Toaru Majutsu no Index

Since, there wasn't a review written for the particular manga I felt there was one needed. ( be wary this is my first review )
The manga itself is a bit shaky since the English translations aren't up-to-date if you want to watch or read more watch the anime online, or read the light novels at baka-tsuski.
Now to the review,
Story 7/10;
The story is wonderful, it includes your average MC and is a great pick for those of you who like characters who are really dull when it comes to 'love'. It also adds the drama elements not strong enough to tear up about, but enough to make me think and sit about it the next day. Although there has been a debate on religion, which really doesn't affect me negatively or positively, since I'm an atheist ( please don't rant it's just fiction ).
Art 8/10;
Aw yes, the art hmm.. Not much to say about it, it does have it's eye-candy, but the action-sequences are average (not saying that I dis-like fights), great detail on backgrounds, but none-the-less from what you'd expect from an average manga.
Character 9/10;
The characters, there are TONS of them, but all of them seem to have enough background story for them to fit in the actual story, each one of them have their own little thing which makes them difference. Gotta love that tsundere character ( yes, I am a big tsundere fan so go ToumaXMisaki ).
Enjoyment 8/10
Ahh, for me it was a 8/10 because to be honest, I watched the anime first, and decided on burning time, by reading the manga, which had made me fall in love all over again. It might not be the same for everyone but sure did affect me. But, it was a bit bland for me considering I had already knew what was going to happen since I watched the anime. :P
Overall 8/10
Guess, I gotta sum everything up I guess, it really is a wonderful story check it out yourself.
( I'm free to any constructive criticism since this is my first review, second time announcing ).

This was one of the first light novels I read, which is why I was able to finish it in the first place. I don't really remember the details since I read a while ago, so I'll speak mostly of my impression.

The first 13 volumes of this novel are pretty dull (well, except for sister's arc). The author sets up a magnificent stage where magicians and higher technology coexist, but emphasizes only the magic part until about volume 16 for whatever reason. I'm fine with him writing about what interests him, but personally I find the science side to be much more interesting. He also invented some of the most creative physic powers I've seen. However, all these have greatly gone in waste due to immature writing and a lack of a central plot. He manages to turn everything around at around volume 16 and really sets up an epic final battle, but that happened too late.

Other than its wasted potential, I'd like to address 2 additional problems with this novel. Firstly, the author likes to tell many different stories simultaneously, which I call immature writing. The problem with this becomes particularly conspicuous during the later quarter of the novel where 4 or 5 groups of people are trying to do things at different places at similar times. The author simply writes a few pages for a group, and immediately jumps to the story of another group which, for the most part, were unrelated. These mini side-stories do tie up in the end, but I easily lost track of the characters, what was happening, why they were trying to do what they're doing,... etc., and is in general a big minus that only dilutes my interest.

Secondly, the author creates a massive dichotomy between magic and science, where the magicians earn everything through hard work while the espers were just gifted. However he never truly develops this theme in depth. He sort of just told you, "here's something to think about..." and left it like that. In addition, the power of the MC pretty much defies any meaning he does manage to squeeze in, because it is just way too OP and out of place for the setting of this novel. I mean, almost every battle the MC was involved in boils down to he shit talking a bunch of crap, then he punches the villain. This in and of itself is a rather boring pattern for fights, not to mention how most of MC's shit talking was very idealistic.

Finally, if you're thinking of reading this because you saw the anime, expect shit art. don't even.

Overall, this story was interesting but too much potential wasted. I give this a 7/10.

*There may be some minor spoilers that do not affect the reading experience*

To Aru Majutsu no Index is a fairly typical shounen series - The main character is a rather bland 'hero because it's the right thing to do' archetype, there is very little killing of villains, lots of random female characters and ecchi scenes... the list goes on. But what is it that sets TAMnI apart from the rest of these mediocre shounen titles? The answer to that question is - complexity. The depth of both the plot and the characters are a lot more than what it initially seems like. I'll explain it a little more in the individual sections.

STORY (10/10):
The basic premise of TAMnI is the battle between Science and Religion... Just that in this case, the religion side can use Magic while the Science side has Espers. There is a lot of Christian symbolism and scientific explanations. Each arc can be classified as either a science arc or a religion arc (of which the former is usually more interesting). The story takes a fairly long time to really pick up, since it only gets really good from volume 3 (The Sisters Arc, to be specific). The foresight of the author is quite commendable – small, seemingly insignificant details turn up later to affect the story in a big way.

ART (8/10):
No complaints about the art. It does its job and conveys what it wants to fairly well.

CHARACTERS(10/10):
This is the true strength of TAMnI. Though one may be annoyed that enemies are never killed off and are just 'converted to the good side', one must also admit that TAMnI does an amazing job of it. Redemption is a fairly common character trait in this novel, but that actually adds to the enjoyment value rather than anything else.
TAMnI has three protagonists:

- Kamijou Touma: The main protagonist, the one who everything revolves around. Touma is the first protagonist to be introduced and is usually mixed up in every event in one way or another. He is technically an esper without powers (Level 0), but in reality, he has a power that negates all other powers, while bringing him extremely bad luck in the process. He is a 'true hero' who often jumps into dangerous situations for the sake of others. Though he is quite bland and is always surrounded by girls, he is a fairly likable character who you can't help but like.

- Accelerator: The strongest Esper. Accelerator is initially introduced as a villain, but over time, he chooses the path of redemption and chooses to go over to the good side... though his methods remain violent. He is by far the most interesting character in the series and also the one who develops the most. He is often depicted as a 'reluctant hero' or even as an 'antihero', since he is the only main character who has no qualms about killing.

- Hamazura Shiage: The random delinquent. Hamazura is the last protagonist to be introduced and his introduction as a protagonist comes very late in the series. Like Touma, Hamazura is a Level 0... Just that he doesn't have any power at all. Hamazura is yet another 'reluctant hero', though most of his actions are for self-gain. Among the three protagonists, he is usually the one who faces the most overwhelming odds. He is probably the most likable of the trio, since he is the easiest one to relate to.

Honorable mention:
-Misaka Mikoto: Easily the most popular character of the series (Popular enough to get her own series), Misaka, known as the Railgun, is one of the strongest espers in Academy City. She is a tomboy who follows the tsundere archetype, which may seem pretty common, but the execution sets her apart from the rest. She often gets into fights with Touma, since he’s the only one who can keep up with her. Despite being prideful, she will go out of her way to help her friends. She isn't one of the main protagonists, but most of the science arcs deal with her in one way or another.

Enjoyment (8/10):
One issue with TAMnI is the rather erratic pace. For every enjoyable (usually Science) arc, there is a relatively boring (usually Religion/magic) counterpart. While even the slower arcs have a particular standard, they never reach the level of the Science arcs. Accelerator’s arcs are always amazing though.

Overall (9/10):
Overall, TAMnI is an interesting series with surprising depth for a shounen series. While it’s sequel (New Testament) doesn’t really live upto this one, it remains one of the best Light Novels I’ve read.

INTRODUCTION: I will hold on to avoid as many spoilers as possible

Okay, this is my first review written for a light novel, so be a little kind if I end up wavering and getting lost in the subject, okay? (As I am a complete amateur, I will use terms that can be a little subjective, but know that everyone stands out from the main series as a whole, like ... Toaru or Index. Of course, there will be moments that I really want to talk about to toaru series as a whole, or the Index character, but I believe that will be obvious when it is said).
Toaru Majutsu No Index is with absolute certainty the best book I have read in my entire life ... This is not just because it has an incredible story, extremely human characters (in terms of feelings) and deep, or simply because it is so much fun . No, it is certainly the accumulation of all this that made me give such a high position to this work.
Really, if you think about the script as a whole, it can be summed up in a very simple way ... Kamijou Touma clenching his fist and changing a person's destiny, no matter if he will have to sacrifice his life for this, but he will certainly succeed. Really, a very simple summary, right? Well, that's because what I explained was just flour ... Yes, from that simple component, it will form the most beautiful of desserts. It is the incredible plots, discussions between characters, the direction of the story and moments of depth that make this book EXTREMELY appreciable and enjoyable to read
To be honest, the story of "Toaru Majutsu No Index" is magnificent ... With mysterious tones that continue to guide the reader as if the author's writing ability was like a conductor conducting his orchestra, it makes this book extremely addictive, because this gives the reader more reasons to continue exploring this divine literary world created by Kamachii. With each volume having at least one twist in the story, this great story manages to create extremely interesting mysteries and developments, and when you feel like you’re totally used to the plot, it gives you a push enough to shiver your spine, like a professional boxer hitting a powerful jab on an amateur who thinks he's capable of anything. Would it be Kamachii's ability to develop different and interesting terrains, plots With each volume, his true "magic"? Well, I will leave this question with some hidden meanings for the readers of this review hehe.
Now! What would make reading so enjoyable, if not characters developed with sublime perfection? Well, toaru will certainly not be an example of failure in this regard. To be honest, Index is the only work that I managed to like the characters so much. I mean, each one has their charisma and depth to add to the script, and sometimes, the ways that such characters are introduced really fascinate the reader, simply because it is in a different and very intriguing way (Well, it's not every time that the author manages to accomplish this, but the moments he manages are certainly incredible). Furthermore, I like the way Kamachi manages these characters, because even when you think they were thrown away, they enter the script spontaneously and very realistically, whether to make humor, bring depth or just keep the reader interested in some way. . In reality, his practice only affirms my previous claim, that every character has his importance and content to add to the script ... To be able to do this, at least in my opinion is something commendable. In fact, speaking of characters, how could I even forget about the villains? Each has their reasons for fighting, each has their reasons for clenching their teeth and going deeper into the darkness. Of course, some have cliché backstorys, but for me, they all manage to add to the script in some way ... So, I like to see how Kamachii does not create extremely bad villains. The main factor in this is that boy who raises his fists to destroy the unfair fate of those he thinks deserve better. Yes, that same hypocritical and selfish hero, who even after defeating villains, extends his hand to save the lives of those that the world would certainly judge as "evil". An example of a villain who was affected by the heroism of that boy, is the one who took more than 10,000 lives and dyed his hands with blood, and even so, it was in a way, saved from the darkness by that spiky-haired boy and that child with stupid capillary leather. Yea! Villains can certainly regret their past deeds and rise up as heroes! (Maybe I was "polluted" by this great story, and maybe one day those words will come back to me, and I will become a complete hypocrite ... Okay, so let me enjoy this momentary gift, and stop thinking one little in the future, okay?)

Well, that was my review of this great light novel. For the lazy on duty (we are together; D), or simply to people who were really interested in this review, I will leave a small summary ...

Toaru Majutsu No Index "(also known as" Old Testament-OT ")

STORY: 9 (To be honest, I thought a lot about what grade to give to this story, and I held myself back from giving a 10 ... Why did I do that? Well, for me ESTHETICALLY this work doesn't deserve it. and unfolding extremely impressive scripts, mainly because of the author's writing and coordination, I believe that many times the script is tied to "Protagonist hitting people to achieve their selfish goal", I must restrain myself from giving a perfect grade, in addition to having some clichés ... Well, still, I love books that manage to create fantastic worlds like "toaru", and I believe that both my interest in the side of science and that of magic are the same, and that's why I don't care so much about which of these two sides, each arc will focus on).

CHARACTERS: 10 (Really, could I give a better grade !? I absolutely love the characters in this work, and especially the main ones ... Kamijou Touma is certainly a hero among the heroes. Of course, some may think that just by having this title , he will be a cliché character, but I completely disagree with that! he throws himself at them to save strangers and acquaintances, simply because he likes to do that. Interesting fact is that he completely invades people's personal space to save them, but when it is with him, he is certainly the first to walk away so as not to involve others ... Really, a good selfish and hypocritical [Well, if you still think Kamijou is a cliché hero, I ask you if a hero should give the pleasure of forgiveness to those who have killed cent enas ... Is this really justice? Well, I keep saying that Kamijou is a true hero, but sometimes I wonder if he really is a hero. Regardless, I think what separates him from being a cliché character is his great depth and humanity]. Well, he fought to save the world, so he must be a hero. We also have the story of that protagonist who bathed his hands in blood while the strong smell of iron pervaded the places he had passed, and now, he struggles to live a normal life and protect that of those he loves ... Yes, he certainly fought against the world for that. What about that lucky level 0 kid who was fleeing the world? I think he's really fun hehe. In addition, I really like the "heroines" of this work. The main ones can be cute, funny, deep and cool ... Sorry for my bad taste, however Index is my favorite)

ART: 8 (Well, some may completely disagree with that note, but I'm not just considering the final volumes of the first book ... I'm considering the path of the illustrations. To be honest, it was difficult to adapt to the illustrations, as they really took time to fix, and it ends up affecting the reader's imagination as a whole [At least for me]. Besides, I think the illustrator [Haimura Kiyotaka] could invest a little more in the scenarios ... I believe they could be more "rich" as a whole. Well, I'm a complete ignorant, so I'm not going to focus so much on that subject hehe)

FUN: 10 (Without a doubt, I give this grade. I really find the dialogues very fun, and the way the story is told, just makes me more anxious about what will happen ... I love the side of science and magic , and the "leaders" on these sides are really mysterious, the way I love it. I mean ... It's really hard to read, and sometimes I even spent time researching something to better understand the scenario or what was going on , but it really was very pleasant)

I pray that the boy's silence will end ... I pray that he will rise up again against this disgusting and dark world that surrounds him, clench his fists with even more force and break down fate again ... YES! BREAK THAT DAMNED ILLUSIONS, KAMIJOU TOUMA!

EXTRA 1: In addition, I also like the author's comedy and the fluid way he puts it in his work ... It's not that kind of comedy that sometimes spoils the moment, but a comedy that varies from situation to situation, and that digests well ... Well, it certainly has some repeated jokes, but they still manage to get a laugh out of me
EXTRA 2: There is another reason for not giving a perfect grade for the story, and that is the "armor of the script". Obviously the characters suffer to reach their goals, but some nuances during the journey of the characters, lead me to believe in the famous "plot armors". Fortunately, the one used in this work is one of the lightest types, which only serve to protect some characters (Some characters really need this, simply because of their specifics).
EXTRA 3: I think that discovering and reading this work was one of the things that made me most happy in my entire life ... I hope that others can find happiness, not specifically in this work, but in other literary works
FINAL EXTRA: Right ... I made a "tier list" of each volume. For those interested, the link will be here: https://tiermaker.com/list/anime-and-manga/light-novels-tier-list--toaru-majutsu-no-index-16389/1219778

STORY: story of To Aru Majutsu no Index is long and complex. While at first it will look like every volume is a completely different story with little to no relations to another, later on all plot threads will slowly be put together and you will be surprised just how far into the future the writer planned certain plot threads.
Also, expect a lot of Scientific Exposition and Religious (especially Christian) symbolism.

ART: with this being a Light Novel, there is not much to say about the art tough most of illustrations are pleasant to the eye.

CHARACTERS: there are many characters in TAMNI, ranging from overpowered Espers and Mages to weak so called "Level 0's", most of them being unique from one another.
There are three main characters in the story:

Kamijou Touma - THE main character of the story. While being labeled a "Level 0", his power is Negation of other supernatural powers with his right hands... tough as the story goes on it becomes more and more obvious that there is more to the power that meets the eye.
Kamijou Touma himself is an unlucky guy who always ends up being dragged into some kind of mess concerning the Dark Side of various factions and being a true Hero (tough he never will admit to be anything more but a common person) he always chooses to help the good guys.
For many characters, especially later on in the story, he is the ideal that inspires them. They see him as a hero and inspired by his deeds, they gain unfaltering wish to fight against what is not right and for former villains, he is the list at the end of the tunnel on their road to redemption.
And thats his main role in the story: not to be a developing character with inner fights (that is left for others) but to be the ideal hero.

Accelerator - the most powerful Esper in the world. His power is the ability to control all kinds of vectors.
He starts as a villain early on, with more then 10 000 deaths on his hands. After his conflict with Kamijou Touma, the story of his redemption starts.
While being a mass murderer, Accelerator believes that "Pieces of shit that fell into the Dark Side" should fight only one another and never try to mix the innocent people into their games. So when he meets a girl that is target of many darksiders, he becomes her personal guardian and falls further and further into the dark side where he pleases us by giving evil villains their due.
However a question remains: can a villain protect an innocent life that is targeted by so much evil in the world?

Hamazura Shiage - while Accelerator is the strongest Esper, Shiage is a "Level 0". At beginning he is a member of a Level 0 group called Skill Out, a group that seeks to protect other 0's from Espers... and at the same time bully the Espers. As such, from the very beginning he is a dark-sider.
When Kamijou Touma beats him up, he leaves the Skill Out and becomes a grunt worker for ITEM, a dark side 4-member organization that uses illegal methods for good of the Academy City... or more exactly, for the good of their greedy and immoral leaders. There, he helps get rid of corpses and such.
But like Accelerator, he also will find someone that he wants to protect. And soon he will become an enemy of the Academy City. Can a powerless person like him protect himself, the girl he loves... as well as his friends... from the evil of the world they belong to... an evil that has powerful technology and Espers that would make armed soldiers shiver in fear?

SETTING: the story happens in a world similar to ours... with some exceptions.

First, in Japan there is a place called Academy City. That city is part of Tokyo and it is around 20 years ahead in technology. Their technology will never cease to amaze you, especially since it is nicely explained how it works.
It is also a place where people with supernatural powers called Espers are created, raised and researched. There are many different powers and you will always look forward to seeing those Espers in battle.
However, there is a dark side to this organization... brutal experiments over children, immoral scientists, mass murders, Soviet-like secret organization... all existing in shadows of people who just seek to lead a normal life... and that dark side threatens to make many victims world-wide...

Second, Magic exists and the world is mainly ruled by Religious organizations that act behind the scenes. Unlike the Academy City, these factions follow religious ideas rather then scientific and the spells the mages use are filled with religious symbolism. As a Christian myself I am amazed at how well the writer researched religion and how well he made it all work in this story.
There are hundreds of magical organizations but three are the main ones:

Anglican Purist Church or more exactly Necessarius - their main goal is witch-hunt and control of mages throughout the world. For most of the story, Kamijou Touma is their ally.
Like Academy City, they have a dark side which is mainly felt through their leader and some of their actions. While they were not villains through TAMNI, there is a high possibility they will be in TAMNI's sequel: TAMNI: New Testament.

Roman Catholic Church - most powerful organization in the world, claiming to have 2 billion followers.
But that size is also their greatest enemy and their primary goal is to hold Status quo in the world and use all means necessary to not let the Catholic power plummet. And because of that desperation, the dark side is powerful here and thus Kamijou Touma finds himself to be their enemy in most cases, weakenign their dark side little by little.

God's Right Seat - part of the Roman Catholic Church's dark side... and teh faction that actually leads the Roman Catholic Church.
It consists of four members, every of them wielding power of one of God's Archangel's (Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel and Michael).
Their main goal tough is not to protect Catholic Church but to sit right to the God... which means to become equal to him. Their leader will do anything for that goal, even if it means sacrificing millions of lives...

ENJOYMENT: TAMNI is definitely an enjoying read. It has everything you may want: action, Slice of Life, comedy, moral questioning, great characters, intriguing storyline, well built world... if you give this a try, there is really a great chance you will enjoy it.