Story: The premise of To Aru Majutsu no Index (Index from now on) had me intrigued from the beginning, a story which is based on a science vs magic/religion is the type of plot I can really get into. However the way the story is executed turned the anime into something that could have been a great show with a deep and interesting plot into an anime with long and confusing dialogue that was so in love with its own world that you would wish everyone would stop talking for at least 1 minute. The action that the show would offer you would often get interrupted by more explanation and exposition about the situation and it would hurt the pacing and momentum that the show itself built. The story itself is also very "episodic" in a way. The show has been segmented into many different mini-arcs which followed a pretty basic 2-3 episode long outline:
- Main character gets dragged into a weird situation
- Main character finds an antagonist behind the events
- Main character and antagonist fight
- Main character wins but ends up in the hospital
I am not joking every arc on this anime ends with the main character hospitalized. However despite all these details the story of the anime can still be enjoyable and interesting at times.
Animation: I have no complains with the animation on this anime. It is very well made and its very flashy when in comes to battles and backgrounds. This is a good looking anime.
Music: Apart from the great OP songs from the ever-sweet Kawada Mami. There is not much else to say about the sound department on Index. It does the job well enough.
Characters: Another one of the issues I have with the anime is the way the characters are handled. The actual characters on the show are all interesting on their own way however the anime is only fixated on the main MALE lead Touma, while every other character takes a supporting role cast. In every arc we see Touma encounter a new character, and for those 2-3 episode we see the new character and Touma be the focus of the show but once that is over we barely ever see that character again, or it only lurks in the background. This condition is so extreme not even the "main" female character Index, whose name is on the anime title, escapes this reality. For the first 4-5 episodes we are introduced and aquainted with Index, however past that point she is almost non existent and is only shown for the sake of having at least the most minimal screen time on each episode. Such threatement for the characters really lessened the enjoyment I could've had watching this show.
Enjoyment: Even though i have mostly complained here, I still liked this anime. Im a little sad that it didnt live up to its full potential but its not a bad show on its own right.
Overall: Despite the terrible handling of the characters and the story, To Aru Majutsu no Index manages to be an entertaining show for those who enjoy magic and supernatural abilities. And I would recommend it for anyone who wants to kill time.
