[Light Novel] A Certain Magical Index and Light Novels

[Mr.Anderson]

I think we've all seen the anime, maybe even read the manga, but what about the light novel?

I have to be honest, I had left the novel aside for a long time. But I picked it up again yesterday and immediately knew what had happened and got right back into it. Of course, I was barely past volume 2 and know the anime way better than I should (especially since I also saw the spin-off A Certain Scientific Railgun while I've also read the manga and this is where they both start ) so a lot of my knowledge of the grand plot was secondary (at least, I suspect that much).

I find that reading light novels is usually quite a different experience than reading the manga. Of course there's the visual aspect, where manga is basically nothing but art, in light novels you may have a piece of art every couple of chapters. And there's the difference between written descriptions and the final drawn works. For instance, the cleaner robots are described as drum barrels a mere 8cms tall (that's about π inch), yet Tsuchimikado Maika can be seen sitting on top of one, estimating her to be barely 1/3rd taller than the robot)



But those are minor points, don't really affect anything to my knowledge (although I do remember a part later in the anime where someone hid behind the robots...., in the end it's either anime-only or they used something different there.) What I personally found the biggest difference is the writing style. And this might simply be because we now have access to the inner thoughts of characters. After all, that requires a different way of writing the story, but it's also something that I found gave me a hugely different perspective on the characters.

So, have you read the light novel, have you read any where you've read the manga or seen the anime, do you find them different experiences too? etc etc. Let me hear your thoughts so I can devour them

[Tyroki]

See, I just couldn't get in to this.
It focused too much on Railgun chick and her infinite clones, and the main character was just another generic shounen main that's mostly useless, but white knights like crazy.

It just seemed... annoying to me.

That being said, isn't a third season out? This should probably be in current anime.

[Mr.Anderson]

Oh definitely, on both points.

I've since completed the 3rd volume and was reminded just how much he white knights. It's probably worst in this volume as it's the big emotional and reveal of the Railgun. So often she's described as a frail weak crying little girl
Granted she's a few years younger than Kamijou, but also the narrator and even the little sister does this. And sure, for last part of vol 2 and the first part of vol 3 there's some ephasize on her bombastic nature, so drawing contrast is good. Just.. don't do it *so* much.

As for the main character...


But that aside, after the first few chapters, I actually got quite in it. I think it's the writing, but I can't put my finger on it just yet.

[Balmung]

It's something I've considered watching, but just haven't gotten around too yet. You do see a lot of stuff for it though.

[Tyroki]

Okay, soooo.

I decided to give this another try, but this time with English Dub.
It sure made it more tolerable, but I do have to say:

Both Touma and Index piss me off to no end.

Touma for his constant desperate need to 'rescue' everyone from their fates, and his speeches (my gods, the speeches. They make me want to punch him, so damned hard!)

Index because she's a useless little troglodyte with no redeeming features. All she does is eat, is an incredibly annoying brat that misunderstands every tiny little thing, and the biting... for ****s sake. Why Touma hasn't punched her through a wall yet is beyond me.

The anime also displays the generic as **** anime trope of "BETTER MISUNDERSTAND THE SITUATION I JUST WALKED IN ON AND BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THE MAIN CHARACTER, BECAUSE LOLOLOLOL LETS BEAT UP THE PERVERTED GUY!"

So yeah. Dub made it tolerable (unusual, in my opinion,) but it still had plenty of intolerable elements for me.