels has been completed with 22 main volumes and two short story volumes, and its followup, ''NT'' / ''New Testament'' (''Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index'') is complete with 23 volumes. The third series, ''Genesis Testament'' (''Souyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index'') began on February 2020. Along with the novels, there is a media franchise consisting of side stories, anime and manga adaptations, games, and spin-offs that headline some of the series's {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s.

* CatSmile: Komoe-sensei and Index.

* '''''[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/ACertainScientificDarkMatter A Certain Scientific Dark Matter]]''''' (2020): A oneshot manga volume spin-off focusing on Teitoku Kakine, the second-ranked Level 5 esper, and his attempts to obtain Accelerator's calculation patterns out of a survivor of the Dark May Project -- Ringo Yuzuriha.

* '''''A Certain Scientific Dark Matter''''' (2020): A oneshot manga volume spin-off focusing on Teitoku Kakine, the second-ranked Level 5 esper.

* SelfMadeSuperPowers:
** As a side effect of being the creator and controller of the Level Upper, [[spoiler: Kiyama Harumi gains multi-skill, the ability to use the skills and powers of its over 10,000 users.]]
** Kihara Gensei [[spoiler: later creates his own version and reveals he gave Kiyama Harumi the idea. He doesn't possess the sheer quantity of Kiyama but makes up for it by choosing the abilities needed to reach Exterior.]]

* SecretlyGayActivity: Kuroko is a very aggressive lesbian girl who is deeply infatuated with Mikoto Misaka. Upon learning what school Misaka would be attending, Kuroko manipulated and somehow rigged the dormitory assignments so that she and Misaka would be sharing a dorm together. Unlike most versions of this trope, however, Kuroko is completely unsubtle about her desires (amongst people they both know, anyway) but will still often try to disguise activities like bathing with Mikoto as completely innocent. Rarely do Misaka or their friends buy it, and even if they do, Kuroko's over-eager and often lecherous desire to do the activity will usually tip them off.

* ScienceDestroysMagic: The power of magic and the various churches built around them have largely declined, leading to a balance of power that is roughly even between that of the Science and Magic sides. While science continues to grow, magic largely stays the same or lessens.
** While it was only hinted at up until now, recent volumes outright confirm this to be Aleister's ultimate goal.

** The ''A Certain Magical Index-tan'' omake is itself an imitation of the ''Literature/ShakuganNoShana-tan'' omake and makes clear reference to it several times. The ''Literature/{{Toradora}}'' tiger makes an appearance, too, for the same reason--same publisher/studio.

-->-- '''Touma Kamijou's''' [[CosmicPlaything assessment on his life.]]

->''"My name is Touma Kamijou, and this [chase] is but another event in an adolescence riddled with nothing but rotten luck."''

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* AbandonedPetInABox: Sphynx the cat was left in a box and adopted by Index.

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%%* ParodySue: Kakeru Kamisato feels like a satirical take on stock Light Novel protagonists. %% This is too vague and doesn't explain how or why she fits this trope.

** Meanwhile, Touma, who is classified as a Level 0 despite having some anomalous power in his right hand, is commonly associated with the Joker. [[spoiler: So is Kamisato Kakeru when he shows up.]]

%%* RatedMForManly

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* FalseUtopia: Though Academy City presents itself to the rest of the world as a bastion of scientific knowledge and progress where any kid can become an esper and gain psychic powers, the series reveals a much darker side of the city. Not only do they keep the best technology, including how to develop esper powers, to themselves, choosing to only trade technology that would be considered obsolote for them, they respond violently to other nations trying to steal or reproduce said technology. They lie to the students about how esper development works, prioritizing whatever powers they like most to the detriment of others, and perform several human experiments with little regard to the lives of their test subjects. All the while keeping nearly absolute control over the communications both inside the city and with the outside, and monitoring all students that leave the city.

** Mundanger: [[AntiMagic Imagine Breaker]] makes Touma the perfect guy to deal with supernatural threats like espers and magicians, even the ones that have won the SuperpowerLottery. However, it is utterly ''useless'' against non-supernatural attacks, meaning that he can struggle just as much against a bunch of unpowered Skill-Out {{Mooks}}, if not moreso. While most of his (seen) fights are supernatural based, there's a handful that aren't:

** Touma suffers his own in Ep. 15 of the original anime, when he sees [[{{Tsundere}} Mikoto Misaka]] running up to him cheerfully ''[[NotHimself and calling him Onii-chan.]]'' [[ItMakesSenseInContext It (eventually) makes sense in context.]]

* ContinuityCreep: The first few novels mostly deal with events with little relation to each other, in a MonsterOfTheWeek fashion. Following that, Touma was involved in three incidents involving members of the Roman Catholic Church, which leads to God's Right Seat entering the picture and driving the plot of the latter half of the first Index novel series. Then the New Testament series continues on with a new antagonist group, GREMLIN, formed in the aftermath of the first novels.
* ContinuityNod: New Testament Volume 3 has a couple of nods to the side stories. [[spoiler:Olay Blueshake backed the Liberal Arts City featured in Railgun Side Story 1, as well as the Gemstone Esper hunt in Side Stories Volume 2. Brunhild Eiktobel and her connection to Gungnir, featured in the Norse Mythology Side Story, is acknowledged by GREMLIN]].

* BadassNormal: Many characters in this series are this.
** Shiage, [[spoiler:a Level 0 who defeated a Level 5. '''TWICE''']].
** Motoharu, who fights using his street abilities [[spoiler:and only uses his [[CastFromHitPoints magic]] in the most extreme situations]].
** [[spoiler:Amata Kihara]] might be the greatest BadassNormal of this series. The reason? [[spoiler:He kicked Accelerator's ass!]] He didn't need any powers to beat him, he just [[spoiler:uses [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Accelerator own powers]]]] against him to [[spoiler:beat [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu him bloody]]]]. It also helps that he's also the leader of [[spoiler:the [[EliteMooks Hound Dogs]]]] and was [[spoiler:the [[EvilMentor man]] who taught Accelerator how to use his powers]].
** And finally, the Dorm Supervisor of the Tokiwadai Dormitories.

* WhoWritesThisCrap: In ''To Aru Kagaku no Railgun'' Episode 12, Mikoto Misaka asks herself "if this is some kind of monster movie, with a psychic construct monster running wild... In the vicinity of a experimental nuclear facility."

[[caption-width-right:349:''[[Tagline When science and magic collide, the story begins!]]'' [[note]] Clockwise from top left: [[SuperpowerLottery Accelerator]], [[ShockAndAwe Mikoto Misaka]], [[SelfProclaimedLiar Motoharu Tsuchimikado]], [[PlayingWithFire Stiyl Magnus]], [[KungFuJesus Kaori Kanzaki]], [[SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious Aisa Himegami]], [[LivingMacguffin Index Librorum Prohibitorum]], [[AntiMagic Touma Kamijou]], [[PsychicTeleportation Kuroko Shirai]], and [[OurClonesAreDifferent two MISAKA Sisters]]. Not Pictured: ''[[EnsembleCast Many others.]]''[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:349:''When science and magic collide, the story begins!'' [[note]] Clockwise from top left: [[SuperpowerLottery Accelerator]], [[ShockAndAwe Mikoto Misaka]], [[SelfProclaimedLiar Motoharu Tsuchimikado]], [[PlayingWithFire Stiyl Magnus]], [[KungFuJesus Kaori Kanzaki]], [[SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious Aisa Himegami]], [[LivingMacguffin Index Librorum Prohibitorum]], [[AntiMagic Touma Kamijou]], [[PsychicTeleportation Kuroko Shirai]], and [[OurClonesAreDifferent two MISAKA Sisters]]. Not Pictured: ''[[EnsembleCast Many others.]]''[[/note]]]]

-->-- '''Touma Kamijou's''' [[CosmicPlaything assessment on his life.]]''

* '''''A Certain Magical Index''''' (2004-2010): The original novel series spanning 22 main volumes and 2 side story volumes. They have been officially translated by Creator/YenPress. Retroactively dubbed the ''Old Testament''.