Saten Ruiko

Saten Ruiko (佐天 涙子) is a character from the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun sidestories. She is voiced by Kanae Ito. She is a Level 0 Academy City student and is a classmate and close friend of Uiharu Kazari.

Appearance
Saten Ruiko is a girl with blue eyes and long black hair with a small, white flower on the left side of her hair. She also prefers wearing medium-sized skirts instead of short ones.

Personality
She has an outgoing and friendly personality, but is a little shameless as she sometimes flips Kazari's (and only her's) skirt in public. At first, she displayed apathy towards being a Level 0 but then became envious of the abilities of her friends as she was unable to fulfill her dreams as an esper. Due to this, she used the Level Upper. Later on, she grows to accept herself and becomes determined to develop her own abilities. Like her friend Kazari, she also has a deep sense of friendship; she was instrumental in helping Kazari and Kuroko make amends and made Mikoto realize that she has friends who she can count on. Not only that, but she is adept at reading the atmosphere, and often changes the topic when someone is feeling uncomfortable about something.

She is superstitious despite being in the city of science, though she likes to presume otherwise as when she states that she doesn't believe that her mother's good luck charm actually works. Because of this, she is a fan of internet rumors and urban legends, and loves telling her friends about them. This extends to herself, believing that her nose is sensitive to money, though she backs this up by showing Mikoto four bank cards she had already obtained. She has a natural tendency to be nosy regarding this, and often gets herself into trouble because of it, often needing to be saved by coincidental events or having become involved in events.

Saten Ruiko can be described as a normal-acting preteen in the series in comparison to her peers, not having any extracurricular activities like Judgment or being particularly book smart. She is very affable, quick to make friends, and cheerful. She knows the latest trends and fashions, and in fact has the most wardrobe changes the series.

Background
She was born outside Academy City and when she was younger, she decided that she wanted to go to Academy City to become an esper. She even boasted to her brother that she was going to get powers. Her mother, although disproving of her decision as she was afraid of what the city would do to her head, supported her regardless and said she could come back anytime. Her mother also gave her a good luck charm, which is shown to be always attached to her bag.

Sometime in Academy City, she became close friends with Uiharu Kazari. She eventually enrolled into Sakugawa Middle School along with Uiharu and was classified as a Level 0. She also let down her hair and wore a white flower on the left side of her head. She is currently a 1st year student in class 1-D.

Toaru Majutsu no Index
Although she doesn't appear in the actual show, both her and Uiharu appear in the first and second openings, PSI-Missing and Masterpiece respectively. In the first opening, they can both be seen sitting in a café with Kuroko with their backs facing the camera. In the second opening, they walk by in front of Mikoto before the camera flashes to her.

Level Upper Arc

 * Main article: Level Upper Arc

Unlike the manga, Ruiko has a much more prominent role in the anime series.

She meets Mikoto earlier and in the first episode, she doubts the personality of Mikoto as she was a Level 5, supposedly an arrogant and snobbish type. However, an incident occurs involving young children and she does her best to aid Mikoto and the others despite having no abilities at all which, impresses Mikoto.

In a later episode, she also gains the affection of Jufuku Miho a Level Upper user after she said as a passing remark that she liked her eyebrows during her visit to the School Garden, in which she was attacked by her for wearing a Tokiwadai uniform.

Later, she becomes envious by the fact that every one of her friends had some sort of ability and is then curious about the Level Upper. After obtaining it, she becomes alienated by Mikoto's words saying that levels and abilities were not important. To Ruiko, wanting to gain abilities was the reason why she went to Academy City. She finally uses the Level Upper after being caught helpless when trying to save Koujun Kikuhiko from Trick's gang and then witnesses the battle between Kuroko and Trick, where Kuroko obtained injuries but is nevertheless successful and obtaining the source of Level Upper. She invites Makochin, Akemi, and Muu-chan to use the Level Upper and Ruiko seems to display powers over the wind; however, they were all soon struck by the side-effect of using the Level Upper, becoming comatose. She later goes back to her dorm and calls Kazari that she had Level Upper and had used it along with her friends. Blaming herself for what had happened, Ruiko is tearfully told by Kazari that everything was going to be alright and that she would be there to wake Ruiko up. She goes on to say Ruiko would always be Ruiko to her regardless of her abilities. This makes Ruiko feel better, but when Kazari arrived at her dormitory, Ruiko had already become unconscious. She was later taken to the hospital by Kazari.

After the defeat of Kiyama Harumi and the AIM Burst creature, she wakes up from her coma and is greeted by Uiharu on the rooftop of the hospital. Ruiko apologizes to Kazari and realized that she almost lost something much more dear to her than abilities. She then proceeded to lift Kazari's skirt once more and the quartet reunites again.

Since she was a user of the Level Upper, she had to take supplementary lessons at A Certain High School. There she meets their teacher, Tsukuyomi Komoe, who teaches them the importance of having a Personal Reality for ability development. There, she also once again meets with Jufuku Miho, who shows a noticeable amount of affection for her. During running laps, Ruiko pushes herself to keep on running despite wanting to stop earlier and manages to be one of the last ones still running. There, Elder Sister argues with Yomikawa Aiho stating that this was just simply punishment for using Level Upper. Aiho rebuffs her stating that this was training to surpass one's limits, citing Ruiko and another runner as examples. She tells them that the development of abilities is akin in surpassing one's own limits. After going inside because of rain, Ruiko confronts Elder Sister on her views on why this was like punishment and says that it was only natural for them to be punished because they were cheating (using Level Upper) in achieving abilities, which her friends agreed on.

Near the end of the lessons, after taking in what Komoe said about achieving one's own Personal Reality and surpassing one's own limit, the Level Upper users were tested on how far their abilities had gone. After having witnessed Ruiko's confrontation with Elder Sister,  Jufuku Miho decided to follow her example and live strongly like her from now on. Although Ruiko remained a Level 0, she was determined to keep on trying.

Big Spider Arc

 * Main article: Big Spider Arc

She first appears in a cafe along with Mikoto, Kuroko, and Kazari where they talk about the recent attacks on espers by Big Spider. Mikoto discusses how she does not like people who give up easily, which Ruiko tells her that she seems to be describing her. She later appears with Kazari eating together, talking about how she understands the feelings of Skill-Outs and reassures Kazari that she would never give up again.

After hearing about Kurozuma Wataru's and Konori Mii's confrontation, she becomes curious of their past. She later visit Konori Mii's apartment along with Mikoto, Kuroko, and Kazari, where Yanagisako Aomi, who is Mii's roommate, tells them that Mii was previously a member of Big Spider, much to her and everyone else's surprise. After leaving, she replies to Mikoto's statement about Mii, where Ruiko tells her that Mikoto should not look at people's past as simply what makes them right now. She later stops and explains that she was not trying to contradict her after seeing the reactions of Mikoto, Kuroko, and Kazari.

Poltergeist Arc

 * Main article: Poltergeist Arc

During the Poltergeist Incidents that were occurring around the city, Ruiko befriends Kazari's new friend, Haruue Erii, and helps both Uiharu and Haruee in fixing their yukatas for an upcoming evening festival. During the festival, another Poltergeist incident occurs, though everyone is left unscathed, partially thanks to the help of Multi Active Rescue.

In later episodes, Kuroko and Kazari come to a disagreement on Haruee's involvement in the Poltergeist Incidents. Ruiko is often seen trying to calm down the situation.

After the group discovers Therestina's true identity, Ruiko forces both and Kazari and Kuroko to apologize to each other after treating each other badly the past few days. Ruiko also chastises Mikoto for not telling anyone where she went off to (the Advanced Education Department and a hospital) and reminds her that she was not alone. During the preparations in confronting Therestina, Ruiko equips herself with a metal baseball bat.

She joins Uiharu in guiding Kiyama Harumi in finding the Child Errors that were kidnapped by Therestina. When they arrive at the location, they realize Therestina had set-up a trap, Capacity Down. Ruiko, however, is unaffected by Therestina's Capacity Down because she is a Level 0. She later interprets Kazari's queries on Therestina about the location of the sound system that controlled the Capacity Down. Through the sound system, Ruiko tells Therestina to not to hurt her friends and then proceeded to destroy it with her baseball bat, allowing Mikoto to defeat Therestina. It is this heroic act that finally earns her Kuroko's respect, making her finally regard her as a close friend rather than a casual acquaintance.

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

Sisters Arc

 * Main article: Sisters Arc

Having heard of rumors of someone dropping bank cards, Ruiko uses her "nose" to find them and invites Mikoto to join her. She later gives Mikoto her share of bank cards and leaves afterwards, stating that she would like to bring Kazari next time.

In a later day, Ruiko and Kazari meet up with Kuroko to discuss why Mikoto suddenly seemed preoccupied. Ruiko concludes that Mikoto has boy problems, which shocks Kuroko and makes Kazari blush. Their conversation is cut-off when they hear a vending machine alarm, which Kuroko goes to investigate.

Near the end of the arc, Ruiko is asked by Mikoto to help her bake cookies for Touma (after he told Mikoto that he likes homemade cookies). Here, Ruiko is relieved that Mikoto is back to her normal self again and teases Mikoto about a certain boy, much to Mikoto's embarrassment.

Silent Party Arc

 * Main article: Silent Party Arc

Although for the most part of the arc she is seen only as a caretaker of Febrie and keeps Kazari company in her apartment after Erii moved away, Ruiko's role is major in the anime-original arc. She is the one who concocted a plan to get Febrie and Mikoto closer as the former doesn't like her for some reason and the latter is trying to desperately to become friends with her. When Mikoto tells them of Febrie's involvement in the dark side of Academy City, imploring for their aid to save her, Ruiko and the others jump at the call. She is later tasked in finding a way to make more of the lollipops that keep Febrie alive and visits Heaven Canceller for that purpose, though the results are not well. She is later seen aiding Kuroko in breaking out Mikoto after she is caught by STUDY as a lookout.

After deciding 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, Ruiko decide to help the others. She is given the manual on how to pilot a Ekaterina II S along with Kazari by Kongou Mitsuko, and memorizes it in a single night while making rice balls with Febrie. She takes her bat and with Kazari, who takes control of Security robots guard an entrance to the Academy City Research Exhibition Assembly, where the rebellion of STUDY will take place using 20,000 Powered Suits controlled by Diffusion Ghost. They are later joined by a multitude of Judgment members. During the offensive, despite being an ordinary middleschooler without any training and experience in battle, she is able to dodge the attacks of the Powered Suits, and with the help of other Judgment members 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. As the other girls deal with that, Ruiko arrives in the laboratory where they kept Janie, and after inquiring from Haruki, gets more of the lollipops for Febrie.Due to Haruki's use of the AIM bomb, Janie becomes part of the system that has now gone out of control, making any sort of connection impossible as it will kill her. Despite this, Shinobu still attempts to save Janie from the runaway system. And as she is not taking any outside input, she has Febrie's "strong emotions" to reach her, as they share the same biological base. A plan that Saten Ruiko says is pretty much the "power of love," much to Shinobu's embarrassment.

Her untested plan is successful, with a little help from the Sister clones, stating that Janie and Febrie are like sisters to them as well, giving the computers a boost to allow Febrie's emotions to reach Janie. She later awakens, and Febrie greets her a good morning. Ruiko urges Febrie to give to Shinobu her gift, and here with tears in her eyes, Shinobu accepts the riceball gift that Febrie made for her the other night. Here, Shinobu says to the two of them that she has a lot of things she wants for them to see.

As Janie and Febrie are in a Kongou airline runway, preparing to leave to the outside for body readjustments, 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 Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion

 * Main article:Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion

She plays an extremely minor role in the movie, often just hanging around with Kazari. She is the one who calls Mikoto on how Meigo Arisa has been abducted. Later, when Kazari states that they need to destroy the explosive bolts of the Endymion in order to prevent it from carshing down to earth, and that they are in need of people to do so, Ruiko tries to offer her "services", showin off her bat, but is then interrupted by Tsuchimikado Motoharu, who hijacks their communication lines just to say that he is offering them his services. She later witnesses the Miracle of Endymion, and the space elevator no longer being in danger.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Special 1: "MMR: More Complete Railgun"
Ruiko first appears in the beginning of the special, flipping Uiharu Kazari's skirt in a strange accent. The scene where Ruiko and Mikoto are purchasing crepes in the first episode is parodied, here Ruiko receives Alastor from Shakugan no Shana instead of a Gekota toy and offers it to Mikoto. Later both Ruiko and Kazari are horrified after they witness Kuroko's neck being broken multiple times by the Tokiwadai Dorm Mistress, afterwards they discuss rumors about her being a former soldier in the jungle snapping people's necks. In a later scene Ruiko is seen sighing in a classroom wanting to eat shibazuke. In a later scene Ruiko's teacher asks her what would happen to the cat in the box (the experiment is similar to what Komoe demonstrated in Toaru Majutsu no Index) which looks similar to Sphynx, Ruiko answers that the cat would be either dead or alive and is proven wrong when the box reveals the Palm Top Tiger from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toradora! Toradora!].

In the final scene Ruiko, Kazari, and Kuroko listen to Mikoto and her suspicions of the many wind turbines in the city even when they are inland. Both Ruiko and Kazari are both convinced by her that extraterrestrials are involved with this but is later told by Kuroko that in Academy City anything can happen.

Being a photoshoot model under the sun isn't easy, you know
Set during episode 13, Ruiko accidentally takes a suntan lotion filled with aphrodisiacs, courtesy of Kuroko, that was meant for Mikoto. Aroused, she tries to see Kazari's panties, and is quickly told by her that since she is wearing a swimsuit, she doesn't have any on. However, this only makes Ruiko want to see even more, and soon chases Uiharu. She later comes to her senses and apologizes to a scared Uiharu, though is quickly told by Mikoto that she was a victim herself.

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

Abilities
Her ability while using Level Upper is Aero Hand (空力使い (エアロハンド) ), a power that should allow her to propel objects using ejection points of air, though, she can only move small leaves in the palm of her hands. Once Level Upper was reversed, her ability level returned to 0.

Other abilities
She also is very athletic, being capable of running for a noticeably longer time than most students during her extra classes after the Level Upper incident, and was capable of quickly reaching the top floor of the large building that housed the Child Errors from the very bottom floor. Also, she is able to dodge the attacks of full armed and dangerous Powered Suits and hit them with a baseball bat. She is also capable of destroying expensive technology with merely a swing of a baseball bat. Both these situations emphasize her strength and agility.

In the Silent Party arc, she and Kazari are able to memorize an entire manual of instructions on how to pilot a giant mecha in one night and able to apply it in battle. This is exemplified by Ruiko and Kazari easily defeating two mobile weapons. It should be noted that she has not shown any sign of this sort of intelligence anywhere else in the series.

Design evolution
Haimura designed Ruiko for the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga. Originally, he thought that she was a victim-type of character that needed protecting, that is until Kamachi told him to make her more bright and carefree, which forced him to redesign her. Haimura gave Ruiko a flower hairclip to match Uiharu Kazari's flower headband.

Trivia

 * She displays impressive skill in sewing.
 * She and Uiharu Kazari both have cameos in both openings of the first Toaru Majutsu no Index anime, although with shorter skirts.

Quotes

 * (To Uiharu)" I'm Level 0. No powers. But I don't worry about that sort of thing. As long as everyday is fun, I'm okay with it."
 * (To Uiharu on the phone)"I didn't like being so powerless. But I couldn't give up on my hopes...Mama..."
 * (To Uiharu)"I'm sorry...I got you involved in something dumb...I kept secrets from you...and made you go through all of this...Only a bit more, and I might have lost something far more important than powers..."
 * "There's no way it'd go so well. But...Let's keep trying."
 * (To Uiharu)"I'm not going to give up anymore. Yep, never again."
 * (To Mikoto)"It's not trouble to us. But instead of worrying about you after you're gone, I'd rather go with you and help you. Because that's what friends are for."
 * (To Therestina)"Don't you dare lay a finger...on my friends!"
 * (To Mikoto)"But don't forget this. We're here for you. If you can't do it on your own, please let us know anytime, okay?"