History Manga / ACertainScientificRailgun

** And the Dorm Supervisor of Tokiwadai Dormitories. She's in charge of a Girls Dormitory who students are mostly Level 3 or 4 psychics [[spoiler:including two Level 5]]'s, is quick enough to [[spoiler:[[OhCrap break Kuroko's neck before she can teleport]] [[UnexplainedRecovery (she was fine by the next scene somehow.)]]]], defeat [[spoiler:the [[EliteMooks Hound Dogs, a Black Ops team]] all by herself without any weapons]] and has ScaryShinyGlasses too. (Did I forget to mention she also voiced by Creator/HitomiNabatame too?) With the things she does, it's no wonder why Mikoto, Kuroko and the rest of Tokidwai are scared of her and [[MuggingTheMonster haven't been abusing their powers or breaking the rules]] in the first place. But what's more scary is the fact there's [[http://i.imagehost.org/view/0127/snapshotRailgun_Supervisor not one]] [[http://i.imagehost.org/view/0482/snapshotIndex_Supervisor but two of them!]] God help us if the other one is scary like her too. In a special Railgun Light novel, Dorm Supervisor stopped a fight between Mikoto and Gunha Sogiita (7th Lv 5) by snapping Mikoto's neck before she could even respond. Gunha retreated immediately.

** And the Dorm Supervisor of Tokiwadai Dormitories. She's in charge of a Girls Dormitory who students are mostly Level 3 or 4 psychics [[spoiler:including two Level 5]]'s, is quick enough to [[spoiler:[[OhCrap break Kuroko's neck before she can teleport]] [[UnexplainedRecovery (she was fine by the next scene somehow.)]]]], defeat [[spoiler:the [[EliteMooks Hound Dogs, a Black Ops team]] all by herself without any weapons]] and has ScaryShinyGlasses too. (Did i forget to mention she also voiced by Creator/HitomiNabatame too?) With the things she does, it's no wonder why Mikoto, Kuroko and the rest of Tokidwai are scared of her and [[MuggingTheMonster haven't been abusing their powers or breaking the rules]] in the first place. But what's more scary is the fact there's [[http://i.imagehost.org/view/0127/snapshotRailgun_Supervisor not one]] [[http://i.imagehost.org/view/0482/snapshotIndex_Supervisor but two of them!]] God help us if the other one is scary like her too. In a special Railgun Light novel, Dorm Supervisor stopped a fight between Mikoto to and Gunha Sogiita(7th Lv5) by snapping Mikoto's neck before she could even respond. Gunha retreated immediately.

** Given Kuroko's job and ability to appear completely out of the blue, she pretty much does this trope on a daily basis. Mikoto is so aware of this that in [[HostageSituation one occassion]], she was actively [[HeterosexualLifePartners counting on Kuroko]] to do this.

** Episode 12: The camera focuses to a group of 4 girls at a restaurant and a mysterious lady who likes [[LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana Margery Daw]] at the nuclear power plant.

** IndirectKiss: Kuroko gets the same flavor of crepe as Mikoto in an effort to get more intimate with her, and is horrified when Mikoto shares a bite with someone who got a different flavor.

** Konori uses her X-ray vision to peek under Kuroko's clothes while the latter is hospitalized in the third season. Granted, she's (ostensibily) only checking out Kuroko's injuries, but Kuroko's embarrassed reaction suggests the latter sees it as this trope. Konori's teasing smirk doesn't help.

* RedShirtArmy: The Misaka Sisters are treated like this. Made worse for Mikoto by how nonchalantly they accept their fate after [[spoiler: she witnesses one of their gruesome deaths in Episodes 5 and 6]].

* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: Misaka to Kuroko.
* StockFootage: Averted, making it difficult to determine when events are occurring compared to ''[[LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex Index]]''.

** Mikoto struggles with this in Episode 6 of season 2 [[spoiler: after learning that her clones are just being used as guinea pigs to try and increase Accelerator's power]]. She tells Shinobu that she's just opposing the program on principal for stealing her DNA map under false pretenses, and doesn't care about the clones. When Accelerator asks her a similar question later, she says [[spoiler:[[BigBrotherInstinct the clones are her sisters, and it's her job to protect them]]]].

''A Certain Scientific Railgun'' is an ongoing manga spin-off and [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary reading]] to the ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' LightNovel series written by Creator/KazumaKamachi which began in 2007. Unlike the main light novel series, the ''Railgun'' manga purely focuses on the science elements of Academy City, and not the greater Magic[=/=]Science conflicts of ''Index''. However, there are side-story novels, included in the limited edition volumes of the ''Index'' anime, where Mikoto and her friends unknowingly encounter elements of the Magic side. The manga series currently has 16 volumes released, with five completed arcs and a sixth in progress. It later got its own SpinOff ''A Certain Scientific Railgun: Astral Buddy'' that ran from 2017 to 2020, starring Hokaze Junko, the NumberTwo to Mikoto's rival Shokuhou Misaki. Starting in 2021, a sequel to this spin-off starring Misaki herself, ''A Certain Scientific Mental Out'', began serialization. ''Railgun'' and ''Astral Buddy'' are localized by Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment.

%%* AlertnessBlink

** Shokuhou Misaki, nicknamed "The Queen of Tokiwadai" is the primary AlphaBitch at said school. [[EvilIsSexy Beautiful]] and [[{{Narcissist}} Narcissistic]]? Check. Popular and with a [[GirlPosse huge number of devoted followers]]? Check. [[ManipulativeBitch Manipulative]]? She has a [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers LEVEL 5 ability]] which specializes in it.

* ArtShiftedSequel: The Sisters' eyes in the original first two seasons of ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' are blank and lacking in the detailed reflectiveness of the other characters' eyes, so as to distinguish them from the original Misaka. When the Sisters arc is shown from Misaka's perspective in the second season, their eyes are drawn as normally as the original's, with only their trademark goggles to visually distinguish them.

* ContinuityDrift: Minor, but there are several scenes, especially during the Sisters arc, that slightly differ from how they were shown in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' (i.e. In ''Index'', when Kuroko is unable to teleport Touma, he is standing and able to get out that his right hand is involved in her power malfunctioning, whereas in ''Railgun'', he is sitting and can only just barely begin to speak before she forces him under the bed).

** In season one episode seventeen of the anime, during the DayInTheLimelight for bumbling Antiskill part-timer Tessou-sensei, her acquantance small-stature pink-haired Komoe-sensei gives an opinion on everyday life in Academy city, casually shocking her by mentioning that some troublemaker students blew the roof off her house once. This references the ''Index'' series, where the LivingMacGuffin [[spoiler:Index had a kind of a magical leash on her removed thanks to Touma's efforts, but not before one of protection magic layers]] produced a pillar of light, blasting through the roof. Oh, and [[spoiler:through the "Tree Diagram" supercomputer satellite]], too.

* CuteBruiser: Mikoto.

* GodzillaThreshold: Mikoto is so desperate to [[spoiler: save Febri's life that she finally involves her friends in the Dark Side of Academy City and asks for the imprisoned Therestina's help]].

** Kuroko suffers a minor one in Episode 11 of season 2 when Uiharu and Saten both mention that Mikoto's recent behaviors such as not eating much and sneaking off at night is due to her secretly meeting a boyfriend. The shocked look on her face doesn't change for several scenes, and she ends up putting too many sugar cubes into her drink. She suffered this again in Episode 17 of Railgun T, but for comedy pruposes.

** Mikoto's saying that there is really never a dull moment in Academy City gets stolen by other characters in two instances, to her annnoyance. The first is on the last episode of Railgun S, where Kuroko, Uiharu and Ruiko parodied this line to Mikoto, and in Railgun T, again at the last episode, where Misaki said this line, again which annoyed Mikoto.

* {{Meido}}: Episode 19 has several, including a rather uncomfortable looking Mikoto and reveals that Acadamy City has a school dedicated to training them.

** The cover of Chapter 74 of the manga has the main characters wearing the clothes of the heroines of LightNovel/TheZashikiWarashiOfIntellectualVillage, another of Kamachi's works. The chapter itself displays examples of espers using cameras to tap into their precognitive powers. One esper does so in the same manner as [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Joseph Joestar.]]

* ArbitraryMaximumRange: Even used as a plot point, the title-named character's signature move seems to go from "would wreck a tank" to "bounce off harmlessly" ''exactly'' at 50 metres. The exact number is artistic license, but it instantly going from lethal to harmless is justified due to the coin melting.

* ILoveThisTown: For all the hardships, heartaches and ferocious battles fought throughout the series, Mikoto warmly muses that it was all worth it for the laughter, love and friendship made amongst the way, and quotes this as a summation of her happiness living in Academy City.

[-[[caption-width-right:350:L - R: [[PlayfulHacker Kazari Uiharu]], [[AudienceSurrogate Ruiko Saten]], [[ShockAndAwe Mikoto Misaka]], [[{{Teleportation}} Kuroko Shirai]]]]-]

** Uiharu gets two in the manga; being a semi-{{Ill girl}} who periodically wears a cough mask, and almost getting to enjoy a tasty treat (like a cake) before something comes up.

* CryCute: Mikoto in Episode 4, and Kuroko in Episode 2, both in Season 1. Frenda and Yakumaru does this as well in Episodes 19 and 23 of Railgun T, respectively.

* IJustWantToBeSpecial: A large part of Ruiko's (and other minor characters who aren't Espers) angst, as they has absolutely no potential in Esper ability, in a city full of people training to be Espers. [[spoiler:Then she, along with many others, gets her hands on the [[BrownNote Level]] [[PowerAtAPrice Upper]]]]...
* ILoveThisTown: For all the hardships, heartaches and ferocious battles fought throughout the series, Mikoto warmly muses that it was all worth it for the laughter, love and friendship made amongst the way, and quotes this as a summation of her happiness living in Academy City.

* PantyShot:
** Subverted with Saten and Uiharu. Despite Saten always flipping Uiharu's skirt, it's always away from the camera (which is especially odd, as the show and [[LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex its sister series]] are clearly not above showing an underage girl's unmentionables).
** Played with when we are shown Kuroko's collection of erm...[[BlatantLies tasteful underwear]]. It still counts if no one is wearing them.
** It blurs this line by showing Kuroko ''putting on panties''.
** Kuroko briefly shows her black panties twice on Episode 24 of the 1st season, [[FreezeFrameBonus The first time]] she's fighting mooks with Kongou and the second one lasts a few seconds while she's lying on the ground during the last stand against [[spoiler: Telestina.]]
** None other than Frenda has a very brief but very detailed panty shot when pulling out a handful of RPG's from her skirt during her fight with Mikoto on Episode 8 of season 2. [[FreezeFrameBonus Blink and you'll miss it.]]
** Sister 9982 and later on 10032, both frequently show their "standard issue" blue stripped panties. Justified due to them lacking a sense of shame.
** Played with during the 1st season second ending. We see Mikoto getting dressed and as she's trying out her shorts, one can clearly see the panty-lines on the fabric.

** Uiharu gets 2. The 1 being semi-{{Ill girl}} in the manga in which she wears a cough mask periodically. The 2 where she might be close to a treat (like a cake) but never get's to.
** Misaki teasing Mikoto every time she is with her, resulting in a petty fight between the two. While the first instance of this is not comedic, later ones does, especially after the Daihaseisai Arc.

''A Certain Scientific Railgun'' is an ongoing manga spin-off and [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary reading]] to the ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' LightNovel series written by Creator/KazumaKamachi which began in 2007. Unlike the main light novel series, the ''Railgun'' manga purely focuses on the science elements of Academy City, and not the greater Magic[=/=]Science conflicts of ''Index''. However, there are side-story novels, included in the limited edition volumes of the ''Index'' anime, where Mikoto and her friends unknowingly encounter elements of the Magic side. The manga series currently has 16 volumes released, with five completed arcs and a sixth in progress. It later got its own SpinOff ''A Certain Scientific Railgun: Astral Buddy'' that ran from 2017 to 2020, starring Hokaze Junko, the NumberTwo to Mikoto's rival Shokuhou Misaki. Starting in 2021, a sequel to this spin-off starring Misaki herself, ''A Certain Scientific Mental Out'', began serialization. All of these manga are localized by Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment.

* AdultFear: What made the tragedy of [[spoiler:Professor Kiyama Harumi]] so easy to relate to for adult audiences is the ''very'' human fear in every mother that society would hurt, betray and take their beloved children away from them. This [[spoiler:infuses her quest to save her students, extreme measures notwithstanding, with a sad and admirable nobility that you can't help but root for]].

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: The arc following the "Jailbreaker" arc doesn't continue down the series timeline, but instead is an OriginsEpisode set a year prior featuring Mikoto's first days at Tokiwadai Middle School.

''A Certain Scientific Railgun'' is an ongoing manga spin-off and [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary reading]] to the ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' LightNovel series written by Creator/KazumaKamachi which began in 2007. Unlike the main light novel series, the ''Railgun'' manga purely focuses on the science elements of Academy City, and not the greater Magic[=/=]Science conflicts of ''Index''. However, there are side-story novels, included in the limited edition volumes of the ''Index'' anime, where Mikoto and her friends unknowingly encounter elements of the Magic side. The manga series currently has 16 volumes released, with five completed arcs and a sixth in progress. It later got its own SpinOff ''A Certain Scientific Railgun: Astral Buddy'' that ran from 2017 to 2020, starring Hokaze Junko, the NumberTwo to Mikoto's rival Shokuhou Misaki. Both manga are being localized by Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment.

* SkirtOverSlacks: Misaka.

* DateCrepe: Kuroko gets the same flavor of crepe as Mikoto in an effort to get more intimate with her, and is horrified when Mikoto shares a bite with someone who got a different flavor.

* IndirectKiss: Kuroko becomes elated at the prospect of getting a bite of something after Mikoto and later freaks out when Mikoto and Saten innocently spoon-feed each other samples of their ice-cream. Kuroko desperately asks for equal treatment, but Mikoto refuses--[[IronicEcho after all, didn't they order the same thing?]].

* AscendedMeme: Heaven Canceler's FanNickname, Dr. Gekota, is acknowledged when Saten mentions how the doctor looks like Gekota.

* IndirectKiss: [[SchoolgirlLesbians Kuroko]] becomes elated at the prospect of getting a bite of something after Mikoto and later freaks out when Mikoto and Saten innocently spoon-feed each other samples of their ice-cream. Kuroko desperately asks for equal treatment, but Mikoto refuses--[[IronicEcho after all, didn't they order the same thing?]].

* SchoolgirlLesbians: Kuroko, who gets concerned at how much [[FoeRomanceSubtext fun]] [[{{Tsundere}} Mikoto]] seems to be having in her [[UnknownRival rivalry]] with Touma. ClingyJealousGirl, too.

* NotSoDifferent:
** [[spoiler:Kiyama]] and Mikoto. Both of them are good people who became cynical due to the fact those they loved were screwed by the corrupt Academy City administration (for [[spoiler:Kiyama]] is was her students, for Mikoto her [[spoiler:clone sisters]]) and both of them could not fight them as they were powerless against the administration. Though as shown in the "sequel" ''Index'', Mikoto eventually grows out of said-bitterness. And thankfully both of them [[EarnYourHappyEnding got their Happy Ending]].
** During the Upper level arc, Ruiko mentions that she can relate to those people using the level upper program to obtain Esper powers, since none of them have any natural ability to do it, just like her. Misaka gets a glimpse of their pain while fighting the AIM Burst creature.

''A Certain Scientific Railgun'' is an ongoing manga spin-off and [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary reading]] to the ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' LightNovel series written by Creator/KazumaKamachi which began in 2007. Unlike the main light novel series, the ''Railgun'' manga purely focuses on the science elements of Academy City, and not the greater Magic[=/=]Science conflicts of ''Index''. However, there are side-story novels, included in the limited edition volumes of the ''Index'' anime, where Mikoto and her friends unknowingly encounter elements of the Magic side. The manga series currently has 16 volumes released, with four completed arcs and a fifth in progress. It later got its own SpinOff ''A Certain Scientific Railgun: Astral Buddy'' that ran from 2017 to 2020, starring Hokaze Junko, the NumberTwo to Mikoto's rival Shokuhou Misaki. Both manga are being localized by Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment.

Because ''Railgun'' takes place contemporaneously with ''Index'', their respective timelines can be tricky to keep track of.

* Episode 1 of ''Railgun T'' takes place a week or two later, and episodes 2-15 are interleaved with the events of ''Index II'' episodes 8-13. The rest of ''Railgun T'' is spaced out between then and the first six episodes of ''Index III''.

Because ''Railgun'' takes place contemporaneously with ''Index'', the relative timelines of the two series can be tricky to keep track of.

In the anime, the timeline is slightly different. A few events [[note]](including Kongou's introduction)[[/note]] from Volume 8 of the ''Index'' novels are placed in the anime's first episode, moving them ahead chronologically by at least two months. Roughly speaking, ''Railgun'' episodes 1-14 and the OVA take place immediately before the start of the ''Index'' anime. The remainder of ''Railgun's'' first season takes place at around the same time as ''Index'' episodes 1-6; ''Railgun S'' covers the same period as the remainder of ''Index'' season 1. The first 15 episodes of ''Railgun T'' are interleaved with the events of ''Index II'' episodes 8-13, with the balance of ''Railgun T'' stretched out between then and the first six episodes of ''Index III''.