A Certain Scientific Railgun S - Episode 1

It's about time we returned to Academy City to catch up on the adventures of Mikoto Misaka and friends - if you'd forgotten why it was so important that we be treated to more of this particular manga adaptation, then I'm pretty sure the first couple of minutes of this opening episode of A Certain Scientific Railgun S should set you straight.

After that fantastic reintroduction to our main quartet of characters and how they typically go about their business, this opener spends a little time introducing a character who will be important further down the line - another of Tokiwadai's level 5 ESPers, the telepathic Misaki Shokuhou.

"Hello, can I order a copy of A Certain Scientific Railgun on Blu-Ray please?
What, it's DVD only?  Ehhhhhh?!"

Such thoughts aside, the mainstay of this episode sees the girls joining Uiharu's friend Erii Haruue as she pays a visit to her hospitalised friend Banri (remember them?)  Of course, trouble is never too far away wherever Misaka tends to wander, and before we know it another section of the hospital is the subject of a breakout by another patient who also happens to be some kind of radical.  Once Haruue gets caught up in the ensuing escape attempt, there are no prizes for guessing who comes to her rescue.

So there we have it - a rip-roaring start to A Certain Scientific Railgun S that hit basically all of the right notes - from the moment that pounding electronic soundtrack kicked in during the opening scene it was like the gate to all my fond memories of the first series came flooding back, and from there it didn't take too long to fall in love with its cast all over again as the episode effortlessly flitted from comedy to overblown but still hugely enjoyable action and back again at will, exhibiting exactly the blend of elements that we've come to know and love from this series.  Roll on episode two, and I simply can't wait until we hit some of the original manga's meatier material.