A Certain Magical Index Complete Season 1 Collection (Episodes 1-24) [DVD] [NTSC]

Academy City is a city dedicated to the research and development of supernatural abilities where the students are ranked from zero to five to represent their level of power. The chronically unlucky Touma Kamijo is officially the lowest of Level 0s yet has the ability to council out any supernatural ability with the touch of a hand. Scientifically created abilities aren’t the only form of power in the world and Touma soon finds himself drawn into the Cold War between Magic and Science.This four disc set includes the entire twenty-four episode run of the first season of the 'A Certain Magical Index' ('Toaru Majutsu no Index') anime, based on a series of Light Novels by Kamachi Kazuma. The season includes six arcs: the Index arc, the Deep Blood Arc, the Sisters arc, the Angel Fall arc, the Three Stories arc and the Kazakiri Hyouka arc.The six episode Index arc does a relatively good job of introducing the main characters and the setting as they everyone meets for the first time. The arc sees Touma find a young English nun on his balcony and is subsequently drawn into the conflict between the forces of Magic and Science. The arc includes some good humour, emotion and action but does feel a little lacking when compared to arcs in later series.The three episode Deep Blood arc is an interesting arc that deals with a few things left over from the previous arc. The arc sees Touma forced to help the magicians stop an alchemist who has set up a science cult in the city and save a girl with a mysterious ability. The arc has little in the way of action but the final confrontation is nonetheless very good as the villain shows off the limitations of his power.The following five episodes cover the Sisters arc where Touma discovers that Motoko’s little sister is involved in some dark experiments to create the most powerful Esper possible. This is a very nice arc and was always my favourite part of the Index anime with some brilliantly emotional scenes and some good action as Touma goes up against Accelerator, the number one Esper. The main problem with this arc however is that the second season of the show’s sister series 'A Certain Scientific Railgun' ('Toaru Kagaku no Railgun'), that came out during the Spring 2013 anime season in Japan, covers the same events from a different perspective and is far superior in almost every way, although this version is still very much worth watching.The next three episodes are the Angel Fall arc and they are by far the most light-hearted of all the story arcs this season as it sees Touma try to deal with a worldwide bodyswap spell that could destroy the world. Although this is the funniest arc of the series it does include some very interesting moments such including giving some information about the mythology of the setting, some backstory for Touma and revealing a secret of one of Touma’s friends.The three episode Three Stories arc details the events of August 31st (although only two of the stories are included in this season with the third being handled in the second season). The first half of the arc sees Touma have some funny moments as he has to deal with pretending to be Mikoto’s boyfriend and protect her from a magician. The second half of the arc is probably my current favourite part of this series and sees Accelerator forced to face the consequences of the events of the Sisters arc. This story is very well handled and gives the strongest esper in Academy City some very good character development as he begins his move from antagonist to protagonist.The Kazakiri Hyouka arc covers the final four episodes of the series and sees Touma meet the mysterious Kazakiri and is forced to stop a rogue magician from starting a war between Magic and Science. The arc is a nice end to the series and has some very nice action, as well as some nicely emotional moments her and there. The arc is also noteworthy as it shows the Academy City security forces Anti-Skill and Judgement in action properly for the first time.The animation of the series is relatively good even if it does look a little dated at times (the series is seven years old after all). There is a little gore here and there, as well as some fanservice (although far less than some other anime).The English dub is something of a mixed bag. On the good side, most of the voices suit their characters relatively well with the main characters Touma and Index being very ably voiced by Micah Solusod and Monica Rial. Other standout performances include Robert McCollum as Stiyl and especially Brittney Karbowski who does a very good job of voicing Mikoto and the Sisters. On the downside, I wasn’t much of a fan of Alison Viktorin’s performance as Koroko. Another problem with the English dub is that some of the localization of dialog is somewhat cringeworthy, and while I do understand that the dialog must fit the mouth movements I am sure that they could have found something better than Bug Zapper to replace Biri-Biri (and the less said about Sissy replacing Onee-sama the better). The decision to keep the term esper however is much appreciated. Of course the original Japanese version of the series is included on the discs of course.'A Certain Magical Index' is a series that I have been waiting to be released on DVD for a long time and I am very happy to have it now that it is. Although this first season is probably the weakest of the seasons two seasons made do far, and the 'Railgun' spinoff is also probably superior, this is still a very entertaining show to watch and is probably worth four and a half if not a low five stars.

Okay first of all the review score is that for the sub, not the dub, don't watch the dub as it turns what is an amazing anime into merely a great anime.In the Sub Accelerator sounds amazing, psychotic and truly unhinged, Shirai Kuroko in the sub gives one of the greatest performances in anime, it's no surprise that they won awards for their voice work.In the dub Misaka sounds flat, they also have the voice actress voice three characters and unfortunately she reveals her limitations as an actress in trying to do so.Last Order sounds way too old, Accelerator doesn't have an edge to him, Kuroko's performance was just phoned in, and seriously, what the hell is up with 'Sissy' and once again we see that they are unable to say the names of the characters properly making you ask, are they even trying?(And I wouldn't be complaining about the dub if they had actually given it a good one, like you have with Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, Full Metal Panic, Ghost In The Shell, Haruhi Suzumiya or Ghost Stories)So, first, watch the sub, I don't normally like to say these things, and I do think there are good dubs out there, but this series, like No Game No Life, is just so much better and more enjoyable in the Sub (same goes for Railgun)This series is close to perfect, the characters are well fleshed out and interesting, there is enough humour to keep you laughing but not too much to ruin the suspense and serious tones this show takes at times, the world is rich and well crafted and one you want to know more about.Our main character is a flawed person, he's not overpowered, he's not perfect, he's weak but scrappy, he fights and pushes forwards but even he feels the urge to run.It's not a nice world, it's not a perfect world, everyone has their own goals and objectives, they often don't care how they achieve them or who it is they are using to reach those goals, and in the middle you have Kamijo, who just wants to live his life, others will use him and drag him into their worlds. This series is about how he survives that and how he keeps on going.The soundtrack suits the show down to the ground, the artstyle works, but isn't as polished as you get in Railgun (I'm referring to stylistic choices that were then removed and not used in Railgun) the voice acting on the sub is some of the best in the business, my only gripe is that you still get the studio's script and get to read the word 'Sissy' for their translation of 'Onee Sama' (which means elder sister but with more respectful tones, so it makes no sense to use Sissy as when Kuroko uses the word she's using it in a reverential way as she worships and adores (and loves/lusts after) Misaka, this is why in the light novel it's translated as Big Sister, and in the Railgun manga it's kept as Onee Sama)The pacing is good, keeps you watching and wanting the next episode, it's also a show that is in no rush to tip it's hand, so if you don't like plot, suspense and build up, and if instead you want instant gratification in every episode, this isn't for you.One of the best anime series out there.

If I can be honest, 'A Certain Magical Index' wasn't an anime that immediately garnered my attention. I had seen clips of it online and really enjoyed them. But when reading a summary of the series, it didn't connect with me as well as I'd hoped. The information was vast, most of the characters sounded bland - despite having some unique qualities - and it was difficult to tell what the series' main focus was. Even when asking about it on Facebook, most people told me Season 1 wasn't the best. So while I did have the boxset ready and waiting in my collection, actually watching it wasn't one of my top priorities.However, despite my scepticism, I knew I couldn't avoid this franchise forever. Why? Because of Makoto Misaka. Out of all the characters I'd seen, she was the one who stood out the most to me. She did seem like a generic tsundere at first, but then her background and various relationships convinced me otherwise. Plus, her badass demeanour and multi-layered personality were everything I admired in a female lead. So I might've been looking ahead to 'Scientific Railgun', but my eagerness to know Misaka was what drove me to finally watch 'Magical Index'. Was it as bland as everyone told me? Let's start with the story.In a world where supernatural abilities exist, a struggle for power has broken out between sorcerors and espers. One group obtains their skills through magic and obeying religion, while the other gains there's through science and institutions. Toma Kamijio belongs to the latter group, and he has the power to negate all supernatural abilities with his right hand (Imagine Breaker) - a skill which also cancels his own fortune. One day, he's having a typically unlucky morning when he discovers something strange: a nun slumped over his balcony. Calling herself Index, the novice explains she's from England and has 103,000 grimoires stored inside her head. Unfortunately, this puts her in grave danger. Not only are there evil sorcerers who want to gain access to these volumes, but their information takes up a large portion of her brain. Also, if she doesn't have her personal memories wiped clean every year, it could prove fatal to her. Now Toma has to find a way to help Index while maintaining the balance between science and magic.Now you might think that sounds like a pretty reasonable summary. It introduces the main characters, the world they inhabit, and what the series' primary conflict is. But trust me when I say that's not even the half of it. In fact, this only covers the first six episodes. Let me explain.'A Certain Magical Index' isn't so much one overarching story, but several shorter stories loosely connected to each other. In one arc, Toma protects Index from two people who want to erase her memories by force; in another, he meets a girl who's blood attracts vampires; the third sees him caught in a battle between two Level 5 espers; the list goes on. In total, seven different stories play out over 24 episodes, with only Toma and Index being the constant mainstays. It's not necessarily a bad formula, but the problem lies with the pacing and development. Many of the longer arcs' episodes linger on one scene for more than half their runtime - and then suddenly end without warning. Alternatively, the shorter arcs go through more scenes while introducing as many characters and concepts as possible. This makes it difficult to invest in anything since we don't know who or what will be developed further. Sometimes they introduce characters in one arc but make them redundant by the next (e.g. Misha Kruezhev).The only time the pacing and focus worked perfectly together (in my view) was the first episode; it introduces Toma, explains the concept of espers and sorcerers, tells us what Academy City is, reveals other characters relating to Toma, and then brings in Index with her mysterious past. It's a lot to take in. But things were gradually introduced, scene by scene, and only when they felt necessary. Other episodes give us everything at once or focus too heavily on one aspect. You almost wonder if the stories themselves are just filler.Now, to be fair, there is a reason for this series' pacing problems. Unlike most animes, 'Magical Index' was based on a light-novel series - rather than a manga. Because of this, the producers had less material to work with, and they probably couldn't take too many creative liberties. I've personally never read the books myself. But going by the summaries, it sounds like they were followed very closely. The anime does an excellent job introducing the world of 'Magical Index', it just doesn't always know what to do with it.Pacing and focus aside, though, is the series' content any good? Well, it's hard to say. For the most part, it contains many memorable moments and scenes. However, I'm not sure they're strong enough to give the series its own identity. Most of them just follow the typical anime cliches; the guy walking in and seeing the girl naked, the girl finding a stray cat and wanting to keep it, the number of girls increasing to the point of becoming a harem - that sort of thing. To its credit, though, the series does add its own spin on these tropes and subverts our expectations. For example: when Toma's homeroom teacher announces they have a new student joining them, we immediately think it's going to be Index. She does walk in at that moment, but it's quickly revealed she snuck on campus and the new student is somebody else. In another episode, Toma and Index visit the beach. These stories are usually laidback and serve little purpose other than showing the female leads in swimwear. Not here, however. Because of a spell affecting Toma's perception, everyone around him looks like somebody else he knows. His younger cousin looks like Misaka; his mother looks like Index - which gets really awkward when she decides to make out with his dad - Index, herself, looks like one of Toma's male friends; and the United States President... Well, you get the idea. It's entertaining if a little unnerving, too.Actually, that's a good description of the series' overall tone. The arcs provide a firm balance of light-hearted and darker moments - ranging from teen romance to characters having their skin ripped off. However, I feel they do so to a fault. Because the tones are so well-balanced, it's hard to tell whether the anime is primarily dark or primarily light-hearted. Unless it leans more to one side, the opposing moments have less significance. Take 'School Live' for example; it's mostly a dark anime, given its premise and themes, so the lighter moments are more rewarding. With 'Magical Index', it can't decide what tone it wants even during the same scene sometimes. In episode six, for instance, we go from thinking Toma has amnesia to believing he's pulled a mean prank on Index, to finding out he really has lost his memories and that he was just sparing Index's feelings. What was I meant to take from this scene? Sadness? Amusement? Anger? Sympathy? It's one thing not knowing the story you want to tell. But not deciding how your audience should feel is something else.Anyway, let's move onto the characters. And, do I have things to say about them. Where do I even start?First off, there's Index herself; the young novice who brings a whole lot of crazy into Toma's life. Admittedly, I didn't find her that appealing at first. She was definitely cute and funny, but only because she resembled other anime heroines. It's nothing new for a female lead to enjoy food, love cats or be easily annoyed by their male counterparts - and just having her be a nun wasn't enough to distinguish her. However, as time went by, I gradually warmed up to her. It was interesting to hear about her past and where she came from. Especially as I'm from the UK, and it's apparently a magic capital of the world. Plus, the idea that she can't forget trivial things, like the shape of every raindrop or the face of every person, is fascinating to think about. What would having a memory that sharp be like?Additionally, Index has something else great going for her. And that's who voices her. Literally, the first thing that screams perfection is who plays Index in the English Dub: Monica Rial! There's a reason this lady is known as the Queen of Anime Dubs. She does have a very distinctive voice, but she's able to adapt it to almost any role. When she plays Hazuki (Moon Phase), she makes her sound like a spoiled brat. When she's Konoka (Negima franchise), she comes off as a caring sister. And when she's Index, she combines the two; bringing out an air of innocence, while still making her sound mature and naturally cute. It's also helpful she can play her as cold and emotionless whenever the grimoires corrupt her mind (episode 5-6). Monica Rial is one of the most diverse actresses in anime. And her voice is a perfect complement to Index's character.So, all in all, Index has a lot of potential in her. It's too bad however she's rarely the star of her own anime. Yep, despite being called 'Magical Index', her screentime is astonishingly low compared to Toma's. In fact, some episodes only have her appear for a minute and a half - as if the writers thought: "oh yeah, we should probably let everyone know what our title character is up to before we finish." Now, this wouldn't be so bad. If Toma were a strong lead, too. But he's not. In fact, compared to everyone else, he's the blandest character in the series.From the moment we first meet Toma, his gimmick just seems to be: he's unlucky. He tries doing the right thing, but he often makes matters worse. For instance, he tries to save a girl from being harassed, but the thugs go after him instead. And it's ultimately the girl who ends up saving him (episode 1). On top of that, it's established he's the lowest Level esper you can get - to the point where most people barely consider him one at all. Even his most distinctive aspect (Imagine Breaker) isn't all that original - characters like Asuna (Negima franchise) or One Punch Man spring to mind when thinking about his abilities. I get that he's meant to represent the average guy we're supposed to relate to. But with literally everyone else being superior to him, I was hoping one of them would take over as the main lead instead. Even the series itself seemed to give up at one point; spending two episodes with a character we barely knew rather than featuring Toma at all. That's how dull he got.However, I will say this. While Toma may not be the best fighter or problem-solver, he does have a strong sense of morality. Like I said, he always strives to do the right thing and doesn't tolerate any kind of injustice. Some of his best moments are actually his speeches. In episode 4, for instance, an enemy tries convincing him why she has no choice but to forcibly erase Index's memories. She'd prefer not to, as her former friend, but she can't find a better solution. Plus, it's too painful to go through losing her every year. It sounds justified. But Toma calls her out on her cowardice; saying how she'd rather hunt Index down and scare her than face her own feelings - a true friend would stand by her no matter what. Toma may be lacking in charisma, but his way with words almost makes up for it.As for the rest of the characters, they're a mix between somewhat enjoyable and ultimately irrelevant. Which is a shame, as they bring a lot of diversity to the table. There's Miss Komoae, who looks like a little girl, but is a beer-drinking, chain-smoking adult; Stiyl Magnus and Kaori, who seem threatening at first, but are actually old friends of Index; Aureolus, who once cared for Index before Toma did; and Aisa Himegami, who's the girl that attracts vampires. These should all be interesting characters. And when we spend time with them, they are. But because of the arcs' fast pacing, many of them don't get the screentime they deserve. They actually stopped featuring Aisa for a while, and by the time she was brought back, I didn't even recognise her! This makes it worse for characters like Heaven Cancelor (a frog-faced doctor), Maika (a maid-in-training), and Yoshikawa (a researcher), who all have connections with the main characters, but get treated like afterthoughts. This series was clearly going for quantity over quality in that regard.Truth be told, there were only a handful of characters who stood out to me besides Index and Toma. The first was Accelerator, the main antagonist of the third arc. It doesn't take much to tell this guy is a psychopath; his white hair, menacing eyes, and sadistic grin are enough of a giveaway. Plus, he gets a sick pleasure from using his powers to cause mass murder - or so it seems. In his first appearance, he's definitely a threat to Toma and the others. But it's arguably his second arc that's more intriguing. Without much explanation, he's suddenly become an anti-hero; hating the scumbag he is, and wanting to find a new purpose. Although his snide personality is still there. It's also revealed that maybe he didn't want to kill all those people. He just hoped his cruel words would convince them to surrender first. It's always interesting to see antagonists in a new light. But the series could've presented him going through this transition, not just immediately gone 180.The second character who stood out to me was, of course, Makoto Misaka; the headstrong tomboy who convinced me to try out this franchise. I was honestly surprised by how much she was featured in this season. I always knew she'd be introduced at some point, but I didn't expect it to be the very first episode. Plus, from then on, she's regularly seen observing events in the series or working to resolve them. Not only does this keep her character relevant, but it makes her official debut (in the third arc) feel more natural - not forced on us like some of the other characters. And when we do get to know her, she's perhaps the most well-rounded character there is. She's a Level 5 esper with electrical powers. She apparently has celebrity status at her school. She loves cats and other childish things, but also values proper etiquette - hence she wears shorts under her skirt rather than panties. And while she does have her tsundere moments, she cares immensely about other people. She'll even lay down her life if it means protecting them from harm. To put it simply, she's the best parts of Toma and Index combined.My one issue with Misaka, though, is before we really get to know her as an individual, the series expands her role by introducing more characters. These include Kuroko Shiri, her perversely obsessed roommate; Mitsuki Unubara, who also has a crush on her. And, most importantly, her sisters. Well, I say "sisters", but they're actually her clones. Yep, human cloning is a thing in this world, too.The clones resemble Misaka in age and appearance, but there are several key differences. They speak in the third person with emotionless/monotoned voices, they wear panties under their skirts rather than of shorts, their eyes are hollow and empty, and they wear goggles to help them see electrical currents - since their powers are weaker than the original Miska's. On top of that, they have the most unique way of speaking ever conceived. Seriously, this is entertaining. Whenever they say a sentence, they always end it with a description of how it was said or what they were thinking. For example: "feeding the cat is nonetheless impossible for her, Misaka says, finally relenting...[Misaka's body] constantly emits a weak magnetic field, Misaka says explaining her defect" (episode 10). It's like listening to a book about themselves read aloud. Anyway, these clones were made like lambs for slaughter; designed to test Accelerator's abilities, with no regard for their own lives. One is brutally murdered after attempting to assassinate him. Another shows up while the real Misaka speaks to Toma (10032). Episode 11 reveals there are dozens more of them. And then a younger-looking one appears (Last Order), who is connected to all of the other clones - and if she's corrupted the rest are too. Honestly, if I hadn't read the series' synopsis, I would've been totally lost.But that's this anime in a nutshell. It can never decide what it wants to commit to. Arcs like Misaka's have no focus or build up, and the ones with little lasting impression get drawn out over several episodes. Ultimately, it feels like the series was trying to tell two seasons worth of stories with half the plot missing. But perhaps that's what the producers had in mind. If 'Scientific Railgun' turns out how I think it will, this might be one of the best set-ups to a franchise I've seen in an anime. I'll just have to find out.In conclusion, 'A Certain Magical Index' is okay. It's not bland or exhilarating. It's just okay. Structurally and focus-wise it is all over the place. But I can't really say I hate it. It's like this review in a way. It had a tough job introducing the world of Magical Index, while also trying to tell a consistent story with limited material. If you stay until the end, you can still have a good time with it - just as long as you understand you're not getting the whole picture yet. I would recommend Season 1 to anyone willing to give it a try. I won't say it's the best introduction to the franchise, but it certainly feels like the most informative. Whether or not that info pays off will depend on what you think of the later seasons - which are apparently much better.Anyway, that's all I have to say for this season. I'll be reviewing 'Scientific Railgun' sometime over the next few months. So until then, stay tuned.

I love this anime well worth the watch, the one thing I will say is when the characters go into long winded explanations about things, it gets a bit tedious and boring, but it's worth it for the laughs and the other more entertaining bits. you do have to be in the right mood to watch it though. The DVD's arrived in good time and were packaged well, very happy with this.

Good

Certain Magical index season one was funny and fun to watch

This arrived very fast and was very well packaged.This anime was amazing, a true emotional rollercoaster and great animation.Well worth any penny or any anime lover or collector.

Well funny totally reccomend it! Love little Index the girls got one hell of a bite!!. Get it watch it and enjoy.

1と、2が、一緒に収録されてて良いです！新品はあまり買わない方なんですが、これはお買い得です。面白いですよ！

Good, no scratches

Als ich die Serien auf Netflix entdeckte war meine Liebe geweckt. So gern habe ich alle Teile in japanischer Sprache und deutschen Untertiteln gesehen (die Übersetzungen waren teilweise so schlecht, das es schon wieder lustig war) und ich mag den Stil, die Charaktere, die verrückten Geschichten und kann vollkommen verstehen, dass es schnell viele Fans auf der ganzen Welt angesammelt hat. Es gibt so lustige Szenen, die man kaum aus dem Kopf bekommt - dann wird es wieder richtig spannend und Ernst. Index, Touma und Misaka können einem nur ans Herz wachsen. Die Melodie der beiden Badezimmer habe ich nicht mehr als dem Kopf bekommen.Ich hatte mit A certain scientific Railgun begonnen und kannte dadurch schon ein paar Charaktere. Ist allerdings nicht schlimm, da sich beide Serien zwar überschneiden, aber man beide genießen kann. Der Humor ist recht ähnlich, nur ist hier Magie der entscheidende Motor hinter den Geschichten.Und guckt es bloß nicht auf Englisch, nur weil ihr alles verstehen wollt. Der Originalton ist bisher die beste Fassung und man muss gar nicht alles verstehen. Mimik und Körpersprache sind so gut, dass man auch ohne Worte versteht, was die Charaktere bewegt.

sind die deutschsprachigen Publisher nicht in der Lage diese Serie auf deutsch zu veröffentlichen. Das ist eigentlich schon mächtig ärgerlich.Zu der englischsprachigen Version: Ich mag die englische Tonspur nicht^^ Also nur im OT mit englischen Subtitle angeschaut. Passt.Ansonsten; Ausstattung und Co. normale Standardkost.

北米版の正規ライセンスBD･DVDコンプリートコンボパック品の、DVDだけをUK向けにローカライズしたタイトルです。基本知識としてですが、UKはヨーロッパなので日本と同じくDVDのリージョンコードが２なのですが、そもそもの映像方式が違う(ヨーロッパはPAL方法･日本はNTSC方法)為、UKのタイトルを日本国内の一般的なプレイヤーで再生することはできません。(映像方式変換機能付きの再生専用DVDプレイヤーや、PS4などデジタル出力専用機の一部などでは、映像方式を気にすることはありませんが)しかしながら、この作品は映像方式がNTSC方式でリージョン２(日本国内対応)での収録の為、問題無く日本国内で流通しているプレイヤーで再生･視聴することが可能です。音声はトップメニューでの英語･日本語切替え可能です。字幕はトップメニューでのon･off切替えのほか、日本語再生時にプレイヤーのリモコンから切替えも可能です。映像特典としては、何話か英語版キャストによるコメンタリーがある他ノンクレジットOPEDが入っていました。こんな人にオススメ。･やっぱ安価で一気視聴出来るのが良いよね･OPEDのスタッフロールが英語になってるけど気にしないぞ･DVDだから当然BDより画質が劣るのは理解しとります･英語吹替えや英語字幕がどんなのか気になりますの･日本語音声の時字幕は消せるけど、音声は2.1chだよ･とにかくこの作品が大好きで、どんなアイテムもコレクションしたいのだこんな人にはNG･海外版=全部海賊版でしょ!悪でしょ!と勘違いしてる人･そもそもレンタルでいんじゃね･DVDなんて画質悪くて見れないぜ･2.1chとか音悪すぎー