Toaru Project

The Toaru Project (とあるプロジェクト) is an on-going series of media releases related to the Toaru Majutsu no Index franchise. The project began in 2018, and started off with a third season of the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime series.

Development
The Toaru Majutsu no Index light novel series, written by Kamachi Kazuma and illustrated by Haimura Kiyotaka, was adapted into an anime series between 2008 and 2011 and a theatrical release on 2013. Its main spinoff, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, was also adapted into an anime series between 2009 and 2013. After the TV airing of the second season of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, the series entered a period where no animated media related to both series was released; instead, another of Kamachi's works, Heavy Object, was greenlit for an anime adaptation during the 10th year anniversary of Kamachi Kazuma's career as a light novel author.

Between the years 2014 and 2016, Dengeki Bunko's editor Miki Kazuma appeared during the biannual Dengeki Bunko Festival and urged fans of the franchise to wait for any further developments. On March 2017, Index was involved in a crossover project with Sega's Dennou Senki Virtual-On video game franchise, spawning the Toaru Majutsu no Virtual-On light novel,  and later videogame. On October 1, 2017, Miki Kazuma appeared at the Dengeki Bunko Autumn Festival 2017 to announce the Toaru Project, as well as the confirmation of a third season of Toaru Majutsu no Index.  Along with an accompanying video announcing the production of the third season. On September 2018, Kamachi Kazuma would later get an official twitter account. Toaru Majutsu to Kagaku no Expo held from November 3rd, 2018 to November 25th, 2018.

After airing the of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T, Toaru Project official twitter confirmed that the project has not finished yet.

Words of encouragement

 * Kamachi Kazuma: "Finally did season 3! Long or not long... Honestly, it was long, but animation technology has rapidly advanced. So lets aim at what you think is good!"
 * Miki Kazuma: "It's been 4 years since the movie. It's finally starting again with Index III! However, with the labeling of Toaru PROJECT, it won't just stop with Index III! We have various plans in place! Lastly, a couple of words: 'Everyone, kept you waiting, huh? This is the best climax ever!' I'll be doing my best so please support us!"

Toaru Majutsu no Index III
A third season of the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime series was greenlit during the Dengeki Bunko Autumn Festival 2017. Voice actors Abe Atsushi and Iguchi Yuka will reprise their roles as Kamijou Touma and Index respectively. This, coupled with the fact that Othinus and Lessar's seiyuus were revealed in the Toaru Majutsu no Virtual-On videogame, two characters who up to that point had were only light novel-exclusive, as well as the Toaru Majutsu no Index mobile MMO showing light novel-exclusive content, made it clear that the upcoming third season would soon be imminent.

Early in June 2018, more of the cast were revealed, with Satou Rina, Okamoto Nobuhiko, and Hino Satoshi are all reprising their roles as Misaka Mikoto, Accelerator, and Hamazura Shiage respectively. Moreover, a new key visual for the upcoming season was revealed, prominently showing important characters including Hamazura Shiage, as well as the new logo, making Toaru Majutsu no Index III the official title of the sequel. The sequel will premiere on October 2018.

On July 8, 2018, the first teaser for the third season was released at Anime Expo 2018 held in Los Angeles and later uploaded to Youtube on the official channel. The video reveals that Iuchi Maiko will be returning to compose for the series, and that it will premiere in October on and other channels. , Index's voice actress, would later announce that she will be doing the new season's ending,  while was announced as the artist for the opening. The third season is confirmed to be airing on October 5, 2018. Finally, during Comiket 94, a second preview was released. It contained new footage including animated sequences of the 14th Toaru Majutsu no Index volume, as well as a snippet of the first opening of the new season, Gravitation by.

A special edited version of Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion was aired on September 30 to celebrate the broadcast of the new season. AT-X was later confirmed in airing the movie as well. Being a special edited version, cast members Abe Atsushi and Iguchi Yuka hosted a special program that included an AT-X exclusive planning mixed in with the new information, including voice actors for the new character as well as confirming the first ending theme of the season, Kakumei Zen'ya by Iguchi Yuka. Voice actors for Oyafune Suama and Oyafune Monaka were later listed in the official twitter page as well.

Toaru Majutsu no Index III was confirmed for 26 episodes. Later in the middle of the season, Iguchi Yuka would announce on her Twitter that she would be singing the second ED titled Owaranai Uta, while Kurosaki Maon was confirmed to be doing the 2nd OP while also being the one to write the song herself, called ROAR to be released on March 6, 2019.

Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator
During the 2018 Dengeki Bunko Fall Festival, in the Toaru stage of the event, Abe Atsushi, Iguchi Yuka, Satou Rina, and Miki Kazuma confirmed that Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator will be getting an anime in 2019. They later showed a preview with the characters Accelerator, Last Order, and Esther Rosenthal. Hidaka Rina, Last Order's seiyuu, was later introduced as a secret guest.

It was later confirmed that Kamanaka Nobuharu will be directing the anime. On March 23, 2019, the PV for the anime was uploaded on Toaru Project channel. The full staff is also revealed to have Sugihara Kenji for Series Compostion, Yaegashi Yohei as the character designer, and keeping Iuchi Maiko for the soundtrack. Moreover, the first OP is revealed to be done by THE SIXTH LIE called Shadow is the Light to be released on August 21, 2019 and the ED is revealed to be done by Sajou no Hana called Parole to be released on July 31, 2019,  and later confirmed to be getting 12 episodes.

A second PV and key visual was later released for AnimeJapan. Esther Rosenthal was also revealed to be played by . The anime was later confirmed to start airing on July 12, 2019, with the first episode getting an advanced screening at Yunika Vision on June 29. Two more PVs, each featuring the OP and EDs were later uploaded on June 22, 2019. After the advanced screening of the first episode, the official Toaru Project later revealed the VAs for the members of Scavenger. Leader will be voiced by Fujita Akane, Naru by Koga Aoi, Seike by Nukui Yuka, and Yakumaru by Nishida Nozomi. The advanced screening at Yunika Vision had the OPs and EDs cut, though THE SIXTH LIE did have a rooftop performance of Shadow is the Light in the nearby Pepe Mall Shinjuku.

A free mini-game for Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator was released in anime website on June 27, 2019.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T
In the same stage immediately after the Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator anime reveal, a new season of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun was later revealed. Arai Satomi, Shirai Kuroko's seiyuu was introduced as secret guest.

It was later confirmed that Nagai Tatsuyuki will return to direct the anime. Along with Mikoto and Kuroko's seiyuus,, , and were all confirmed to be reprising their roles, as Uiharu Kazari, Saten Ruiko, and Shokuhou Misaki respectively. A key visual of Mikoto and Misaki in their Daihasei outfits was also shown, indicating an adaptation of the Daihasei Festival arc as seen in the Railgun manga.

Other than tweets from the Railgun manga's editor's meetings with Nagai regarding the adaptation of the new season, it is not until Moetron News reported that the new Railgun season will premiere on January 2020 with the title of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T. Included in this report was brand new key art featuring Misaka and Misaki with the rest of the Railgun cast. More information was later released in the November 2019 issue of Dengeki Daioh, with a better version of the key art. There it was revealed that series composition will be overseen by Shogo Yasukawa instead of Seishi Minakami, as well as fripSide also being confirmed to return to provide the OP called final phase to be released on February 26th, 2020 Moreover, the first ED was announced to be performed by Kishida Kyoudan & The Akeboshi Rockets called nameless story to be released on January 29th, 2019. The second ED was announced to be performed by sajou no hana called Aoarashi no Ato de to be released on June 24th, 2020. dual existence was then announced to be the second OP theme, sung by fripSide, with the single to be released on July 8, 2020, before being delayed to August 19, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details on the season's second arc, the Dream Ranker Arc, was revealed on April 26, 2020 alongside the June issue of Dengeki Daioh magazine. A new piece of key art was made available, and the seiyuus for Miyama Shaei, Yumiya Rakko, and Kuriba Ryouko were announced.

A new adventure game for iOS and Android devices was announced in the official twitter. The game is titled Toaru Kagaku no Railgun: Spectrum Story. Toaru Kagaku no Railgun: Spectrum Story officially starts its service on March 27th.

A promotional event named Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T Special Event ~Daihaseisai in Maihama~ was to be held in Maihama amphitheater on October 18th, 2020, but due to the effects of the , it was announced on July 15th, 2020 that the said event has been cancelled. On September 26th, it was announced that the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T Special Event ~Daihaseisai in ABEMA~ will be broadcast in on October 16th.

Broadcast delays
Due to the onset of the however, development of the anime season has been affected, and the anime was delayed four separate times. was delayed for a week and was broadcast on February 28, 2020. was delayed for two weeks and was broadcast on March 6, 2020. was delayed for a week following Japan's declaration of a State of Emergency, and was broadcast on May 1, 2020. was delayed for a week and was broadcast on May 15, 2020. Finally,, the first episode of the Dream Ranker Arc, was delayed for over two months before airing on July 24, 2020. According to Kawase Kohei, one of the production managers of Toaru series, this move will dedicate the staff to finish everything they can to ensure that there will be no more delays when they finally air the next arc.

Toaru Majutsu no Index: Imaginary Fest
A new card game for iOS and Android devices was announced during the Index III Special Broadcast on January 5, 2019 with a small teaser movie. The game is an "academy superpower battle RPG" and will as a free-to-play title with item-based micro-transactions in 2019 in Japan. The game allows the player to relive scenes from the anime and build decks using the characters from the from anime, movies, the latest light novels, and from sidestories. Attesting to this, the teaser movie briefly showed Othinus, Leivinia Birdway, and Kuroyoru Umidori. The game is being developed and published by Square Enix. The theme song of the game, entitled "JUNCTION", will be performed by Kurosaki Maon.

Toaru Kagaku no Dark Matter
As early as July 15, 2019, it was announced that another spin-off would be released, featuring Kakine Teitoku as the main protagonist. It was not until the release of Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator × Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Toaru Magazine that it was confirmed that it would be an ongoing manga instead of a oneshot with the release of the first chapter. It is an original side story written by Kamachi Kazuma and illustrated by Kisaragi Nankyoku, focusing on Kakine Teitoku's past. The manga will be directly released in volume form, with the first volume coming out on March 26, 2020.

Interviews and Articles

 * Animage 40th Anniversary—Interview with Miki Kazuma
 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun: TV Anime Season 3 Anticipations