Index Novel/Manga Readers - Q & A

[entei08]

Originally Posted by ACertainStark

http://forums.lndb.info/showthread.php?tid=26308

Not sure about weekly, but total sales of volumes that charted are here. It's up to OT17 I think and includes SP and SS2.

Thanks, very useful indeed.

[iNoto]

I'm planning to watch the anime first then read from vol 1 but i noticed that there's too many volumes plus spin off called railgun ss plus other volumes.

Can someone tell me the correct way that i should watch the anime (main story and railgun ss) plus the light novels.

[OH&S]

There's no easy answer for this.

The reccomendation that I'll give before answering your question is this: DO NOT attempt to read/watch the different parts of the series in chronological order. The story just isn't meant to viewed that way.

There are two orders you can watch the anime in:

• In order of production: Index >> Railgun >> Index II >> Railgun S >> Movie (recommended)
• In order of series: Index >> Index II >> Railgun >> Railgun S >> Movie (or Railgun first; though Railgun S is best enjoyed when viewed last.)

The Index anime covers Light Novel Volumes 1 -13 + most of Volume SS.
The Railgun anime covers Manga Volumes 1-7 up to Chapter 39. (there's also some anime only filler material).

Now the question becomes in which order should I read the source material?

For Index, its up to you. People generally start reading from Volume 14 onwards as it hasn't been adapted into an anime. But as this is a novel series, there is a lot of important details that haven't been properly adapted into the anime. If at the end of watching the anime you still don't have a clue as to how magic works, how esper powers work or what's happening with the political scenes, then I heartily recommend reading the novels as things make much more sense.

For Railgun, it isn't too important. You can start from Chapter 1 for the complete manga experience or Chapter 40 for the continuation. The thing to remember is that the manga is presented in a way that people who haven't read the novels will still be able to follow the story and enjoy. However, those who have read the novels will almost assuredly enjoy it more as there are many cameos and easter eggs scattered throughout it. Things that won't make sense or register in the minds of manga-only readers will make complete sense to novel readers. A fun way to go about things is to read the manga first, read the novels afterwards, then reread the manga again to pick up on things you missed previously.

For the Acclerator manga, read it AFTER everything else.

The thing to remember is that Light Novel Volumes 1-13+SS came before everything else (before Railgun started). If you read that first, the order becomes less important. Read Volumes 14 - 16 + SS2 to be sure that you can read Railgun without too much worry. But make sure that you've finished the Railgun Daihasei Festival arc before you read New Testament Volume 11.

[iNoto]

Originally Posted by OH&S

There's no easy answer for this.

The reccomendation that I'll give before answering your question is this: DO NOT attempt to read/watch the different parts of the series in chronological order. The story just isn't meant to viewed that way.

There are two orders you can watch the anime in:

• In order of production: Index >> Railgun >> Index II >> Railgun S >> Movie (recommended)
• In order of series: Index >> Index II >> Railgun >> Railgun S >> Movie (or Railgun first; though Railgun S is best enjoyed when viewed last.)

The Index anime covers Light Novel Volumes 1 -13 + most of Volume SS.
The Railgun anime covers Manga Volumes 1-7 up to Chapter 39. (there's also some anime only filler material).

Now the question becomes in which order should I read the source material?

For Index, its up to you. People generally start reading from Volume 14 onwards as it hasn't been adapted into an anime. But as this is a novel series, there is a lot of important details that haven't been properly adapted into the anime. If at the end of watching the anime you still don't have a clue as to how magic works, how esper powers work or what's happening with the political scenes, then I heartily recommend reading the novels as things make much more sense.

For Railgun, it isn't too important. You can start from Chapter 1 for the complete manga experience or Chapter 40 for the continuation. The thing to remember is that the manga is presented in a way that people who haven't read the novels will still be able to follow the story and enjoy. However, those who have read the novels will almost assuredly enjoy it more as there are many cameos and easter eggs scattered throughout it. Things that won't make sense or register in the minds of manga-only readers will make complete sense to novel readers. A fun way to go about things is to read the manga first, read the novels afterwards, then reread the manga again to pick up on things you missed previously.

For the Acclerator manga, read it AFTER everything else.

The thing to remember is that Light Novel Volumes 1-13+SS came before everything else (before Railgun started). If you read that first, the order becomes less important. Read Volumes 14 - 16 + SS2 to be sure that you can read Railgun without too much worry. But make sure that you've finished the Railgun Daihasei Festival arc before you read New Testament Volume 11.

I'm almost done watching the first season xD It's a great anime... It will be time to watch railgun next.

[Fizix]

Just chiming in with my thoughts:

I'd personally recommend starting from scratch with the novels because of missing details but also because the characters are slightly different, Touma for example has a lot more depth and also because the tone of the novels is different to the anime. The anime is quite light hearted and whimsical outside of when serious stuff happens, the novels are less so.

I'd also class the two railgun series as two distinct things, they are quite different. Railgun series 1 is a fan servicey, slice of life that warps the characters, particularly Mikoto whereas Railgun S is closer to Index, heck I'd say its potentially closer to the novels than the index anime is in terms of tone, storytelling and style.

So if you don't like Railgun don't discount Railgun S. I almost did as I disliked series 1, but Railgun S is probably my favourite series amongst the anime adaptations.

[Kamijou_Touma]

If your going by relative to the novel, I'd say Index, Index II and Railgun S sister arc are accurate to the novel. But I think some people view the Railgun series as a filler or side story to the main story in the novel.

[iNoto]

Originally Posted by Fizix

Just chiming in with my thoughts:

I'd personally recommend starting from scratch with the novels because of missing details but also because the characters are slightly different, Touma for example has a lot more depth and also because the tone of the novels is different to the anime. The anime is quite light hearted and whimsical outside of when serious stuff happens, the novels are less so.

So far I'm loving the anime. The only thing that I dislike overall is Index. I just don't like her character. I dunno if she's less annoying in the light novel but there's that. That's my only complain so far.

Originally Posted by Fizix

I'd also class the two railgun series as two distinct things, they are quite different. Railgun series 1 is a fan servicey, slice of life that warps the characters, particularly Mikoto whereas Railgun S is closer to Index, heck I'd say its potentially closer to the novels than the index anime is in terms of tone, storytelling and style.

So if you don't like Railgun don't discount Railgun S. I almost did as I disliked series 1, but Railgun S is probably my favourite series amongst the anime adaptations.

I love railgun. The Spin off was amazing. It gives you so much character development and info about Mikoto plus it introduces the anime viewers to her friends and how her life works. We also get to know how she feels when she's cornered and so i loved the spin off. Looking forward to watch railgun second season after Index II then the movie which I've heard it's really good.

Originally Posted by Kamijou_Touma

If your going by relative to the novel, I'd say Index, Index II and Railgun S sister arc are accurate to the novel. But I think some people view the Railgun series as a filler or side story to the main story in the novel.

I dunno if it's filler or not but Railgun provides so much info about Misaka Mikoto and her friends. I think it was well done. I'm looking forward for the light novel. I'ma read it after i'm done with Index II, Railgun II and S.

[Kamijou_Touma]

Just so your not taken by surprise, Saten Ruiko only appears in railgun series, and is only hinted in the light novel.

True that the railgun series does an OK job on Mikoto's friends. Though I think officially its a spin off/side story to the novel. It does follow the sister arc to how it was in the novel. Overall, I think the Railgun series would have been more worth it if it had followed novel's story line a bit more.

I wonder if they'll ever do Index III, they have so much material they need to do a 26 episode season, probably enough to finish the OT novel.

[Fizix]

Well if you enjoy Railgun then that's fine, I was raising it as the two seasons are so very, very different. Sadly I couldn't bring myself to like the first one.

Index is better in the novels, all of the characters are. The story is too, like that second arc (where Touma and Styil infiltrate the cram school), most of that novel was cut, it's really grim, psychotic and dark in the novels. So it's all worth reading over.

Originally Posted by Kamijou_Touma

Just so your not taken by surprise, Saten Ruiko only appears in railgun series, and is only hinted in the light novel.

True that the railgun series does an OK job on Mikoto's friends. Though I think officially its a spin off/side story to the novel. It does follow the sister arc to how it was in the novel. Overall, I think the Railgun series would have been more worth it if it had followed novel's story line a bit more.

I wonder if they'll ever do Index III, they have so much material they need to do a 26 episode season, probably enough to finish the OT novel.

I don't think season 3 will happen, it gets more serious and there is virtually no fan service, if not zero fan service at that point, so JC Staff won't be interested. It's a shame because this series becomes so much stronger.

[Kamijou_Touma]

I think it still could happen. But the real question is when it will happen and if J.C. Staff isn't interested the some other studio could pick it up.

[Fizix]

Originally Posted by Kamijou_Touma

I think it still could happen. But the real question is when it will happen and if J.C. Staff isn't interested the some other studio could pick it up.

It would be nice and yes it might happen but I've kind of lost hope and assumed that it won't happen. It's been quite a long time.

[Kamijou_Touma]

I agree since the movie came out and Railgun S came out... It should be safe to assume that J.C. Staff lost interest in the series, but there will always be another studio to pick up where it left off so long as they do justice to the novel and the coop between author and studio.

Who knows. It could pick up when we least expect it.

[Chaos2Frozen]

JC Staff doesn't make that decision to make Anime, they're just the hired guns.

[Kamijou_Touma]

If they are hired to do the anime, they can still have the objection of doing an anime, hence the free market of employment. If they get a budget that they aren't willing to do the anime for, they'll probably would let some other studio do it.

Not saying they might not accept it, just its a possibility that J.C. Staff might not do it. But with that said i'm not saying that your wrong.

[Chaos2Frozen]

That's kinda backpedalling from your initial statement of "It should be safe to assume that J.C. Staff lost interest in the series".

All we know for sure is Dengeki currently feels that money is better spent promoting other/newer series. There's is nothing to assume that J.C Staff lost interest in anything, they just haven't been told to do anything.

[Kamijou_Touma]

Not entirely, because I didn't say its exactly safe to assume that J.C. Staff lost interest in the series... "should" means that there is a (high) chance that they've lost interest in doing the anime, since the last run of Railgun S and the Movie.

Besides I've only said that because they haven't progressed in main "Index series", they just went forward with the side story with Mikoto... though not saying Railgun wasn't all terrible, since it did a good job on the Sister Arc. But I think most of us want see them to finish the WW III arc when they left off when it started.

[Kuroageha]

Well, sure they don't got a new hit series since then, do they?

[Kamijou_Touma]

I'm still expecting Index 3 since that last anniversary video.

[Chaos2Frozen]

Originally Posted by Kamijou_Touma

Not entirely, because I didn't say its exactly safe to assume that J.C. Staff lost interest in the series... "should" means that there is a (high) chance that they've lost interest in doing the anime, since the last run of Railgun S and the Movie.

Besides I've only said that because they haven't progressed in main "Index series", they just went forward with the side story with Mikoto... though not saying Railgun wasn't all terrible, since it did a good job on the Sister Arc. But I think most of us want see them to finish the WW III arc when they left off when it started.

It kinda makes sense to go with Railgun S, they've been pretty 'fair' about the whole thing.

Index two seasons and movie
Railgun two seasons and OVA

But nvm.

Originally Posted by Kuroageha

Well, sure they don't got a new hit series since then, do they?

Shougeki no Soma and DanMachi seem to be pretty popular. Overall JC staff is okay to good. I haven't been paying attention though.

[Kuroageha]

SnS is almost a flop in discs sales. I don't know about the manga sales though.


Danmachi boosted a lot the LN but the anime didn't go past 6000 copies.