Uiharu Kazari

is a character in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun. She is a Level 1 Academy City student, and along with her colleague and friend Shirai Kuroko, is a member of the student composed law enforcement organization, Judgment.

Etymology
Her name, "Uiharu" in Kanji (初春) literally means "Early Spring", and "Kazari" in Kanji (飾利) literally means "decorations" and "benefit". It is most likely referring to her flower headband, considering that flowers are a symbol of Spring.

Appearance
Uiharu is a small girl who sports short black hair and has golden-brown eyes. She has thick eyebrows but her most striking feature is her headband made out of artificial flowers. In the manga she often wears a facemask because she is easily afflicted by colds and flu.

Personality
Uiharu is usually shy and humble but always friendly. She is also shown as an equally high-spirited girl as is her friend Saten Ruiko. She admits that she is composed most of the time because of a so-called "limit" she places on herself. Without that limit, she is very energetic and can be airheaded at times as well, as shown during Tokiwadai Dormitory's Festival. Moreover, she is intrigued and interested in the Ojou-sama lifestyle, as shown with her trying to impress Kuroko with her tea making abilities, as well the above mentioned excitability of her person during the Tokiwadai Midsummer Festival. Although she is incapable of normal combat like Kuroko, she still has a strong sense of justice, being a member of Judgment, and will do her utmost to do her duty.

Apparently, she is an animal lover, as she was the only one of her friends that wasn't scared of Ekatrina, Kongou Mitsuko's pet boa constrictor, and even played with it.

Her vulnerability to flu is not shown in the anime version of Railgun, though this later disappeared in later chapters of the manga. The running gag on her not managing to eat her sweets ended in the Railgun anime as well.

Background
Uiharu is a 1st year student attending Sakugawa Middle School in class 1-D along with her friend Saten Ruiko who often teases her by flipping her skirt (which she does to Uiharu only). She is also known for wearing a headband of flowers (and in the Railgun manga, a surgical mask, as she constantly suffers from flu). She has a sweet tooth but is always called for Judgment duties before she can enjoy her sweets. She displays various advanced skills with computers, such as repelling hackers and gathering information.

She joined Judgment when she was still in elementary school along with Shirai Kuroko. They were caught in a bank robbery attempt when their senpai, Konori Mii, had been injured and Uiharu was taken hostage. After being teleported out of harm's way and subduing the culprits (with the secret help of Misaka Mikoto) by Kuroko, she and Kuroko vowed to mature and become better members of Judgment.

She later holds true to this, and joins Kuroko as a member of the 177th Branch office.

Tree Diagram Remnant Arc

 * Main article: Tree Diagram Remnant Arc

Kazari first appears in the 8th novel, calling Kuroko regarding a stolen luggage bag with contents that are cooling parts that are installed on computers. Here, she believes that Kuroko is suitable enough for the case they are working on as the luggage bag that was stolen was addressed to a subsidiary of Tokiwadai Middle School. Even though Kuroko knows that there is no such subsidiary in Tokiwadai, and with other strange variables that are connected with the case such as the mysterious victim of the luggage bag stealing, electricity not working properly, Kuroko tries to end the case quickly by catching the robbers as the Anti-Skill that Kazari called will be delayed in their arrival.

Throughout the novel after Kuroko's utter defeat in the hands of Musujime Awaki, Kazari continually assists Kuroko in her mission, despite knowing that Kuroko is severely injured and that the case is beyond their jurisdiction. She gives various information regarding Awaki to Kuroko, like her strengths, weaknesses and other data like Awaki being a guide to the Windowless Building. Kazari later gives a rough estimation of Awaki's probable coordinates based on blindspots in Academy City's security system to Kuroko.

Daihasei Festival Arc

 * Main article: Daihasei Festival Arc

She appears pushing Kuroko in a wheelchair due to the injuries the latter sustained from the previous arc.

Academy City Invasion Arc

 * Main article: Academy City Invasion Arc

She meets up with Mikoto, and later, much to her delight gets to try playing Mikoto's violin, however, she is later called back by Kuroko.

Later during the invasion, Kazari distracts Kuroko long enough with Judgment work to allow Mikoto to try and meet up with Touma (the boy she is having a date with). They are later both stricken by Divine Punishment after feeling animosity towards Vento of the Front, the perpatrator of the invasion.

Battle Royale Arc

 * Main article: Battle Royale Arc

In Volume 15 of the novels, Uiharu, by chance, meets up with Last Order after leaving the hospital due to the events on September 30th. Uiharu assists Last Order in attempting to find a "lost child" (Accelerator), but ends up being dragged around the city by Last Order. Throughout there meeting, Uihara fails to notice the resemblance to Mikoto, being too preoccupied by Last Order's ahoge. Uiharu and Last Order are separated for a few moments, and this is when Uiharu is first interrogated and then attacked by Kakine Teitoku, who was searching for a hostage to use against the Accelerator. Uiharu refuses to talk and is tortured by Kakine until she is finally saved by Accelerator, who defeats Kakine in a quick but violent fight.

Ichihanaran Festival Arc

 * Main article:Ichihanaran Festival Arc

Uiharu Kazari debuts in Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index novels during the arc. She appears doing her duty as a member of Judgment, for the Anti-Skill alone cannot handle the work load during the Ichihanaransai, especially when Fräulein Kreutune is on the lose. She is first appears being dogged around by kids, asking her things such as Kuroko's famous line, which she tries to point out to them that it is not a standard for Judgment to do, and that Kuroko is often being scolded for making people think Judgment is violent. The kids then ask her to teleport, confounding her even more. One of the kids comment on how it could be scary and that one could end up in a strange place. One of them references on how teleporters will go through a tunnel, prompting the kids to ask her what makes up the tunnel and how long it is. Kazari shrieks, and is unable to answer them.

Level Upper Arc

 * Main article: Level Upper Arc

As a member of Judgment and friend of Kuroko she introduces her friend Saten Ruiko to her and Misaka Mikoto.

Although her esper abilities never come into use and despite her weak physical attributes, her skill in computers makes her a great asset for Judgment and is very reliable. This was shown during the Level-Upper arc, she realizes that her friend, Saten, had used Level-upper and had become comatose as a result, which makes Uiharu exhert more effort in trying to discover the culprit, because of this she is the first one to discover Kiyama Harumi's intentions and is intrumental in helping Misaka defeat the AIM Burst creature and revive the comatose users of the Level-Upper. In the end she tearfully reunites with a now conscious Saten.

Big Spider Arc

 * Main article: Big Spider Arc

She first appears listening to Kongou Mitsuko's testimony on Big Spider's attack on her. Kazari later appears listening to Konori Mii about Big Spider and praises her senpai for having such knowledge. She is later with Ruiko, Mikoto and Kuroko talking about the recent attack on Mitsuko. She appears in the Judgment office and gives information about Big Spider and their leader before Mikoto and Kuroko leave. She is then seen eating together with Ruiko, and is told by Ruiko that she understands the feelings of Skill-Outs and is reassured by her that she will never again give up.

In the next episode, Kazari is seen with Kuroko, Ruiko and Mikoto talking about Mii and Kurozuma Wataru's relationship, she also tell them that Mii has not been in Judgment for a while now and is not answering her phone. She later joins Mikoto, Ruiko and Kuroko to got to Mii's apartment, where they meet her roommate, Yanagisako Aomi who tells them about Mii's past as a member of Big Spider. She later leaves with them and then later listens to Ruiko's reply to Mikoto's statement about Mii's past.

Poltergeist Arc

 * Main article: Poltergeist Arc

During the second arc, she becomes friends with Haruue Erii and is responsible for her, so much so that she quickly disregarded any suspicion towards her by Kuroko as the culprit of the Poltergeist events despite overwhelming evidence. During the previous arc she bonded with Kiyama and trust her more as such she convinces her to hand out all her research to Therestina Kihara Lifeline.She later breaks down when she discovers Therestina's intentions of using the Haruue and the rest of the Child Error students of Kiyama Harumi. During the retrieval operation she aids Kiyama in navigating the highways of Academy City and pinpointed the location where children are kept.Finally during the final confrontation between their group and Therestina.She becomes incapacitated by Capacity Down but not before making Therestina talk where the machine to operate Capacity Down is located which allows Saten to find and destroy it.

She is last seen with Saten, Misaka and Kuroko being late for the special event held by Haruee Erii for Kiyama Harumi.

Sisters Arc

 * Main article: Sisters Arc

Kazari is briefly seen doing her summer homework, as she was busy with Judgment work all-summer. Mikoto suddenly calls her and asks her about the password she heard from Misaka 9982. Uiharu is successful in breaking the code which allows Mikoto access to the Level 6 Shift Experiment details. It is unknown if Kazari herself read the files. At a later date, Kazari, along with Saten Ruiko, is talking to Haruue Erii on her phone. Erii says she will join them later after stopping by the hospital. They meet up with Kuroko to help her with Mikoto. Learning that Mikoto has being busy recently and isn't talking to her, Ruiko concludes that Mikoto has boy problems which makes Kazari blush. Later after hearing an alarm from a vending machine, Kazari tries to go and assist Kuroko, who turns her down thinking that it is a false alarm.

Silent Party Arc

 * Main article:Silent Party Arc

Before the events of the arc start in earnest, Kazari helps Haruue Erii prepare for her move and is disheartened by this, despite only getting to know for her for a single summer. Regardless, Kazari tries to put on a facade of strength towards everybody while helping Erii. She is with the other girls when they visit Edasaki Banri when she is finally released from the hospital. When she and Kuroko are called by Konori Mii to help relieve a traffic jam that was caused by STUDY, she jumps at the call and tells the others to go ahead and start their celebration for Erii without them. After they have done their duties, Kazari pleads to Kuroko to teleport her to the store where she bought the taiyaki she bought for Erii when she was in the MAR research laboratory. When they arrive at the cafe where the celebration was being held, Banri has already left for she had a appointed check-up.

As the other girls bicker around Kazari's idea of giving taiyaki to someone who just had cake, Erii soon remembers that the box in her hands has the same taiyaki that Kazari gave to her back then. Erii weeps upon remembering this well-cheished memory and vows to Kazari that she will help Banri the way Kazari had helped her. Eventually, the reality that she would move far away from Kazari dawns on Erii, and she hugs Kazari tightly. Kazari, despite her best efforts to hold back her tears, and that they only met this summer, she eventually breaks down and cry.

As Ruiko comments on how childish Uiharu can be sometimes, Mikoto just lets Erii and Uiharu savor this moment.

When Febrie is introduced, it has Ruiko temporarily move into Kazari's room, keeping her company after Erii had left. There, the two of them take care of the child. For the early half of the arc, Kazari aids Ruiko in taking care of Febrie. When Mikoto tells them of Febrie's involvement in the dark side of Academy City, imploring for their aid to save her, Kazari, Ruiko, and Kuroko jump at the call. She spends most of her time in front of the computer searching for information. She is later seen aiding Kuroko in breaking out Mikoto after she is caught by STUDY through the user of her computer-related skills.

Later, her tech-savy allows her to discover that STUDY has delivered 20,000 Powered Suits to the Academy City Research Exhibition Assembly and that they were the ones who instigated several power outages to cover them up, one of which was the one where she and Kuroko were forced to relieve traffic. Despite the odds, they all decide to take on STUDY and the Silent Party without any help at all from Anti-Skill for the sake of Febrie and Janie, Febrie's sister. She is given the manual on how to pilot a Ekaterina II S along with Ruiko by Kongou Mitsuko, and memorizes it in a single night while making rice balls with Febrie. In the crack of dawn of the appointed day, Kazari and Ruiko stand guard in one of the venue entrances against a group of Powered Suits controlled by Diffusion Ghost. Here, Ruiko wields her bat while Kazari takes control of several security robots. They are later joined by a multitude of Judgment members. During the offensive, Kazari takes advantage of the Powered Suits' simplistic AI and use the security robots to distract them long enough for the others to take them down. Later, Madarame Kenji and Kosako Shunichi of STUDY try to counterattack using their large mobile weapons. As they retreat Kazari trips but is soon saved by the arrival of Yomikawa Aiho bringing the Ekaterina II S, and knocking out their mobile machines. This apparently gave the girls enough time to pilot and transform it into an even larger mecha. Ruiko and Kazari's memorizing a manual in a single night proves useful as they are able to easily to take down the two mobile weapons.

Ruiko and Kazari are part of the little conference held after Mikoto defeats Aritomi Haruki, STUDY's leader, who has launched the AIM bomb. When they decide to use the Ekaterina II S as a missile for Mikoto's Railgun against the bomb, Kazari complains on how they need a super computer to calculate on how they will able to launch the thing into the atmosphere. After the Sisters little secret help with the calculations, Kazari orders the girls to follow the specifications, with Mitsuko for her Aero Hand and Maaya with her Float Dial. She later witness the launching of the large mecha into the upper atmosphere, and later sees the debris shower of the explosion that Mikoto caused by using it as ammunition for her Railgun against the AIM bomb.

As Janie and Febrie are in a Kongou Airlines runway, preparing to leave to the outside for body readjusments, Ruiko cries over Febrie leaving. Kazari tries to console her but also falls into tears. And thus, the fellowship, though bound by friendship and love, part ways.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun: Uiharu SS
Published in a special booklet. Kazari stars with Yomikawa Aiho of Anti-Skill, where they try to stop a runaway tanker that is part of a terrorist plot.

Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion
Uiharu Kazari primarily plays a expositionary role in the first half of the movie, telling of the history of Endymion's construction, as well as its CEO, Ladylee Tangleroad.

She joins her friends in escorting Meigo Arisa in a photoshoot. She and the others are then forced to wear skimpy stage outfits, though she is more enthusiastic about it than Ruiko. She is later teleported away by Kuroko after the mall they were in is being bombed.

Later, she is in the Judgment branch with Ruiko when they discover that Arisa has been abducted. In the climax, she is joined by Ruiko during the attempt by Anti-Skill to break ingot Endymion. After an explosion rocks the space elevator and making it liable to collapse, she tells of a drastic plan of destroying the explosive bolts of the Endymion to break it away from the Earth. Both she and Ruiko overhear, Tsuchimikado Motoharu's "volunteering" to help them, as well as the Misaka clones telling that they will help, though she makes no comment on the latter.

She and Ruiko later witness the Miracle of Endymion. Here, she tells that Endymion is no longer collapsing as it happens.

Extra Franchise Cameo
Kazari appears quickly for a second in Ookami-san and her Seven Companions (also produced by JC Staff Animation Studios), looking confused at the audience, as a potential bride candidate for the boy millionaire Nezumi Chuutaro.

Abilities
Her ability is Thermal Hand (定温保存 (サーマルハンド) ), which allows her to conserve part of the objects temperature she touches, and is registered as a Level 1 esper.

Other Abilities
She is also very talented on the computer, as she can hack into almost all of Academy City's systems with ease. In fact, her main job in Judgement is working on the computer and use it to support the other members, such as picking up info on trouble makers. This more than makes up for her weak esper ability and lack of physical strength.

Uiharu had created a security system that is one of the 10 strongest systems of Academy City, which earned her a great reputation (and many challenges that led to the arrests of many skilled hackers) in the hacker's community under the alias of Goalkeeper. However, for some reason, the Academy City's Board of Directors did not trust in her abilities and didn't put her in charge of the public system, which created an odd situation that the Judgement's Office where she works has had stronger defenses than the databanks that holds all of Academy City’s data.

Along with Ruiko, she is able to memorize an entire manual on how to pilot a giant mecha in a single night and actually be able to apply it in battle. This is exemplified by Ruiko and Kazari easily defeating two mobile weapons.

Design evolution
Haimura designed Kazari with the theme that she would be a totally normal and uninteresting character without her flower headband. Haimura wanted to have the headband's flowers be in wilt or in bloom depending on Kazari's mood, though Haimura decided against this as it would not work for the limited illustrations of the light novel.

By volume 12, Kazari becomes affected by deformed artstyle that Haimura has for the characters. At this point, Kazari's skirt has been lengthened. The original clothes for Kazari had her with a short skirt, even up until volume 15. It is not until later that Haimura decided to lengthen her skirt for the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga. In the manga, Haimura gave out details in her expressions, stating that she is a gentle character in a comforting role, in contrast to Mikoto who is a strong character with a heroic role.

Trivia

 * She and Saten Ruiko have cameos in both openings of the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime.
 * In several omake chapters, it is joked about that her ability is to control plants. It might be supported by the quality of the flowers on her head, which is very realistically rendered in the anime and it's "growth" from her flashback as a Judgment trainee to the present. This is debunked in Episode 22 of Railgun, which displays a completely unrelated ability. The mystery of Uiharu's flower headband is solved in Volume 9 of the Light Novel, as it was described as "artificial flowers".
 * A character similar to her design appears in the 2nd chapter of Heavy Object a manga authored by Kamachi Kazuma, the creator of the Toaru Majutsu no Index series.
 * She has actually interacted with both Last Order and Misaka Mikoto, however she didn't notice any resemblance between the two.