Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T Episode 01

Level 5 (超能力者 (レベル5) ) is the first episode of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T anime series, the third season of the anime series adaptation of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series. It was broadcast on January 10th 2020. The episode was directed by Horiguchi Kazuki, the screenplay written by Yasukawa Shogo, and storyboarded by Nagai Tatsuyuki. The animation was co-directed by Sano Haruka, Kimoto Shigeki, Sakamoto Tetsuya and Hiyamizu Yukie.

All of the schools in Academy City participate in the Daihaseisai, a seven-day event that is broadcast all over the world. Amidst the festive mood before the start of this big event, Mikoto, Uiharu and Saten visit Kuroko, who had been seriously injured during the Remnant incident. Despite being hospitalized, Kuroko was worried that Mikoto cannot have fun in the Daihaseisai because of her, causing the three to be concerned as well. Moreover, upon hearing that Kuroko is fired up about joining the patrol duties of Judgment as soon as she is discharged from the hospital, Uiharu decides to work hard to cover for Kuroko.

On the other side of this ordinary day, the plans to have the Level 5s perform the athlete's oath at the opening ceremony of the Daihaseisai become the topic at hand, and not soon after, attempts were made to consult the seven Level 5s...

Adapted From

 * (cover-only)

Major Events

 * Preparations begin for the Daihaseisai, the major inter-school sporting event of Academy City.
 * The Daihaseisai Management Committee attempted to contact the seven Level 5s of Academy City and persuade them into performing the Athlete's Pledge during the Daihaseisai's opening ceremony. Shokuhou Misaki and Sogiita Gunha were eventually chosen as guests.

Characters
By order of appearance:
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Saten Ruiko
 * Uiharu Kazari
 * Shirai Kuroko
 * Watanabe
 * Kongou Mitsuko
 * Wannai Kinuho
 * Awatsuki Maaya
 * Shokuhou Misaki
 * Hokaze Junko
 * Mugino Shizuri
 * Frenda Seivelun
 * ITEM Liaison (voice-only)
 * Kinuhata Saiai
 * Takitsubo Rikou
 * Accelerator
 * Sisters
 * Keitz Nokleben

New Characters

 * Yobou Banka
 * Gokusai Kaibi
 * Kakine Teitoku
 * Sogiita Gunha
 * Daihaseisai Management Committee chairman
 * Daihaseisai Management Committee members

Abilities

 * Electromaster (Railgun-variant) - Misaka Mikoto, Level 5
 * Telekinesis - Child esper
 * Pyrokinesis - Child esper
 * Mental Out - Shokuhou Misaki, Level 5
 * Accelerator - Accelerator, Level 5

New Abilities

 * Dark Matter - Kakine Teitoku, Level 5 (fantasy)
 * Unknown - Sogiita Gunha, Level 5

Locations

 * Academy City
 * School District 7
 * Heaven Canceller's Hospital
 * Tokiwadai Middle School
 * School District 3
 * Private Salon

New Locations

 * Bonbons

Trivia

 * The Daihaseisai Management Committee chairman is voiced by Iwasawa Toshiki.
 * The Daihaseisai Management Committee members are voiced by Nanase Ayaka, Ueki Shin'ei and Yasuda Rikuya.
 * The child espers are voiced by Ishibashi Momo, Aihara Kotomi, and Hon'izumi Rina
 * The head of cheer squads are voiced by Makimura Takuya and Maki Shun'ichi.
 * Credits refer to Measure Heart instead of Gokusai Kaibi, despite her name being revealed in Toaru Majutsu no Index SS: Biohacker.
 * Murakawa Rie reprises her role as the ITEM Liaison despite being replaced by Watabe Sayumi in Toaru Majutsu no Index III.
 * Mikoto hums A Certain Tune at the very beginning of the episode.

Referbacks

 * Just like the introduction episodes from previous seasons of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, it starts with Mikoto at a pedestrian overpass, however the difference from those episodes is that the overpass she walks is very different from the one shown in the aforementioned episodes and there are no Skill-Out thugs that she shocked before the prologue ends.
 * In this episode, Kuroko is confined at a certain hospital due to injuries she sustained from her battle against Musujime Awaki, which was depicted in Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 08, which was adapted to ' '.
 * Watanabe mentioned Mikoto's participation in the ability demonstration in Russia. This was featured in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SS2: Shopping Mall Demonstration.
 * When Mikoto tells her clone that she remembers her promise to give them their reason to exist, a scene from Railgun S Episode 16 is used as flashback.

Cultural References

 * The snake bench is an artwork by the French-American sculptor, known for her brightly-colored mosaic sculptures, called The Conversation (会話). It is currently located in , Tokyo.
 * Akebono Pedestrian Overpass (曙陸橋) is a pedistrian overpass which is currently located in Tachikawa, Tokyo.
 * The remote control used by Misaki to control the students of Tokiwadai is similar to the remote control for the CT-90320A digital television.
 * Kuroko's secret album of Mikoto, first featured in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Episode 02, is briefly shown. This would be used as the title for a Toaru Kagaku no Railgun artbook featuring artwork of Mikoto by several artists, aptly called Kuroko no (hi)Album Oneesama no HIMITSU ♥ ~Kaizokuban~, released on December 31, 2010.
 * Two all-male  or cheer squads are shown in this episode.

Differences in Adaptation

 * Aihana Etsu as the 6th-ranked Level 5 is known contrary to the original version in the manga. Moreover, not only is his name known, but instead of the committee finding nothing about him with the resignation that it was to be expected, in the adaptation there are many people instead who are claiming to be him.
 * Misaka's confrontation with Misaki in the school is a redone version of their confrontation in the library that was already adapted in the first episode of Railgun S, with similar story beats and ending with Misaki mind controlling all the girls around her to intimidate Misaka.
 * Sogiita Gunha's introduction was different in manga. In the anime, he intervenes in the cheer squads' dispute, using his Amazing Punch to neutralize both parties, destroying the stage in the process. In the manga, his teacher only informed the Daihaseisai management committee that Sogiita would take part of the opening ceremony.
 * Instead of meeting in Tokiwadai Middle School regarding Misaka's participation in the opening of Daihaseisai, Watanabe and the female committee member coincidentally run into each other immediately after Misaka saves Uiharu and Saten.

Animation Trivia

 * The effects used for Kakine Teitoku's angel wings are the same ones used in his appearance in Toaru Majutsu no Index III.
 * The Sisters' eyes retain the style that was introduced in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S that was not carried over in Toaru Majutsu no Index III.
 * Sogiita Gunha's shirt is painted all red for this episode including the OP. In later episodes, in his Daihaseisai attire, his shirt is plain white, again removing the Rising Sun Flag design. These censorship measures persist in BD releases.

Unanswered Questions

 * What are the plans of Keitz and Misaki on the Sisters?