Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S Episode 08

"ITEM" (Item (アイテム) ) is the 8th episode of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S anime series, and the 32nd episode of the anime series adaptation of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series. It was first broadcast on May 31, 2013. The script for the episode was written by Hanada Jukki, storyboarded Muroi Yasuo, and directed by Sakurabi Katsushi. The animation was co-directed by Marina Sato, Naoya Takashi, and Sakamoto Tatsunori.

The experiments that involve the "Sisters" were being stopped by someone... Mikoto, whose heart heart was full of determination, had made the related research facilities unusable one by one. After a large amount of destruction, finally, only two facilities have survived her ferocious onslaught.

And yet, the people who Mikoto has crossed, those who are doing the "experiment," will not fold.

"The target has the ability to manipulate electricity. Only take action when the target has invaded the facility, and make no inquiries of the target's identity."

In response to such a strange request, a certain dark organization begins to move. Not knowing anything, they await for Mikoto to infiltrate the pathology analysis laboratory, where a number of traps awaits her. And, as if inviting her, one girl shows up. Meanwhile, in the other remaning facility, the cranial nerve application analysis laboratory, Nunotaba appears.

Synopsis
The light of the moon is overwhelmed by the sudden explosion the rips through a certain place in Academy City, taking aback a group of three well-dressed men who are there for a particular client. Then, a group of two girls take them out swiftly from the shadows.

After two more girls join in on her two comrades, the two girls proceed with talking casually about swimsuits and frolicking on the water. This conversation is soon ended when the lady in purple tells them of their next mission, something that involves defending research facilities from an unknown attacker.

With that, the four girls united under one name, ITEM, steps into action once again.

Major events

 * Mikoto and Shinobu separately infiltrate two laboratories from S-Processor.
 * Mikoto fights and defeats Frenda.
 * Mikoto meets Takitsubo Rikou and the 4th Level 5 (without knowing her identity) Mugino Shizuri.

Adapted From

 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 025
 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 026
 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 027
 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 028

Characters

 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Nunotaba Shinobu

New Characters

 * Frenda Seivelun
 * Kinuhata Saiai
 * Mugino Shizuri
 * Takitsubo Rikou
 * ITEM liaison

Locations

 * Academy City

New locations

 * S-Processor Laboratories

Abilities

 * Electromaster - Misaka Mikoto, Level 5.

New Abilities

 * Meltdowner - Mugino Shizuri, Level 5.

Trivia

 * Ami Koshimizu retains her role as Mugino Shizuri. She first appeared in the Toaru Majutsu no Index (PSP game).
 * Frenda stating that she nearly lost her pretty legs might be a reference to her terrible fate in the 15th volume of Index, where she is severed in her torso and killed by Mugino Shizuri after betraying ITEM to SCHOOL.

Referbacks

 * The ongoing theme of milktea is used once again this episode, with Shinobu adding powder milk to hers before promptly leaving to do her mission.

Cultural References

 * The man in the roof in the action opening at the beginning of the episode holds a SVDS Dragunov sniper rifle, while the handgun Frenda takes from another man resembles a M1911 pistol.
 * Frenda shows some remarkably poor trigger discipline, having her finger on the trigger while checking the magazine of the handgun, and nonchalantly pointing everywhere.
 * Frenda's gibberish is actually a nonsense dialogue from an old Pilot Fountain Pen commercial.
 * According to Toaru Kagaku no Railgun's editor, the ceramic grenade is similar to the Type 4 grenade Japan once used in World War II.

Animation Trivia

 * Scenes from episode 5 and 6 are used for flashback.
 * After Mikoto propels herself backwards using her magnetism to escape the bomb that Frenda planted inside the metal plating Mikoto was using, the fire is shown after the explosion looks so realistic that it is out place.

Unanswered Questions

 * How powerful is Mugino Shizuri?
 * What does Shinobu intend to do to stop the experiment inside the facility?

Quotes

 * Mugino: "I am here on time. I'm right next to you."—said to ITEM's targets.
 * Rikou: "I don't really care so long as there's space to float about."—regarding pools.
 * Mikoto: "I'll end it all tonight."
 * Frenda: "Goodness gracious! She's so mad! I'm in trouble! She'll tear me limb from limb if she catches me! Just kidding!"—to Mikoto.
 * Frenda: "Nishishishi~"
 * Mikoto: "If you wanted me to fall, you should've rebuilt this whole building without any iron in it."—to Frenda.
 * Frenda: "Who cares? The client's goals? Whether the target's good or bad? The kind of a life they led? Basically, that stuff... doesn't matter. You still don't get it? You know those stories where \Nthe hunter becomes the hunted?"—to Mikoto regarding the experiments.
 * Frenda: "Curse thy own indolence! Thou hast no shield nor defensible position! If thou canst escape, escape, I say!"—to Mikoto.
 * Frenda: "...Power leads to complacency!"
 * Frenda: "Looks like you think I've got a death wish! I've been in this business long enough! Think I'd last if I was scared of dying?! As if! Not a chance. I'd rather die alone than along with you!"—to Mikoto.
 * Frenda: "I said I never care about my target's life. But when I'm going in for the kill, sometimes I think about it. The moment when I take that life. I control my target's fate. Basically, they were born to be killed by me! Now, let me hear that final, desperate scream that I love!"—to Mikoto.
 * Mikoto: "Born to be killed? Accepting some shitty fate without trying to escape, struggling, or searching for help? Accepting it like it's perfectly natural? What the hell is wrong with you?!"—to Frenda.
 * Frenda: "Shoot! I nearly lost my lower body to my own trap! Phew! Saved my pretty little legs—"
 * Mugino: "It was way too quiet. I was starting to think you'd gotten fried. Saved by the bell, huh? Frenda?"